Changing the World: How Adel AbouJaoude Accepted the Challenge

“Challenge accepted” is a call to action. It’s a commitment to growth, innovation and excellence. It’s about pushing boundaries, embracing new ideas and not shying away from obstacles.​

Our people accept the challenge every single day – and we’re showcasing a few of their stories. Today, we connected with our Global Solutions Director for Water Conveyance and Storage; Dr. Adel AbouJaoude, who's based in Dubai:

The challenge: The changing climate impacts the world’s regions – and their water needs – differently. For example, in the Middle East, the climate is the number one contributor to persistent water scarcity. With desalination plants serving as the main source of freshwater, high-budget mega reservoirs have been seen as a way to increase water storage, security and efficiency.

Tell us more about this challenge.​

We’ve worked on several major, high-budget projects for confidential clients. The cost is a major factor. Our team developed a concept during one particular project that cut down construction costs by more than 15%, saving significantly on a multi-billion-dollar project. The concept is simple: instead of soliciting the walls of a concrete reservoir over the full height, we created a recess in the bottom slab that gave us 15 to 20% additional storage at practically no additional cost.​

That client must have been thrilled by this concept. What else is our Jacobs team developing?​

For these concrete reservoirs, we also suggested placing an electro-resistivity measurement system for leakage detection. This technology has been known for decades, but we’ve never used it as a permanent leakage detection system for concrete reservoirs before. In today’s changing world, every drop of water counts. We don’t just work with our clients on the initial project, we’re always thinking about how it’s going to function into the future.

What else are you excited about when it comes to water conveyance and storage?​

Another major area that is rapidly expanding is related to energy renewables. We’ve already seen considerable developments in photovoltaic technology (solar panels) and wind energy. However, because these are fluctuating energy sources with periods of ebb and flow, you must store them. One way to accomplish this is through pumped storage hydropower. 

We’re in a new era where the development of and innovations in hydropower are starting to take shape and change the market. It’s an exciting time to be involved in and play a role in shaping this future, delivering a more secure and resilient resource supply for tomorrow.