The Saline Water Conversion Corporation (SWCC) announced yesterday that the world's largest desalination project in Ras Al-Khair is 75 percent complete and will start production in the third quarter of this year.
The capacity of the plant is over one million cubic meters of desalinated water and 2,400MW of electricity. The total investment in the project is SR 23 billion ($ 6.1 billion).
The announcement was made yesterday at a press conference in Ras Al-Khair by SWCC Gov. Abdulrahman Al-Ibrahim.
"The project has been completed 75 percent so far and will start production in the third quarter of this year. Electricity production will start in the third quarter and water production at the end of the year," said Al-Ibrahim.
He said the SWCC's Jubail plants cover the electricity needs of Al-Maaden Company; and have also provided electricity to the factories of Saudi Electricity Company (SEC) since last December.
"The SWCC signed an agreement with the SEC to supply Al-Maaden factories in the summer season with 450MW," said Al-Ibrahim.
He said he had a meeting with the SEC and Aramco to identify specific projects in the Kingdom that needs water and electricity. "During the meeting we discussed the upcoming plans. The first project will be in Jubail 3, which will supply 1.5 million cubic meters of water and 3,000MW of electricity."
"We are concerned about consuming fuel in stations. However, we are planning to raise the production of these stations by 50 percent to meet this percentage of fuel consumption," said Al-Ibrahim.
Answering a question, Al-Ibrahim said the Kingdom has a strategic plan to rehabilitate outdated stations with modern technology that will reduce fuel consumption and produce larger quantities of water. "Jeddah 2 is an example of this. It has been renovated to produce between 40,000 and 240,000 cubic meters."
Al-Ibrahim said there would be electricity production of up to 416MW at the beginning of the third quarter of this year and 830MW by the end of the year. Water production will begin from the reverse osmosis unit by the end of this year, with a supply of 150,000 cubic meters.
Regarding Saudization, Al-Ibrahim said the project would generate 1,300 jobs, which includes 200 Saudi engineers, technicians and administrators.
The Ras Al-Khair plant will supply Maaden factories with 25,000 cubic meters of desalinated water and 1,350MW of electricity. It will supply Riyadh and the central region cities with 900,000 cubic meters of desalinated water, and cities north of the Eastern Province including Al-Nuairiya, Hafr Al-Baten, Al-Qarya, Al-Olaya, Al-Saeera and Al-Qasuma with 100,000 cubic meters of desalinated water by 2014. It will supply the SEC with 1,050MW of electricity.
World’s largest desal plant 75% complete
World’s largest desal plant 75% complete
Saudi Culinary Arts Commission brings Saudi Dates to SIRHA Bake & Snack 2026
- The Saudi Culinary Arts Commission will showcase the diversity of Saudi dates, as the Kingdom produces more than 1.9 million tons annually
- Visitors will experience the blending of traditional flavors with modern techniques and French culinary inspiration
RIYADH: The Saudi Culinary Arts Commission, under the Ministry of Culture, is showcasing the Kingdom’s vast and diverse culinary heritage at the international SIRHA Bake & Snack 2026 exhibition in Paris this week.
Mayada Badr, CEO of the Saudi Culinary Arts Commission, said in a statement: “SIRHA Bake & Snack is a leading global gathering of culinary expertise and innovation, making it a vital platform for Saudi Arabia to showcase the diversity of our culinary heritage and the variety of our flavors.”
The commission is showcasing date vendors that guide visitors through the diverse and distinct flavors of dates, and a cheese and date pairing experience that combines Saudi culture with French culinary inspiration at the event running from Jan. 18 to 21.
A key feature of the experiences is live culinary demonstrations by Saudi chefs, who blend French techniques with Saudi dates to create unique takes on desserts and pastries, all topped off with typical Saudi hospitality through Saudi coffee to complete the cultural experience.
Through these vendor experiences, the Culinary Arts Commission presents Saudi dates as a premium ingredient, demonstrating how traditional flavors can be reimagined through contemporary culinary techniques, while also supporting local producers through these key international platforms.
Saudi Arabia produces over 1.9 million tons of dates annually and offers more than 300 varieties. While central to Saudi culture, the value of its date exports exceeds SAR 1.6 billion, and it has a global reach of more than 130 countries.
