RIYADH Climate Resilience REPORT

Climate Resilient Water Resources Management in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Strategic framework for managing extreme water scarcity, climate risks, and rapid urbanisation through desalination, reuse, Green Riyadh, and digitally enabled infrastructure in Riyadh.

Summary Insight: Riyadh has emerged as a flagship case of climate-resilient water management in an extremely water-stressed, subtropical dry arid environment, where 97.4% of renewable water resources are withdrawn nationally and non-renewable groundwater still supplies 62% of natural water resources. By combining large-scale desalination, targets to treat 100% of collected wastewater and raise reuse from 17% to 70% by 2030, and the Green Riyadh initiative to increase green coverage from 1.5% to 9%, the city is building a system that can withstand chronic scarcity, flash floods, and intensifying heat while advancing the National Water Strategy 2030 and Saudi Vision 2030.

Target Audience

Utility Executives: Translating Riyadh’s integrated desalination–reuse–Green Riyadh model into operational strategies for arid megacities and rapidly growing capitals.
Regulators: Benchmarking implementation of the National Water Strategy 2030, Water Law 2020, and integrated water resources management, now at 83% implementation nationally.
Infrastructure Investors: Assessing multi-billion riyal CAPEX in desalination, long-distance transmission, wastewater treatment, drainage, and strategic storage as a pipeline for green and blended finance.

Report Deliverables

System map of Riyadh’s climate risk profile (heat, drought, flash floods) and water–energy nexus exposure.
Detailed breakdown of implemented measures, including Green Riyadh, tertiary wastewater treatment expansion, and independent water transmission pipelines.
Stakeholder roadmap covering government, utilities, regulators, and financiers to close resilience and investment gaps to 2030.

The Five Strategic Pillars

Architectures:System design centred on desalinated water transported hundreds of kilometres inland, supplemented by non-renewable groundwater and rapidly scaling treated wastewater reuse to meet the needs of a fast-growing metropolis.

Enablement:Smart digital water management, including supervisory control systems, robotic inspection of stormwater networks, and AI analysis of 3D, 360‑degree imagery to improve operational readiness.

Resolution:Targeted interventions to reduce high physical and operational losses, with national treated water losses currently between 600,000 and 800,000 m³/day and nearly 40% lost through leakage.

Alignment:Integration of Riyadh’s investments with the National Water Strategy 2030, Vision 2030 climate and energy objectives, and plans to generate 50% of power from renewables while phasing down thermal desalination.

Capability Building:Strengthening institutional capacity through technology adoption roadmaps, regulatory reform from prescriptive to performance-based standards, and incentives to accelerate uptake of reuse and Nature-Based Solutions.

Operational Excellence & Resilience

Riyadh provides a replicable framework for cities facing extreme aridity, with household water consumption reduced from 113 to 102 litres per capita per day between 2022 and 2023, signalling tangible progress on demand management. At the same time, the city is expanding stormwater networks that already cover up to 55% of urban areas, deploying robotic inspection and AI to proactively manage flash flood risk while continuing to close remaining drainage gaps.

Infrastructure & Climate Roadmap Multi‑billion SAR Investment

Anchored by assets such as the 8.5 billion riyal, 587 km Jubail–Buraydah 1 Independent Water Transmission Pipeline and a 400,000 m³/day tertiary wastewater treatment expansion south of Riyadh, alongside capital-intensive Green Riyadh and strategic storage programmes targeting seven days of municipal demand by 2030.

Expert Briefing: FAQs

How is Riyadh’s climate-resilient water transition funded?
The transition is supported by large public CAPEX in desalination plants, wastewater treatment expansions, stormwater drainage networks, and independent water transmission pipelines, including multi‑billion riyal projects like Jubail–Buraydah 1. To address remaining resilience gaps, the report highlights the need for green bonds, environmental impact bonds, green loans, and better cost recovery through polluter‑pays and beneficiary‑pays principles to mobilise additional private and institutional capital.

What defines Riyadh’s climate-resilient approach?
Riyadh’s model combines desalination and non-renewable groundwater with aggressive wastewater reuse targets, Green Riyadh’s 7.5 million trees, restoration of wadis such as Wadi Hanifah, and rainwater harvesting requirements in building permits. This integrated approach simultaneously addresses drought risk, extreme heat, and flash floods while reducing pressure on fossil groundwater and enhancing urban liveability.

How do digital and smart systems improve performance in Riyadh?
Digital tools such as supervisory control systems, robotic inspection of drainage infrastructure, and AI-based analysis of network imagery enable proactive maintenance, faster fault detection, and more efficient operation of critical assets in Riyadh. When combined with emerging smart metering and integrated data platforms, these systems support predictive maintenance, leakage reduction, and adaptive responses to climate shocks across supply, treatment, transmission, and drainage.

Climate Resilient Water Resources Management in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Target Audience

Report Deliverables

The Five Strategic Pillars

Operational Excellence & Resilience

Expert Briefing: FAQs

Climate Resilient Water Resources Management in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

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