Press Release.
Hawa Water, a Mohammed Bin Rashid Innovation Fund (MBRIF) accelerator program member, announced that it has won the Spinneys 2021 Local Business Incubator award for their premium drinking water. As one of the winning local F&B producers, hawa® water is introducing new glass bottles, which are now available at Spinneys stores in the UAE.
Hawa Water, based in Ras Al Khaimah, harvests pure, natural drinking water from the humidity through a technological process scaled for drinking water application, which is then packaged in returnable glass bottles.
Hawa Water– which joined the MBRIF accelerator program cohort in September 2021– eliminates the reliance on scarce ground water resources and leverages the abundant atmospheric humidity in the country to produce drinking water. Through its sustainable packaging it also reduces the overall carbon footprint of the product lifecycle.
The harvested fresh water is naturally zero-sodium, uses no chemical process, is free of BPA/plastics, rejects no effluents and targets zero bottle waste to preserve landfills for the UAE community. This aligns with the MBRIF and the UAE’s commitment to sustainability and developing a circular economy as well as with the UN Sustainable Development Goals [SDGs].
Commenting on the innovative model of Hawa Water, Fatima Al Naqbi, Ministry of Finance representative at MBRIF, said: “In line with our mandate to support innovators and empower them to develop into successful ventures, MBRIF is excited to be working with Hawa Water, which is both sustainable, innovative and locally-produced in the UAE.
MBRIF’s core mandate is to enable and empower innovative businesses such as Hawa Water to achieve sustainable growth and impact. The Fund is committed to helping innovative businesses in outlining their business strategy, collaborating with potential clients in different markets and supporting access to funding.”
In their comments, Hawa Water co-founders Gregory Sauvage, Jaufre Rouanet, and Nabil Hamade said: “The leadership in the UAE has inspired entrepreneurship and brought many unique brands and new experience to the world. Water security and sustainability are vital topics to be addressed, and through Hawa Water, we not only tap into the fresh water stored locally around us from a naturally replenished source but also couple it with sustainable packaging to reduce the overall carbon footprint. What better place than the UAE to bring this innovation to life.”
Thanking the MBRIF for its support, the co-founders said: “The MBRIF Innovation Accelerator program is a great booster to brands such as Hawa Water. MBRIF helped us share our vision with opinion leaders and visionaries of the country, bringing forth a solution to water scarcity and opening a new horizon for a local decarbonized water. As part of the MBRIF recent cohort, we are actively developing, and engaging with partners, and raising funds for expansion.”
Since its inception, MBRIF has played a key role in fostering and encouraging innovation & sustainability projects as part of its accelerator program and aligned with the UAE government’s vision to a sustainable, circular economy.
The MBRIF Innovation Accelerator program was launched in 2018 and serves as the vehicle to identify high potential innovators from across the globe. The accelerator offers entrepreneurs access to an ecosystem of mentors, thought leaders and industry experts. To date, MBRIF has enabled over 77 businesses across sectors.