Every Drop Counts: Why Saudi Arabia’s Stormwater Could Be Its Most Overlooked Resource

Stormwater is not just a challenge to be managed. It is an untapped resource that, if harnessed intelligently, can enhance urban resilience, reduce environmental strain, and contribute to a more efficient, circular water economy

By Abdulaziz Daghestani, November 7, 2025 Saudi Arabia Sustainability

Every Drop Counts: Why Saudi Arabia’s Stormwater Could Be Its Most Overlooked Resource

As Saudi Arabia accelerates its Vision 2030 ambitions, the Kingdom is rethinking how cities grow and how they prepare for extremes. From large-scale developments like NEOM to urban revitalisation efforts, urban development in Riyadh is progressing at unprecedented speed. Yet beneath the surface lies an urgent challenge: managing water in a region increasingly shaped by climate unpredictability. Long dry seasons are now followed by sudden, heavy rainfall. Flash floods, once rare, are becoming more frequent. In...

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