A UAE hotel is turning air into drinking water, serving it for free to guests, and eliminating plastic bottles through innovative, sustainable technology.
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| A hotel in Ajman, UAE, is revolutionizing eco-tourism by generating fresh drinking water from air humidity, replacing plastic bottles with reusable glass. Image: KT |
Ajman, UAE — July 18, 2025:
A hotel in Ajman, United Arab Emirates, is gaining global attention for its groundbreaking sustainability initiative: producing clean drinking water directly from the air and serving it free to guests.
The Bahi Ajman Palace Hotel has installed an advanced air-to-water system that captures moisture from the atmosphere, filters and purifies it, and bottles it in reusable glass containers. This innovative approach has allowed the hotel to completely eliminate single-use plastic water bottles.
“This water doesn’t come from the sea, the ground, or any public utility — it comes straight from the air,” said Iftikhar Hamdani, Area General Manager of the hotel. “We are capturing atmospheric humidity, purifying it through a multi-stage process including UV filtration and mineral enrichment, and serving it in sterilised glass bottles. It’s clean, safe, and eco-friendly.”
The water-making process begins by drawing in humid air. It’s then cooled to condense moisture into droplets, which are collected and filtered. The final product undergoes UV treatment and mineralization to enhance taste and safety. Each glass bottle is sterilised at 85°C and sealed with a three-month shelf life.
The system, launched in January 2025, produces up to 1,000 litres of water daily. On regular days, about 700 litres meet guest demand, while full capacity is used for banquets and events.
Previously, the hotel consumed over 700 plastic bottles per day. Since adopting the air-to-water system and switching to reusable glass, the hotel has significantly reduced its environmental footprint.
“Thousands of bottles were going to waste each month. That’s simply not sustainable,” Hamdani said. “By producing our own water, we’ve taken a major step toward responsible hospitality.”
Financially, the project is proving viable. The hotel expects to recoup its investment within two years, thanks to savings on bottled water procurement and reduced waste handling.
Guests have been enthusiastic, often expressing surprise and curiosity when learning their water came from the air. “It starts conversations,” said Hamdani. “People want to know more, and that awareness is part of the change we hope to inspire.”
The hotel’s initiative is not only a success story for eco-conscious hospitality but also a model of innovation that could be replicated across the region.
“With year-round humidity, we have a natural resource that can be turned into safe drinking water,” Hamdani said. “Why not use it to reduce plastic waste and protect the environment?”
This pioneering effort highlights how technology, when paired with vision and responsibility, can redefine what sustainable tourism looks like in the 21st century.