Recognition for Jafurah desal project at 2026 Global Water Awards

The Jafurah Desalination Project in Saudi Arabia was named Industrial Project of the Year at the 2026 Global Water Awards. These annual international awards recognize outstanding initiatives in the water sector for their technical innovation and environmental contribution.

The project comprises an integrated desalination, transmission, and water distribution system designed to support the industrial operations of the Jafurah field. This development plays a critical role in enabling Saudi Aramco’s unconventional gas programme, one of the Kingdom’s most strategic energy assets.

500,000 barrels of treated water per day, combining desalination and long-distance water and power transmission

SEPCO is the EPC contractor for the project and IDOM is the engineering firm responsible for the design. The Energy team delivered the basic and detailed engineering designs for the desalination plant with an 80,000 m³/day production capacity, the HUB area, and two pumping booster stations. The Energy team also designed the 80 km OHL (230 kV and 34.5 kV lines).

Meanwhile, the Water team carried out the basic and detailed design of over 200 km of pipelines, including a conveyance line and three distribution networks that supply desalinated water to multiple delivery points.

The Port team carried out the basic and detailed design of the marine works.

IDOM’s involvement strengthens its position in complex water and energy developments, bringing technical expertise to integrated systems where reliability, operational continuity, and efficient delivery are critical.

Photos courtesy of SEPCO