Kuala Lumpur:The Saudi Water Authority (SWA) has been honored with five international accolades for its innovative water and energy projects at the fourth Asian Water Awards and the Asian Power Awards 2026, held in Malaysia.
According to Saudi Press Agency, the awards celebrated achievements by the authority's Water Technologies Innovation Institute and Research Advancement (WTIIRA), the Saudi Water Innovation Center (SWIC), and Water Oasis. These projects are geared towards advancing water technologies, resource recovery from desalination waste, energy efficiency improvements, and sector-wide innovation. The recognition underscores SWA's commitment to transforming research innovations into practical technological solutions and highlights the global impact of investment in research and innovation on quality of life and water sector sustainability.
Among the awarded projects, the "Innovation of the Year" accolade was given to a project enhancing drinking water with magnesium extracted from seawater using a nanotechnology-based system. This system, a first on a large scale, is part of the Al-Shuaiba production system's fourth phase, with a capacity of 400,000 cubic meters per day, serving over 1.3 million people.
Another award, the "Water Technology Excellence Award (Research and Development)," was awarded for a system producing sodium hypochlorite for water disinfection and high-purity hydrogen from desalination brine, reducing energy consumption by 25% compared to conventional methods. The SWA also received recognition for leadership in the circular economy with a pilot project extracting rubidium chloride from desalination waste, achieving a recovery rate of 89.02% and purity of up to 99.984%. This project, with an estimated annual production of 17.95 kilograms and a net present value of around US$831,000 over a decade, demonstrates the potential to convert desalination waste into economically valuable resources while reducing environmental impact.
The Water Oasis in Rabigh earned the "Water Innovation Hub of the Year" award for its state-of-the-art environment for testing technologies. Spanning over 33,000 square meters, it includes more than 23 advanced laboratories and large-scale pilot plants, and is recognized by Guinness World Records as the world's largest water innovation oasis.
SWIC's "Collaborative Water Initiative of the Year" award recognized its role in fostering innovation through the Miyahthon initiative, which attracted over 1,300 participants and generated more than 766 ideas. It involved more than 30 mentors, 10 judges, and five universities. SWIC has been instrumental in establishing 43 water-sector startups and receiving over 400 innovative ideas from more than 15 countries, launching three specialized incubators with key partners.
These awards illustrate the expansive scope of the Saudi Water Authority's innovation efforts, which range from technology development and resource efficiency improvements to transforming desalination waste into valuable resources and creating environments for testing new solutions. The projects' practical value lies in transitioning from research to real-world applications, enhancing production efficiency, and promoting economic and environmental sustainability.