Data

The 15 Largest Desalination Plants in the World (2026 Data)

The world biggest desalination facilities by capacity, from Ras Al Khair to Sorek. Capacity, technology, and role in national water supply.

UtilityRadar Team

Data

Jul 16, 2026 3 min read

The world largest desalination plants produce over 1 million cubic metres of drinking water per day each. Concentrated in the Middle East and increasingly in Africa and Asia, they represent the industrial answer to fresh water scarcity. This guide ranks the 15 largest by capacity.

The ranking

Rank	Plant	Country	Capacity (m3/day)	Technology
1	Ras Al Khair	Saudi Arabia	1,036,000	Hybrid (MSF + RO)
2	Jubail	Saudi Arabia	950,000	MSF + MED
3	Rabigh	Saudi Arabia	800,000	RO
4	Shoaiba	Saudi Arabia	880,000	MSF + RO
5	Yanbu Phase 3	Saudi Arabia	550,000	RO
6	Sorek	Israel	624,000	RO
7	Hadera	Israel	456,000	RO
8	Ashkelon	Israel	320,000	RO
9	Fujairah 1 and 2	UAE	~600,000 combined	MSF + RO
10	Taweelah	UAE	909,000	RO
11	Umm Al Quwain	UAE	682,000	RO
12	Magtaa	Algeria	500,000	RO
13	Barka	Oman	281,000	RO
14	Carlsbad	United States	190,000	RO
15	Perth Southern	Australia	144,000	RO

Technology notes

Reverse osmosis (RO) dominates new build; multi stage flash (MSF) and multi effect distillation (MED) remain in Middle East installations where waste heat is available from co located power plants. See our companion article on desalination explained.

Ras Al Khair: the largest

Ras Al Khair on the Saudi Arabian east coast is currently the largest desalination facility globally. It produces 1.036 million cubic metres per day of drinking water plus 2.4 GW of electricity in a co generation configuration. Operated by SWCC (Saline Water Conversion Corporation) with feedstock from the Arabian Gulf. Uses a hybrid MSF and RO configuration.

Taweelah RO

Taweelah in the UAE has the largest single RO installation, at 909,000 m3 per day. Operated by TAQA and EWEC. Commissioned in 2022. Represents the shift toward RO for utility scale desalination.

Sorek and the Israeli fleet

Sorek in Israel is one of the most cited desalination plants globally, at 624,000 m3 per day. Israel gets over 80 percent of drinking water from desalination. The Israeli fleet demonstrates a model for arid countries relying on desalination as primary water source.

Key insight. The 15 largest plants together produce roughly 10 million cubic metres per day, serving perhaps 40 to 50 million people. This is the water equivalent of a large river system running through desert countries. Desalination has become the foundational water infrastructure for arid regions.

Geography

Region	Share of top 15
Saudi Arabia	5 plants
UAE	3 plants
Israel	3 plants
Rest of Middle East	2 plants
Algeria	1 plant
US	1 plant
Australia	1 plant (Perth)

Cost dimensions

USD 1 to 3 billion

for a mega desalination plant

USD 0.50 to 1.50

per m3 of drinking water

3 to 5 kWh

per m3 energy consumption

New mega plants under construction

Several new mega plants are in various construction stages: Rabigh Phase 3 in Saudi Arabia, Hassyan in UAE, and multi hundred thousand m3 plants in Egypt and Morocco. See IWA and utility announcements for pipeline detail.

Environmental considerations

Common trap. Desalination brine discharge is often overlooked at the design stage. Concentrated brine mixed with feed intake temperature differences can stress receiving marine environments. Modern plants include diffuser design and brine dilution to minimise impact.

Future outlook

Global desalination capacity is expected to double by 2035. Growth will focus on Middle East expansions, North African and Sub Saharan African new builds, and increasing coastal desalination in India and China. Renewables are increasingly powering desalination in new projects.

Frequently asked questions

What is the largest desalination plant?

Ras Al Khair in Saudi Arabia at 1.036 million m3 per day.

Why does the Middle East dominate?

Combination of water scarcity, funding, and cheap energy from oil and gas.

What is a mega desalination plant?

Typically over 100,000 m3 per day. Very large plants exceed 500,000 m3 per day.

Are RO plants overtaking MSF?

Yes for new builds. Existing MSF fleet remains operational and often retrofitted with RO additions.

Do plants use co generation?

Older Middle East plants yes with power. Newer plants often standalone with grid electricity.

Are there desalination plants in the US?

Yes. Carlsbad in California is the largest. Tampa Bay in Florida is another significant one.

Where is Australian desalination?

Perth, Sydney, Melbourne, and Adelaide all have desalination plants that operate during drought.

What about brackish water desalination?

Widespread in inland areas. Lower cost per m3 than seawater but smaller capacity per plant.

How is capacity measured?

Cubic metres per day at design output. Some plants operate at reduced load depending on demand.

Where can I see plant data?

The UtilityRadar directory lists desalination plants globally.

Summary

The world 15 largest desalination plants together produce over 10 million cubic metres of drinking water per day, serving arid country populations. Middle East dominates, Israel demonstrates near total reliance, and new capacity is expanding globally under drought and population pressure. Ras Al Khair holds the top spot, but new mega projects in the pipeline will reshape the ranking in the next decade.

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