Water supply and sanitation in Saudi Arabia information
Not to be confused with Irrigation in Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia: Water and Sanitation
Data
Access to an improved water source
97% (2015)[1]
Access to improved sanitation
100% (2015)[1]
Continuity of supply (%)
n/a
Average urban water use (liter/capita/day)
235[2]
Average residential water tariff (US$/m3)
0.03
Share of household metering
Low
Annual investment in water supply and sanitation
US$200/capita and year (Estimated needs for 2002-2022)[2]
Investment financing
Mostly through government subsidies
Institutions
Decentralization
No
National water and sanitation company
National Water Company (NWC)
Water and sanitation regulator
None
Responsibility for policy setting
Ministry of Water and Electricity (MOWE)
Sector law
No
Number of service providers
One (National Water Company) with management contracts for specific cities
Water supply and sanitation in Saudi Arabia is characterized by challenges and achievements. One of the main challenges is water scarcity. In order to overcome water scarcity, substantial investments have been undertaken in seawater desalination, water distribution, sewerage and wastewater treatment. Today about 50% of drinking water comes from desalination, 40% from the mining of non-renewable groundwater and only 10% from surface water in the mountainous southwest of the country. The capital Riyadh, located in the heart of the country, is supplied with desalinated water pumped from the Persian Gulf over a distance of 467 km. Water is provided almost for free to residential users. Despite improvements, service quality remains poor, for example in terms of continuity of supply. Another challenge is weak institutional capacity and governance, reflecting general characteristics of the public sector in Saudi Arabia. Among the achievements is a significant increases in desalination, and in access to water, the expansion of wastewater treatment, as well as the use of treated effluent for the irrigation of urban green spaces, and for agriculture.
Since 2000, the government has increasingly relied on the private sector to operate water and sanitation infrastructure, beginning with desalination and wastewater treatment plants. Since the creation of the National Water Company (NWC) in 2008, the operation of urban water distribution systems in the four largest cities has gradually been delegated to private companies as well. The apparent paradox of very low water tariffs and water privatization is explained by government subsidies. The government buys desalinated water from private operators at high prices and resells the bulk water for free. Likewise, the government directly pays private operators that run the water distribution and sewer systems of large cities under management contracts. Furthermore, it fully subsidizes investments in water distribution and sewers. Water utilities are expected to recover an increasing share of their costs from the sale of treated effluent to industries. In January 2016 water and sewer tariffs were increased for the first time in more than a decade, which resulted in discontent and in the sacking of the Minister of Water and Energy Abdullah Al-Hussayen in April 2016.[3]
^ abCite error: The named reference JMP was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ abCite error: The named reference Riyadh was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^"Saudi Arabia sacks water minister over tariff bungle". Global Water Intelligence. Archived from the original on 9 February 2019. Retrieved 2 May 2016.
and 26 Related for: Water supply and sanitation in Saudi Arabia information
Center pivot irrigation inSaudiArabia is typical of many isolated irrigation projects scattered throughout the arid and hyper-arid regions of the Earth...
acronym that stands for "water, sanitationand hygiene". It is used widely by non-governmental organizations and aid agencies in developing countries. The...
SaudiArabia to look for less arid land elsewhere, one example being in Ethiopia, causing water conflict as a result. Watersupplyandsanitationin Saudi...
Watersupplyandsanitationin Yemen is characterized by many challenges as well as some achievements. A key challenge is severe water scarcity, especially...
The national flag of SaudiArabia, also known as the al-Alam, is a green background with Arabic inscription and a sword in white. The inscription is the...
March 1975) was a SaudiArabian statesman and diplomat who was King of SaudiArabia from 2 November 1964 until his assassination in 1975. Prior to his...
This is a discussion of telephone numbers in the Kingdom of SaudiArabia. The country's calling code is +966. In addition to a numbering plan, there are...
Saline Water Conversion Corporation (SWCC) is a government corporation that operates desalination plants and power stations inSaudiArabia. It is the...
Watersupplyandsanitationin Jordan is characterized by severe water scarcity, which has been exacerbated by forced immigration as a result of the 1948...
Saudi Aramco (Arabic: أرامكو السعودية ʾArāmkū as-Suʿūdiyyah), officially the SaudiArabian Oil Group or simply Aramco (formerly Arabian-American Oil Company)...
The Shoaiba power and desalination plant is an oil-fired, combined cycle gas turbine power and desalination complex inSaudiArabia on the coast of Red...
characteristic of SaudiArabiaand of its culture. "A history of the Saudi national anthem". gulfnews.com. Retrieved 2023-01-13. "🇸🇦 SaudiArabia National symbols:...
The SaudiArabian Army, officially the Royal Saudi Land Forces (Arabic: القُوَّاتُ البَرِّيَّةُ المَلَكِيَّة السُّعُودِيَّة, romanized: Al-Quwwat al-Bariyah...
Islam is the state religion of SaudiArabia. The government of SaudiArabia has been criticized for its restrictions on religious freedom. Boston University’s...
Rail transport inSaudiArabia is an expanding mode of transport. SaudiArabia Railways is the national railway operator. The Saudi Railways Organization...
Watersupplyandsanitationin Iran has witnessed some important improvements, especially in terms of increased access to urban watersupply, while important...
Public holidays inSaudiArabia ( Arabic: العطل الرسمية في السعودية ) InSaudiArabia there are few holidays, compared with other countries in the Gulf Cooperation...