In the vast desert of northern Saudi Arabia, sewage treatment plants are quietly changing their operational logic. The technical team of United Water is shuttling between the factory areas, debugging equipment that is about to take over 15 years of operation and maintenance; At the same time, on the Red Coast, the Rabigh Phase IV seawater desalination project undertaken by China Power Construction Shandong Electric Power Construction Third Company has just received a transfer certificate issued by the owner, officially breaking two records for global seawater desalination energy consumption and construction period. From municipal sewage to seawater desalination, China's water industry is writing a new chapter in this hot land.

Three enterprises collaborate to win heavyweight orders

January 2026 will become a fruitful node for China Saudi Arabia water cooperation. The joint venture led by United Water has won the bid for the northern region project of Saudi National Water Company, covering 9 sewage treatment plants in 8 cities and 4 provinces, with a total investment of about 378 million yuan and a cooperation period of 15 years, including non-stop repair and renovation and full cycle operation. During the same period, Lingzhi Equipment defeated international giant Veolia in bidding for projects in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, winning large orders with modular technology that adapts to high temperature and high salt environments. China Power Construction Corporation will continue its strong performance in 2026. In addition to the commissioning of the Rabig IV phase, the Jiafula seawater desalination project has won the Global Water Award for Outstanding Industrial Water Project of the Year, and the construction of three seawater desalination plants in the Red Sea tourist area is steadily advancing.

Breaking through technological barriers and setting industry benchmarks

The competitive advantage of Chinese enterprises has shifted from price to core technology. The Rabig Phase IV project adopts advanced reverse osmosis technology, setting a record for the shortest construction period and lowest electricity consumption of similar units worldwide, and leading the world in electricity consumption per ton of water. The victory of Lingzhi Equipment also stems from its technological strength. Its independently developed low-carbon SDD water treatment system and modular anti-corrosion process accurately solve the equipment corrosion and energy consumption problems in high salt, high temperature, and water shortage environments in the Middle East. In January 2026, the China Saudi Arabia Joint Laboratory for Desalination Technology Innovation signed a contract and landed in Tianjin. Both parties will focus on energy-saving desalination and intelligent operation and maintenance technology research, marking the deepening of cooperation from engineering practice to basic research. Keywords: Construction News、Engineering Information

Deep cultivation of the entire industry chain strategic blue ocean

As the world's largest producer of seawater desalination, Saudi Arabia's 2030 vision is accompanied by a water resources strategy that unleashes long-term stable demand. In June 2026, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce had intensive interactions with senior executives of Saudi International Power and Water Company, clarifying the deepening of cooperation in areas such as seawater desalination and new energy; China Power Construction and ACWA Power have established a normalized collaborative mechanism, covering tracks such as seawater desalination and green hydrogen development. With the landing of the first wholly-owned Middle East operation project by United Water, Chinese water companies have achieved full industry chain coverage from equipment export, engineering construction to long-term operation. This new track, after new energy, is becoming a new strategic highland for China to participate in the construction of the the Belt and Road.Editor/Gao Xue