RIYADH: Saudi Arabia is no longer just a petrostate but has become a global leader in desalinated water production, Michael Christopher Low, associate professor of history and director of the Middle East Center at the University of Utah, told an event in Riyadh on Monday.
Speaking at the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies, Low presented a lecture on the pivotal role of Prince Mohammed Al-Faisal, whose pioneering work in desalination during the 1970s helped reshape Saudi Arabia and secured its water future.
Low said that Prince Mohammed’s commitment to solving water scarcity was rooted in his childhood experiences during the 1930s and 1940s, when Saudi Arabia faced severe water shortages.
Prince Turki Al-Faisal attended the event on Monday. (AN photo by Jafar Al-Saleh)
The prince often spoke of Jeddah’s old desalination plant, known as the condenser, which provided fresh water during droughts. These early struggles, Low said, inspired the prince’s lifelong mission to ensure Saudi Arabia’s water security.
“In 1972, the Saline Water Conversion Department separated from the Ministry of Agriculture and Water,” Low said.
This marked the first step toward creating a dedicated water infrastructure. Two years later, a royal decree established the Saline Water Conversion Corporation, and Prince Mohammed was appointed its founding governor.
Low explained that under the prince’s leadership, desalination infrastructure expanded rapidly.
“By the time of his resignation in 1977, 28 major desalination projects were either completed or underway,” Low said.
Low described the 1970s and 1980s as the era when Jeddah became the epicenter of Saudi Arabia’s “saltwater kingdom.”
He highlighted several key events, starting with phase one of Jeddah’s desalination plant in 1978.
Low said: “Reverse osmosis units were added, making it the largest such facility in the world at the time and increasing capacity by 40 percent.”
More expansions followed. In 1979, phase two introduced multi-stage flash desalination technology, which added 1 million gallons of daily water production as well as 85 megawatts of electricity.
Low said phase three in 1980 added another 2 million gallons per day and 256 megawatts of electricity, while phase four a year later produced a further 5 million gallons per day and added 590 megawatts of energy.
“These projects not only addressed Saudi Arabia’s water shortages but also supported its rapid urbanization and population growth,” Low said.
Low called desalination “the revolution of the 20th century that sustained Saudi Arabia and enabled it to become the welfare state it is today.” He said that the prince’s work laid the foundation for Saudi Arabia’s position as the world’s largest producer of desalinated water.
Low also discussed Prince Mohammed’s bold and controversial plan to tow icebergs from Antarctica to Saudi Arabia.
The prince convened an international conference on iceberg utilization in 1977, bringing together scientists and experts to evaluate the feasibility of harvesting freshwater from glacial ice.
“The iceberg project reflected the technological optimism of the 1970s,” Low said. While the plan ultimately did not materialize, Low said that it showcased the prince’s innovative mindset and willingness to explore unconventional solutions.
Low said that Prince Mohammed’s contributions to desalination transformed Saudi Arabia to such an extent that desalinated water became fundamental to daily life.
“His towering legacy is an inheritance that every Saudi citizen is bound to take for granted when they turn on the tap,” Low said.
He added that the prince’s visionary work ensured that Saudi Arabia could thrive in an arid environment, with water scarcity turned from a challenge into an opportunity for progress.
