Saudi Arabia Targets Local Production of 18 Strategic Water-Sector Products

Saudi Arabia is moving to localize 18 strategic water-sector products as it seeks to secure critical supplies, reduce reliance on foreign supply chains and build an industry capable of exporting its technologies.

The products include components used across the kingdom’s water production, transmission and distribution systems. Saudi Water Authority President Abdullah Al-Abdulkarim said geopolitical tensions and global changes had increased the need for stable supply chains and reliable, sustainable services.

Al-Abdulkarim said the authority had worked with relevant government bodies since early 2024 to identify the products. The initiative forms part of a broader effort to turn decades of experience operating Saudi Arabia’s complex water system into industrial and technological value.

The domestic market for the 18 products could reach about 15 billion riyals, or $4 billion, by 2033. Across the Middle East and North Africa, the market is estimated at around 65 billion riyals, or $17.3 billion. Local production could attract industrial investment, increase local content and strengthen the sector’s contribution to the trade balance.

The authority is also developing tools and indicators to monitor equipment performance. Each machine can be assessed against as many as 17 indicators daily. Saudi Arabia is now targeting a 90% domestic supply reliability rate for key components, marking what Al-Abdulkarim described as a new phase in which the kingdom becomes a partner in developing the next generation of water technologies.

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Saudi Arabia was the largest water consumer and has now become an expert operator. It then became a source of expertise for manufacturers of the system’s various components, bringing us to a new stage in which we become a partner in developing the next generation of technologies.