Forward osmosis (FO) is one of the evolving membrane technologies in desalination with recent expanded new interest as a low energy process. The most significant parts of FO process are the membrane and draw solution since both play a substantial role in its performance. Hence, the selection of an appropriate membrane and draw solution is crucial for the process efficiency. Improvements in the development of membranes and draw solutes have been recorded recently. However, limitations such as fouling of FO membranes, reverse solute flux, concentration polarization, and low permeate flux in standalone FO systems. This work targets the review of recent progress in FO, aiming on the prospects and challenges. It starts with addressing the advantages of the FO process. The crucial part of this review is a thorough discussion of hybrid FO systems, different FO membranes, and draw solutes available coupled with their effects on FO performance. Finally, the future of FO for sustainable desalination is also discussed. (C) 2015 Published by Elsevier B.V.