Ministers Confirm Desire to Cooperate with Saudi Arabia in 'Water Innovation'

July 6, 2026 - 00:17 | Last update July 6, 2026 - 00:17

The Water Innovation Oasis has become an international platform attracting researchers and decision-makers in the water sector. (Water Authority)

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Ministers and officials from several countries expressed their desire to join the innovative programs and initiatives hosted by the Water Innovation Oasis in Rabigh Governorate, and to expand cooperation with the Saudi Water Authority, after reviewing the innovation ecosystem at the oasis and praising its advanced research infrastructure, including more than 20 specialized labs, during their visit on the sidelines of the Saudi Water Week conference.

The Saudi Water Authority received the delegation, which included Pakistan's Minister of Water Resources Muhammad Moeen Watto, Kosovo's Minister of Environment Fitore Pasholi, Libya's Minister of Water Resources Engineer Hosni Oweidan, and Assistant Advisor to the Special Envoy of the Italian Foreign Minister Marco Rago, along with official delegations from the Sultanate of Oman, the State of Kuwait, and the Republic of Tunisia.

The delegation inspected the oasis's facilities and pilot stations, and the integrated environment they provide for developing, testing, and certifying water technologies under real operational conditions, affirming that what they saw represents an advanced model linking scientific research with practical applications and accelerating the transfer of technologies from the lab to application.

The Authority reviewed the innovation ecosystem at the oasis, which covers the technology development journey from research and development, through prototyping and manufacturing, capacity building, incubation and acceleration, to the investment readiness camp and research services, along with the Global Water Innovation Platform (GWIP), which connects researchers, innovators, and startups with investors, helping to accelerate the development of technologies and turn them into viable solutions.

The delegation learned about the key technologies developed by the oasis in the areas of desalination, reverse osmosis membranes, nanofiltration membranes, water and wastewater treatment, materials testing for water transport systems, and artificial intelligence applications in water management.