The unfortunate reality for millions of people in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is that clean water is a luxury, not a guarantee.
In some corners of the world, walking for hours under a scorching sun to reach the nearest water source is a harsh reality. In other parts, it means relying on expensive bottled water trucked in across long distances (if it arrives at all).
In the Middle East, Jordan ranks among the most water-scarce countries in world. Its renewable water resources fall below 100 cubic meters per person (well under the severe scarcity threshold of 500 cubic meters). Urban residents often receive piped water only once a week, rural areas less than once every two weeks – and both with reduced frequency in hot summer months. Moreover, just 77.3% of Jordan’s existing sanitation systems are safely managed, only 33% schools have basic sanitation services, and over 50% of its water supply is lost due to inefficiencies like leakage and theft[1]. Making matters worse, water scarcity here is expected to further intensify in the years ahead.
In North Africa, water scarcity issues see certain areas in Algeria suffer from prolonged droughts and severe shortages. In 2024, residents protested over months of water rationing, as taps ran dry and people queued for hours to access water[2]. The government subsequently dispatched water trucks and promised new pipelines, measures that were criticized[3] as temporary fixes to a systemic problem. With Algeria’s per capita renewable water availability also being sub-par, the country is investing billions of dollars to improve things by [4]. Yet, many communities still rely on an unsustainable and expensive model of bottled water transported over long distances.
These are just two countries reflecting the hardships of more than 60% of the MENA population who live in areas of high or very high-water stress[5]. When comparing the region to the global average of 35%, urgency becomes that much more undeniable. Yet, amidst this challenge, an opportunity does exist and it’s in the air (quite literally).
Tapping into AWG’s Potential
AWG boasts immense potential in reversing the [unfortunately, currently true] narrative that MENA[6] is the most water-scarce region in the world. Enabling the extraction of clean and drinkable water directly from air humidity, without requiring a connection to sources of freshwater or piped infrastructure, AWG is particularly beneficial to dry regions with a lack of groundwater or inconsistent municipal supply.
Long recognizing the importance of combatting water scarcity, the UAE has invested in desalination since the 1960s[7]. However, desalination processes often account for up to 50% of total operating costs[8]. That’s why AWG is becoming a viable alternative increasingly sought after.
This notion is reinforced by recent progress, like a sustainable air-to-water bottling plant launched in Dubai Industrial City last year. Equipped with 50 AEG units that have a daily production capacity exceeding 100,000 liters, the country is demonstrating that large-scale AWG systems are an innovation that can be mobilized to secure long-term water resilience.
This isn’t just a local vision. It’s a global one with countries like the United States[9], China[10], India[11] being among many nations who have increased investment into AWG in recent years. This trend will likely continue due to the technology’s promising potential and various use case applications – including disaster relief, humanitarian aid, hospitality and tourism, agriculture, off-grid living, smart cities, and more.
Such efforts don’t just represent environmental foresight. They are a blueprint for how MENA nations can turn vulnerability into self-sufficiency.
Water Access is a Social Imperative
While climate-focused solutions dominate most ESG discussions in MENA, the social pillar – access to clean water – cannot be sidelined. In countries (like Jordan and Algeria) where renewable water availability is declining, water insecurity directly affects the population’s health, stability, and future.
Water is more than a basic need. It’s a gateway to gender equality, education, and community resilience.
When women and girls in developing countries no longer need to spend an approximately estimated 200 million hours carrying water, while walking on average 6 kilometers to haul 44 pounds of water collecting water (both per day)[12], they can go to school. When households aren’t exposed to contaminated water, public health outcomes improve. When refugee camps and informal settlements can produce their own clean water, aid dependency decreases.
That’s why the “S” in ESG must prioritize universal, affordable, and climate-resilient water access; not only as a right, but as a non-negotiable foundation for sustainable development.
The challenge of water scarcity isn’t limited to Algeria or Jordan, it echoes across the world – but so does opportunity.
Governments, corporates, investors, NGOs, and ESG strategists all play an instrumental role in realizing the vision of AWG and scaling it for the greater good of humanity to reframe water access as both a human imperative and an investable opportunity.
The solutions exist.
Now, we need the collective will to mobilize funding, create enabling regulatory frameworks, and encourage regional cooperation. Climate-resilient water innovation must sit alongside energy transformation in every national ESG strategy.
Because sustainability means nothing if it leaves people behind.
Written by Rob Bain, Managing Director of A1RWATER, UAE