The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is recognized as one of the driest and most water-deficient regions globally. The rapid increase in its population has compelled numerous countries within the area to depend heavily on an ever-depleting amount of ground and surface water. As a diverse business operating in an industry typically characterized by high water use such as agriculture, food and beverage, we recognize the importance of effectively managing and conserving water throughout our operations and supply chain. We aim to do this by committing to enhance water efficiency by 15% across our Manufacturing, Sales, Distribution and Logistics Divisions by the year 2025, using a 2018 intensity baseline as our reference point. This commitment to water preservation also aligns with safeguarding the fundamental human right to water and contributes to the long-term sustainability of our business and KSA’s national water strategy.
To support this ambitious goal, we established a Water Steering Group in 2019 as a key component of our sustainability strategy development process. This group has significantly advanced our progress in defining and achieving our 2025 water management targets. By setting clear performance indicators and regularly assessing our water usage and conservation efforts, the Water Steering Group enables us to identify opportunities for improvement and drive initiatives that enhance water efficiency across all operations. Additionally, the group facilitates collaboration and knowledge sharing among teams, ensuring that best practices are adopted and that our water conservation efforts are both impactful and sustainable.
Today, a growing number of the world’s most important water systems are under increasing stress. Many of those support a range of ecosystems, communities and industries, including agriculture, are drying up or becoming polluted through over-use. That is why we continue to invest in efficiency programs to optimize our water usage across our operations.
To further optimize water usage and minimize the impact on our regional water supplies, we have deployed comprehensive monitoring systems across our facilities to pinpoint areas of inefficiency and have upgraded our supervisory control and data acquisition systems along with metering systems to gain deeper insights into our water usage, disposal methods and leak risks. We also operate a wastewater effluents management program to protect the natural environment and public health, which is aligned with the relevant environmental regulations. We use sewage effluents for irrigation and recycle effluent for use in our processes. Water that cannot be recycled or reused is reinjected in wells and reservoirs to ensure safe and effective disposal. Our process effluents are treated in compliance with local regulatory requirements before they are returned to the natural environment.
One of the most notable accomplishments for Almarai so far has been about leveraging technologies such as Reverse Osmosis (RO) at our farms to reduce water use. These technologies have provided us with numerous economic, environmental and technical benefits such as reducing operational costs, lowering the reliance on external water sources, maintaining consistent product quality and minimizing the release of contaminated waters back into our ecosystems.
As we deliver against our 2025 goal, we continue to identify opportunities to reduce water consumption across our operations. Water stewardship will remain a key element of our operations, with more involvement of the board, management, compliance and accountability. We will also continue to consider future water risks and impacts in our strategic decision making.
Water Treatment
We are a member of the Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS) since 2018. Our membership with AWS guides our efforts in achieving good water stewardship practices, contributing to the sustainability of local water resources, and in making continuous improvements. In April 2025, we will go for initial certification on six (6) locations within the Al Kharj catchment area against the standard for water stewardship.
For the moment, our water management strategy is focused on delivering against our 2025 goal of improving water efficiencies. To achieve that, we implemented programs such as water audits and assessments, installation of water-efficient equipment and technology, investment in enhanced reuse and recycling systems, leak and water-loss prevention, employee education, data monitoring, and reporting on improvements. These measures have successfully enabled our Bakery, Premier Foods, and Supply Chain Business Units to achieve our water efficiency targets. These measures have also helped us recycle and reuse 2,950,413 m3 of water in 2024. This accomplishment represents 22% of the total water withdrawn by Almarai in 2024, marking an improvement from the 21.1% recorded in 2023.
Investing in Water Treatment Plant helps us with filtered water for production, cleaning and other purposes. Investing in Water Treatment Plant helps us with filtered water for production, cleaning and other purposes. The plant has so far allowed us to reduce our absolute water use at our farms and factories.
At COP16, Almarai made a significant commitment to the Net Positive Water Initiative, underscoring our dedication to sustainable water management and environmental stewardship. This initiative aims to ensure that our water usage contributes positively to the communities and ecosystems in which we operate. By participating in this initiative, we aim to set a benchmark for sustainable water management in the food and beverage industry. As part of our commitment, we are dedicated to transparency and accountability, regularly measuring and reporting our progress toward achieving net positive water outcomes. This would not only align with our corporate values but also contribute to the broader goals of KSA’s national water strategy and its vision of involving the private sector in water management.
Goal/Target
Progress
Increase water efficiency across our Manufacturing, Sales, Distribution and Logistics Divisions by 15% by 2025 (against a 2018 intensity baseline)
Initiate and support collaborative efforts with stakeholders to address water risk and enhance conservation by 2025
