Saudi Arabia has seen a significant surge in its water sustainability efforts in recent years with desalinated water production doubling in addition to the expansion of strategic storage capacities, and the extension of water transmission lines.
Abdulrahman bin Abdulmohsen Al-Fadley, Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture, revealed that the Kingdom has achieved high levels of wastewater treatment and reuse in the agriculture and industrial sectors, during his participation in the 3rd High-Level International Conference on the  International Decade for Action under the theme ‘Water for Sustainable Development 2018-2028.’ Al-Fadley added that this has led to a decline in the demand for non-renewable groundwater and further supports the objectives of integrated water resources management.
Notably, the Middle East and North Africa region accounts for around 48 percent of the world’s daily production of desalinated water, according to a report by BNC Intelligence.
Saudi Arabia is among the top investors in the region with over $10.28 billion worth of desalinated water projects. According to the U.S.-Saudi Council, close to 60 percent of the Kingdom’s water came from desalination in 2019, the majority of which was produced by the government-run Saline Water Conversion Corporation (SWCC).
Propelling water desalination efforts
Al-Fadley also noted that Saudi Arabia’s government is making significant and ongoing efforts to improve water sustainability. “In 2018, the government launched the National Water Strategy and achieved global leadership in the desalination system by setting nine Guinness World Records in the fields of production, transportation and strategic storage,” he stated. In addition, the government has reduced energy consumption and carbon emissions in seawater desalination operations.
As Saudi Arabia leads water sustainability efforts locally, it also seeks to strengthen its joint global role to address the challenges relating to sustainable development goals. Therefore, it has launched an initiative to establish the World Water Organisation in Riyadh. Moreover, it has provided over $6 billion in funding to several countries around the world.
Al-Fadley concluded his participation stating that Saudi Arabia is confident it will support the objectives of the World Water Forum, which it will host in its eleventh session in 2027.
For more news on sustainability, click here.
