Dubai is to build the GCC’s first hydro-electric power station, which will be completed within five years and produce 250 MW of power.

The plant in Hatta will be built by the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) as part of a development plan for the area which includes installing photovoltaic panels on rooftops to produce electricity from solar power, smart meters in buildings, and electric vehicle charging stations.

The hydroelectric station will use water from the Hatta Dam, which has a capacity of 1,716 million gallons, and an upper reservoir that will be built in the mountain to store up to 880 million gallons.

The Dh1.3-billion ($353.9 million) Hatta development plan aims to boost the area’s attractiveness as a world-class environmental tourist destination.