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Global Saudi Initiative to Support Innovation in Desalination Industry

The Innovation Driven Desalination conference was organized by the Saline Water Conversion Corporation, in partnership with the International Desalination Organization (IDA). (Photo: Asharq Al-Awsat)
The Innovation Driven Desalination conference was organized by the Saline Water Conversion Corporation, in partnership with the International Desalination Organization (IDA). (Photo: Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Global Saudi Initiative to Support Innovation in Desalination Industry

The Innovation Driven Desalination conference was organized by the Saline Water Conversion Corporation, in partnership with the International Desalination Organization (IDA). (Photo: Asharq Al-Awsat)
The Innovation Driven Desalination conference was organized by the Saline Water Conversion Corporation, in partnership with the International Desalination Organization (IDA). (Photo: Asharq Al-Awsat)

An international conference hosted by Jeddah revealed a Saudi initiative to support innovation in the desalination industry.

The Innovation Driven Desalination conference, organized by the Saline Water Conversion Corporation in partnership with the International Desalination Organization (IDA), was held in Jeddah on Tuesday in the presence of Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture, Eng. Abdul Rahman Al-Fadhli.

On this occasion, the Governor of the Saline Water Conversion Corporation, Eng. Abdullah Al-Abdul Karim, announced a global award that aims to support and encourage innovation in the desalination industry.

The award, with a total value of USD 10 million divided over three years, will focus on the decrease of energy consumption and capital and operating costs, the use of new technologies, opportunities for business model transformation, and future analytical studies related to innovation.

The award targets researchers in public and private centers, universities, entrepreneurs, and employees of companies operating in the desalination industry at the local, regional and global levels.

Abdul Karim emphasized the Corporation’s keenness to promote and support innovation, in line with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 and the Green Saudi Initiative.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture underlined the Kingdom’s success in facing the challenge of national food security during global events.

Eng. Mansour Al-Mushaiti told Asharq Al-Awsat that one of the pillars of food security was local production and Saudi external investments.

He stressed that the Saudi Agricultural and Livestock Investment Company (SALIC), which is owned by the Public Investment Fund (PIF), has increased its capital and promoted its foreign investments in several countries including India, Australia, Canada and Ukraine, with the aim to secure supply chains.

“Today, many of our activities and projects have begun to bear fruit and achieved the desired goals, including the improvement of all macroeconomic indicators,” Al-Mushaiti said.

He noted that the agricultural sector’s contribution to the GDP was estimated at SR 63 billion.

The Saudi official added that the ministry had a busy calendar with many activities targeting the strengths in the field of agriculture and focusing on the crop structure and the comparative advantage of each region.

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FAO Aims for Key Outcomes at COP16 in Saudi Arabia

Preparations in the Saudi capital ahead of hosting the COP16 conference on combating desertification (from the “COP16” page on the X platform)
Preparations in the Saudi capital ahead of hosting the COP16 conference on combating desertification (from the “COP16” page on the X platform)
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FAO Aims for Key Outcomes at COP16 in Saudi Arabia

Preparations in the Saudi capital ahead of hosting the COP16 conference on combating desertification (from the “COP16” page on the X platform)
Preparations in the Saudi capital ahead of hosting the COP16 conference on combating desertification (from the “COP16” page on the X platform)

Dr. Abdul Hakim Elwaer, Assistant Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), stated that the organization will take an active role at COP16, the UN conference on combating desertification, scheduled to take place in Saudi Arabia in early December.

In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, he expressed confidence that the conference—the first of its kind in the Middle East—would produce significant outcomes.

Elwaer’s comments came during a roundtable organized by FAO’s regional office in Cairo, attended by a select group of media representatives. The session focused on FAO’s participation in the upcoming conference and the importance of the Rio Trio —the integrated framework of the three major UN conventions addressing climate change, biodiversity conservation, and desertification.

Fida Haddad, FAO’s Program Officer for Land Rehabilitation and Climate Change, highlighted the interconnectedness of the three conventions and noted that COP16 would place a strong emphasis on land and water rehabilitation and their sustainable management.

Haddad pointed out that approximately 90% of the Middle East is affected by arid conditions. Despite this, local communities and Arab governments have made notable progress in addressing desertification and drought. She also announced that, for the first time, FAO has successfully placed food systems on the COP16 agenda, enabling discussions on how land rehabilitation can enhance food supply chains and systems.

Elwaer underscored FAO’s central role in achieving the second Sustainable Development Goal (SDG): eradicating hunger. He emphasized that FAO actively engages in the UN conventions on climate change, biodiversity, and desertification, which collectively contribute to this mission.

FAO’s focus, according to Elwaer, is on transforming food and agricultural systems to become more inclusive, efficient, and sustainable, aiming for better production, nutrition, and livelihoods. He highlighted the organization’s success in integrating these priorities into the agendas of the three conventions and collaborating with host countries on joint initiatives.

He further noted that Saudi Arabia’s hosting of COP16 is particularly significant for the region, which faces pressing challenges such as water scarcity, desertification, and food insecurity. The conference presents an opportunity for Middle Eastern nations to highlight these issues, explore solutions, and ensure their inclusion in global environmental discussions, not only at this event but in future COP sessions, he underlined.

Elwaer emphasized the growing global attention on desertification, as it is now impacting regions previously unaffected, such as southern Europe and parts of Latin America. These areas are witnessing alarming declines in arable land and forests, prompting them to seek lessons from the Arab world, which has developed resilience strategies to combat desertification over centuries.

FAO will have a strong presence at COP16, with two dedicated pavilions—one in the Blue Zone for official delegations and another in the Green Zone to engage civil society and conference participants, he said.

He added that in collaboration with Saudi Arabia and the UN, FAO will lead coordination on Food Day and Governance Day, scheduled for December 5 and 6, respectively. The organization will also participate in other specialized sessions throughout the conference.