In 1977 Saudi Arabia towed an iceberg from Alaska to the central U.S.: years later, its Antarctica freshwater plan melted away

Access to reliable water supplies has become an increasingly serious challenge as climate change accelerates desertification and intensifies water scarcity. The problem is especially severe in arid regions, where sources of drinking water have always been geographically limited.

This is particularly true for the countries of the Arabian Peninsula, whose governments have spent decades searching for solutions to what has become an existential challenge. During the 1970s, Saudi Arabia proposed an ambitious plan to increase its freshwater supply by towing icebergs from the Arctic. Although the project was ultimately abandoned because of its enormous cost, the concept has recently regained attention.

An untapped source of freshwater

In October 1977, the Saudi government, under King Mohammed Al-Faisal, sponsored the First International Conference on Iceberg Utilization in the United States. Held in Iowa, the event brought together nearly 200 experts from 18 countries, including marine biologists, engineers, government officials, and business leaders, to explore the feasibility of an idea that seemed revolutionary at the time.

The conference focused on transporting icebergs from the polar regions to parts of the world facing severe water shortages. The proposal held particular importance for Saudi Arabia, one of the few countries without permanent natural freshwater sources. As a result, the kingdom relies heavily on desalination plants, which require significant financial investment and consume large amounts of energy.

The idea was based on the vast reserves of freshwater locked within the polar ice sheets. Scientists estimate that the Antarctic ice sheet alone contains nearly 6.5 million cubic miles of freshwater, representing about 70% of the world’s total freshwater supply.

Transporting an iceberg

To test whether the concept was practical, organizers carried out an experiment by transporting a 1-ton block of ice from Alaska to Iowa.

The journey followed a carefully planned sequence. The ice block was first lifted by helicopter while wrapped in insulating material and packed with dry ice. It was then loaded onto an airplane before completing the final leg of the trip aboard a refrigerated truck to the city of Ames.

The entire operation cost approximately $8,500, earning it the nickname “the world’s most expensive ice cube.” Once the ice arrived in Iowa, researchers examined it and discussed how much larger icebergs might be transported in the future.

A possible solution for the future

Despite Saudi Arabia’s support, the proposal never advanced beyond the conceptual stage because of overwhelming technical and financial obstacles. Even so, the idea of towing icebergs has resurfaced periodically in scientific and policy discussions, particularly as the impacts of climate change continue to worsen.

The experiment underscored the growing urgency for governments to secure dependable freshwater supplies for the future. As water scarcity becomes a more pressing global concern, the polar regions are increasingly viewed as a strategic source of one of the planet’s most valuable resources.

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