The history of water desalination in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has known desalination for more than a hundred years, specifically in 1907 when a machine was pulled from a shipwreck on the shores of Jeddah, and it was called “Al-Kandasa” from its Latin name (condenser), which means condensate. This machine was working with coal to condense and distill water The sea produces freshwater.

The technology of water desalination by Kandace was not used before except in military ships and commercial cargo ships that sail for weeks without stopping, after installing the Kandace on the shores of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia built the desalination plant on land, which is the first.

In 1926, due to the suffering of pilgrims and Umrah performers from the scarcity of fresh water upon their arrival to Jeddah, as freshwater was barely sufficient for the local population, King Abdul Aziz bin Abdul Rahman Al Saud ordered the import of two large machines to desalinate seawater to secure the water needs of pilgrims and Umrah performers, in addition to providing the residents of Jeddah. With water. In 1965, a general department for desalination of saline water was established at the Ministry of Agriculture and Water in Jeddah, which subsequently built a desalination plant in many cities.

The Kingdom’s continuous development in the field of water treatment

After that, a number of desalination plants were established: Al Wajh and Duba in 1969, Jeddah in 1970, and Khobar in 1973.

The number of desalination plants now stands at 33 desalination plants, of which 8 are on the coast of the Arabian Gulf and 25 desalination plants on the coast of the Red Sea and produce 5.6 million cubic meters of freshwater per day, which represents about 70% of the production of desalinated water in Saudi Arabia, and these numbers made the Kingdom seated on Throne is the largest producer of desalinated water in the world.

Recently, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was able to achieve record leaps in its projects, which strengthened its leadership in the desalination industry, by producing 7.9 million cubic meters of desalinated water per day (with the private sector), which is the highest production in the world, and Saudi Arabia is the largest country in the world producing desalinated water by 22% Of global production, the corporation’s desalinated water is transported through pipelines with a total length of 11,200 km, which contributed to the delivery of water to all parts of the Kingdom. The Kingdom also set a world record in the Guinness World Records for building the world’s least energy-consuming desalination plant at 2.27 kilowatt hours per cubic meter of desalinated water in the new desalination plant, thus strengthening its global leadership in the desalination industry. Continuing its plans to achieve the goals of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.

Development of the water desalination sector in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is considered one of the world’s leading countries in the field of water desalination, and has witnessed tremendous development in this sector thanks to the huge investments and advanced technologies it has adopted to achieve water security.

Advanced technologies used in water desalination

Today, the Kingdom uses the latest global technologies for water desalination, such as reverse osmosis (RO) technology, MBBR water treatment technology, and other technologies that contribute to treating large quantities of fresh water with high efficiency and decreasing costs. This enhances the ability to meet the growing water needs in cities and industries.

Using Renewable Energy in Desalination

In addition, the Kingdom is witnessing a remarkable development in the field of using renewable energy in desalination plants. It is working to integrate solar energy and nuclear energy to reduce dependence on fossil fuels. This contributes to achieving environmental and economic sustainability goals.

Solar Energy:

• Integrating desalination plants with solar panels to provide the energy needed for the process.
• Reducing carbon emissions and enhancing environmental sustainability.

Nuclear Energy:

• Using nuclear energy as an energy source for desalination plants.
• Providing stable and highly efficient energy for desalination.

Developing Infrastructure and Distribution Networks

The Kingdom is also working to develop water distribution networks and the necessary infrastructure to ensure that desalinated water reaches all regions, including remote areas. This is done through huge projects to build modern pipelines and storage facilities.

Saudi Vision 2030 and Water Desalination

These efforts come within the framework of Saudi Vision 2030. That aims to diversify the sources of the national economy and reduce dependence on oil. With a focus on developing vital sectors such as the water sector. This trend reflects the Kingdom’s commitment to achieving sustainable development and providing basic resources to its citizens with the highest standards of quality and efficiency.

Diversifying the national economy:

• Focusing on developing vital sectors such as the water sector to reduce dependence on oil.
• Promoting innovation and sustainability in all sectors.

Achieving sustainable development:

• The Kingdom’s commitment to achieving sustainable development goals by providing basic resources with the highest quality standards.
• Ensuring a safe and sustainable water future for citizens.

Overall, the water desalination sector in the Kingdom is a successful model of technological development and strategic planning. This places it at the forefront of innovative countries in this field and ensures a safe and sustainable water future. This is what we are proud that CAREWATER is part of by providing the latest and best technologies and design, construction, installation and maintenance services.