Riyadh:The Saudi Water Authority, through its Water Technologies Innovation Institute and Research Advancements, successfully wrapped up the seventh edition of the Water Research Community event. This event resulted in 12 agreements and 130 research proposals.
According to Saudi Press Agency, around 400 researchers, experts, and representatives from government bodies, universities, research centers, and the industrial sector participated, both from within Saudi Arabia and internationally.
The program featured four workshops focusing on sustainability and advanced materials, process innovation, clean and renewable energy, and the circular economy. Additionally, an exhibition presented over 60 scientific posters on topics such as water technologies, AI-driven resource recovery, groundwater treatment, data center waste heat utilization, leak detection, and sustainable agriculture.
The event aims to transform 15% of the proposals into applied projects, publish more than 250 scientific papers, register 20 patents, fund over 15 projects, and establish Saudi startups with a combined market value exceeding SAR300 million. It also seeks to transition six to 10 technologies each year to commercial application, with an estimated annual economic impact of SAR3 billion.
Over its seven editions held in Al-Khobar, Jeddah, Abu Dhabi, Tabuk, Dhahran, Manchester, and Riyadh, the Water Research Community has gathered more than 1,900 researchers and experts, received over 470 proposals, and facilitated the signing of 47 strategic agreements.