Egypt, Saudi Arabia unveil plan to build 'artificial river' longer than the Nile

Saudi Arabia and Egypt have revealed their plan to construct an "artificial river", aimed at surpassing the Nile River.

Saudi Arabia's new project is set to become the world's largest desalinated water transport network, the artificial river will use anti-corrosion pipes, with each pipe having a diameter of 2.25 metres, reports Arabian Business.

Meanwhile, the 'New Delta' project led by Egypt will include two individual projects as well – 'Egypt's Futrue' and the 'South of El-Dabaa Axis'. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi stated that the project will be the largest project in Egypt's history, and will be located along the new Rawd Al-Farag-Dabaa axis road.

According to a report by Asharq Business, the agricultural land to be cultivated from the Egyptian project is "2.2 million acres, and the supply of water to the river will depend on the recycling of agricultural drainage water and groundwater."

The main objective of the project is to expand the area of agricultural land in Egypt, as Egypt is the largest importer of wheat in the world.

Currently, Saudi Arabia is the leading producer of desalinated water globally. The country produces over one billion and six million cubic meters of water every year, which accounts for 18 percent of global production.

"The amount of effort spent to create underground rivers provides us with water in our homes, even though we are in an area that is mostly desert. It is a blessing I was born with, and from getting used to it I forgot it and took it for granted. Thank you to everyone who had a hand that we wake up and find water at home," Al Shugairi, a popular Saudi reporter, said.

He added, "After a few years, the length of the water pipes will transport this fresh water from one place to another," indicating that this project be twice the size of the Nile, which is over 6,000 kilometres long.

"We are talking about the longest, twice the longest river in the world." They are all underground pipes that bring us fresh, good water," Al Shugairi said.

According to Al Shugairi, "The length of the pipes under the Saudi cities is 126,000 kilometers, and if it revolved around the world it would circle the world three times, and the amount of water would be 9.4 million cubic meters produced per day."

With the estimated amount, every person is expected to get two gallons of water from the production of water in Saudi Arabia.

The Saline Water Conversion Corporation, a government-run entity, is the largest producer of desalinated water in the world, generating a total of (1006.6) million cubic meters annually.

According to the Arabian Business, the corporation's eastern coast stations produce (495.3) million cubic meters of water, making up 49.2 percent of the total production, while the coastal stations generate (511.3) million cubic meters, comprising 50.8 percent of the overall output.

The 27 operating desalination plants in the country generate a volume of (24,884,807) MWh of electrical energy.