Middle East Water Tech Brief – August 2025
Welcome to this month’s edition of the Middle East Water Tech Brief, your essential source for the latest water innovations, investments, and policies shaping the region’s water security.
Water security across the Middle East is entering a transformative era, driven by strategic investments, climate-resilient infrastructure, and smart water technologies.
In this edition of the Middle East Water Tech Brief, we spotlight the region’s rapid transformation through strategic investment, climate-resilient infrastructure, and breakthrough technologies. Explore how Jordan’s women-led hydroponics, the UAE’s global water leadership, and Iraq’s record desalination project are setting new standards. Plus, track major upgrades in Saudi desalination and Oman’s network modernization, alongside rural investment initiatives driving water security from Tunisia to the Gulf.
Key Developments
Jordan: Habak Initiative Cultivates Water-Smart Farming for Empowerment
What’s New?
Aisha Al-Hawatmeh has launched Habak, Jordan’s first women-led hydroponics cooperative in Dhiban. Evolving from a balcony experiment, Habak now trains dozens of women to grow vegetables using climate-smart, soil-free, and water-efficient techniques in a desert environment.
Why It Matters
Jordan is one of the world’s most water-scarce countries, with over 90% desert land and dwindling freshwater reserves. Habak’s hydroponics system uses up to 85% less water than traditional farming, empowering women with new skills, income, and food security, while protecting natural resources.
What’s Next?
Aisha is working to establish a dedicated hydroponics training center for women in Jordan. The Habak model is considered scalable and could be expanded nationwide, transforming water scarcity into economic opportunity for women and communities with limited access to agricultural land.
UAE: Co-Hosts 2026 UN Water Conference, Advocates Water Rights
What’s New?
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) will co-host the 2026 United Nations Water Conference with Senegal. At the recent Human Rights Council, the UAE reaffirmed its commitment to human rights, emphasizing the right to safe drinking water and sanitation for all.
Why It Matters
Ensuring equitable water access is a cornerstone of the UAE’s development agenda and a recognized human right. This leadership is critical as global water scarcity intensifies, affecting billions. The UAE aims to embed inclusivity, human rights, and gender equality in the conference’s themes and results.
What’s Next?
The UAE is preparing for the New York preparatory meeting to finalize interactive dialogue topics. It is advocating for a transparent, participatory process that centers human rights. National policies like the ‘UAE Water Security Strategy 2036’ further demonstrate the country’s long-term commitment and leadership.
Iraq: PowerChina Secures $4 Billion Basra Desalination Plant Contract
What’s New?
PowerChina has been awarded a $4 billion contract to build Iraq’s first large-scale seawater desalination plant in Basra. The facility, inaugurated by Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, will have a daily capacity of 1 million cubic meters and feature an integrated 300-megawatt power plant for self-sufficiency.
Why It Matters
This major project is a pivotal response to Iraq’s severe water shortages, particularly in the south. By providing a new, reliable source of potable water, the Basra plant will help meet critical needs, strengthen resilience against drought, and reduce reliance on shrinking river supplies.
What’s Next?
Commercial operations are set to begin in June 2028. The Basra project is expected to serve as a model for future water infrastructure developments in Iraq, setting a new benchmark for scale, energy integration, and the advancement of long-term national water security.
Technology Spotlight: Innovations in Water Management
Saudi Arabia: Lantania to Construct Major Desalination Plant for Water Security
What it Does
Lantania, with Mutlaq Al-Ghowairi Contracting Company, will build the Jubail reverse osmosis seawater desalination plant for the Saudi Water Authority. The $544 million facility will produce 600,000 cubic meters of freshwater per day for the Kingdom.
Why it Matters
The project is key to Saudi Arabia’s ‘Vision 2030’ goals for economic diversification and long-term water security. In one of the world’s most water-scarce regions, large-scale desalination ensures reliable supplies for cities, industries, and agriculture, advancing national sustainability.
Impact
Lantania and MGC will deliver all phases of the plant, including intake and supporting infrastructure. When complete, this and the ongoing Ras Mohaisen project will enable Lantania to supply 1.5 million cubic meters of desalinated water daily—boosting Saudi Arabia’s water resilience and regional leadership.
Oman: Al Buraimi Water Network Projects Advance Water Security
What it Does
Nama Water Services is building new water networks and upgrading existing infrastructure across Al Buraimi Governorate, including 20 kilometers of new pipes in key areas and rehabilitating 50,000 meters of old networks. The projects will benefit up to 12,000 subscribers.
Why it Matters
These initiatives ensure sustainable water supply and improve water security by reducing losses from aging pipes and delivering water that meets stringent local and international standards. Upgrades directly address reliability challenges, ensuring Al Buraimi residents receive consistent, high-quality drinking water.
Impact
With new projects at 40% and rehabilitation at 25% completion, Al Ghuraifa is set for full network coverage by year-end. These efforts minimize water loss, modernize supply, and raise the standard for water quality and reliability throughout the governorate.
Investment Tracker: Major Water Infrastructure Projects in 2025
Tunisia: Oasis Hub Project Boosts Rural Infrastructure and Water Access
Funded by SFD
$38 million
The Oasis Hub Project will reclaim 1,000+ hectares of farmland, drill 22 wells, and construct 285+ homes. It delivers vital water networks and develops education, agriculture, and community infrastructure to transform rural life in southern Tunisia.
Saudi Arabia: Yanbu Desalination Plant Contract
Contract awarded to VA Tech Wabag
$272 million
The Yanbu Desalination Plant project will expand Saudi Arabia’s water supply by delivering a new facility to boost freshwater production. This investment strengthens the Kingdom’s infrastructure and enhances water security in one of the world’s most water-scarce regions.
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