In October 2024, the Oman Observer reported on a new desalination method developed at Sohar Port. Dr Mohammed bin Saif al Saidi of Oman's University of Technology and Applied Sciences created it together with Majis Industrial Services Company. Rather than pressure and filters, the process relied on absorbent materials, for example silica gel or metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). These took up water vapour from salty solutions and released clean water when heated. The starting point was unused waste heat from industrial processes at the port.
The report showed that Oman was looking for methods that put industrial waste heat to use and, according to the developer, need less energy than reverse osmosis or thermal distillation.
Source: Oman Observer