The Saudi Water Authority is the government reference and regulator for the water sector in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It oversees the entire national water system across the supply chain, from desalination and production to transport, distribution and reuse, to safeguard water resources and achieve the goals of the National Water Strategy 2030, placing the Kingdom among the top 10 countries worldwide in sustainable water management.
Under its president, Eng. Abdullah bin Ibrahim Al Abdulkarim, the authority leads the largest water transformation regionally and internationally. The Kingdom is the world's largest producer of desalinated water, with a focus on carbon-neutral solutions based on renewable energy, digital intelligence for efficiency and real-time operation, and circular water economy applications.
Key milestones and global events:
- International conferences and platforms: the authority hosts the sector's largest global events, most notably the IDRA World Congress 2026 on desalination and reuse in Riyadh and the International Desalination and Water Sustainability (IDWS) conference in Jeddah.
- Regulatory excellence and training: founder of the Water Regulation Forum, an annual high-level platform for legislative integration, along with the Water Academy for building talent and developing sector technology.
- Integrated water management: national plans linking desalination projects with reuse, protecting groundwater and meeting the needs of the agricultural and urban sectors.
