Saudi Arabia is Transforming its Desalination Plants

Water Treatment Saudi Arabia is Transforming its Desalination Plants

2026-09-30 From Ahlam Rais 5 min Reading Time

cac-2023-poslogo-idea-ahead (CAC ENGINEERING GMBH)

Desalination has long come at a high cost in energy and money. For Saudi Arabia, which depends on it for drinking water and industry alike, the priority is now shifting from more capacity to cleaner and more efficient capacity.

Under the ‘National Water Strategy 2030’, Saudi Arabia is securing sustainable water resources, protecting the natural environment and providing high-quality services. (Source: Malika - stock.adobe.com) — Under the ‘National Water Strategy 2030’, Saudi Arabia is securing sustainable water resources, protecting the natural environment and providing high-quality services.
(Source: Malika - stock.adobe.com)

Saudi Arabia is among the most water-scarce nations on earth and relies heavily on desalinated water for both municipal supply and industrial operations. According to an IEA (International Energy Agency) article titled ‘Wired for water: How electrification is transforming desalination’*, today, the Middle East and North Africa still host most global capacity (for desalination), over 40 %, with the Gulf Cooperation Council countries (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE)) alone accounting for 33 %. The region now produces 12 billion cubic metres of desalinated water annually, equivalent to the Euphrates River’s flow, of which two-thirds is used for drinking water.

Saudi Arabia’s ‘Vision 2030’ and ‘National Water Strategy 2030’

Please log in or register and read this article. To be able to read this article in full, you must be registered. Free registration gives you access to exclusive specialist information.

Create My Free Account

Already registered? Log in here