<p>Globally solar desalination (SD) provides a sustainable solution to the increasing water demands because of geographical coincidence among severe water challenges and high solar availability. In Saudi Arabia, addressing these nexuses in an incorporated energy conversion system is considered as a huge task for the research scholars. Solar water desalination system, which is a better alternative to other prevailing desalination systems, could resolve the problem because it uses an eco-friendly and enormous source of solar energy that can be powered through renewable energy. Numerous investigational prototypes for SD plants were built and tested in past decades. Also, various solar materials were characterised and developed. Henceforth, this study provides a comprehensive review on the hybrid of solar and water desalination used in experimental desalination studies, which is considered to be the first step in constructing the most effective mechanism. Following that all, the present paper reviews all the existing SD plants research. It focuses on the design, cost, capacity, cooling power, fresh water or potable water production, maintenance and performance of the system. Hence, this study reviews the current research works related to the usage of solar energy with water Desalination plants for effective production in various areas. Furthermore, the comparative analysis is carried out by considering the conventional desalination models. Lastly, the research limitations are highlighted from the traditional methods with future recommendations. The solar-driven water desalination system demonstrates significant advantages over other methods due to its sustainability, cost-effectiveness, and scalability. Among various approaches, solar thermal and solar photovoltaic (PV) hybrid systems have shown superior performance in terms of energy efficiency and water output, particularly under the climatic conditions of Saudi Arabia. These systems maximize production capacity while reducing reliance on conventional energy sources, making them a preferred choice for addressing high water demands in the region. It would support future research in solving the existing challenges in this area, thereby trying to bring the advances for efficient SD plants in Saudi Arabia.</p>