​Statement from

The Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia, London

Zamzam Water Fit for Human Consumption


Zamzam water from the Zamzam well in the Holy City of Makkah, Saudi Arabia is not contaminated and is fit for human consumption.

The water was analysed and tested in March this year by the Group Laboratories of CARSO-LSEHL in Lyon, which is licensed by the French Ministry of Health for testing drinking water. The March report said: “According to drinking water standards in France and based on the analyses conducted on the samples of Zamzam water, this water is fit for human consumption.”

However, The Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia confirms that Zamzam water is not exported to the UK by the government of Saudi Arabia and pointed out that anyone engaged in the trade of selling water here would come under British jurisdiction. The Embassy wishes to make it clear that any writing on a bottle of water suggesting that it comes from the Zamzam source is not proof that the water is genuine.

Following reports in the British press, the embassy wishes to reaffirm that the Zamzam water from the source in Makkah is pure and comes from the source. It is now collected and distributed by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah ibn Abdulaziz’ Zamzam project which is supervised by the Ministry of Water and Electricity in Saudi Arabia. This SR700 million project was inaugurated in September last year in the King’s name to ensure that the water reached the highest international standard of purity before being bottled and distributed. The aim of the project was to protect Zamzam water from pollution after it left the well.

The bottling project includes a building for air compressors, a warehouse for packaging of this natural water, and a warehouse with an air-conditioned storage unit. It works on the SCADA system, which ensures that water is controlled and monitored during all phases of the project starting from the pumping of water from the well to the final stages of packing. The aim is to ensure that the needs of citizens, residents and pilgrims can be met even at peak times. The central warehouse can hold up to 1.5 million bottles of water. These bottles are stored and managed through a sophisticated program according to production date and production lines. This program specifies the priority of distribution by the date of storage and the results of tests of water produced at the laboratory.