Oman embeds energy-water-food nexus in hydrogen strategy

MUSCAT: A commentary published by the World Economic Forum argues that Oman’s emerging green hydrogen industry is being shaped not simply by abundant renewable energy resources, but by a sophisticated governance model that integrates energy, water and food security into a single national strategy.
Co-authored by Rumaitha al Busaidy, Vice President — Environment Society of Oman and Akram Azerbayev, Vice President of Business Development — OQ Alternative Energy, the analysis, titled ‘How Oman is preparing to lead on hydrogen exports’, says the Sultanate of Oman’s long experience in managing water scarcity is now becoming a strategic advantage as it positions itself among the world’s leading renewable hydrogen exporters.
According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), Oman is projected to rank among the top six renewable hydrogen exporters globally by 2030. But the authors contend that the real differentiator is not export volume alone, but the governance architecture underpinning the country’s hydrogen ambitions.
Unlike many countries that treat water as a secondary input in hydrogen production, Oman approaches water as a sovereign resource with competing demands from agriculture, municipalities, industry and the emerging hydrogen sector. In a country where freshwater resources are extremely limited, desalination alone is not viewed as a sufficient solution.
The commentary notes that producing one kilogramme of hydrogen requires around 35 kilogrammes of purified water, making desalination indispensable in arid climates. However, large-scale desalination also raises concerns linked to energy consumption, marine ecosystem impacts from brine discharge and public concerns over water allocation.
To address these challenges, Oman has embedded what the authors describe as an “energy-water-food nexus” into its hydrogen planning framework. This integrated approach is anchored in four core policy components.
The first is integrated resource planning across energy, water and agriculture ministries, replacing isolated sectoral decision-making with coordinated governance. The second component is the incorporation of brine valorisation requirements into project design from the outset. Rather than treating brine solely as waste, Oman is exploring pathways to recover valuable minerals and minimise marine discharge impacts.
Third, the framework includes surplus water allocation mechanisms that direct excess desalinated water towards agriculture and community use, thereby strengthening food security and reducing pressure on declining groundwater reserves. The fourth pillar involves legally enforceable community water commitments embedded into project approvals, ensuring that water access obligations are contractual requirements rather than voluntary corporate commitments.
The authors argue that these measures are supported by Oman Vision 2040, which aligns economic diversification, water security and sustainability objectives under a unified national framework. This coordinated policy approach, they point out, gives investors confidence that Oman’s hydrogen sector is being developed within a stable and well-integrated framework.
Notably, Oman’s strategy differs from many international hydrogen initiatives because desalinated water production is treated not as a by-product, but as a parallel economic and strategic benefit. Excess desalinated water generated for electrolysis can support agriculture and help reduce dependence on imported food.
The authors conclude that Oman’s early adoption of integrated resource governance may ultimately prove more valuable than its renewable energy potential alone. As hydrogen economies expand globally, they argue, countries capable of demonstrating credible water governance, enforceable community commitments and integrated resource planning will be best positioned to attract long-term investment and public support.