Wastewater treatment technology proven at Saudi NWC by KAUST Spinout Al Miyah

Al Miyah Solutions, a spinout from the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), has successfully demonstrated its revolutionary containerized wastewater treatment technology at the National Water Company (NWC) facility in Rabigh, Saudi Arabia.

Developed over five years by KAUST professor Pascal Saikaly and his team, this groundbreaking technology aims to tackle the challenges of clean water access and sanitation in alignment with Vision 2030.

In Saudi Arabia, nearly 40% of households lack access to centralized sewer networks, leading to the collection and transportation of wastewater, which imposes financial and environmental burdens on the ever-growing population.

Al Miyah’s novel wastewater treatment technology utilizes their proprietary AGS-GDM technology in a containerized system. Remarkably, it produces 100 cubic meters of clean water per day, serving up to 1,500 individuals. Compared to conventional wastewater treatment processes, this system has a smaller footprint and lower operational costs.

The system is designed to be mounted on a shipping container, making it portable, plug-and-play, modular, scalable, and robust. By successfully demonstrating the feasibility and effectiveness of this new technology, Al Miyah Solutions has achieved a significant milestone in promoting wastewater sustainability.

Kevin Cullen, former vice president of innovation at KAUST, expressed his admiration for the project’s development, stating, “The unit we are seeing here has been the fruit of several years of hard work by Professor Saikaly and his team, starting from lab-scale experiments, then running a slightly larger pilot. This wastewater treatment facility has successfully proved the fundamental process is sound, and now we are seeing the full decentralized wastewater treatment plant here in operation. We hope that this technology developed here in Saudi Arabia, from KAUST, can make a great impact to ensure access to water and sanitation where it is needed.”

The cutting-edge technology of Al Miyah was developed by Professor Saikaly and former KAUST Research Scientist Dr. Muhammad Ali. Initially, it began as a research project and was later commercialized through KAUST’s Near Term Grand Challenge research translation program. Finally, the project became a startup through the TAQADAM Accelerator program.

With the objective of reducing the damage and cost associated with untreated wastewater, Al Miyah aims to simplify the treatment and recycling of sewage effluent, transforming it into usable water. Their technology ensures reliable water quality for non-potable reuse applications, including irrigation, horticulture, and industry.

The support provided by KAUST to Al Miyah and their subsequent success validates the university’s ongoing commitment to finding sustainable solutions and promoting a diversified economy within the Kingdom. KAUST will continue to focus on advancing a deep tech ecosystem in line with the goals of Vision 2030.