Saudi Arabia, Japan to Establish Largest Reverse Osmosis Water Project in Middle East

Saudi Arabia and Japan are working on a joint project to build an integrated reverse osmosis membrane desalination plant. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi Arabia and Japan are working on a joint project to build an integrated reverse osmosis membrane desalination plant. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Saudi Arabia, Japan to Establish Largest Reverse Osmosis Water Project in Middle East

Saudi Arabia and Japan are working on a joint project to build an integrated reverse osmosis membrane desalination plant. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi Arabia and Japan are working on a joint project to build an integrated reverse osmosis membrane desalination plant. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Arabia and Japan are working on a joint project to build an integrated reverse osmosis membrane desalination plant.

During a press conference in Riyadh on Saturday the Saline Water Conversion Corporation signed a contract to establish the first plant in the Middle East and the second of its kind outside Japan the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The event was held under the patronage of Eng. Abdul Rahman Al-Fadhli, Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture.

The construction of the plant will take place entirely within in the Kingdom, carried out by a Saudi-Japanese team in partnership with the Local Content and Government Procurement Authority, and the Government Expenditure and Projects Efficiency Authority.

The project aims to enhance the Kingdom’s leadership potential and to adopt and maximize the use of its engineering capabilities in the desalination industry, by providing innovative solutions that make water sources sustainable, environmentally friendly, and highly energy efficient.

The factory will be established and implemented according to the highest standards and the latest technologies in this field.

The project also seeks to cover the high and increasing demand for the promising industry at the local and global levels, with the volume of demand estimated at 690 million riyals ($184 million) in Saudi Arabia by 2025, in addition to reducing the cost rate by about 14 percent and energy consumption by 4 percent.

Eng. Abdullah Al-Abdul Karim, Governor of SWCC, stressed that the localization of promising industries in the field of saline water desalination was an extension of the comprehensive national economic development, in accordance with Vision 2030 and the objectives of the national strategy for industry.

He added that the environment-friendly reverse osmosis membranes industry was one of the most important options for the desalination industry in the world, adding that the demand for this technology was increasing at an annual rate of 6 percent locally and 7 percent in the Gulf.

Al-Abdul Karim stated that the project meets the aspirations of raising efficiency standards, reducing energy consumption and strengthening water security.

“These industries will soon create abundant and attractive investment opportunities that support local content, with local production inputs exceeding 70 percent. It is expected that the export percentage of the entire production of the membrane factory will exceed 30 percent, which reinforces the country’s position as a vital base for leading industries with its promising opportunities and markets,” he underlined.

The SWCC is working to localize the desalination industry as part of efforts to promote and empower local employment initiatives through the creation of new industries.



Iran’s Energy Sector: A Long History of Sanctions and Instability

Abadan oil refinery facility in southwestern Iran (Reuters)
Abadan oil refinery facility in southwestern Iran (Reuters)
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Iran’s Energy Sector: A Long History of Sanctions and Instability

Abadan oil refinery facility in southwestern Iran (Reuters)
Abadan oil refinery facility in southwestern Iran (Reuters)

Israel launched airstrikes on Iran Friday, targeting nuclear facilities, ballistic missile factories, and senior military commanders. The operation, which Israeli officials warned could be “prolonged,” is intended to prevent Tehran from developing nuclear weapons.

Iran’s National Oil Refining and Distribution Company confirmed that its oil refining and storage facilities were not damaged in the attacks. Similarly, the Abadan Oil Refining Company announced it was operating at full capacity with no service disruptions.

Iran is the third-largest oil producer in OPEC, pumping approximately 3.3 million barrels per day, about 3% of global output.

Sanctions and OPEC Role

Iran’s oil production peaked in the 1970s, reaching a record 6 million barrels per day in 1974, more than 10% of global supply at the time, according to OPEC data.

The first US sanctions were imposed on Tehran in 1979, and Iran has since remained under recurring waves of American and European restrictions. In 2018, President Donald Trump withdrew from the nuclear deal and reimposed strict sanctions, sending Iran’s oil exports plummeting—sometimes to near zero.

Under President Joe Biden, however, exports began to climb again. Analysts say enforcement has been less aggressive, and Iran has increasingly succeeded in evading restrictions. It’s also important to note that Iran is exempt from OPEC’s production quotas.

In recent months, Iranian oil exports have surged to around 1.8 million barrels per day—the highest since 2018, fueled by strong demand from China. Beijing does not recognize unilateral sanctions against its trade partners. Private Chinese refineries remain the main buyers of Iranian crude, despite some being targeted by recent US Treasury sanctions. So far, these measures have had limited impact on the flow of Iranian oil to China.

Iran continues to skirt sanctions using tactics like ship-to-ship transfers and by concealing tanker locations.

Production and Infrastructure

Energy consultancy FGE reports that Iran refines around 2.6 million barrels per day of crude and condensates, while exporting an equivalent amount that includes crude, condensates, and refined products. Iran also produces 34 billion cubic feet of natural gas daily - about 7% of global production - all of which is consumed domestically.

Most of Iran’s oil and gas infrastructure is concentrated in the southwest: oil fields in Khuzestan, gas in Bushehr, and condensates from the massive South Pars field. About 90% of crude exports pass through Kharg Island.

While OPEC members theoretically have the capacity to offset a drop in Iranian supply, many are already operating near their limits, placing pressure on the group’s spare production capacity.