Jeddah Governor Launches World’s Largest Water Oasis At IDWS2025 Conference

Governor of Jeddah, Prince Saud bin Abdullah bin Jalawi, inaugurated the fourth Innovation Driven Water Sustainability Conference (IDWS2025) on behalf of Deputy Governor of Makkah Region, Prince Saud bin Mishaal bin Abdulaziz. The event, organised by the Saudi Water Authority (SWA), will run until December 10. It brings together international and local leaders in water and economy sectors, alongside experts from the United Nations and World Bank.

During the conference, SWA President Eng. Abdullah bin Ibrahim Al-Abdulkarim highlighted a significant gap between water's economic importance and investment in environmental innovation. He noted that while water contributes to 60% of global output, investment in environmental innovation is less than 1%. Furthermore, water-related patents account for only 5% of total environmental patents, with venture investments below 0.5%.

The governor announced the launch of the "Water Oasis" in Rabigh. This facility is one of the world's most advanced research ecosystems focused on developing innovative solutions for water and supply chains. The SWA also achieved a Guinness World Record for creating the largest innovation water oasis, covering 33,395.88 square meters.

Prince Saud honoured winners of the third Global Prize for Innovation in Water (GPIW 2025) and awarded Impact Medals to 12 individuals from a competition involving over 2,500 innovators from more than 119 countries. These recognitions highlight global contributions to advancing water sustainability.

The accompanying exhibition featured over 100 exhibitors showcasing advancements in water technologies such as desalination solutions and digital transformation. This display underscores scientific progress achieved this year in areas like regulatory governance and emerging innovations within the industry.

Eng. Al-Abdulkarim emphasised that addressing transcontinental challenges requires collaboration across disciplines beyond technology development. He stressed that creating new business models, financing mechanisms, and policies are essential. "Global innovation exchange is the true driver of the future," he stated.

This conference reflects Saudi Arabia's commitment to advancing its achievements in the water sector through innovation and collaboration on a global scale.

With inputs from SPA