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Saudi Launches Grand Plan For Drinkable Water "River" Longer Than The Nile

It will be one of the world’s largest desalinated water networks, producing 9.4mn cubic metres of water per day for KSA

Apr 08, 2023 / 2 Min

Saudi Arabia is preparing to undertake a massive project to create the world’s largest source of drinkable water, as reported by Saudi journalist, Ahmad Al Shugairi

 

Al Shugairi stated that this upcoming desalinated water transport network will be among the biggest in the world. Their plan involves digging a river that would span 12,000 km in length, 11 metres in width, and four metres in depth – all with the aim of surpassing the length of the Nile River. This ambitious feat will require the use of anti-corrosion pipes, each with a diameter of 2.25 metres. 

 

He added: “After a few years, the length of the water pipes will transport this fresh water from one place to another,” indicating that this project be twice the size of the Nile, which is over 6,000 kilometres long.

 

The pipes running beneath Saudi cities will extend for 126,000 kilometres, which is long enough to wrap around the world three times. The network will produce a massive quantity of water, with 9.4 million cubic meters being generated each day.

 

This amount, according to Al Shugairi, if distributed to the world’s population, every person would get two gallons (two bottles) of water from the production of water sweetened in Saudi Arabia.

 

Saudi Arabia dominates global desalination production, generating over 1.006 billion cubic meters annually, which accounts for 18% of worldwide production. This is primarily facilitated by the Saline Water Conversion Corporation, a government-controlled entity responsible for producing the largest volume of desalinated water globally.

 

Source: Construction Week, Ahmad Al Shugairi.