GCC Water and Wastewater Treatment Market - Forecasts from 2024 to 2029

The GCC water and wastewater treatment market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14.96% during the forecast period. 

Water and wastewater treatments are used to maintain the quality of the water resources and prevent the spread of multiple waterborne diseases. In these treatment processes, chemicals are used to purify water from different sources, such as surface water, seawater, and even groundwater, making it safe for industrial use and human consumption. The major factor driving the market growth is the presence of a wide range of chemical substances efficiently designed to improve water quality by removing pathogens, undesirable elements, and contaminants. Furthermore, the production of potable drinking water in the process of desalination, along with industrially processed water, is anticipated to drive market growth. Several reasons outline the need for efficient water and wastewater treatment in the GCC region, which are mentioned below.

• Wastewater is becoming an enigma in the sustainable development of society. An article published in April 2024 stated that a few hospitals and clinics in the UAE have been dealing with the issue of an increase in waterborne diseases due to excessive rainfall, which has resulted in the flooding of a few neighborhoods. Most waterborne diseases include dengue, typhoid, skin infections, and even respiratory infections, which are caused by prolonged exposure to water.
• According to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, many cases of invasive meningococcal diseases are being reported in travelers returning from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. In May 2024, twelve cases were reported from France, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
• Furthermore, according to UNICEF, nearly two billion people live in countries where the water supply is inadequate. Half of the world's population, especially underdeveloped and developing economies in Africa and Asia, face water scarcity for clean drinking water for everyone. It is estimated that nearly 700 million people have to relocate due to extreme water scarcity by 2030.

GCC WATER AND WASTEWATER TREATMENT MARKET DRIVERS:

Increasing Focus on Proper Treatment of Drinking Water

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries are known to be located in areas that are located in the driest part of the world, constituting an annual per capita water availability of 500m cube in comparison to the world average, which is off 6000m cube. In the GCC region, there are enormous imbalances between the groundwater discharge and the lowering of the groundwater level. In this regard, this imbalance is causing the rise of waterborne diseases, resulting in the need for water and wastewater treatment. Thus, the GCC countries are moving forward with the investment in producing non-conventional water resources such as treated wastewater and desalination of seawater. In these GCC countries, the annual wastewater collection as of 2021 was about 4 billion m cube, of which 73% was treated with the help and support of at least 300 wastewater treatment plants. Moreover, despite the increasing poverty, 39% of the treated wastewater is further used for forestry, construction activities, and landscaping.

The GCC water and wastewater treatment market is segmented by end-user industry into oil and gas, power, mining, pulp and paper, chemical and fertilizer, pharmaceutical, municipal, textile, food and beverage, and other industries.

Water and wastewater treatments are broadly applied in the oil and gas industry, the chemical and fertilizer industry, followed by the power and mining industry. With the growing economies of Asia and Africa, the demand for water and wastewater is growing, thus causing market growth.

GCC water and wastewater treatment market key developments:

• In May 2024, a long-term operation maintenance control (LTO) was won by Saudi Arabia’s Alkhorayef Water & Power Technologies (AWPT) for three existing sewage treatment plans and one new plant in Al Ahsa with the contract valued at SR1.7bn ($460 million).
• In May 2024, Saudi Arabia's National Water Company (NWC) commenced a series of water and sanitation projects. The total value of these projects is around SAR3.6 billion ($959 million), and they are spread across Riyadh, Madinah, and the Eastern Province.
• In February 2024, an order worth US$ 35.5 million from SEPCO III Electric Power Construction Corporation was secured by VA Tech WABAG towards the Engineering and Procurement (EP) of a 20 MLD Industrial Wastewater Treatment Plant (IWWTP) at Ras Tanura Refinery Complex, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
• In April 2023, in cooperation with the targeted sectors for privatization, Saudi Arabia’s National Center for Privatization & PPP (NCP) announced the launch of the Privatization & PPP pipeline, which will be imperative, consisting of 200 approved projects spread across 17 sectors. Furthermore, Saudi Arabia will tender 6 wastewater treatment projects in 2024, and the Independent Water Plant (IWP) projects, owned by the Saudi Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, would be procured under 25-year Build-Own-Operate (BOO) contracts.
• In April 2023, an announcement was made by Saudi Arabia for numerous water projects imperative for desalinization, strategic reservoir, transmission, and wastewater treatment, continuing as the largest market for water deals worldwide with an investment of about $14.58 billion in projects which are planned and are underway.
• In April 2023, under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP0 model, Saudi Arabia announced that it would tender 6 wastewater treatment projects.

The GCC water and wastewater treatment market is segmented and analyzed as follows:

By Product Type

• Coagulants and Flocculantss
• Biocides
• Corrosion and Scale Inhibitor
• Defoamer
• PH Adjuster
• Other

By Application

• Cooling Water
• Boiler Water
• Membrane Water
• Municipal
• Others

By End-user Industry

• Oil and Gas
• Power
• Mining
• Pulp and Paper
• Chemical and Fertilizer
• Pharmaceutical
• Municipal
• Textile
• Food and Beverages
• Others

By Geography

• Saudi Arabia
• United Arab Emirates
• Kuwait
• Qatar
• Bahrain
• Oman