Oman activates first floating desalination plant 

Oman activates first floating desalination plant 

April 13, 2023









Oman announced the activation of the country's first floating desalination plants on Wednesday.

Installed by the Oman Water and Wastewater Services Company, the four mobile plants are positioned in the waters of the Musandam Governorate, which lies on a peninsula and is separated from the rest of the country by the United Arab Emirates (UAE). 

The $17.33 million water purification project was built by contracting company Al-Tayer and uses reverse osmosis to remove salt and minerals from sea water. 

Nama Water Services said the project seeks to provide a supply of high-quality drinking water, in addition to supporting agriculture, commercial, tourism and fishing activities. 

The mobile desalination plants are meant to service 70 seaport villages and are the first of their kind in the Arab world, according to the company that installed them. 

محطات التحلية العائمة والمتنقلة في #مسندم

الأولى من نوعها في العالم العربي بطراز تراثي عماني.#نماء_لخدمات_المياه pic.twitter.com/mK1LorMHX0

— نماء لخدمات المياه (@owwsc_om) April 13, 2023

The UAE-based water management solutions company Metito built the first of three floating desalination barges for the Saudi National Shipping Company (Bahri) in January 2022. They were positioned near the Al Shuqaiq port, on the western coast of Saudi Arabia, at the time.  

Water