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Back to National News listWater rip-off
A billion people do not have access to it.
And a staggering 1.4 million children die every year because when they do, it kills them.
And now, you can buy it in Dubai, for the princely sum of dhs250 a bottle.
That is the price of a bottle of drinking water unveiled last night at Harvey Nichols when Bling H20 - a crystal-encrusted bottle of water - made its debut in the emirate.
From August, ‘ultra-luxury’ versions of this pricey thirst quencher will be available for sale at the store, with bottles retailing at dhs180 and dhs250 a pop.
The same amount of money would supply a child in Africa with water for life.
Harvey Nichols also has two limited edition Bling H2O bottles to sell - each one embellished with 10,000 Swarovski crystals and yours for a mere dhs15,000.
According to goodplanet.org, 5,000 people die every day because of dirty drinking water, while 1.1 billion people in developing countries currently have no, or inadequate, access to clean drinking water.
But it is not just this irony that has shocked some people, it is also the sheer amount of resources that goes into producing the luxury product.
Habiba Al Marashi, the chairwoman at Emirates Environmental Group (EEG), said: “The product is designed to cater to a certain market without any thought or concern about the environment.
“One can just imagine the carbon footprint involved in making glass, mining crystals and transporting it here from the States.
“The amount of water used for packaging and transporting this product is much more than the amount of water it contains.
“Although we can only warn producers about what products and services they should offer to the people, consumers I believe should be guided by their common sense in buying such a product.”
And some charities are hoping that if people are feeling flush, they may choose to donate the money to them, rather than splashing out on Bling H20.
Ted Kuepper is the executive director at Global Water, an international non-profit organisation that strives to help save the lives of people in developing countries that are lost due to unclean water.
For the last 25 years, Global Water has worked closely with communities and local NGOs establishing suitable water projects in rural villages throughout the world.
Having witnessed the hardships some people around the world encounter simply to secure a clean glass of water, the idea of spending dhs250 on a bottle of the stuff leaves a bad taste in the mouth of those who work with Global Water.
“As you could guess, paying exorbitant amounts for bottled water doesn’t make much sense to us at our humanitarian organisation, Global Water,” says Kuepper.
“We’d rather see those folks contribute to water projects that can help people in developing countries that do not have clean water to drink at any price.
“For example, we’re trying to raise $2,400 (dhs8,800) right now to dig a well at a rural school in Nicaragua where about 1,000 students attend. That’s only $2.40 (dhs8) per child to provide clean water to every child at the school.”
He added: “And the children can bring water containers with them to fill at school for use at home later.
“So the bottom line is one can get a very high return by contributing to humanitarian water projects that are managed by organisations such as Global Water.”
And Al Marashi also had some suggestions on how better to use dhs250 than splash out on a bottle of water.
“Donate some money to EEG’s million-tree campaign and contribute to urban greening,” says Al Marashi. “Donating a Neem Tree costs around dhs150-dhs200.
“So, after spending some cash on a tree, you will still have plenty of change left to buy a bottle of refreshing water without the bling.”
7DAYS asked Harvey Nichols to quiz Bling H20’s founder, Kevin G Boyd, on issues surrounding its launch, including who would spend so much on a bottle of water, however we never received answers to our questions.
jane.plunkett@7days.ae
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COMMENTS
This product has been around LA for the longest time. You can buy it in the high end spa hotels or any of the higher end nightclubs.
Posted by: Mi_Aah [30.Jun.09 6 : 14 PM]For someone like me who shrinks back even when a restaurant charges double the price for a 1 litre drinking water bottle, this latest status symbol comes as quite a shock. Would someone really want to flaunt it at,say, a kitty party by saying that they're serving water from a AED 250 bottle? -- Of course,it wouldn't be so bad if the manufacturer's declared that the proceeds from the sale of the bottle would go to charity.Ah well,that's day dreaming-even if they donate 10% of the proceeds to charity it would be great.
Posted by: ayeayeal [30.Jun.09 1 : 39 PM]It is a crazy product for sure. But that is not the problem here. Such products are out there in plenty. And the environmental issues too have been always out there. So the REAL problem here is that the world is beginning to see Dubai as a potential market for such atrocities. If they are selling it here, they have a reason. In a quest to be at the top, flashy and upmarket, this is where Dubai is heading to. And being here for three decades, it really saddens me. Just wondering how much worse it shall eventually get.
Posted by: jox2jox [30.Jun.09 1 : 35 PM]Satia: Well, I am environmentally conscious unlike you and I do try and do accommodate some of the points that you mentioned and even more in my everyday life. I don't have to list them all out to you here... And as I already said - just because you are convinced about the product and may even be quiet willing to spend your stupid money on it that does not mean - the product or your justification is any valid!
Posted by: Anusaran [30.Jun.09 12 : 42 PM]I thought the financial crises was a lesson to all. I really hoped that evil companies just went out of business!! How else would you describe a company that sells water for 70 dollars as anything but evil. But then you have to look for a word worse that evil to describe people who actually buy the product. The sad thing is, I think that they will do well in Dubai…. There are enough airheads around who would buy it. These are the kind of things that I hoped would just die off with the crunch, that people would learn that there are so many underprivileged nations on this planet that is not fair for the rest of us to live in such excess. There are so many issues on this planet that need our attention, yet here we are. It is just sad, when will we progress enough to realize that our prosperity in life shows through our charity work, it shows through what good deeds have we done lately and not by owning ridiculous cars and drinking 70 bucks bottles of water…..
Posted by: L.A. [30.Jun.09 12 : 29 PM]Anusaran, i am sure you are drinking all of your water from the tap and have never consumed water from a bottle. i'm sure you are recycling your bath water and flushing only afer number 2's. i'm also sure you will be first in line give up your car for the the new metrorail. loosen up if you don't like the product don't buy it stop bashing. i'm willing to bet you will continue throwing away your money on your current vice versus sending it to Africa to build well.
Posted by: satia ali [30.Jun.09 12 : 28 PM]Satia ali: You must be crazy & selfish! Just because you are convinced - please don't try to justify the fact that it is cool and acceptable to sell a bottle of water from a well for dhs 250 when more than a million people suffer to even get a sip of it!
Posted by: Anusaran [30.Jun.09 12 : 12 PM]if people were more conscious about other's misery, we would'nt have people dying of hunger and thirst. some spend on luxury and others' luxury is the right to live.
Posted by: naimadz [30.Jun.09 11 : 48 AM]
I do understand that there is a serious water crisis in the world; however the plight of the world water supply can not be placed on the shoulders of one bottled water. I admit the cost of one bottle of bling h2o is costly; however the example you are using is applicable to anything. the cost of building just one of our extravagant building here in Dubai like the building you work in could change the water supply crisis in all of Africa and the world. The cost of the printing this paper alone daily could do the same... yet i dont see 7 days switching to an online publication only to save natural resources. perhaps you should argue that point. Did you ever take in to consideration that the bling bottles are reusable? Common logic tell you that people would not spend that kind of money on Swarovski crystal bottles to throw them away. Life is about options and choices and it seems you are only looking to stir controversy. Would this be a front page story if you loved the pretty bottles? probably not. The only thing you have done is taken the attention away from Paris Hilton and provided free front page advertising for bling h2o and im sure they are welcoming the attention.
Shame on this world. The rich is getting richer & the poor is getting poorer. Filthy peasant proprietors are ruling their opposite.
Posted by: Ancient x [30.Jun.09 11 : 06 AM]Reading the article makes me cry with anger - water is a necessity NOT an accessory. Sad is the individual that buys this useless product. What would the purchaser do with the bottle after the contents have been drunk? At least by putting funds towards building a much need well or water pump for people in less advantaged countries, or even for a school and books, one could see the rewards of money well spent. With bling water, one sip and it's gone.
Posted by: Aussiemaus [30.Jun.09 10 : 21 AM]I don't know whether to laugh or cry. Last week I was at an upmarket department store, and right next to the counter was a Red Crescent Donation box. I could see people paying in the hundreds and thousands for trivial things they were purchasing, but not a dirham was going into the box. Misplaced priorities? Hell yeah!
Posted by: anthonypermal [30.Jun.09 9 : 05 AM]KEEP YOURSELF UPDATED
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