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  • The Thirst for Power: Water and Politics in the Middle East

    This new CSIS report provides a new perspective on an old topic. The Middle East has battled water insecurity for centuries, but today, the region is on a razor’s edge. Climate change and overuse have threatened water supplies like never before. In a region beset with wars, fragility, and political tensions, it is harder than ever to develop agreements and reforms that would alleviate water scarcity. The trends are clear: By 2050, every single country in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) will live under extremely high water stress.1

  • The Politics of Water Insecurity in the Middle East

    The Middle East is no stranger to water scarcity and violence. For centuries, conflict has exacerbated water insecurity and vice versa. But the region is now at a tipping point. Groundwater aquifers are running dry or becoming contaminated, populations are exploding, and borders are more hardened than ever, making resettlement—a time-tested survival strategy—impossible. As is the case across much of the region, water security fell prey to the lack of political progress on resolving underlying conflicts. Without that political progress, donor governments and aid agencies have resorted to applying technical fixes to political problems. But in the Palestinian territories, as in much of the world, water insecurity has been a sign of deeper dysfunction.

  • SWPC Signs $2.26 billion Jubail-Buraydah Independent Water Transmission Pipeline Project

    Saudi Water Partnership Company (SWPC) announces the signing of agreements of Jubail-Buraydah Independent Water Transmission Pipeline (IWTP) project with the consortium comprising Aljomaih energy & water company and Nesma Company Ltd. and Buhur for Investment Company. This project is a significant boost to the water infrastructure in the Al-Qassim and the Eastern provinces that will cater to the drinking water needs in both regions. The pipeline will have a transmission capacity of 650,000 m3/day and a length of 587 km, at a total project cost of 8.5 billion riyals.

  • How Saudi Arabia is preserving its precious freshwater resources

    Water scarcity is a pressing issue in Saudi Arabia, significantly impacting the country’s socio-economic development as well as its environmental sustainability. As one of the hottest and driest regions in the world, the Kingdom faces many challenges owing to its limited natural freshwater sources and high rates of evaporation. These harsh realities have forced the country to rely on limited groundwater and desalination plants, where 75 percent of the country’s water supply comes from. Ecolab operates in 40 different industries across 172 countries, managing water supplies, combating potential pollutants and infections, and focusing on human and natural resource protection. The company has been operating in Saudi Arabia for 47 years, collaborating with local firms such as Saudi Aramco, SABIC, and Almarai. “This country has a lot of natural resources and a lot of ambition. But one thing is missing — water. There are no lakes, no rivers, but there is a lot of sea around us. However, this is not freshwater. That’s a big challenge,” said Beck.

  • Saudi Arabian team to standardise use of seawater in concrete production

    A team led by Saudi Arabian developer Neom has announced plans to research new forms of concrete, including ones that incorporate seawater, plastics, fine sand and construction waste. The NovusCrete consortium will look for ways to reduce the environmental impact of concrete, and also to cut costs and increase its lifespan and ease of recycling. Other members of the team include the kingdom’s Public Investment Fund, the Saudi Investment Recycling Company, Swiss chemicals producer Sika and US-based concrete researcher ClimateCrete. They will also work alongside the American Concrete Institute, which has established a committee for the use of seawater in concrete.

       

  • Saudi Arabia launches water and sanitation projects worth USD 1.2 billion

    Among the key projects, the Saudi Water Authority (SWA) will implement SAR 1.3 billion (about USD 346 million) in infrastructure upgrades, including technology replacements at Shuqaiq 1 desalination plant, as well as new security systems and water transport systems. The National Water Company (NWC) is investing SAR 607 million (about USD 162 million) in 20 water and sanitation projects in the Jazan region, improving supply networks and implementing advanced wastewater treatment plants. Additionally, SAR 48 million (about USD 13 million) will be allocated to three projects by the National Center for Vegetation Development and Combating Desertification.

  • CR7 ‘set to extend’ his Saudi deal with an eye-watering pay rise

    According to reports from Saudi Arabian outlet Al Khabar, which have seen been corroborated by Sky Sports and journalist Ben Jacobs, Ronaldo could put pen to paper on a new deal in the Kingdom very soon. The 39-year-old is currently one of the highest-paid athletes in the world and is being offered a pay rise worth over £3m-per-week, plus several performance-related bonuses. The deal would see Ronaldo extend his playing days into 2026 with the veteran attacker looking to be in contention to play for Portugal in the North and Central American World Cup.

  • Saudi Arabia’s National Water Company will implement water supply projects worth $426 million

    The National Water Company (NWC), represented by the Western Cluster, announced that it has started implementing water supply projects in the holy city of Makkah at a cost of more than 1.6 billion Saudi Riyals (about $426 million). These projects are part of NWC’s strategies to develop the infrastructure of the water and environment sectors and increase the coverage rates in cities and governorates. The company explained that the projects would serve about 3 million beneficiaries annually. This would be done through the implementation of projects to replace the main transmission lines of drinking water in the third ring road for the first and second phases.

  • Saudi Arabia boosts desalinated water supply to 50% in Vision 2030 push

    Saudi Arabia’s water sector witnessed significant shifts in 2023, with a 31 percent increase in desalinated seawater production, now comprising 50 percent of the country’s distributed water supply, up from 44 percent in 2022, official data showed, Azernews reports, citing Arab News. According to the General Authority for Statistics’ latest Water Accounts report, non-renewable groundwater consumption by the agricultural sector dropped by 7 percent to 9,356 million cubic meters, compared to 10,044 million m³ in 2022.

  • Saudi Arabia announces the establishment of a new international water research center

    Saudi Arabia has announced the establishment of a new international water research center. The center was established in a partnership between the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture and King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), under the patronage of the Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture, Eng. Abdulrahman Al-Fadley. The announcement was made during the high-level dialogue session "Sustainable water management in arid and semi-arid regions for drought and land resilience," as part of the activities of the Sustainability Innovation Week during the 16th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD Cop16). The center will be a leading global platform for applied research in the field of water research, including water economics, water security, water pollution, advanced technologies, and digital monitoring.