Saudi Arabia has made strides in water desalination, improving efficiency by 80 per cent and slashing costs by 50 per cent in recent years, according to Mansour bin Hilal Al-Mushaiti, the Kingdom’s Deputy Minister of Environment, Water, and Agriculture. This is reported by Arab News.
Daily desalination output has surged to 6 million cubic metres, contributing to a total capacity of 11.3 million cubic metres. This leap forward has been made possible by expanding water transmission networks, now spanning over 14,000 km, equivalent to double the length of the Nile River, overcoming challenging terrains to deliver water nationwide.
The Kingdom’s strategic water storage capacity has also seen a significant boost, increasing from 13 million cubic metres in 2016 to over 25 million cubic metres today, ensuring resilience during crises. Al-Mushaiti credited these advancements to robust government policies and private-sector collaboration, which have supported the development of 29 water projects valued at US$7.465 billion, with US$2.133 billion of foreign investment.
On the environmental front, Saudi Arabia has planted over 95 million trees as part of its Saudi Green Initiative, using renewable water sources and efficient irrigation methods. This figure is expected to surpass 100 million by year-end, heralding a greener era for the Kingdom, the source reports.
TVBRICS
