Samer Choucair: Water Conservation Savings Strengthen Confidence in Saudi Arabia’s Long-Term Investment Environment
Investment entrepreneur Samer Choucair stated that Saudi Arabia’s achievement of more than SAR 500 million in financial savings through water conservation programs over the past three years demonstrates the maturity of the Kingdom’s policy implementation and its ability to translate national strategies into measurable economic outcomes. He noted that these achievements enhance the Kingdom’s investment appeal while creating new opportunities in resource-efficiency technologies and smart infrastructure.
Choucair explained that the National Water Efficiency and Conservation Center (Maee) played a key role in delivering these results by implementing specialized programs to improve water consumption efficiency, particularly across government and public facilities. Daily water savings reached 158,000 cubic meters during the first half of 2026, representing a 532% increase compared with 2023 levels, with a target of 180,000 cubic meters per day by the end of the year.
He emphasized that these results represent more than operational success; they validate the economic value of investing in resource efficiency and provide a practical model capable of attracting institutional investors and sovereign wealth funds seeking sustainable assets with stable long-term returns in line with Saudi Vision 2030.
"Achieving financial savings of this magnitude within a relatively short period reflects the maturity of Saudi Arabia’s implementation policies," Choucair said. "For institutional investors, this is a strong indicator of the government's ability to convert strategic objectives into measurable results, strengthening confidence in the Kingdom’s long-term investment environment."
Choucair added that institutional investors, sovereign wealth funds, and asset managers increasingly view these indicators as evidence of the evolution of public-private partnerships in managing strategic resources, with significant opportunities to expand this model into the agricultural and industrial sectors.
He noted that Saudi Arabia continues to face structural water management challenges due to its arid climate and rising demand driven by population growth and economic and tourism expansion. However, the Kingdom has successfully transformed these challenges into investment opportunities by focusing on efficiency improvements. Despite being the world’s largest producer of desalinated water, supplying more than 16 million cubic meters per day during 2025, reducing operating costs and energy consumption remains a strategic priority.
Choucair explained that the launch of the National Water Efficiency and Conservation Center (Maee) in 2023 marked a significant turning point. The center operates under seven strategic objectives, nine programs, and 45 initiatives focused on leak detection and improving water-use efficiency in buildings and facilities. Approximately 80% of water leaks occur in underground storage tanks, float valves, and concealed pipe connections.
He added that water auditing, maintenance, and modernization programs implemented across government and residential facilities have generated more than SAR 300 million in savings within the public sector through cooperation with the Ministries of Education, Health, Defense, and Islamic Affairs, in addition to nearly SAR 200 million in the residential sector, highlighting the direct economic impact of improving water-use efficiency.
Choucair stressed that the significance of these savings extends beyond their monetary value. Every cubic meter of water conserved reduces the need for additional desalination capacity and eases pressure on water distribution networks, allowing financial resources to be redirected toward other development projects under Vision 2030.
He noted that this approach has also created a new market for water-efficiency services. The center has launched a licensing platform that currently includes **16 service providers**, alongside a digital platform for monitoring and analyzing water consumption. This creates an attractive investment environment for infrastructure funds, technology investors, and companies seeking to enter the sector.
According to Choucair, the utilities and water sectors stand to benefit significantly from these developments, as improved demand management enhances the stability of cash flows for public-private partnership projects while generating long-term opportunities for maintenance and modernization contracts.
He also identified digital technologies as one of the most promising growth sectors, driven by increased adoption of sensors, leak detection systems, and data analytics platforms. In addition, the newly introduced irrigation efficiency classification system, which ranges from basic irrigation systems to advanced smart solutions using sensors and climate data, opens opportunities for Internet of Things (IoT) and artificial intelligence applications in water resource management.
"The growing focus on digital technologies and leak detection creates significant opportunities for local and international companies specializing in IoT and data analytics," Choucair said. "We expect water-efficiency services to experience rapid growth as these programs expand into agriculture and industry, creating attractive new asset classes for investment funds seeking sustainable returns."
He added that the construction and maintenance sectors will also benefit from repair and modernization projects across thousands of government and residential buildings, with opportunities to expand these initiatives into smart cities and mega-projects. Meanwhile, the agricultural and industrial sectors are expected to present substantial investment opportunities as the center prepares to launch a national agricultural water-efficiency framework before the end of 2026 and develop a strategic roadmap for industry, driving demand for precision irrigation technologies and smart monitoring systems.
Choucair explained that the center’s strategy combines direct government funding with private-sector partnerships, reflected in the signing of 38 partnership agreements and the organization of 114 educational and training events, demonstrating strong coordination between regulation, implementation, and public awareness.
He added that local companies benefit from domestic content policies, while international water technology firms are finding opportunities to enter the Saudi market through joint ventures and service contracts, supporting technology localization and the creation of high-value jobs.
Choucair emphasized that water security is one of the key foundations of Saudi Arabia’s economic diversification strategy because of its direct connection to tourism, industry, and modern agriculture. Water conservation also reduces energy consumption in desalination, supporting national emissions reduction targets and improving overall resource efficiency.
He added that integrating water conservation principles into school curricula helps establish a long-term culture of responsible resource management and sustainability.
Regarding future challenges, Choucair noted that expanding water efficiency across the agricultural sector remains one of the most significant obstacles, given its substantial share of national water consumption. Additional challenges include scaling advanced technologies nationwide, ensuring widespread adoption of digital solutions, managing potential delays in partnership implementation, addressing climate change impacts, and reforming water subsidy policies.
At the same time, he emphasized that future opportunities remain considerable. These include expanding the Maee model nationwide, exporting Saudi expertise to Gulf countries and other arid regions, integrating advanced efficiency standards into smart cities and mega-projects from the design stage, and developing green financing instruments linked to water-efficiency performance indicators that could attract global ESG-focused investors.
Concluding his remarks, Choucair said, "While the opportunities are highly promising, investors should closely monitor the pace of expansion within the agricultural sector, which consumes a significant share of water resources. Success will require innovative public-private partnerships and the large-scale adoption of smart irrigation technologies."
He concluded that Saudi Arabia’s achievements in water conservation reflect a strategic shift from managing water scarcity to managing resource value, creating a compelling opportunity for investors seeking to participate in building a more efficient, sustainable, and globally competitive economy over the coming years.