Saudi Arabia Targets Significant Reductions In Water Production Costs And Non-Renewable Water Use By 2035

Saudi Arabia is advancing global initiatives, notably the Global Water Organization, to unite nations in addressing the worldwide water crisis. This initiative aims to integrate key sectors such as agriculture, energy, health, and the environment while ensuring private sector participation. Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture Abdulrahman Alfadley shared these insights at the Rome Water Dialogue during the World Food Forum organized by the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

Alfadley emphasized Saudi Arabia's leadership in water management, being the largest producer of desalinated water globally. The country produces over 16 million cubic meters daily. Significant investments in research have reduced desalination energy requirements by nearly half, achieving the lowest production costs worldwide. This vast output is supported by an extensive infrastructure network of pipelines stretching over 19,000 kilometers and reaching altitudes of 3,000 meters.

The Kingdom's Vision 2030 goals are being pursued vigorously within its borders. Twenty-five contracts with private entities for desalination, transport, and reuse projects have attracted investments surpassing SAR104 billion. Long-term objectives include halving water production costs and reducing non-renewable groundwater usage by 90% by 2035.

The National Water Strategy has significantly improved Saudi Arabia’s Integrated Water Resources Management Index from 57% to 83%. This rapid progress led to the UN recognizing Saudi Arabia as a model for achieving Sustainable Development Goal 6. The strategy has saved 8 billion cubic meters of non-renewable agricultural water annually and increased renewable water use by over 1 billion cubic meters through initiatives like building 1,000 dams.

A cloud seeding program has also been successful, launching 711 missions that generated approximately 6.4 billion cubic meters of rainfall. Economically, Saudi Arabia's agricultural sector is flourishing; its GDP rose from SAR85.1 billion in 2020 to SAR117.9 billion in 2024, reflecting an annual growth rate of 8.5%.

Global Contributions and Future Plans

On a global scale, Riyadh will host the 11th World Water Forum in 2027 and has contributed $6 billion to international water projects. In addition, Saudi Arabia initiated the G20 Dialogue on Water in 2020 during its presidency and established a new international water research center during COP16 held in Riyadh last year.

Alfadley highlighted that Saudi Arabia's efforts are not just domestic but extend internationally through significant contributions and hosting pivotal events aimed at solving global water challenges.

With inputs from SPA