How much water does a pool really lose here?+
Peer-reviewed regional data puts reference evaporation between about 5 mm per day in winter and 15–18 mm per day at the summer peak in Saudi Arabia. For a 30–50 m² villa pool that compounds to 66–173 m³ per year — two to four times the pool's own volume.
If the cover blocks 95%, do I save 95% a year?+
No. That figure is measured with the cover closed. Pools get used, and covers stay open longer than owners expect. Modelled on real usage, the US Department of Energy estimates 30–50% off annual make-up water. We quote both numbers because they answer different questions.
We are on the coast — doesn't humidity reduce evaporation?+
Measured data says no. The most humid coastal setting studied in the region, Palm Jumeirah, still averages about 9.5 mm per day across the year — as high as inland. Heat and wind compensate for the humidity.
Will the cover pay for itself on water bills alone?+
On municipal tariffs, honestly, usually not on water alone — the yearly loss is real but municipal water is cheap. The case strengthens sharply for tanker-supplied villas, and the water saving stacks with reduced chemicals, less cleaning and, for heated or chilled pools, running-cost savings.
Manual or automatic for water savings?+
Both block evaporation while closed; the difference is whether the pool actually gets covered every day. One-touch operation wins on covered hours, which is the variable the annual saving depends on. If a person will reliably close a manual cover daily, it delivers too.