KAUST develops advanced membranes to enhance the sustainability of water desalination
In a new scientific achievement that reinforces the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s position as a global leader in water research, a team of scientists at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology ( KAUST ) has succeeded in developing an innovative membrane for water desalination processes, which aims to increase the efficiency of converting seawater and highly concentrated saline solutions into usable fresh water, while reducing energy consumption to an unprecedented degree.
A quantum leap in desalination technologies
The new technology, led by Professor Noureddine Ghafour and his research team, relies on industrially expandable polymer membranes. These membranes possess unique properties, operating with high efficiency under ambient temperature and pressure conditions, thus eliminating the need for costly thermal processes or the extremely high pressures used in conventional methods. The mechanism utilizes thin, water-repellent membranes with sub-nanometer pores, precisely engineered to allow the passage of only pure water vapor while blocking salts and contaminants to a very high degree.
The context of the water challenge and the importance of innovation
Saudi Arabia is the world's largest producer of desalinated water, relying primarily on this technology to meet its drinking, agricultural, and industrial water needs. However, traditional methods such as reverse osmosis and thermal distillation face significant challenges, most notably high energy consumption and processing costs, as well as the technical difficulties of handling highly concentrated brine solutions (brine sludge).
This is where the importance of KAUST's innovation lies: it offers a radical solution for treating brine, a resource that is typically difficult to manage and environmentally and economically costly. This innovation directly contributes to achieving the goals of Saudi Vision 2030 related to environmental sustainability and the efficient use of natural resources.
Energy efficiency and economic feasibility
Commenting on this achievement, Professor Nooruddin Ghafoor, lead author of the study and a specialist in desalination and water treatment at KAUST, explained: “Water and energy are inextricably linked challenges for Saudi Arabia. This study demonstrates that it is possible to desalinate not only seawater but even highly concentrated brine solutions, using significantly less energy than conventional methods.” He added that the research environment at KAUST enables the transformation of fundamental materials science into practical technologies that address societal needs.
From laboratory to industrial application
Unlike many research projects that remain confined to laboratories, this technology has already moved into the pilot evaluation phase on the KAUST campus. The membranes are currently being tested for durability and operational viability under various conditions, a preliminary step toward wider deployment in collaboration with industry partners. This development is expected to contribute to reducing the operating costs of desalination plants and lowering the carbon footprint of the water sector, thus supporting water security for the Kingdom and the region as a whole in the face of increasing population and industrial demand.
