The development of the water sector in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia represents a remarkable and inspiring success story. Its foundations were laid through the foresight of King Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman Al Saud – may he rest in peace – and were strengthened over decades through institutional development and large-scale projects. This journey has continued through the current era under the leadership of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and His Royal Highness Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud – may God protect them – the Kingdom has emerged as a global leader in water innovation. This report outlines the historical milestones, record-breaking achievements, and strategic roadmaps shaping Saudi Arabia's water security through 2050.
1. The Foundational Era & Early Discoveries (1932 – 1968)
- 1932: The Kingdom's focus on the water sector during its formative years. The founder, King Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman Al Saud – may he rest in peace – initiated efforts to attract leading international experts and geological missions to conduct comprehensive hydrogeological surveys and a map of aquifer formations.
- 1947: Strategic well drilling commenced along the historic Tapline Pipeline. Concurrently, the establishment of the General Directorate of Agriculture catalyzed large-scale land reclamation, irrigation modernization, pump distribution, dam construction, and spring rehabilitation.
- 1953: To match the pace of national development, the directorate was elevated to the Ministry of Agriculture and Water. This era marked the launch of the Water and Dams Office and the establishment of the Kingdom's first hydrological monitoring station, followed by the creation of the Water Affairs Agency in 1961.
- 1965: A major shift occurred with the creation of the General Directorate of Saline Water Desalination in Jeddah, alongside the launch of pioneering seawater desalination plants in the Eastern Province and Jeddah.
- 1968: The Ministry also engaged global consultancy assessments of groundwater and surface resources, and the Kingdom adopted advanced deep-well drilling technologies, that launch of a series of water projects nationwide.
2. Structural Expansion & Institutional Evolution (1969 – 2017)
- 1969 – 1974: The Kingdom aggressively expanded its hydrological tracking networks. A major milestone followed this in 1974 with the establishment of the Saline Water Conversion Corporation (SWCC).
- 1979: A massive pipeline transmission network was launched, successfully connecting desalination hubs to high-demand inland regions.
- 1984 – 1992: To systematically document national resources, the Water Atlas of Saudi Arabia published in 1984, followed by a comprehensive modernization and expansion of the hydrological network in 1992.
- 2003 – 2008: The Water and Electricity Company was founded (later evolving into the Saudi Water Partnership Company (SWPC)). In 2008, the National Water Company (NWC) was established.
3. The Vision 2030: Governance & Comprehensive Sustainability (2018 – Present)
With the launch of Saudi Vision 2030, the sector entered a new era of governance and sustainability:
- 2018: The Saudi Irrigation Organization was established, and the National Water Strategy 2030 was adopted as the guiding framework for the sector.
- 2019: The Water Transmission Company (WTCO) was created to optimize supply chain efficiency and technological deployment.
- 2020: The Kingdom issued its first comprehensive Water Law, a robust regulatory framework designed to govern resources, protect water rights, and ensure sustainable supply across all sectors. Simultaneously, the Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture (MEWA) introduced the "Water Regulator" and finalized the long-term Urban Water Supply and Demand Plan through 2050.
- 2021: All regional distribution sectors were successfully integrated under the NWC umbrella, and the National Water Efficiency and Conservation Center was established to drive sustainable consumption.
4. Key Operational Milestones & Present Achievements
- Infrastructure & Storage: Saudi Arabia boasts 574 dams with a total capacity of 2.6 billion cubic meters, backed by a strategic storage capacity of 21.8 million cubic meters.
- Operational Facilities: The network is powered by 36 seawater desalination plants and 160 advanced wastewater treatment plants.
- Assets & Monitoring: Active assets include 8,835 drinking water wells, 407 monitoring wells, and 513 hydrological monitoring stations.
- Production & Supply: Daily water distribution stands at 11.4 million cubic meters, backed by a total production capacity of 12.8 million cubic meters per day.
- Network Reach: The transmission network spans 11,000 km of desalinated water pipelines and 127,500 km of distribution networks, achieving an 88% population coverage rate for water networks and 60% for sanitation services.
- Agricultural Efficiency: National conservation initiatives successfully reduced agricultural water consumption by more than 8 billion cubic meters annually.
5. Global Efforts
· 2023 – 2024: KSA announced the establishment of the Riyadh-headquartered Global Water Organization, followed in 2024 by the launch of the International Water Research Center, cementing Saudi Arabia's status as the global benchmark for water innovation and sustainability.
· 2030 Target: Achieve 100% population coverage across all domestic water networks.
6. Strategic Goals 2050 :
- Expand sanitation network coverage to 95%.
- Guarantee an uninterrupted, 24/7 water supply across the nation.
- Recycle and reuse over 70% of treated wastewater.
- Secure approximately 21 million cubic meters per day for urban use by aggressively scaling desalination infrastructure to serve 14,253 population centers across the Kingdom.