The Gulf’s race for water security

The Gulf states, facing acute water scarcity, have turned to seawater desalination as their primary source of water. Consuming nearly 550 litres of water per person daily, compared to around 120 litres in countries like Germany, the region relies heavily on desalination plants. Saudi Arabia, the largest producer of desalinated water globally, generates about 20% of the world's supply.

The United Arab Emirates, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Qatar have similarly high proportions of their drinking water produced via desalination, ranging from 80% to 99%.

Recognizing the importance of sustainable water supplies, most Gulf states have integrated water security into their long-term planning. The Gulf Cooperation Council's 20-year Unified Water Strategy aims for at least 10% of total desalination capacity to use locally owned and manufactured technology by 2035. This strategy seeks to promote self-sufficiency and 'localise' desalination processes.

Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030, a forward-planning document, places significant emphasis on water resources management. The country's water score on the integrated water resources management indicator has improved from 57% to 83% under Vision 2030, earning it recognition as a case study by the United Nations. Riyadh will host the World Water Forum in 2027, showcasing Saudi Arabia's extensive desalination systems.

The Ras Al-Khair plant in Saudi Arabia is a flagship facility, producing over one million cubic meters of desalinated water daily. It combines reverse osmosis, which accounts for 30% of its output, with multi-stage flash distillation, providing the remaining 70%. Reverse osmosis forces salt water under high pressure through semi-permeable membranes, filtering out salts and other impurities.

Multi-stage flash distillation heats seawater and condenses the resulting vapour to produce fresh water. Saudi Arabia's water authority prefers reverse osmosis due to its lower energy requirements.

Leading the world in desalination technology, Saudi Arabia has decommissioned its Shuaiba system, which used crude oil, to save $1.1 billion, cut emissions by 45 million tonnes, and reduce annual oil consumption by more than 22 million barrels. Advanced desalination systems now operate in Al-Khobar, Jubail, Yanbu, and Al-Khafji, collectively producing around 11.5 million cubic meters of desalinated water daily.

The country also boasts the world's largest covered drinking-water storage tank, strategic reservoirs, and an extensive pipeline network for transporting desalinated water.