Terraced pools and planting in morning mist.
Artist impression, not an official rendering
Water treatment plant

Water Treatment Complex

The plant that turns wastewater into the park's irrigation

Under constructionas of Sep 2026

Under construction. MEED (30 Sep 2026): a plant is operating temporarily at about 50,000 m³ a day while the permanent works finish. A long-term supply contract has not been found.

Omrania's design for the Water Treatment Complex covers 137,736 m² and up to 192,000 m³ a day, using ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis, and won an Architizer A+ award in 2025. MEED reported in September 2026 that a plant is temporarily running at about 50,000 m³ a day. Other figures measure other things.

Key facts

Design capacity Up to 192,000 m³ a day OmraniaJun 2025 Design capacity of treated water in Omrania's description; not current output · as of Jun 2025
About 150,000 m³ a day Arab NewsIllustrarch Figure quoted by Gerber's team, polished to near drinking quality; a throughput, not a plant rating · Dec 2025
About 50,000 m³ a day MEED MEED, 30 Sep 2026: a plant operating temporarily; about 26% of the 192,000 design figure · Sep 2026
160,000 m³ a day MEED Component of the March 2024 MEED water package, from a summary of a paywalled article · Mar 2024
Why figures differ →
Complex area 137,736 m² OmraniaJun 2025 Omrania's design description · as of Jun 2025

How much water does the park treat?

All three values on the Water Treatment Complex page, each labelled as design capacity, treated volume or current temporary output. They are not shown as a conflict.

Why figures differ →

Why the park depends on it

In a city with about 100 mm of rain a year, King Salman Park's greenery runs on recycled water. Parsons says 100% of irrigation demand is met with treated sewage effluent (TSE), and RIBAJ says all water arrives through Green Riyadh's 1,350 km network of treated-effluent pipes. The on-site Water Treatment Complex raises that water to a higher purity for delicate plants.

Three figures, three measures

We show each number with what it measures, rather than as rivals:

  • 192,000 m³ a day: the design capacity of treated water in Omrania's description of the complex, which covers 137,736 m² and uses ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis.
  • About 150,000 m³ a day: the treated-wastewater throughput that Gerber's team quotes, polished to near drinking quality.
  • About 50,000 m³ a day: what a plant is producing temporarily, according to MEED in September 2026. That is about 26% of the 192,000 design figure.

MEED also reported the March 2024 water package with separate components: a sewage plant of 29,850 m³ a day, a treated-effluent facility of 160,000 m³ a day, 40,700 m³ a day of another water stream and 491,226 m³ of storage. Those figures come from a summary of a paywalled article, so we treat them as medium confidence.

Who

Al Bawani and Wetico were selected for the water package in a bid MEED valued above $500 million. Omrania designed the complex.

Recognition

Omrania won an Architizer A+ award for the complex in 2025. A CIBSE MENA award mention in 2026 is a lead we have not confirmed.

Where it stands

Under construction, with temporary operation. We have found no long-term water supply contract, and we have no map position.

Timeline

5 Mar 2024Construction

Water and sewage package: Al Bawani and Wetico selected

MEED reported the pair selected for the water treatment complex, a package worth over USD 500m.

guest.meed.com
Jun 2025Design

Architizer A+ Awards recognise the Water Treatment Complex

Omrania announced an Architizer A+ Award for its design of the water treatment complex.

OmraniaJun 2025
30 Sep 2026Construction

Planting season restarts: about 4 million plants this year

Landscaping restarts at 50,000 to 60,000 plants a day. A temporary water plant is producing about 50,000 cubic metres a day, and 95% of Phase 1 and 2 contracts are awarded.

MEEDSep 2026

News

  • 30 Sep 2026 Planting season restarts with about 4 million plants planned MEED

Gallery

Sources

  1. Omrania Wins Architizer A+ Awards for Water Treatment Complex · Omrania, 17 Jun 2025
  2. King Salman Park — Riyadh, Saudi Arabia · Parsons
  3. King Salman Park prepares for soft opening · MEED, 30 Sep 2026
  4. Green heart · Arab News, 31 Oct 2025
  5. King Salman Park selects water package bidder · MEED, 5 Mar 2024
  6. King Salman Park, Riyadh by Gerber Architekten · RIBA Journal, 5 Mar 2026
  7. King Salman Park 2026 Opening · Illustrarch, 26 Feb 2026

The monthly King Salman Park briefing

What opened, what was awarded, what changed. One email a month, sourced.

Suggest a correction

We welcome corrections from the project team, journalists and readers. Please include a source link if you can.