SWCC now produces 3.3 million cubic meters per day of desalinated water, supplying more than half of Saudi Arabia’s needs, Abdulrahman Mohammed Al-Ibrahim said.
Al-Ibrahim said Saudi Arabia's water use at households is around 250 liters per capita.
“We hope this amount will be rationalized... supply and demand must be balanced.”
Water and Power Minister Abdullah Al-Husayen said recently that demand for water was rising by more than 7 percent a year and that more than $133 billion of investment would be required over the next decade in the sector.
Demand for desalinated water, rising by around 14.5 percent, is seen reaching 5.7 million cubic meters per day by 2014, Al-Ibrahim said in a speech at an industry event. 
SWCC plans to quadruple its investments in 20 years from a 2012 budget of 15.5 billion riyals ($4.1 billion) in capital investments, he said.
SWCC’s plants on the Rest Sea coast burn oil — crude, fuel and cracked oil — while gas is used in those located on the Gulf coast. The firm has 36 plants.
“Raising efficiency is a national concern,” he said and added SWCC was trying to diversify technology and use all forms of energy, including solar and nuclear, pending a national strategy.
“We try as much as we can to diversify technology and boost fuel efficiency,” he said.
The utility plans to launch by the end of next year a pilot plant in Khafji which will 30,000 cubic meters per day of desalinated water from solar energy.