The UAE’s ambitious plan to tow a giant Antarctic iceberg for fresh water has stalled with no updates since its 2017 launch. Meanwhile, a Greenland startup successfully exports glacial ice to Dubai bars for luxury use. One aimed to solve a crisis; the other sells exclusivity. As of 2025, only cocktail glasses, not coastlines, are chilled. In a region where rain is rare and water more precious than oil, the United Arab Emirates once had its sights set on an audacious engineering marvel: towing a gigantic Antarctic iceberg to its sun-baked coast to quench thirst, summon clouds, and maybe even reshape climate patterns. But as of 2025, the only glacier ice that has made it to Dubai is not floating off the coast but chilling highball glasses in rooftop bars, courtesy of a boutique Greenland startup.
