In 1977, Saudi Arabia presented an unusual idea to the United States: investigating whether transporting icebergs from Alaska could provide drinking water to arid regions. Water scarcity led the country to explore a proposal as simple to propose as it was difficult to execute: bringing icebergs from the polar regions to dry territories.
To test the feasibility of this idea, a one-ton ice block was transported from Alaska to Iowa in 1977. The concept was based on a gigantic freshwater reserve stored in the form of ice at the poles, with the aim of turning it into a water source for areas with limited supply.
Interest in the proposal ultimately gathered around 200 specialists from 18 countries in Iowa in October 1977. Engineers, marine biologists, government officials and businessmen participated in the First International Conference on the Utilization of Icebergs, where they studied the possibilities and challenges of this solution.
