The Saudi Water Authority has announced the launch of six strategic directions during its participation in the sixteenth session of the Conference of the Parties (COP16) of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), hosted in Riyadh from December 2 to 13, 2024. This step reflects the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s commitment to environmental sustainability, addressing climate change challenges, and achieving the goals of Saudi Vision 2030 in protecting the environment and conserving natural resources.

The first direction, “Implementing the Concept of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Sustainability in the Water Sector,” focuses on embedding ESG standards into water sector policies, improving environmental and social performance, and enhancing transparency in resource management. The second direction, “Enhancing Environmental Compliance in the Water Sector,” ensures full adherence to environmental standards through infrastructure upgrades, adopting advanced technologies to reduce the environmental impact of water operations, and promoting the use of renewable energy.

The third direction, “Planting 50 Million Trees in the Water Sector Using Renewable Water Resources,” aligns with the Saudi Green Initiative, which aims to plant 10 billion trees, supporting efforts to expand vegetation cover, combat desertification, and improve air quality.

Through the fourth direction, “Reducing Carbon Emissions in the Water Sector,” the Authority aims to significantly lower carbon emissions from water production and desalination processes. This includes adopting environmentally friendly technologies, such as reverse osmosis, which has reduced energy consumption to a record 2.271 kWh per cubic meter of desalinated water. The initiative supports the Kingdom’s efforts to cut greenhouse gas emissions, targeting a reduction of 278 million tons of CO₂ equivalent annually by 2030.

The fifth direction, “Applying the Circular Economy Concept,” emphasizes reusing treated water, minimizing waste, and transforming byproducts of desalination into economic resources, thereby reducing environmental impact and improving resource efficiency.

Lastly, the sixth direction, “Developing Capabilities in the Water Sector,” focuses on building advanced human and technical expertise through intensive training programs, as well as promoting research and innovation in water technologies.

These strategic directions are expected to drive a transformative shift in the Kingdom’s water sector by reducing carbon emissions, enhancing compliance with global environmental standards, and mitigating environmental impacts. They also align with Saudi Arabia’s active role in addressing global environmental challenges.