Saudi Water Authority Values Sector Innovations at SR200 Million as Jeddah Prepares for Major Global Conference

The Saudi Water Authority has placed the market value of innovations and entrepreneurial projects in the Kingdom’s water sector at roughly SR200 million ($53.3 million), with all initiatives linked to domestic and international investors. The estimate was shared by Tariq Al-Ghaffari, vice president for research and promising water technologies, in comments to Al-Eqtisadiah. He said the momentum reflects growing interest in solutions that strengthen water security and support sustainable development in Saudi Arabia.

According to Al-Ghaffari, the authority operates a dedicated platform that enables innovators to turn research concepts into commercially scalable ventures. He noted that the entrepreneurship division provides several pathways for collaboration, including opportunities for innovators to share patents with companies inside and outside the Kingdom. The aim, he said, is to expand market reach and enhance competitiveness across the sector.

Al-Ghaffari highlighted the authority’s success in building partnerships with more than 20 Saudi companies, many of which have since expanded into international collaborations targeting current water challenges. “Their solutions are now being exported abroad,” he said, pointing to the Kingdom’s growing presence in the global water-technology arena.

Preparations are underway in Jeddah for the fourth Water Sustainability Innovation Conference, scheduled for December 8–10, 2025. The event is expected to bring together 169 speakers and around 7,300 participants representing 133 countries, including major delegations from the US, China, Singapore, the UK, Canada, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Brazil and Italy, in addition to several Gulf and Arab states.

The gathering is widely regarded as the largest global platform for experts, innovators and entrepreneurs working in the water sector. More than 2,700 attendees from outside Saudi Arabia are expected to take part in person. Al-Ghaffari said this projection reflects only an initial indicator of the conference’s rising international profile.

One of the headline events will be the Global Innovation Award, which has attracted submissions from over 2,500 innovators across 119 countries. Entrants have proposed solutions covering six key tracks identified by the authority, each addressing critical challenges facing water systems worldwide.

An international judging panel consisting of six specialists from six different countries will select the top-ranked project. The winner will receive a $100,000 prize and an additional $250,000 technical development voucher to advance their work through platforms overseen by the Saudi Water Authority.

The authority says the combined efforts—supporting innovators, opening new markets and hosting the world’s largest water-sector conference—demonstrate Saudi Arabia’s emergence as a leading hub for advanced water technologies and a growing force in shaping global water-sustainability strategies.