Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Saturday, Aug 23, 2025

KAUST-invented mobile wastewater plant installed successfully in Saudi Arabia

A decentralized wastewater treatment and reuse unit invented at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) has been installed in Rabigh, Saudi Arabia.
The first of its kind in the Kingdom, the technology features the research of Environmental Science and Engineering Professor Pascal Saikaly and Dr. Muhammad Ali, a former research scientist at KAUST and currently an assistant professor at Trinity College Dublin.

The scientists are founders of Al-Miyah Solutions, a KAUST spin-off company specializing in decentralized water recycling technologies. The Al-Miyah mobile and “plug and play” modular technology will efficiently treat and convert wastewater into reusable water for areas not connected to the centralized sewer network. The deployment of the first full-scale unit at the NWC Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) in Rabigh is the fruit of the team's five-year research effort in the Water Desalination and Reuse Center (WDRC) at KAUST, and partnership with KAUST Innovation and local partner National Water Company (NWC).

Conventional biological wastewater treatment plants use microorganisms in the form of small, suspended aggregates referred to as bio-flocs to break down and remove pollutants such as ammonium and phosphate in the wastewater. Before discharge, the treated water must be separated from the bio-flocs in a separate tank, which consumes a large area. About 40% of households in the Kingdom don't have access to a centralized sewer network. The wastewater generated from these households is collected and transported to centralized wastewater treatment plants by trucks, which is costly and contributes to many issues like traffic congestion, pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.

The Al-Miyah scientists conceived a novel way to address these problems. Their technology uses an aerobic granular sludge (AGS) process to enrich the microorganisms to form large, suspended aggregates, or bio-granules, that can more efficiently and easily be separated and removed from the treated water in a single tank, producing water of reliable quality while achieving a significant reduction in space footprint and savings in operational and capital costs compared to systems based on bio-flocs. This approach is combined with a gravity-driven membrane (GDM) filtration system and ultraviolet light to produce clean water for non-potable reuse applications such as irrigation, horticulture and industry.

“The AGS–GDM wastewater treatment approach results in a decentralized wastewater treatment unit that can treat 150 m3 of wastewater, producing clean water that serves about 1000-2000 persons,” Professor Saikaly said. “After successfully demonstrating the technology at the National Water Company’s Waste Water Treatment Plant at the Rabigh site, additional units can be added, which will further expand outreach.”

“The technology can reduce energy demand by 50% and produce comparable or even better effluent quality than flocs-based conventional process,” Dr. Ali added. “With these advantages, the technology aligns well with the Kingdom's ambition to achieve 70% water reuse by 2030.”

In addition to contributing to Saudi Vision 2030 by increasing water reuse and improving environmental quality, the KAUST-owned decentralized wastewater technology expects to deliver a recognizable impact by supporting the population in unserved areas in the Kingdom with new jobs.

“Ensuring access to reliable sanitation is one of the greatest challenges we face today,” said Vice President for Innovation Kevin Cullen. “Al Miyah is an example of a technology being used to solve this very real problem for Saudi Arabia – and even for the world. The deep tech startup ecosystem in KAUST is developing to the point where we have strong partnerships between government, corporations and spin-outs working together to bring these companies closer to market.”
Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Cristiano Ronaldo Makes Surprise Stop at New Hong Kong Museum
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
High-Stakes Trump-Putin Summit on Ukraine Underway in Alaska
Iranian Protection Offers Chinese Vehicle Shipments a Cost Advantage over Japanese and Korean Makers
Saudi Arabia accelerates renewables to curb domestic oil use
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez announce engagement
Asia-Pacific dominates world’s busiest flight routes, with South Korea’s Jeju–Seoul corridor leading global rankings
Private Welsh island with 19th-century fort listed for sale at over £3 million
Sam Altman challenges Elon Musk with plans for Neuralink rival
Australia to Recognize the State of Palestine at UN Assembly
The Collapse of the Programmer Dream: AI Experts Now the Real High-Earners
Armenia and Azerbaijan to Sign US-Brokered Framework Agreement for Nakhchivan Corridor
British Labour Government Utilizes Counter-Terrorism Tools for Social Media Monitoring Against Legitimate Critics
WhatsApp Deletes 6.8 Million Scam Accounts Amid Rising Global Fraud
Nine people have been hospitalized and dozens of salmonella cases have been reported after an outbreak of infections linked to certain brands of pistachios and pistachio-containing products, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada
Texas Residents Face Water Restrictions While AI Data Centers Consume Millions of Gallons
Tariffs, AI, and the Shifting U.S. Macro Landscape: Navigating a New Economic Regime
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
OpenAI’s Bold Bet: Teaching AI to Think, Not Just Chat
BP’s Largest Oil and Gas Find in 25 Years Uncovered Offshore Brazil
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Germany’s Economic Breakdown and the Return of Militarization: From Industrial Collapse to a New Offensive Strategy
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
×