Of the 3,708,921,457 m³ of water distributed for urban use in Saudi Arabia in 2024, 2,767,383,013 m³ was desalinated water from the Saline Water Conversion Corporation. That is 74.6% of net urban distribution, according to the national statistics for which National Water Company is the data source.
A distributor, not a producer
The figure defines what National Water Company can and cannot control. Most of its supply is produced upstream, by the body the Council of Ministers converted into the Saudi Water Authority in early 2024. The company's own groundwater and surface-water plants supply part of the remaining 25.4%.
Supply has barely grown
Urban distribution rose only 2.2% between 2020 and 2024. Over the same years, active water subscriber accounts grew 14.2%, reaching 2,336.66 thousand in 2024. More customers are being served from a supply volume that has changed little.
Losses are the pressure point
That makes the network the main lever. The company reported non-revenue water of 35% in February 2026, against a strategic target of 27%. Average supply ran at 20.45 hours a day in figures to March 2026, short of a 21.9-hour target. Every cubic meter lost in the pipes is, in most cases, desalinated supply that earns no revenue.
Reuse is the second lever
Treated wastewater is the other resource the company can grow. In 2024, 554,097,929 m³ of treated wastewater was reused, 26.33% of the volume treated and equal to 14.9% of net urban distribution. The company reports that 93.24% of treated water met tertiary standard by March 2026, against a target of 100%.
How far the cluster operators can close the loss gap, how quickly sewerage coverage is catching up with water supply, and which treatment and concession contracts come next are set out in the full report. The full report, Water Systems Overview: National Water Company, is available for USD 499. For a free overview, read the National Water Company Utility Snapshot.