Saudi Water Authority (SWA) President Abdullah Al-Abdulkarim announced that the cost of desalinating one cubic meter of seawater in Saudi Arabia has dropped to approximately SAR 1.7. This achievement is attributed to advancements in the Kingdom’s innovation ecosystem and significant investments in water technologies, alongside private-sector participation.
Speaking at the Innovation Driven Water Sustainability Conference (IDWS) in Jeddah, Al-Abdulkarim highlighted that Saudi Arabia has reached high levels of energy efficiency despite its location between two of the world’s saltiest seas. He noted that transporting water to urban and high-altitude areas requires innovative solutions to reduce costs and enhance sustainability.
The SWA chief emphasized the private sector’s critical role in water projects through a model that ensures full cost recovery. Saudi Arabia now operates an integrated system encompassing water production, transmission, distribution, treatment, and reuse. The country’s wastewater reuse rate has reached 33%, supporting growth in various economic sectors.
Al-Abdulkarim also pointed out major strides in desalination energy efficiency, with power consumption dropping from 15 kilowatts to just 2.3 kilowatts per cubic meter in under a decade, thanks to national engineering initiatives. He added that there are ongoing opportunities to improve supply and distribution efficiency and expand reuse, particularly for water-intensive industries like mining.
(Source: Argaam)