For arid nations like Saudi Arabia, harnessing recycled wastewater is not just an environmental imperative, but a strategic necessity for water security. Getty
For arid nations like Saudi Arabia, harnessing recycled wastewater is not just an environmental imperative, but a strategic necessity for water security. Getty
For arid nations like Saudi Arabia, harnessing recycled wastewater is not just an environmental imperative, but a strategic necessity for water security. Getty
For arid nations like Saudi Arabia, harnessing recycled wastewater is not just an environmental imperative, but a strategic necessity for water security. Getty


How wastewater can help secure the Middle East's water future


Nicholas Burnett
Nicholas Burnett
  • English
  • Arabic

September 02, 2025

Amid growing concerns about water scarcity and the urgent need for sustainable solutions, wastewater remains one of the world’s most undervalued and underused resources. Ironically, what is typically seen as a pollutant – rich in chemicals and nutrients that degrade ecosystems – is also a powerful, largely untapped solution.

According to the UN Environment Programme, wastewater holds five times more energy than is needed to treat it and, with the right policies in place, could generate enough power to provide electricity to half a billion people annually.

Wastewater is water that has been used – typically in homes, businesses or industrial processes – and is no longer clean. Globally, 80 per cent of wastewater is discharged into the environment without proper treatment – a stark figure that poses significant risk to human health and fragile ecosystems. But with the right treatment, there is huge potential for safe reuse of recycled water across a spectrum of applications. Fortunately, advances in treatment technologies, paired with mounting water stress, are prompting governments and industries to rethink their water strategies.

Desalination has long been central to Saudi Arabia’s water strategy which can be energy-intensive and expensive

Countries with advanced water treatment infrastructure, such as Singapore, have demonstrated that treated wastewater can be purified to meet – and even exceed – drinking water quality. For arid nations like Saudi Arabia, where water is scarce but demand continues to rise, harnessing recycled wastewater is not just an environmental imperative, but a strategic necessity for water security.

Valued at $323 billion in 2023, the global water and wastewater treatment market is expected to nearly double to $618 billion by 2032, reflecting how countries and corporations are increasingly viewing wastewater as a long-term solution, rather than a waste product.

Saudi Arabia is emerging as a regional leader in this shift. As hosts of the Global Water Expo in Riyadh this week, a key focal point is the kingdom’s National Water Strategy, which aims to ensure sustainable water resources and services, focusing on efficiency, affordability and environmental protection.

Desalination has long been central to Saudi Arabia’s water strategy which, although critical for supplying freshwater, can be energy-intensive and expensive. Recognising the need to diversify its sources, wastewater treatment plays a vital role in the kingdom’s vision to complement desalination and conserve freshwater resources. Nearly 2 billion cubic metres of wastewater was treated in Saudi Arabia in 2022, with 22 per cent reused for agricultural irrigation (up from 16 per cent in 2017). The kingdom aims to reach 25 per cent reuse this year.

To date, Neom has reintroduced 1,100 animals from six species – including Arabian oryx, gazelles and Nubian ibex – and planted more than 4.8 million native trees, shrubs and grasses. Photo: Neom
To date, Neom has reintroduced 1,100 animals from six species – including Arabian oryx, gazelles and Nubian ibex – and planted more than 4.8 million native trees, shrubs and grasses. Photo: Neom

In line with Neom’s principles, the region’s energy and water subsidiary, Enowa, is committed to redefining conservation by improving water performance sustainably, through a smart and connected infrastructure. Wastewater capture and recycling are integral to our circular water management model and underpin our water infrastructure that is currently under development.

With zero run-off to the environment, our wastewater collection and treatment facilities prioritise and protect fragile land and marine ecosystems. Last year, Enowa treated up to 7 million litres of wastewater every day at our Al Badaa facility, which has more than doubled in capacity since 2023. Aligned with our circular economy principles, all this recycled water is used in the Neom Nature Reserve to support regreening and rewilding initiatives, which aim to enhance biodiversity and restore the delicate ecological balance of the kingdom’s natural environments.

To date, Neom has reintroduced 1,100 animals from six species – including Arabian oryx, gazelles and Nubian ibex – and planted more than 4.8 million native trees, shrubs and grasses. Recycled water also feeds the native plant nursery in the reserve, which is the first renewable-powered plant nursery in the kingdom and has capacity to produce 2 million plants annually. As population and wastewater volumes in Neom ramp up over the coming years, the recycled water supply will also grow to support construction, agriculture and landscape applications, reducing pressure on desalination sources.

As part of our approach where all waste is used as a valuable resource, we are also developing bioresource recovery programmes. Nutrient-rich biosolids, the by-product of wastewater treatment, will be processed into high-quality fertilisers for agricultural use and biogases captured to convert into electricity for energy-neutral water recycling processes.

By turning waste into opportunity, it is possible not only to address one’s own water security, but also set a benchmark for resilient water management in water-scarce regions worldwide. As climate pressures intensify, the time to scale and accelerate these solutions is now – before a sustainable source of clean water, renewable energy and vital nutrients disappears down the drain.

ICC Women's T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier 2025, Thailand

UAE fixtures
May 9, v Malaysia
May 10, v Qatar
May 13, v Malaysia
May 15, v Qatar
May 18 and 19, semi-finals
May 20, final

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Meg%202%3A%20The%20Trench
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EBen%20Wheatley%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EJason%20Statham%2C%20Jing%20Wu%2C%20Cliff%20Curtis%2C%20Page%20Kennedy%2C%20Cliff%20Curtis%2C%20Melissanthi%20Mahut%20and%20Shuya%20Sophia%20Cai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
DUBAI WORLD CUP RACE CARD

6.30pm Meydan Classic Trial US$100,000 (Turf) 1,400m

7.05pm Handicap $135,000 (T) 1,400m

7.40pm UAE 2000 Guineas Group Three $250,000 (Dirt) 1,600m

8.15pm Dubai Sprint Listed Handicap $175,000 (T) 1,200m

8.50pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round-2 Group Two $450,000 (D) 1,900m

9.25pm Handicap $135,000 (T) 1,800m

10pm Handicap $135,000 (T) 1,400m

 

The National selections

6.30pm Well Of Wisdom

7.05pm Summrghand

7.40pm Laser Show

8.15pm Angel Alexander

8.50pm Benbatl

9.25pm Art Du Val

10pm: Beyond Reason

Timeline

2012-2015

The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East

May 2017

The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts

September 2021

Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act

October 2021

Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence 

December 2024

Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group

May 2025

The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan

July 2025

The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan

August 2025

Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision

October 2025

Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange

November 2025

180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE

WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?

1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull

2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight

3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge

4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own

5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed

'Munich: The Edge of War'

Director: Christian Schwochow

Starring: George MacKay, Jannis Niewohner, Jeremy Irons

Rating: 3/5

Results

5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 80,000 (Turf) 1,400m. Winner: Al Ajeeb W’Rsan, Pat Dobbs (jockey), Jaci Wickham (trainer).

5.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 80,000 (T) 1,400m racing. Winner: Mujeeb, Fabrice Veron, Eric Lemartinel.

6pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 90,000 (T) 2,200m. Winner: Onward, Connor Beasley, Abdallah Al Hammadi.

6.30pm: Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Jewel Crown Prep Rated Conditions (PA) Dh 125,000 (T) 2,200m. Winner: Somoud, Richard Mullen, Jean de Roualle.

7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh 70,000 (T) 1,600m. Winner: AF Arrab, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel.

7.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh 90,000 (T) 1,400m. Winner: Irish Freedom, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.

Squad

Ali Kasheif, Salim Rashid, Khalifa Al Hammadi, Khalfan Mubarak, Ali Mabkhout, Omar Abdulrahman, Mohammed Al Attas, Abdullah Ramadan, Zayed Al Ameri (Al Jazira), Mohammed Al Shamsi, Hamdan Al Kamali, Mohammed Barghash, Khalil Al Hammadi (Al Wahda), Khalid Essa, Mohammed Shaker, Ahmed Barman, Bandar Al Ahbabi (Al Ain), Al Hassan Saleh, Majid Suroor (Sharjah) Walid Abbas, Ahmed Khalil (Shabab Al Ahli), Tariq Ahmed, Jasim Yaqoub (Al Nasr), Ali Saleh, Ali Salmeen (Al Wasl), Hassan Al Muharami (Baniyas) 

The specs: 2018 Opel Mokka X

Price, as tested: Dh84,000

Engine: 1.4L, four-cylinder turbo

Transmission: Six-speed auto

Power: 142hp at 4,900rpm

Torque: 200Nm at 1,850rpm

Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L / 100km

Company Fact Box

Company name/date started: Abwaab Technologies / September 2019

Founders: Hamdi Tabbaa, co-founder and CEO. Hussein Alsarabi, co-founder and CTO

Based: Amman, Jordan

Sector: Education Technology

Size (employees/revenue): Total team size: 65. Full-time employees: 25. Revenue undisclosed

Stage: early-stage startup 

Investors: Adam Tech Ventures, Endure Capital, Equitrust, the World Bank-backed Innovative Startups SMEs Fund, a London investment fund, a number of former and current executives from Uber and Netflix, among others.

The specs: 2018 Jaguar F-Type Convertible

Price, base / as tested: Dh283,080 / Dh318,465

Engine: 2.0-litre inline four-cylinder

Transmission: Eight-speed automatic

Power: 295hp @ 5,500rpm

Torque: 400Nm @ 1,500rpm

Fuel economy, combined: 7.2L / 100km

SPEC%20SHEET
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EProcessor%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Apple%20M2%2C%208-core%20CPU%2C%20up%20to%2010-core%20CPU%2C%2016-core%20Neural%20Engine%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDisplay%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2013.6-inch%20Liquid%20Retina%2C%202560%20x%201664%2C%20224ppi%2C%20500%20nits%2C%20True%20Tone%2C%20wide%20colour%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EMemory%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%208%2F16%2F24GB%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStorage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20256%2F512GB%20%2F%201%2F2TB%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EI%2FO%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Thunderbolt%203%20(2)%2C%203.5mm%20audio%2C%20Touch%20ID%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EConnectivity%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Wi-Fi%206%2C%20Bluetooth%205.0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EBattery%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2052.6Wh%20lithium-polymer%2C%20up%20to%2018%20hours%2C%20MagSafe%20charging%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECamera%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%201080p%20FaceTime%20HD%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EVideo%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Support%20for%20Apple%20ProRes%2C%20HDR%20with%20Dolby%20Vision%2C%20HDR10%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EAudio%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204-speaker%20system%2C%20wide%20stereo%2C%20support%20for%20Dolby%20Atmos%2C%20Spatial%20Audio%20and%20dynamic%20head%20tracking%20(with%20AirPods)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EColours%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Silver%2C%20space%20grey%2C%20starlight%2C%20midnight%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EIn%20the%20box%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20MacBook%20Air%2C%2030W%20or%2035W%20dual-port%20power%20adapter%2C%20USB-C-to-MagSafe%20cable%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20From%20Dh4%2C999%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
PREMIER LEAGUE FIXTURES

Saturday (UAE kick-off times)

Watford v Leicester City (3.30pm)

Brighton v Arsenal (6pm)

West Ham v Wolves (8.30pm)

Bournemouth v Crystal Palace (10.45pm)

Sunday

Newcastle United v Sheffield United (5pm)

Aston Villa v Chelsea (7.15pm)

Everton v Liverpool (10pm)

Monday

Manchester City v Burnley (11pm)

MATCH INFO

 

Maratha Arabians 107-8 (10 ovs)

Lyth 21, Lynn 20, McClenaghan 20 no

Qalandars 60-4 (10 ovs)

Malan 32 no, McClenaghan 2-9

Maratha Arabians win by 47 runs

The 12 Syrian entities delisted by UK 

Ministry of Interior
Ministry of Defence
General Intelligence Directorate
Air Force Intelligence Agency
Political Security Directorate
Syrian National Security Bureau
Military Intelligence Directorate
Army Supply Bureau
General Organisation of Radio and TV
Al Watan newspaper
Cham Press TV
Sama TV

Updated: September 02, 2025, 4:00 AM