SWPC charts a sustainable water future through partnerships and talent development

In its first Sustainability Report, issued in 2024, SWPC highlights how sustainability is embedded across its operations, from carbon reduction to long-term infrastructure planning, describing its vision as providing “sustainable and reliable water in partnership with the public and private sectors”, making clear that its PPP strategy, environmental stewardship and Saudization efforts are central to achieving that vision.

Environmental stewardship

SWPC identifies environmental stewardship as a core value within its corporate strategy. The company reports stringent compliance standards and an ongoing drive towards net-zero emissions. In 2024, it continued its efforts to reduce carbon output across its projects. Eng. Khaled Al Qureshi, SWPC’s Chief Executive Officer, notes that recent initiatives have reduced annual emissions by 100,000 tonnes while contributing to the planting of 30,000 trees through afforestation schemes. These actions reflect SWPC’s commitment to the environment and society, balancing water production with ecological preservation.

In its Report, SWPC highlights how sustainability is embedded across its operations, from carbon reduction to infrastructure planning

SWPC has also been expanding the use of renewable energy across its facilities. The Jubail 3A desalination project, for example, incorporates a 45.5 MW solar PV installation. This integration offsets around 60,000 tonnes of carbon emissions each year and contributes to record-low energy use below 2.8 kWh per cubic metre. In 2023–24, SWPC commissioned a further 61 MW solar system at Jubail 3B, covering 17 per cent of the plant’s energy needs, and has similar solar arrays planned for Shuaibah 3 in 2025 and Rabigh 4 in 2026.

Together, these projects make a material impact. SWPC reports total annual carbon savings of 10.5 million tonnes through efficiency gains, technology upgrades and renewable power adoption, representing tangible progress towards its vision of a net-zero future.

Beyond energy, SWPC’s environmental commitments extend to comprehensive monitoring of emissions, waste and compliance. The company is preparing to implement a formal Environmental Management System aligned with ISO 14001 in 2025, and all its facilities currently achieve 100 per cent compliance with environmental permits under the National Center for Environmental Compliance (NCEC). Some plants also capture biogas from wastewater treatment to further reduce emissions.

Therefore, SWPC’s environmental protection policy covers regulatory compliance, energy efficiency, water stewardship and resource conservation. It represents an integrated framework designed to “minimise the ecological impact of our operations”. For SWPC, environmental stewardship is not an adjunct but a prerequisite for national water security.

Public–Private Partnerships and infrastructure

At the heart of SWPC’s operating model lies its partnership with private developers. Acting as the Kingdom’s water privatisation arm, the company fosters collaboration between government agencies and industry. A key theme in 2024 was the expansion of Public–Private Partnerships (PPPs) to meet rising demand.

SWPC oversees the planning, construction and operation of dozens of water projects, from desalination plants and wastewater treatment facilities to transmission pipelines. Together, these projects have pushed Saudi Arabia’s total contracted production and treatment capacity, public and private, to 13 million cubic metres per day. Among them are the Kingdom’s first transmission pipelines developed under PPP contracts. SWPC has set ambitious service targets of 100 per cent potable water coverage and 95 per cent wastewater coverage in planned areas. One notable initiative is the Riyadh–Qassim Independent Water Transmission Pipeline project, which attracted multiple bids from international developers.

Looking ahead, SWPC has set out a seven-year strategic plan for 2024 to 2030 aligned with national goals. It focuses on five key infrastructure pillars: desalination plants, wastewater treatment plants, strategic reservoirs, transmission pipelines and dams. Among its milestones are full private-sector participation in desalinated water production by 2030 and a sharp rise in local content across projects.

SWPC reports total annual carbon savings of 10.5 million tonnes through efficiency gains, technology upgrades and renewable power adoption

In practice, this translates into more capacity built through PPPs. The Jubail 3A plant, for example, was completed in just 27 months, setting what SWPC calls a “global benchmark” for speed and efficiency. To ensure a robust project pipeline, SWPC has launched a Developer Qualification Programme and a Contractor Qualification Initiative, pre-approving local and international firms while offering training on national standards. By streamlining tender processes and strengthening local capacity, the company is broadening the base of qualified contractors able to deliver major water projects in Saudi Arabia.

As the Sustainability Report highlights, such achievements showcase Saudi Arabia’s leadership in delivering innovative, large-scale water solutions that balance reliability, efficiency and environmental responsibility.

Saudization and local talent

Human capital development and national workforce participation are central to SWPC’s sustainability agenda. The company supports a range of Saudization and training initiatives designed to build local expertise.

In particular, the Sharakah Initiative, launched in 2020, helped to prepare Saudi graduates for the water sector. Through hands-on training rotations and mentorship, Sharakah has already trained hundreds of young professionals. In 2024 alone, SWPC launched the fourth and fifth editions of the initiative and organised a career day to connect graduates with employment opportunities in the industry.

Complementary programmes include the Contractor Incentivisation Initiative and the Contractor Qualification Initiative, which help local contractors understand privatisation projects and raise their competitiveness in SWPC tenders.

These efforts are reflected in the company’s workforce figures. Saudi nationals now account for 90 per cent of SWPC employees. In project management roles, 514 Saudi professionals were employed across SWPC-operated plants in 2024. The company also invested heavily in local supply chains, spending SAR 1.4 billion on local content that year and applying domestic content requirements of 40 to 70 per cent across projects. The Jubail 3A build achieved 40 per cent local content, while the Taif and Shaqiq projects recorded over 60 per cent during operations.

By nurturing Saudi engineers, managers and suppliers alongside world-class infrastructure, SWPC is helping ensure the Kingdom’s water future is managed by its own people and industries.

A formal Environmental Management System, compliant with ISO 14001, is due for implementation in 2025, reflecting SWPC’s intent to embed sustainability into every aspect of its operations and governance. Environmental protection and stakeholder engagement will remain priorities across all activities.

Collectively, these measures position SWPC as a driving force for water security and sector transformation in Saudi Arabia. As H.E. Eng. Abdulrahman bin Abdulmohsen Al-Fadhli, the Saudi Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture and SWPC’s Chairman, notes in the Report, by embedding sustainability and innovation into its operations and pursuing large-scale PPP projects, SWPC is “building a more resilient, adaptive and future-ready water ecosystem” for the Kingdom.