Event: SWCC (Saline Water Conversion Corporation, Saudi Arabia) & British Water – Joint Technical and Strategic Collaboration Event

Date: October 2022

Location: Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE), One Great George Street, London

Type of CPD: Keynote speaking / international collaboration / strategic sector engagement

Duration: Half‑day event (speaker + participant)

Summary of the Event

I participated in the SWCC Saudi & British Water Joint Event held at the Institution of Civil Engineers in London. The event brought together senior leaders from SWCC, British Water, UK utilities, technology companies, engineering consultancies and government representatives to strengthen collaboration between the UK and Saudi Arabia on water innovation, desalination, digital transformation and operational excellence.

I was invited as a keynote speaker, presenting on the role of advanced monitoring technologies—particularly microbial activity sensing—in improving treatment performance, operational resilience and environmental protection across large‑scale water and desalination systems.

The event provided a high‑level platform for strategic dialogue, knowledge exchange and exploration of future partnership opportunities between UK innovators and SWCC, one of the world’s largest desalination operators.

My Contribution: Keynote Speaker

Keynote Title: Biological Insight at Scale: Microbial Activity Sensing for High‑Performance Water and Desalination Operations

Key points delivered:

• Presented the scientific principles and operational value of microbial activity sensing for real‑time monitoring.
• Demonstrated how biological data supports process optimisation, early‑warning detection, and treatment stability in both conventional and desalination systems.
• Highlighted case studies showing improved operational outcomes through continuous microbial monitoring.
• Discussed integration with digital platforms, including analytics dashboards, automated alerts and AI‑driven optimisation.
• Explored opportunities for UK–Saudi collaboration in deploying advanced monitoring tools across SWCC’s large‑scale facilities.
• Engaged in panel discussions with SWCC leadership and UK industry representatives.

Key Themes Covered

Technology adoption and scaling Pathways for piloting, validating and deploying emerging monitoring tools at utility scale.

Desalination innovation and operational excellence Energy efficiency, membrane performance, fouling mitigation and digital optimisation.

Real‑time monitoring and digital transformation Biological, chemical and physical sensors integrated with analytics and automation.

International collaboration Knowledge exchange between UK innovators and SWCC’s large‑scale operational expertise.

Climate resilience and water security Ensuring reliable supply in arid regions through advanced technology and strategic planning.