Desert Reclamation

A hot desert area about 15 miles (24 kilometers) long and four and a half miles (7 kilometers) wide is being reclaimed near the town of Yanbu‘, on Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Coast. It is to become a gigantic industrial complex. Three large seaports are to be built there to deliver oil products, chemicals and minerals, and also to import food and other commodities. Thousands of workers have begun the huge task that will cost tens of billions of dollars. The town of 21,000 is expected to grow to about 250,000. How will fresh water be obtained? One example is the ship that floats offshore. Built and manned by Japanese workers, it is a water desalinization plant capable of producing about 500,000 gallons (1,890,000 liters) of drinking water daily.