Saudi-Chinese Partnership to Share Research Laboratories and Facilities in the Water and Environmental Sectors

In a significant milestone that reinforces the Kingdom’s regional and global leadership in the water sector, the Saudi Water Authority (SWA), represented by its research arm, the Water Technologies Innovation Institute and Research Advancement (WTIIRA), has signed a strategic cooperation agreement—the first of its kind in the Middle East—with the Research Centre for Eco-Environmental Sciences (RCEES) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

The agreement aims to facilitate mutual access to and shared use of both parties’ research laboratories and facilities under the Belt and Road Joint Laboratory for Water and Environment initiative, supporting the research and innovation ecosystem and advancing sustainable water and environmental solutions locally and globally.

Under the agreement, the two parties will share access to their respective research facilities and laboratories, including the Water Oasis in Rabigh—one of the largest of its kinds in the world—in Saudi Arabia, and the Research Centre for Eco-Environmental Sciences in China. The agreement will enable experts and researchers from both sides to fully utilise available laboratories, facilities and field-testing sites to carry out joint projects, conduct advanced studies and test emerging technologies.

The partnership is built on complementary competitive strengths, combining the Kingdom’s globally recognised expertise in the water industry, water quality assurance, and efficient water transmission systems with the Chinese center’s advanced technical capabilities and its position as the world’s top-ranked institution in water quality development.

The agreement also includes the exchange of researchers and experts and the expansion of joint activities across the parties’ existing centers and laboratories. This will help accelerate knowledge transfer, build capabilities, and advance innovative and sustainable water and environmental solutions.

Both parties will work to maximise the value of advanced research outcomes generated through a network of accredited centres and laboratories spanning 13 cities worldwide. They will also organise international scientific conferences and events in Saudi Arabia and China, expanding opportunities for scientific collaboration and strengthening the global presence of joint research.

The agreement was signed during a visit by a delegation from China’s Research Centre for Eco-Environmental Sciences to the Saudi Water Authority. During the visit, the delegation toured the laboratories and research and testing facilities at the Water Oasis in Rabigh and reviewed its advanced infrastructure for the development and testing of water technologies.

The Research Centre for Eco-Environmental Sciences (RCEES) serves as the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ specialised research arm for environmental engineering and water research, while the Water Oasis in Rabigh is Saudi Arabia’s leading platform for research, development and applied testing of water technologies.