Riyadh: The National Water Company (NWC) has signed a significant contract with a Saudi-Chinese consortium to rehabilitate, operate, and maintain nine sewage treatment plants (STPs) across four regions in Saudi Arabia. This 15-year contract is valued at more than SAR1.3 billion, covering plants in Unaizah, Al-Bukairiyah, Al-Muznib, Al-Ras, Hail 1, Hail 2, Baqa'a, Sakaka, and Turaif, with a combined design treatment capacity exceeding 337,000 cubic meters per day.
According to Saudi Press Agency, the contract was formalized by Dr. Fouad bin Ahmed Al Sheikh Mubarak, CEO of NWC, alongside representatives from the Saudi-Chinese consortium, including Armada's Executive Director Jamaan Al-Jamaan and Zhangzhou United Waters' CEO Liu Meng. The signing event took place at NWC's head office in Riyadh and was attended by executive deputies from both organizations.
NWC stated that this contract aligns with the National Water Strategy (NWS) objectives, which focus on involving the private sector in investment opportunities to enhance, maintain, and operate the company's strategic assets. The aim is to achieve environmental sustainability, improve operational efficiency, ensure environmental compliance, and boost investments in the water sector.
The contract, valued at more than SAR1.3 billion (approximately $348 million), includes a tariff of SAR0.69 per cubic meter, or about $0.18 per cubic meter. NWC highlighted that this agreement is part of a broader strategic plan, having already completed the signing of eight contracts under the Long-Term Operation and Maintenance (LTOM) program for existing sewage treatment plants.
NWC also revealed plans to tender 51 existing STPs with a total capacity of 888,000 cubic meters per day this year. These facilities represent investment opportunities for both international and local companies, aiming to foster partnerships that will revitalize existing assets over the next 15 years with competitive capital investments.
The company emphasized that through these contracts, it seeks to bolster the national economy by fostering expansion and growth within the water sector. This includes creating investment opportunities, forming long-term partnerships with private-sector entities both locally and globally, and attracting and localizing cutting-edge technologies while transferring knowledge to national personnel. NWC believes these initiatives will attract significant local and global capital to the Kingdom's water sector.
