Middle East set for surge in demand for desalinated water

Middle East set for surge in demand for desalinated water

Only 0.5% of water on earth is usable for human consumption and climate change is posing a risk to this scarce supply, even as some 2 billion people around the world still lack access to safe drinking water, says a report

This is a particular challenge for the arid Gulf Arab states, where desalination is the only available option. A September 2022 report by the French Institute of International Relations (Ifri) notes that the Gulf Arab states depend heavily on desalination technology for their water supplies, s MEES Insights report said.

The UAE relies on desalinated water for 42% of its supply, Kuwait 90%, Oman 86% and Saudi Arabia 70%.

Water stress

Last year, there were more than 21,000 desalination plants in operation around the world, nearly double the number a decade ago, Ifri says. With the UN projecting that within two years, two thirds of the world’s population will be affected by water stress, the desalination business is booming with an estimated growth rate in capacity of between 6% and 12% per year, according to the Ifri analysis.

Pressure on freshwater is projected to increase by more than 40% by 2050, it said.

By 2030, desalination capacity in the Middle Eastern countries is expected to