The world’s largest integrated ecosystem for water innovation, the “Water Oasis” in Rabigh Governorate, has begun operations, said the Saudi Water Authority.

The Water Oasis brings together scientific research, experimentation, and application at a single site, accelerating the transformation of research outputs into implementable industrial and commercial solutions, said a Saudi Press Agency report.

The authority noted that the oasis includes more than 23 specialised laboratories, along with experimental stations and platforms to test water production, transmission, distribution, and re-use technologies. It also employs artificial-intelligence (AI) applications in the operation and management of water systems.

It noted that the oasis' outputs contribute to narrowing the gap between research and application and supporting the transformation of developed technologies into scalable industrial and commercial solutions, serving the needs of the water sector in countries around the world.

The authority highlighted that the oasis relies on sustainable operational solutions, with clean energy accounting for 41% of its energy use and natural lighting utilised at a rate of 90%, contributing to a reduction of more than 284 tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually.

It added that the oasis' operations are aligned with the objectives of the Saudi Vision 2030 in supporting the knowledge economy, enhancing quality of life, and developing sustainable solutions for the water sector.

The Water Oasis was registered in the Guinness World Records as the largest water oasis in the world, the report said.