Saudi Arabia is truly blessed — a rich culture with stunning landscapes and abundant resources envied the world over. Yet, the Kingdom also faces a pressing challenge: a scarcity of natural freshwater to support domestic agriculture. Fortunately, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) researchers, working with Saudi farmers and the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture (MEWA), are pioneering innovations to tackle this challenge. 

Notably, a new KAUST Center of Excellence for Sustainable Food Security project aims to enhance sustainable agriculture in arid environments by integrating controlled environment agriculture (CEA) with desalination of non-conventional water resources. The initiative focuses on desalination and wastewater treatment technologies to supply ‘clean-enough’ water for hydroponic farming of high-value crops, addressing plant health and affordability concerns. 

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