Premier: Water as a new export commodity after 2030

KUCHING. July 15 2026:  Sarawak plans to make water a new export commodity after 2030 through the use of river water purification technology as the next step after the completion of the state water supply grid that is capable of providing a full water supply to the entire state.

Caption: Premier Ababg Johari Openg says that Sarawak’s ambition is not only to become an energy hub, but also to become a water supply hub that can drive the economy, at least in the ASEAN region

Premier Abang Johari Openg said the state has a natural advantage through a large network of rivers and that the resource can be harnessed using water purification technology before being exported to countries that need water supplies.

“With new technology to purify our river water system, we will export water which will be a shared commitment between developing countries and hopefully will have an impact on the regional economy.

“Therefore, Sarawak’s ambition is not only to become an energy hub, but also to become a water supply hub that can drive the economy, at least in the ASEAN region. That is the future direction of Sarawak,” he said at the opening of the Borneo International Water & Wastewater Exhibition & Conference (BIWWEC) 2026 at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) today.

He said  water is now an important component in the development of modern economies including the artificial intelligence (AI) industry, especially for the cooling needs of data centres which require simultaneous energy and water supply.

At a press conference later, the premier said that Sarawak has the advantage of having abundant river water resources that can be treated using the latest technology.

According to him, the Sarawak government is currently examining the potential of building a special water treatment plant on one of the main rivers with Sungai Sadong, Sungai Saribas, Batang Lupar and Sungai Samarahan being studied to produce a high-quality water supply for export purposes.

Touching on the export target, he revealed that the government has not yet been able to reveal the country that will be the first destination because negotiations are still ongoing.

“I cannot reveal it at this time because it is still in the negotiation process but there is indeed an effort to make water another Sarawak export commodity and this will certainly provide some income to us.

“This is something new in this region,” he explained.

He added that the target amount of water supply to be exported depends on demand according to existing capacity, but the capacity will be increased if needed in an effort to sell the water supply.