By Abbas Nazil
Saudi Arabia is taking ambitious, transformative steps to confront one of the world’s most pressing environmental challenges—water scarcity—by implementing a comprehensive national strategy aimed at securing water availability for future generations.
Facing limited natural freshwater sources and a rapidly growing population, the Kingdom is expanding its desalination capabilities, improving wastewater treatment and reuse, and leveraging public-private partnerships to modernize its water infrastructure.
The Kingdom’s National Water Strategy is a cornerstone of this shift, with a goal of treating up to 10 million cubic meters of wastewater daily and increasing reuse rates to 70 percent by 2030.
As of 2024, the nation has already invested $6.28 billion in ongoing projects including water distribution, treatment plants, and wastewater collection systems.
Currently, Saudi Arabia’s desalinated water capacity exceeds 12 million cubic meters per day, with a target to nearly double it to 20 million by 2030, according to ACWA Power’s Executive Vice President Tariq Nada.
Recognizing the need for water sustainability, the country is also aggressively scaling up treated wastewater reuse.
While only about 25-30 percent of the 6–7 million cubic meters of treated wastewater is currently reused, efforts are underway to raise this significantly.
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This dual focus on desalination and reuse helps conserve groundwater and reduce dependence on energy-intensive desalination, which presently supplies 60 percent of urban water.
Saudi Arabia’s strategy extends beyond technology to include infrastructure, with investments in water transmission networks, reservoirs, and smart management systems.
Experts like Nick Strange from Arthur D. Little and Hani Tohme from Kearney emphasize the need for a holistic approach that includes not just production but efficient distribution and sustainable reuse.
The public-private partnership model plays a vital role in accelerating these goals.
Opening the sector to international competition has introduced new technologies and operational efficiencies while easing pressure on government budgets and fostering long-term economic growth.
Nicolas Boukhalil of PwC Middle East notes these partnerships also align with Vision 2030 by supporting economic diversification and sustainability.
Looking ahead to 2025, Saudi Arabia plans to deepen its innovation footprint with increased integration of renewable energy, particularly solar power, into desalination operations.
Advanced membrane technologies and digital tools like AI and predictive maintenance are expected to further boost efficiency and reduce costs.
Decentralized purification plants, digital twins, and expanded use of treated water in agriculture and district cooling are also on the horizon.
