JEDDAH, 12 March 2003 — Saudi Arabia’s water desalination output crossed the one billion-cubic-meter mark last year, it was announced yesterday by Abdullah Al-Hosain, governor of the Saline Water Conversion Corporation (SWCC).
Al-Hosain made the announcement while addressing the inauguration of Shuaiba Phase Two project by Crown Prince Abdullah, deputy premier and commander of the National Guard.
“The SWCC made a new record during the last fiscal year as the total output of its 30 plants rose to over one billion cubic meters, which is equal to 150 liters of water daily for each individual in the Kingdom,” Al-Hosain told the gathering.
He described Shuaiba as the second largest desalination plant in the Kingdom, which supplies 154 million gallons (582,689 cubic meters) of water and 500 megawatt of electricity. The Shuaiba plant was established at a cost of SR4.5 billion. He said the second phase will double the quantity of water supplied by the plant to Makkah and Taif and rise the supply to Jeddah by 60 percent.
Addressing the ceremony, Water Minister Dr. Ghazi Al-Gosaibi called for prudent use of water by the public.
Gosaibi described the water shortage being faced by various countries, but especially those in the third world, as a catastrophic. “About two billion people in the world are living on contaminated water,” he said.
Saudi Arabia is now the world’s largest producer of desalinated water. Desalination meets 70 percent of the Kingdom’s present drinking water needs. Several new desalination plants are under construction.
“There are 30 desalination plants in the Kingdom, which supply water to more than 50 cities and distribution centers. They also meet 20 percent of the Kingdom’s electricity needs,” Al-Hosain said.
He disclosed plans to implement four new desalination projects, including expansion of the Wajh and Rabigh plants and establishment of two plants in Qunfuda and Laith.
Shuaiba is a coastal town on the Red Sea about 90 km southeast of Jeddah. The Shuaiba plant and the storage facility at Briman in Jeddah are linked by a 120-km long pipeline.
