Arab News, Wednesday, Jan 04, 2023 | Jamadi Al Thani 11, 1444
Saudi private sector to drive water industry growth as Kingdom ups desalination capacity
Saudi Arabia:
Saud Arabia has been recognized as a water sector growth hotspot on the back of
its considerable private sector opportunities, according to a report released
ahead of the World Future Energy Summit, to be held from Jan. 16-18 in Abu
Dhabi.
With a focus on the Kingdom, the business event
for future energy and sustainability is set to discuss desalination, wastewater
treatment and digitization as key growth opportunities for the Middle East’s
water sector.
As Saudi Arabia is addressing the increasing water
demand caused by economic diversification, population growth and
urbanization, the report highlights the Kingdom’s potential to drive private
sector growth in the water sector.
The Kingdom is investing greatly in wastewater
treatment infrastructure to allow the recycling and reuse of water.
Desalination capacity is expected to increase to
7.5 million cubic meters per day by 2027 in the Kingdom, up from its current
capacity of just over 3 million cubic meters daily.
The Saudi government is also investing in 147
sewage treatment plants all around the country, as well as almost 15,000 km of
wastewater collection networks.
The World Future Energy Summit report also
highlighted the UAE and Türkiye for effectively reusing water.
The report identifies the UAE’s strong water
sector project pipeline and its support of the country’s long-term growth.
Investments worth $2.8 billion are expected to
take place in the desalination segment as the region advances to achieve treated
water reuse to 95 percent, the report added.
As for Türkiye, its struggle with water stress
from ineffective water usage is expected to drive demand for water and
wastewater treatment products and systems forward.
“Demand for recycling systems based on ZLD and RO
technologies is predicted to meet the country’s development plan target of
boosting wastewater reuse to 5 percent by the end of 2023,” stated the
report.
With Vision 2030 at the heart of its growth, Saudi
Arabia is targeting to increase the private sector’s contribution to the gross
domestic product from 40 percent to 65 percent by 2030.
The operating revenues of the business sector in
Saudi Arabia during 2022 alone surpassed SR4 trillion ($1 trillion), according
to official data released by the General Authority for Statistics.
GASTAT data further revealed that the highest
revenue-generating activities were registered in manufacturing, mining and
quarrying, as well as wholesale and retail trade.
Compared to 2021, operating revenues of business
establishments rose substantially, supported by an increase in many economic
activities, reaching 26 percent.