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Freshwater availability is a problem faced in many parts of the globe especially in arid and semi-arid areas. It is a consequence of growth in the population, climate change issues, environmental issues, and inappropriate exploitation of groundwater resources. In this regard, freshwater production via desalination represents a potential option to solve this problem. Furthermore, the utilization of renewable energy sources for desalination purposes offers additional benefits. Renewable energy based desalination systems could also be used in urban areas, but they are especially attractive for remote areas where there is a limited or no access to fossil fuels sources or an electrical grid. Many renewable energy technologies can be hybridized for desalination purposes to improve productivity, flexibility, reliability, and economic feasibility. This paper provides a state-of-the art review of hybrid renewable energy based desalination systems and highlights the most significant development and experimental studies that have been carried out. The reviewed hybrid renewable energy desalination systems are classified and reviewed on the basis of the technologies that have been hybridized. The operating principles, advantages and limitations of these systems are described. Finally, some possible hybrid renewable energy desalination configurations are recommended for future investigations.