As water scarcity intensifies in the Middle East, solar-powered desalination is emerging as a sustainable solution to meet rising demand. Traditional desalination methods, reliant on energy-intensive cogeneration, consume about 50% of primary energy in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and significantly contribute to carbon emissions. 

Solar-powered desalination offers a cleaner, cost-effective alternative. Saudi Arabia’s NEOM project, for example, is developing a fully solar-powered plant using Solar Dome technology, aiming to produce water at just $0.34 per cubic meter — far cheaper than conventional reverse osmosis. Similarly, solar-driven reverse osmosis can cut energy use by up to 75%. 

With global water demand projected to increase by 55% by 2050, Middle Eastern nations are accelerating renewable-powered water initiatives. Dubai is set to launch the world’s largest solar-powered desalination plant next year, producing 818,000 cubic meters of potable water daily with an $875 million investment. In Oman, TotalEnergies and Veolia plan a solar photovoltaic system for the Sharqiyah plant, serving 600,000 people. 

Despite challenges like high initial costs and the need for advanced storage systems, solar desalination is gaining traction. The Al Khafji plant in Saudi Arabia, commissioned in 2017, already produces 60,000 cubic meters of water daily. Public-private partnerships and technological innovations in AI and battery storage are further driving this shift, making solar desalination essential for sustainable water security in the region. 

(Mercom)