It seems almost miraculous that a bottled water brand does not rely on any in-, on-, or under-ground source for its essential product. Or from rain either, as Rainwater did.

Instead, SOURCE Global, a Scottsdale, AZ, tech and renewable water company, has introduced a renewable bottled water made entirely from sunlight and air.

As it so happens, the brand’s operations are in an area associated with remarkable things, The Red Sea.

The company’s patented solar technology draws pure water vapor out of the air and converts it to premium, mineralized drinking water. Water created from these Hydropanels will be bottled at a plant that also runs on solar energy, creating the largest solar-powered facility of its kind. The bottling facility, which will have a capacity of 2 million 330-mL bottles annually, will initially produce 300,000 bottles a year. 

Bottles, bottling machinery, and plant operations will be sourced locally, empowering Saudi businesses while further reducing the carbon footprint of the project.

From start to finish, Source will be creating a fully circular sustainable distribution model to bring the water from its Hydropanel technology into renewable bottles with the goal of generating zero carbon while producing the zero single-use plastic bottles. 

The glass-bottled water will be eventually be available to guests at The Red Sea Development Project (TRSDP), a regenerative luxury tourism destination along Saudi Arabia’s west coast that’s underway. It’s designed as the most sustainable tourism destination on earth. 

“Our partnership with Source Global makes us the only destination in the world with truly regenerative bottled water and reflects our commitment to operate using only renewable energy and free of single-use plastics,” says John Pagano, CEO, TRSDC.

In the early phases, the water will be provided to the 600 on-site employees and operator. When the eco-luxury resorts open, the bottled water will be served to guests.

“Empty bottles will be collected and taken to the on-site, solar-powered bottling facility, where they will be cleaned, refilled and distributed back to The Red Sea site,” Neil Grimmer, Source brand president, informs Packaging Digest.

The bottle’s 330-mL/11.16 ounces is a standard size in Saudi Arabia, he adds.

The brand’s in-house creative team, Grimmer and Richard Haynie, creative director, oversaw the graphics design that borrows visual elements both participants. The bottle’s graphics are applied using screen printing. The back of the bottle highlights the product’s unique attributes.

“Our water has the terroir and the coral elements in the bottle design that reflect the Red Sea’s unique, rich ecology,” offers Grimmer.

The sustainably minded product is on-trend: Recent studies indicate that 76% of global consumers say they are more concerned about sustainability post-pandemic and 68% are more aware of sustainability-friendly travel brands. 

The Red Sea Project will welcome its first guests by the end of 2022. The first phase of the development will comprise 16 luxury hotels offering 3,000 rooms on five islands and two inland locations. Also included are entertainment facilities, an airport, and the necessary supporting logistics and utilities infrastructure.