In January 2022, Asharq Al-Awsat reported the inauguration of Saudi Arabia's first floating desalination plant near al-Shuqaiq port on the west coast. The plant uses reverse osmosis and is backed by a large solar panel farm. Under a 20-year agreement with the Saline Water Conversion Corporation (SWCC), Bahri was to deliver desalinated water from three floating stations to tanks in the Kingdom. Each station was rated at 50,000 m³/day, 150,000 m³/day in total, and the barges could be moved to match regional demand.
The report pointed to an approach that makes desalination capacity mobile: plants on barges that can be relocated between regions as demand shifts.
Source: Asharq Al-Awsat