Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman launches 'Global Water Organisation' in Riyadh

Kingdom aims to strengthen efforts to address shortages through technological advancement and research

The Global Water Organisation, launched by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, aims to fund projects that tackle the issue of water shortages. Reuters

Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has launched an international “Global Water Organisation” based in Riyadh to enhance global efforts in addressing water challenges.

One of the most important goals is to establish quality projects and “facilitate their financing, in an effort to ensure the sustainability of water resources and to enhance access to them for all”, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Monday.

“It plans to allow exchange expertise, advance technology, foster innovation and share research and development experiences,” the SPA added.

The hashtag “united for water” is widely circulating on social media in the kingdom.

The establishment of the organisation also aims to assist countries that face water challenges. Global demand is expected to rise by 2050, fuelled by a population projected to have reached 9.8 billion.

The initiative comes as part of the kingdom's “commitment to environmental and sustainability issues”, the SPA said, based on its decades-long experience in the production, transmission and distribution of water, and innovating technical solutions to address its challenges.

Saudi Arabia has provided more than $6 billion in funding for water and sanitation projects around the world.