Saudi Water

Executive Summary

The Middle East is one of the most water-scarce regions in the world, where natural water resources are very low. But water consumption rates in the GCC region are very high. Saudi Arabia is one of the world's most "water-stressed” countries, with very low amount of available water per capita. Groundwater level is continuously receding and the water extraction is exceeding the availability of natural renewable water resources. Desalination is the main source of water in the country, even though this requires high amounts of energy to convert sea water into drinking water. The country is blessed with huge amounts of oil and gas reserves which make desalination projects relatively less costly when compared to the rest of the world. However, alternatives are the need of the hour.

In this report, we examine and analyze the present status of KSA Water Sector, and highlight the demand and supply trends. We enumerate the investments and projects that are presently underway in KSA water sector, to sort out the water related problems of the country. The growing demand for infrastructure in the residential and industrial sectors will ensure that investment in the water sector remains a key priority for Saudi Arabia over the next decade.