Middle East & Africa Smart Water Management Market Research Report: Forecast (2023-2028)

Market Definition

Smart Water Management refers to the application of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) & real-time data & responses for dealing with water management challenges. It involves the integration of various technologies, such as sensors, IoT devices, analytics, and automation, to optimize the efficiency, conservation, and distribution of water resources. The applicability of this management has grown in commercial & industrial, and residential areas of the Middle East & African countries to minimize dealing with the water scarcity situation in the region.

Market Insights & Analysis: The Middle East & Africa Smart Water Management Market (2023-28):

The Middle East & Africa Smart Water Management Market is projected to grow at a CAGR of around 11% during the forecast period, i.e., 2023-28, owing to the rising water scarcity in the region caused by geographical location, climate change, population growth, and socioeconomic development. The region has a large presence of deserts like the Arabian Desert, Sahara Desert, etc., resulting in minimum rainfall & water scarcity. The countries mainly depend upon water conservation, recycling, rainwater harvesting, desalination, and other processes to fulfill the water demand across the region.

These processes are being applied in various municipal, industrial, and residential sectors to reduce water wastage & abide by government guidelines. Thus, the soaring need for conserving water in these sectors has led to the adoption of smart solutions, including smart water management that includes Enterprise Asset Management, Analytics & Data Management, Security, Advanced Pressure Management, Mobile Workforce Management, Leak Detection, and others to minimize the wastage of water, therefore generating large demand for water management in the regional market.

Nations such as the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and others consist of a vast industrial sector that utilizes a huge volume of water & has subsequently led to the spur in market demand for smart water management during the historical period. These countries have been witnessing substantial growth in the construction, oil & gas, chemical, and other industries, owing to supportive government initiatives & rising foreign direct investment (FDI).  Furthermore, the rising government initiative for achieving sustainable development goals has also been propelling the demand graph of the market. Smart water management has been identified as a crucial component for achieving sustainable development goals (SDGs), and governments in the Middle East & Africa have been taking steps to address this issue. For instance:

• In 2023, Saudi Arabia’s government allocated around USD80 billion to implement water projects in the future years to provide universal & equitable access to safe & affordable drinking water for all.

Thus, growing government initiatives & investment in promoting water projects in the region would contribute to enhancing the revenue growth of the Middle East & Africa Smart Water Management Market in the coming years.

The Middle East & Africa Smart Water Management Market Driver:

Increasing Government Focus on Infrastructural Developments to Augment the Market Growth – The Middle East & African countries have been largely dependent upon the oil & gas sector for their economic development for a long period. The government of the regional countries has been taking the initiative to reduce their economic dependency on the oil & gas sector and diversify their economies through IT, manufacturing, tourism, services, and other industries. Various initiatives, like Abu Dhabi Vision 2030, Saudi Vision 2030, and Egypt Vision 2030, have been taken into force by the government to achieve sustainable development goals & economic diversification.

These initiatives have propelled the construction industry in the region as numerous commercial, tourism, transportation, and other infrastructures are being constructed at a rapid pace. For instance, the Egyptian government has spent around USD400 billion on infrastructure to enhance the lifestyle of citizens & attract various investors for investing in several industries in the country. Thus, the requirement for this water management erupts in these infrastructures for efficient consumption & supply of water, further driving the Middle East & Africa Smart Water Management Market.

The Middle East & Africa Smart Water Management Market Challenge:

Lack of Domestic Skilled Workforce in the Region – Smart Water Management has advanced technologies to optimize the use of water resources while minimizing waste & improving efficiency. Specialized knowledge in engineering fields, data analytics, and IT is required to perfectly set off smart water management services. However, the countries in the Middle East & Africa rely on the expatriate population to operate IT, manufacturing, services, and other industries in the region.

Moreover, with the increasing infrastructural development, the requirement for this water management is foreseen to expand in various industries during the coming period. Thus, the lack of a domestic skilled workforce & overreliance on the expatriate workforce from the Southern Asian countries is presumed to restrict the Middle East & Africa Smart Water Management market during 2023-28.

The Middle East & Africa Smart Water Management Market Opportunity:

Expansion of Smart City Projects in the Region to lead the Market Growth – The urban cities in the Middle East & African region have been facing twin challenges, i.e., increasing population & scarce resources. This has subsequently led to multiple problems like high rates of pollution, water & energy supply constraints, traffic congestion, lack of communication facilities, limited space for residential & commercial places, etc. Concerning this, the government of countries such as the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, etc., have been taking initiatives like the construction of smart cities to develop solutions that improve the quality of living for their citizens while reducing resource consumption & attaining sustainable development goals.

The establishment of smart cities includes high-speed data-driven resilient infrastructure to integrate & manage the city’s multiple information systems & applications, including the integration of these water management systems. According to the International Institute for Management Development (IMD), Riyadh, Abu Dhabi, and Dubai are at the forefront of Smart City projects in the region, providing a prominent market opportunity. However, upcoming projects like Egypt's plan to develop nearly 37 new smart cities & similar things would boost the Middle East & Africa Smart Water Management Market in the forecast period.

The Middle East & Africa Smart Water Management Market Trend:

Adoption of Blockchain Technology Gained a Significance in Recent Years – The integration of blockchain technology has been gaining traction in recent years for various purposes, such as water quality monitoring, water conservation, water trading, real-time monitoring of water usage, and other purposes. Blockchain is used to record & track water quality data from multiple sources, including IoT sensors, water treatment plants, and water distribution networks. This data can be analyzed to identify potential issues & to optimize water treatment processes.

The technology can incentivize individuals & organizations to conserve water by rewarding them for their efforts. This can be done by creating a token or digital currency exchanged for goods & services. For instance, individuals can earn tokens for reducing water usage, which can then be redeemed for discounts on utility bills or other services. Thus, the integration of blockchain technology has gained significance in the Middle East & Africa Smart Water Management Industry, owing to its improved efficiency & making it a trend across the regional market.

Middle East & Africa Smart Water Management Market (2023-28): Segmentation Analysis

The Middle East & Africa Smart Water Management Market study of MarkNtel Advisors evaluates & highlights the major trends & influencing factors in each segment & includes predictions for the period 2023–2028 at the regional & national levels. Based on the analysis, the market has been further classified as:

Based on Offerings:

• Water Meters
  • AMR/AMR+ Meters
  • AMI Meters
• Solutions
  • Enterprise Asset Management
  • Analytics and Data Management
  • Security
  • Advanced Pressure Management
  • Mobile Workforce Management
  • Network Management
  • Customer Information System and Billing
  • Leak Detection
  • Others
• Services
  • Professional Services
  • Managed Services

Water Meters held a considerable share in the Middle East Smart Water Management Market due to its growing requirement for monitoring & measuring water consumption, which is necessary for efficient water management. Smart meters, equipped with sensors & communication technology, are increasingly used by industrial & residential end-users to transmit real-time data about water consumption to a central monitoring system. This data is analyzed to optimize water usage & reduce waste. The government is also promoting the installation of water meters in the infrastructures to promote water conservation. For instance:

• In 2018, the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) announced that it would install 250,000 smart water meters in Dubai by 2020. Similarly, the Abu Dhabi Distribution Company (ADDC) has been installing smart water meters in its service areas since 2018.

Hence, with the growing construction of residential & industrial infrastructures in the region, the deployment of water meters would grow at a steady pace leading to the growth of the Middle East & Africa Smart Water Management Market in the forecast years.

  Based on End User:

• Commercial & Industrial
• Residential
• Municipal

Commercial & Industrial sectors are estimated to hold a considerable share in the Middle East & Africa Smart Water Management Market in the coming years. It owes principally to the increasing public & private investments in the sector for economic diversification & boosting infrastructural developments. The region has been experiencing enormous FDI inflows, which have led to the expansion of the commercial & industrial sectors. For instance:

• According to the World Bank, in 2021, the net FDI inflow in Saudi Arabia has increased to about 2.3% of the country’s GDP from nearly 0.8% in 2020.

The key industrial & commercial areas that have been receiving the high amount of FDI inflows are infrastructure, engineering, tourism, hospitality, and clean/renewable energy. As a result, the deployment of these water management solutions has been growing to meet the mounting requirements of efficient water supply across these regional infrastructures. Furthermore, with the swift adoption of this project, the escalating demand for these solutions is driving the Middle East & Africa Smart Water Management Market.

Besides, the growing number of commercial & industrial units owing to infrastructural developments & expanding tourism across the region is another crucial aspect anticipated to fuel the overall market growth in the years to come.

Middle East & Africa Smart Water Management Market Regional Projection

Geographically, the Middle East & Africa Smart Water Management Market expands across:

• The UAE
• Saudi Arabia
• Qatar
• Bahrain
• Oman
• Kuwait
• Egypt
• South Africa
• Others

The smart water management system in the UAE has been rapidly growing owing to the government’s measures to ensure efficient water management in the country. The new buildings being constructed are encouraged to install smart water systems, such as smart meters, as per the Estidama guidelines. Also, the listing of the smart water management solutions in the Pearl Building Rating System given by Emirates Green Building Council's Estidama lures constructors to incorporate these water management systems in the building to get a higher pearl rating.

Moreover, the government has announced numerous long-term policies, like Abu Dhabi Water Security Strategy 2036 & Dubai's Integrated Water Resource Management Strategy 2030, which predict the stability of the market growth rate in the coming years as they support the integration of smart water technologies in the country's water distribution & management systems. In line with the progressing aspects, it is anticipated that the vast adoption of this management across the country would contribute to upscaling the Middle East & Africa Smart Water Management Market's revenue growth in the future years.     

Regulatory Landscape in the Middle East & Africa Smart Water Management Market

The regulatory bodies & government initiatives in the region, such as the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture of Saudi Arabia (MEWA), Water Resources Management Plan 2021-2030, the UAE Water Security Strategy 2036, and others, would play a prominent role in the expansion of the Middle East & Africa Smart Water Management market in the coming years. MEWA plans to meet nearly 90% of Saudi Arabia's water demand using desalinated water & about 10% using ground & surface water by 2030.

Middle East & Africa Smart Water Management Industry Recent Development:

• 2023: Arada Group invested in R&D partnership with Biopolus, Sharjah Research Technology and Innovation Park (SRTIP) and Metito to bring next-generation sustainable water treatment technology to the UAE.

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