In December 2016, Water. Desalination + reuse (Faversham House) reported that the Saudi environment, water and agriculture ministry intended to sell to private investors all 29 desalination plants run by the state-owned Saline Water Conversion Corporation. Spread along both coastlines, they had a combined 4.6 million m³/day and 7,305 MW. Eight new plants totalling 2.6 million m³/day and 3,000 MW were to follow as public-private partnerships, led by Jubail (1.17 million m³/day) and Rabigh 3 (600,000 m³/day), both to go out to tender in early 2017.
The report marked a shift in Saudi Arabia away from state construction and operation of desalination towards private capital and partnership models.