Bottled water is the main source of drinking water for 47.3% of Saudi households, according to GASTAT's 2024 household survey. The public network is the main source for 36.5%, and tanker deliveries for 15.8%. Yet 99.8% of households have safely managed drinking water, so the gap is one of preference and service, not access.
A network that reaches most homes
The Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture reports that water networks cover 88% of the population, in figures published in June 2026. The National Water Company, which runs urban distribution, reports 85.9% water coverage in its own service clusters as of March 2026. Desalinated seawater made up 50% of the water distributed nationally in 2023, up from 44% a year earlier.
Where service falls short
The company's own scorecard shows why households may still reach for a bottle. Average supply ran at 20.45 hours a day to March 2026, below a target of 21.9 hours. Non-revenue water stood at 35% in February 2026, against a 27% target. Drinking-water quality compliance was 98.48%, slightly above its 98% target.
Why it matters
The Kingdom distributes about 11.4 million cubic metres of water a day, much of it desalinated on the coast and pumped inland at high cost. When households buy bottled water or tanker supply, they pay twice for drinking water. Less of the network's costly output earns the trust and revenue the system needs. Continuity of supply, not new plant capacity, is the measure to follow.
The full profile covers what the article does not: who regulates and who operates the system, how desalination capacity figures differ by source, which private projects have slipped in 2026, what tariffs recover against cost, and the targets for 2030 and 2050.
The full report, Saudi Arabia Country Intelligence Profile, is available for USD 99 at https://ourfuturewaterintelligence.com/reports/saudi-arabia-country-intelligence-profile. For a free overview, see https://ourfuturewaterintelligence.com/countries/saudi-arabia.