The Saudi Water Partnership Company (SWPC) has released its first Sustainability Disclosure Report, presenting the company’s 2024 achievements and future strategy in alignment with Saudi Vision 2030, the National Water Strategy, and global sustainability frameworks. The report highlights efforts across environmental stewardship, social responsibility, and corporate governance, while also outlining plans to strengthen the company’s position in Saudi Arabia’s rapidly evolving water sector.
Expanding projects across the Kingdom
The report provides an overview of SWPC’s growing portfolio of water infrastructure projects. As of 2024, the company reported 9 projects under tendering, 22 projects under planning, 15 under contract management, and 4 currently under execution. These initiatives span desalination, wastewater treatment, water transmission, and strategic storage, forming part of a broader plan to secure reliable and sustainable water resources for the Kingdom.
Several projects have attracted international recognition. The Jubail 3A Independent Water Project was named “Desalination Plant of the Year,” setting new efficiency benchmarks, with energy use below 2.8 kWh per cubic meter and the integration of a 45.5 MW solar facility. The project offsets an estimated 60,000 tons of carbon emissions annually. SWPC also received the “Excellence in Public-Private Partnership Award 2024” and was named “Best Exemplary Public Water Agency of 2024.”
Strategic objectives for growth
The report underscores SWPC’s strategic objectives and aspirations for the coming years. These include strengthening its role as the Kingdom’s principal water buyer, with the long-term goal of becoming the sole off-taker of all water produced in Saudi Arabia. The company also aims to enhance its tendering arm, positioning itself as the regional benchmark in public-private partnership (PPP) tendering.
SWPC's long-term goal is becoming the sole off-taker of all water produced in Saudi Arabia
To ensure resilience, SWPC has committed to bolstering financial stability by optimizing costs, diversifying revenue streams, and improving resource allocation. A parallel objective is to drive organizational excellence by strengthening internal capabilities, refining processes, and supporting long-term institutional development.
In terms of sustainability performance, SWPC reported full compliance with environmental regulations set by the National Center for Environmental Compliance (NCEC). Annual carbon savings were estimated at 100,000 tons, while Scope 2 emissions reached 1.62 million metric tons. The company also expanded its renewable energy portfolio, commissioning a 61 MW solar facility at the Jubail 3B desalination plant, which now covers 17 percent of the site’s energy needs.
The report highlighted the planting of 30,000 trees across Saudi Arabia in 2024 as part of the Green Saudi Initiative. It also emphasized the company’s commitment to wastewater treatment and reuse, with discussions hosted at COP16 focusing on the role of treated wastewater in improving land resilience in arid regions.
Governance and partnerships
The report emphasized SWPC’s governance structure, led by a five-member board and supported by an executive committee overseeing day-to-day operations. Ethics, transparency, and anti-corruption measures were identified as central to the company’s long-term strategy.
SWPC also stressed the importance of collaboration, pointing to its 2024 forum “Empowering Partnerships for a Sustainable Water Future”. The event gathered over 500 stakeholders, including 100 CEOs and 70 government officials, and resulted in the signing of more than 10 memorandums of understanding with local and international partners.
Looking ahead, SWPC outlined its seven-year strategy covering 2024–2030. The plan focuses on expanding desalination, wastewater treatment, reservoirs, transmission pipelines, and dam projects. By 2030, the company aims to secure full private sector participation in desalinated water production, increase local content in procurement, and adopt advanced technologies to reduce costs and improve efficiency.
