$80 billion for Water projects in Saudi Arabia

 Saudi Arabia has allocated a budget of more than $80 billion to implement hundreds of water projects in the coming years.

This allocation comes within the framework of efforts to achieve universal access to safe and affordable drinking water.

  According to the Undersecretary for Water Affairs at the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, the Kingdom's water needs, estimated at 24.8 billion cubic meters in 2015, are witnessing a steady annual increase of 7 percent. The agricultural sector is the largest consumer of water in the Kingdom, accounting for 84 percent of the total water demand.

water sector

 Deputy Minister Abdulaziz Al-Shaibani affirmed that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is on the right track to achieve the United Nations sustainable development goals by 2030 due to the reorganization of the water sector and the formulation of the National Water Strategy.

clean and safe water

The national strategy aims to conserve water resources, protect the environment, and provide high-quality and efficient services. Its goals align with Goal 6 of the Sustainable Development Goals in terms of ensuring universal access to clean and safe water.

Al-Shaibani said: “The Kingdom aspires to provide sanitation services for all by increasing the percentage of the population covered by sanitation services to more than 95% by 2030.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has also established the National Center for Water Efficiency and Conservation.

sustainable water

The Deputy Minister also highlighted that sustainable and resilient water management was on the agenda of the G20. He stressed that the Kingdom is on the right track to enhance the management of water demand for agricultural purposes to achieve the sixth goal of sustainable development goals.

10 programs

The strategy includes 10 programmes, including the involvement of the private sector in production and wastewater treatment, which focus on pooling production and wastewater treatment assets to privatize them.

Moreover, Saudi Arabia set aside $40 billion for water projects within the five-year environment capital portfolio in July last year. The five-year capital portfolio includes 1,335 projects.