Saudi Arabia leads world with 16m cubic meters of desalinated water daily

15/06/2026 06:09 AST

Saudi Arabia maintained its position as the world's largest producer of desalinated water, with daily production capacity exceeding 16 million cubic meters by the end of 2025, representing a 247.8 percent increase compared to 2016, official data showed.

According to the National Transformation Program's 2025 annual report, the Kingdom has successfully transformed water challenges into opportunities for innovation, technological progress and long-term sustainability through the efforts of the Saudi Water Authority and the NTP.

Saudi Arabia's desalinated water production capacity increased from 4.6 million cubic meters per day in 2016 to 5.9 million cubic meters per day in 2020, before reaching 16 million cubic meters by the end of 2025.

This milestone underscores the nation's position at the forefront of global desalination efforts, serving as an international model for advancing Sustainable Development Goal on clean water and sanitation.

"The Kingdom has gained international recognition as a global model for advancing Sustainable Development Goal 6, which focuses on ensuring clean water and sanitation for all. This distinction reflects the nation's commitment to best practices and rapid progress in this critical area," said the report.

The analysis also highlighted that Saudi Arabia has achieved multiple Guinness World Records in desalination.

The Shuaiba Phase 5 plant set records for low energy consumption, with 2.34 kilowatt-hours per cubic meter overall and 1.7 kWh per cubic meter during the salt separation phase.

The Al-Khobar Phase II project achieved a record-breaking production capacity of 670,852.4 cubic meters per day on one of the smallest land footprints for a project of its scale.

Saudi Arabia has also established the world's largest water research facility. Covering more than 33,000 sq. meters, the Rabigh Oasis Water Research and Innovation Facility was designed to serve as a flagship national hub for water research and innovation.

The NTP also contributed to a significant expansion of Saudi Arabia's water network. By the end of 2025, more than 3.7 million meters of water transmission lines and distribution networks had been installed.

The expansion enabled water supply services to reach more than 27 million beneficiaries, supported by over 1.5 million cubic meters of storage capacity, pumping stations capable of handling more than 2 million cubic meters per day, and lift stations with a capacity exceeding 351,000 cubic meters per day.

"Saudi Arabia stands at the forefront of global desalination, serving as a benchmark for sustainable water resource management. Through the efforts of the Saudi Water Authority and the National Transformation Program, water challenges have been transformed into opportunities that foster innovation, technological progress, and long-term sustainability," added the report.

Arab News