05/07/2015
Desalinated seawater is the primary source of water supply in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), where freshwater is scarce, oil is plentiful and desalination using thermal distillation has been a reliable method of choice. Table 1 details current installed desalination capacities in the GCC countries, according to International Desalination Association (IDA) and Frost & Sullivan analysis. By 2025, another 15 million cubic meters per day (m3/d) will be added in desalination capacities in the GCC. Most of these additions will be seen in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), the UAE, Kuwait and Qatar.