The Saudi Water Authority (SWA) has earned two Guinness World Records certificates, solidifying Saudi Arabia’s leadership in the global water sector. The records were presented during a ceremony at SWA’s headquarters in Riyadh, attended by Minister of Environment, Water, and Agriculture Abdulrahman Alfadley, along with representatives from Guinness World Records.
The first record recognizes the world’s largest seawater desalination plant using reverse osmosis (RO) technology, part of Phase II of the Al-Khobar Production System project. This plant, with a production capacity of 670,852.4 cubic meters per day, was built on the smallest land area globally for a facility of its size. This achievement was made possible through advanced technical methods and value engineering. The record was officially recognized on February 25, 2025.
The second record was awarded to SWA’s Technical Affairs and Projects Sector for achieving the lowest energy consumption rate for an RO-based desalination plant. The plant consumed only 1.7 kWh per cubic meter during the salt separation stage, with a total energy consumption of 2.34 kWh per cubic meter—the lowest in the world. This milestone was recorded during the construction of the Shuaibah Plant (Phase V) on April 22, 2025, and was praised by the World Bank. It surpassed the Kingdom’s previous record of 2.27 kWh per cubic meter, setting a new global standard.
These two records bring the total number of Guinness World Records held by SWA to 11, reinforcing Saudi Arabia’s position as a global leader in water innovation and sustainability.
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