The DESOLINATION project aims to couple efficiently the low grade wasted heat of two different CSP cycles to an innovative desalination system based on forward osmosis. Indeed, the demonstration in Saudi Arabia already hosts a 100kWe air Bryton cycle that will be coupled with the innovative forward osmosis desalination system developed in DESOLINATION. Moreover, to take into account the future and most efficient cycles, a 1MWe CO2 blends power cycle will be installed on site and demonstrated alongside the existing power plant. More than 2300 hours of testing are planed on site to assess the CSP and desalination technologies and optimise their efficiencies. DESOLINATION will thus provide solutions to be integrated in existing CSP plants across the region as well as an innovative more efficient coupling with a tailored made power cycle for more efficient and cost effective new CSP plants based on CO2 blends. Gathering 10 EU research centres or academic profiles, 6 EU companies with a deep knowledge of the market, and 4 academic partners from the GCC countries, DESOLINATION offers a balanced and high international level consortium, with excellent research capacities and a strong market uptake potential. DESOLINATION indeed aims to have market competitive solutions showing the potential for high wasted-heat-to-freshwater conversion efficiency as well as high CSP power efficiency (>42% at 550°C) leading to an LCOE below 90€/MWh and LCOW below 0.9€/m3 when scaled-up at 100MW scale. The reduction of CO2 emissions per cubic meter of water desalinated would be up to 70% compared to existing desalination systems. Moreover, brine rejection being a key environmental issue, DESOLINATION will also focus on developing solutions to decrease brine rejection by up to 80%. Through the developments of the CSP+D system and its demonstration in a real environment, DESOLINATION will foster the use of solar energy for desalination in the EU, in the GCC countries, and the rest of the world.

Today, Arab countries are very advanced in term of fertility transition. From the 2000's, some countries almost reached the replacement level (Tunisia, Algeria, Lebanon, United Arab Emirates) and others were getting close to it (Barhein, Morocco, Qatar, Kuwait, Lybia). During this period, the fast fertility decrease in Maghreb bewildered specialists: it lasted less than 25 years, when in France, the same decrease took 200 years. Fertility then was of 4 children in Saoudi Arabia, Jordania, Oman, Syria and wasover 5 children in Irak, Palestine and Sudan. Its highest rate was found in Yemen with 6,8 children in average. Moving towards the 2020's, the Arab fertility, after getting close the level of European Countries, showed discrepencies: in certain countries, the decrease continued below the replacement level (United Arab Emirates, Lebanon, Qatar) while in other countries, an increase was observed, reaching 30% in Algeria compared to the 2000 rate. During the last 20 years, Tunisia and Egypt have demonstrateda lesser increase (around 10%) whereas in the Gulf countries, the ferlity continued its decrease (-41% in United Arab Emirates, -36% in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Yemen, -30% in Jordania, Syria and Palestine). In light on these data, we can observe the shaping of drastic changes in the family: the demographic transition lead to new distribution among age groups, to a transformation of the childhood, youth and young adult experience, and tomorrow, seniors' experience. With late or definitive celibacy levels higher than ever, the institution of matrimony has been revolutionized, These changes go together with women's instruction, accelerated urbanisation. In these arab socities, family is now at the centre of these mutations. The global image it reflects is in complete break with the traditional stereotype of a homogeneous, patriarchal, rigid, polygamous society that marries woman at puberty and produces large families. Engagement and demands have risen up (Arab Springs, Hirak) initiated by young citizen suffering from unemployement and the worsening of their living conditions. Relationships between generations on the one hand and women and men on the other hand will unquestionably have to be "negociated" both in terms of cutural turmoil and redesigning of demographic balance. Our project REDEMAR : Interdisciplinary research network on demography in the Arab world aims at studying past and current dynamics, that are now irreversible. In a second step, we will apply for the 2023 MSCA Staff Exchanges call by submitting a project centered around the following topics: family and kinship, mortality, migrations, marriage and celibacy, instruction and urbanisation. The project will adress the sources and their quality, the causes and reasons, the similarities and differencies as well as the consequence on individuals, families and society on the short, mid and long term. The project will allow 20 research from our network based in several countries (Algeria, United Arab Emirates, France, Italie, Morocco, Kuwait, Switzerland and Tunisia), from diverse fields (demography, sociology, anthropology, statistics, geography, etc) to benefit from secondments. The project will include in-training researchers (PhD students and post-docs) as well as experienced researchers to guarantee optimal exchanges. The project will contribute to both adress the current questions regarding the studied region and their futur evolution, and participate in the training of young researchers in population-related issues in their countries by integrating them in an international network that will grant them access to numerous resources and competences.