Saudi Arabia consumed 555 million m³ of reused water in 2023, about 1.5 million m³ a day, according to GASTAT. The National Water Company alone was treating 6.4 million m³ of wastewater a day by March 2026, and 93.24% of that was treated to tertiary standard.
Targets that do not agree
The ministry targets reuse of more than 70% of treated wastewater by 2050. An industry account of the National Water Strategy puts 70% at 2030, and the Minister told COP16 in December 2024 that the goal is 90%, with no year. Industry estimates of the share reused today range from about 25% to about 30%.
Farms take what is reused
Almost all reported reuse goes to agriculture. The General Irrigation Authority reported 390 million m³ a year of treated wastewater reused in the third quarter of 2024, against a target of 181.19 million m³, and a reuse-rate indicator of 26.7% against 22.7%. The Minister separately said agricultural reuse had risen from 500,000 to 2 million m³ a day, a figure that does not match GASTAT's national total on the same basis.
New plants, slower closes
Ten independent sewage treatment plants operating, under construction or in tender total 1.79 million m³ a day, rising to 3.19 million after expansions. But the Arana (250,000 m³ a day) and Hadda (100,000 m³ a day) plants missed expected financial closes in the second quarter of 2026, and Riyadh East drew five bids only on 28 September 2026. Sanitation services reach 60% of the population, on the ministry's figure.
What the full report answers
The full report sets higher reuse and lower losses against new desalination, dates the sewage and effluent projects that come next, and compares the official coverage figures behind the ministry's 60%.
The full report, Saudi Arabia Water Intelligence Report, is available for USD 999 at https://ourfuturewaterintelligence.com/reports/saudi-arabia-water-intelligence-report. For a free overview, see https://ourfuturewaterintelligence.com/countries/saudi-arabia.