Harvesting the invisible water: A woman’s quest to turn the sky into an Oasis
- Amel Sisbane
- Sep 14
- 5 min read
Updated: Sep 17
"In the cloud, water dwells freely — nameless, formless, yet it grants life."
Joumana Haddad
Written by: Amel Sisbane
Photography by: Marie-Josée Bédard
Water is life’s most essential resource—far more critical than food, and yet, despite covering 70% of the planet, only 1% of Earth’s water is potable—and that fragile supply is under siege. Pollution, overconsumption, and the accelerating impacts of climate change are straining global water systems, making scarcity one of the most urgent challenges of our era.
For Rhana S.Kurdi, the founder of Skydrops Sustainable Water Technologies, the urgency of water crisis is deeply personal. Her story began in the sun-drenched hills of Lebanon, a land of striking beauty, but one often marked by instability and shortage. Her childhood was shaped by water rationing and the deafening silence of empty pipes —formative experiences that designed a mindset rooted in resilience and resourcefulness.
From a young age, Rhana envisioned a future where water access was equitable, reliable, and sustainable. Determined to be a catalyst for meaningful change, she set her sights on introducing a sustainably sourced, locally produced alternative to drinking water throughout the MENA region— turning to the sky— as a solution—offering a bold, sustainable path forward.
Skydrops Sustainable Water Technologies was founded in Qatar, a nation known for its innovation, opportunity, and not only its energy reserves but also its abundant humidity. As other water sources decline under the pressures of climate change, this atmospheric moisture offers a renewable and rising source for the future.
Rhana’s venture was not born from theory but from lived experience and hard-earned expertise. Rhana S. Kurdi’s professional foundation was built in the US military world, where she led with distinction for over 22 years, building global strategy capabilities, leading high-stakes operations, and honing a leadership style grounded in discipline, agility, and purpose.
Upon retiring from the Army, she transformed her mission from one of command to one of regeneration. Earning a degree in Global Business from Oxford University’s Saïd Business School and laying the groundwork for a new kind of enterprise.
To put her dream into action and sustainably capture the precious elixir from the sky, Rhana turned to the breakthrough advanced Atmospheric Water Generation (AWG) technology, originally developed for military use and tested over several years.
At a small yet innovative facility in Qatar Free Zone by the sea, where humidity runs high and ocean air flows freely, Skydrops has reimagined the natural water cycle through a compact, sustainable system. Using Atmospheric Water Generation (AWG) technology, a process that draws moisture from the air to generate water.
Operating near an airport and desalination plant, air quality is a critical concern. To ensure purity, the atmospherically generated water passes through a multi-stage advanced filtration system, meeting Qatar’s rigorous Ministry of Public Health standards. It is then oxidized to extend shelf life, in line with the country’s one-year bottled water regulation.
Skydrops proudly meets one of the Gulf region’s most rigorous standards—mineralizing bottled water as required—by using only natural, essential minerals. Without relying on artificial additives, they enrich each bottle to create a premium, alkaline, ultra-pure product that is free from salt, chlorine, and heavy metals. Every drop undergoes on-site testing in compliance with government-mandated quality control, ensuring both excellence and safety from source to sip.
Unlike conventional models, Skydrops water is produced to order and delivered within 24 to 48 hours, eliminating the need for long-term storage and preventing stagnation and ensuring freshness.
Production occurs primarily at night—when humidity is highest—optimizing energy use. Each unit produces 700 to 1,400 liters per day using only 4.5 kWh, placing it among the most energy-efficient solutions globally. Systems are fully compatible with renewable energy sources and designed for off-grid scalability, aligning with global carbon reduction goals.
But Skydrops’s mission goes beyond water production. They have reimagined the entire water system—from source to shelf—through the lens of circularity and ESG alignment.
For water conservation and waste reduction. Skydrops replaced plastic reliance and recycling models with a closed-loop system, consisting in bottling, distribution, return, cleaning, and rebottling for redistribution.
The company’s custom bottling machine—an innovative response to limited capital—can fill glass and aluminum bottles in multiple sizes (300, 500, 750ml), increasing flexibility while reducing space, cost, and energy consumption. To guarantee the highest hygiene standards, bottles are capped in a UV-sterilized environment, stamped, and sealed, and bottling operations are separated physically and temporally from water production to maintain both efficiency and purity.
Every element of the system reflects thoughtful, sustainable design. Even pipes are made from unplasticized PVC (uPVC) sourced from Germany—free from plasticizers like BPA and phthalates. The storage tanks are being replaced with stainless steel, eliminating microplastic shedding and further enhancing the health quality of the water. Every material used, every process refined—down to the smallest detail—serves the mission.
The return-and-refill model incentivizes consumers, offering a 40% discount for bottle returns—making premium water economical and sustainable. Targeting large corporations, Skydrops aims to make a measurable impact by aligning sustainability with business value, one stakeholder at a time.
But the social side of ESG is where Skydrops truly sets itself apart.
“Mission first, people always” is the company’s guiding ethos. Rhana leads by example, rolling up her sleeves alongside her team. She brings a leadership and entrepreneurial spirit that shaped a company culture where loyalty, inclusiveness, and empathy thrive.
The company champions a culture of inclusion and flexibility, recognizing that individuals bring different strengths and responsibilities to the table. Post-COVID, it has embraced remote work and family-first policies, enabling all team members to contribute fully and meaningfully. Rhana prioritizes potential, motivation, and commitment when building her team—often selecting candidates who may have taken non-traditional career paths but demonstrate strong adaptability, resilience, and a deep sense of purpose.
Rhana chose to manage all human resources activities inhouse to ensure staff dignity and wellbeing. Comfortable housing, access to transportation, and a sense of community are seen not as perks, but as essentials. As Rhana S.Kurdi puts it, “If you take care of your tribe, they take care of you—and the rest takes care of itself.”
The company’s commitment to social sustainability extends into education. Inspiring the Next Generation through a new product line—Nano, a reusable aluminum bottle—Skydrops is targeting schools and families, offering hydration alongside sustainability education. Featuring a character named “Samsam”, the bottle takes children on a bilingual journey (Arabic and English) through Qatar’s environmental efforts, encouraging them to reuse instead of recycle.
The path to change is never without resistance, but for every criticisim faced, Skydrops’ team answers with a deeper value proposition: a low-energy, zero-waste, chemical-free, microplastic-free, and resilient water source that’s better suited for long-term health, environmental integrity, and circularity.
Rhana navigated male-dominated, often skeptical spaces with quiet determination, backed by the unwavering support and personal sacrifices of her family and friends, who believed deeply in her vision. Driven by a desire to create a better world for her children and future generations, she persevered—transforming doubt into purpose and challenges into impact.
What started as a bold idea is now a functioning model of sustainable water production. In a world in urgent need of scalable climate solutions, Skydrops embodies a living ecosystem where values meet technology and vision drives action. A sustainable, local, inclusive, and regenerative model for water security, waste reduction all bottled into one mission-driven brand.
Amel Sisbane
Founder & CEO of Planetera Consult
Amel Sisbane is a sustainability expert with over 25 years of experience driving impactful change. An Architect and Urban planner, certified Climate Change Ambassador, LEED AP, and ESG leader, with credentials from the University of Brussels, Oxford University, the CSE, GBRI, and USGBC. She has managed high-profile projects that integrate innovation, environmental stewardship, and social responsibility delivering measurable results and long-term value for businesses bringing a holistic approach that bridges technical expertise, global sustainability goals, and local market needs.
Leveraging her multicultural, international and multidisciplinary expertise, Amel founded PLANETERA, a corporate sustainability consultancy that supports forward-thinking businesses through tailored ESG strategies to deliver long-term value in a rapidly evolving economy.
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