Saudi Water Authority picks Shoaiba desalination bidder

24 February 2025

Saudi Water Authority (SWA), the kingdom’s main producer of desalinated water, has selected the local Alfatah International Company for Water & Electricity Works for a retendered contract to build a new water desalination plant on Saudi Arabia’s western coast.

The retendered Shoaiba 6 seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) plant contract indicates a capacity of between 500,000 cubic metres a day (cm/d) and 545,000 cm/d.

According to SWA, Alfatah submitted the third-lowest bid of SR1.95bn ($521m).

Two other bidders, India's VA Tech Wabag and the local Civil Works Contracting, submitted lower bids of SR1.83m and SR1.89m, respectively. 

The other bidders and their offers for the engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning (EPCC) contract are:

  • Mutlaq Al-Ghowairi Contracting (local) / Lantania (Spain): SR2.018m
  • Miya Water (Spain): SR2.2m

Jeddah-based Alfatah offered the lowest bid for the contract when it was first tendered last year.

Shoaiba 6 is one of four contracts that SWA tendered last year using an EPCC contracting model.

The other three SWRO projects are Yanbu 5, Ras Al-Khair and Jubail.

VA Tech Wabag submitted the lowest bid for Yanbu 5 and won the $317m contract to build the plant in September. The plant will have the capacity to treat 300,000 cm/d of seawater.

However, on 16 December, SWA cancelled the contract and informed the bidders that it intended to recalibrate the plant’s capacity and issue a new tender.

The Jubail and Ras Al-Khair SWRO projects will each have the capacity to treat 600,000 cm/d of seawater.

MEED reported in November last year that Najran-based Emar Al-Janoub for Contracting (EJC) had won the contract to build the Ras Al-Khair SWRO plant.

EJC offered SR2.346bn to win the contract, seeing off competition from other bidders including the local Civil Works Company and Saudi Services for Electro Mechanic Works, and the Saudi branch of India’s VA Tech Wabag. 

SWA is the world’s largest producer of desalinated water, with a capacity of at least 6.6 million cm/d. Plants using older and more energy-intensive techniques, such as multi-stage flash technology, account for the majority of the current capacity.


JOIN THE LEADERS BUILDING VISION 2030 AT THE 3RD EDITION OF MEED's SAUDI GIGAPROJECTS SUMMIT
12-14 May – Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER YOUR INTEREST


https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/13419700/main.gif
Jennifer Aguinaldo
Related Articles
  • WEBINAR: Mena Oil & Gas Projects Market 2025-26

    10 July 2025

    Register now

    Date & Time: Tuesday 29 July 2025 | 11:00 AM GST

    Agenda:

    1. Summary of the Mena oil, gas and petrochemicals projects market

    2. Summary description of the main megaprojects, including project programmes

    3. Analysis of active contracts and spending to date

    4. Analysis of top contracts by work already awarded

    5. Long-term capital expenditure outlays and forecasts

    6. Highlights of key contracts to be tendered and awarded over the next 18 months

    7. Top contractors and clients

    8. Breakdown of spending by segment, ie, oil, gas, petrochemicals – upstream, downstream, onshore and offshore

    9. Q&A session

    Click here to register

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/14241705/main.gif
    Indrajit Sen
  • New Murabba signs up South Korean firm for design works

    10 July 2025

    Register for MEED’s 14-day trial access 

    Saudi Arabia’s New Murabba Development Company (NMDC) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with South Korea’s Heerim Architects & Planners to explore further design works on assets at the 14 square-kilometre New Murabba downtown project.

    According to an official statement: “Heerim Architects & Planners will explore distinctive architectural plans that complement the development’s masterplan, with special focus on anchor assets, linear parks and smart city features.”

    New Murabba CEO Michael Dyke signed the agreement last week during the company’s Investment and Partnership Forum in Seoul.

    At the event, NMDC also signed an MoU with South Korea’s Naver Cloud Corporation to explore technological solutions for delivering the New Murabba downtown project.

    According to an official statement: “The three-year agreement covers exploring innovative technology and automation to support the delivery of New Murabba, including robotics, autonomous vehicles, a smart city platform and digital solutions for monitoring construction progress.”

    NMDC is in Seoul to examine technological offerings, assess financing options and showcase the investment opportunities available for the New Murabba downtown development.

    The statement added that the excavation works for The Mukaab, the centrepiece of the overall development, have now been completed.

    The Mukaab is a Najdi-inspired landmark that will be one of the largest buildings in the world. It will be 400 metres high, 400 metres wide and 400 metres long. Internally, it will have a tower on top of a spiral base and a structure featuring 2 million square metres (sq m) of floor space designated for hospitality. It will feature commercial spaces, cultural and tourist attractions, residential and hotel units, and recreational facilities.

    Downtown destination

    The New Murabba destination will have a total floor area of more than 25 million sq m and feature more than 104,000 residential units, 9,000 hotel rooms and over 980,000 sq m of retail space.

    The scheme will include 1.4 million sq m of office space, 620,000 sq m of leisure facilities and 1.8 million sq m of space dedicated to community facilities.

    The project will be developed around the concept of sustainability and will include green spaces and walking and cycling paths to promote active lifestyles and community activities.

    The living, working and entertainment facilities will be developed within a 15-minute walking radius. The area will use an internal transport system and will be about a 20-minute drive from the airport.

    The downtown area will feature a museum, a technology and design university, an immersive, multipurpose theatre, and more than 80 entertainment and cultural venues.


    READ THE JULY 2025 MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – click here to view PDF

    UAE and Turkiye expand business links; Renewed hope lies on the horizon for trouble-beset Levant region; Gulf real estate momentum continues even as concerns emerge

    Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the July 2025 edition of MEED Business Review includes:

    > PROJECTS MARKET: GCC projects market collapses
    > GULF PROJECTS INDEX: Gulf projects index continues climb
    To see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click here
    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/14239016/main.jpg
    Yasir Iqbal
  • Chinese firm wins Mid Island Parkway tunnelling deal

    10 July 2025

     

    Register for MEED’s 14-day trial access 

    Beijing-headquartered China Railway Tunnel Engineering Group has won a $60m subcontract for the tunnelling works on package 1B of the Mid Island Parkway project in Abu Dhabi.

    Package 1B entails the construction of a cut-and-cover tunnel to cross the Khor Laffan Channel, which is the area between the Saadiyat and Um-Yifeenah islands.

    The tunnel, which will be between 900 metres and 1 kilometre (km) long, is being constructed on a design-and-build basis and will tie in to packages 1A and 1C.

    The project is being jointly constructed by a joint venture of local firm Yas Projects (Alpha Dhabi Holding) and Beijing-based China Railway International Group.

    In June last year, MEED exclusively reported that Abu Dhabi's Department of Municipality & Transport had awarded contracts for three packages for phase one of the Mid Island Parkway Project (MIPP), as part of the Plan Capital urban evolution programme.

    Phase one will start at the existing Saadiyat Interchange, which will connect the E12 road to the MIPP, and will end with the recently constructed Um-Yifeenah Highway. 

    It comprises a dual main road with a total length of 8km, including four traffic lanes in each direction, two interchanges, a tunnel and associated infrastructure works. 

    MIPP phase one is further divided into packages 1A, 1B and 1C, which were awarded separately.

    The project ownership has been transferred from Aldar Properties to Abu Dhaibi's Department of Municipalities & Transport.

    Previously, it was transferred from Abu Dhabi General Services Company (Musanada) to Aldar Properties, and the project was included in the Abu Dhabi Investment Office's public-private partnership project pipeline.


    READ THE JULY 2025 MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – click here to view PDF

    UAE and Turkiye expand business links; Renewed hope lies on the horizon for trouble-beset Levant region; Gulf real estate momentum continues even as concerns emerge

    Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the July 2025 edition of MEED Business Review includes:

    > PROJECTS MARKET: GCC projects market collapses
    > GULF PROJECTS INDEX: Gulf projects index continues climb
    To see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click here
    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/14238039/main3047.gif
    Yasir Iqbal
  • Firms submit PPP bids for worker accommodation

    9 July 2025

     

    Saudi Arabian Mining Company (Maaden) has received bids from companies for a contract to develop accommodation for over 4,500 workers at its new gold mine and processing facility in the Al-Rjum region of Saudi Arabia.

    MEED understands that the bids for the package were submitted in late June.

    Maaden is developing the project on a public-private partnership (PPP) basis under a build, own, operate and transfer model. The concession period is 15 years.

    The bidders include:

    • Saudi Arabian Trading & Construction Company
    • Lamar Holding
    • NextGen Infra
    • Al-Mutlaq Group

    Maaden is at the forefront of Riyadh’s strategy to expand the kingdom’s metals and mining sector. By 2040, the company, which is majority-owned by sovereign wealth vehicle the Public Investment Fund, aims to build its upstream mining capabilities, gain exposure to future minerals and form partnerships with global mining companies.

    The company’s efforts align with Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman Al-Saud’s strategy to establish mining as a third economic pillar, alongside oil and petrochemicals.

    In January, Maaden revealed plans to form a joint venture with state-controlled oil company Saudi Aramco, focusing on the exploration and mining of metals that are crucial to the energy transition.

    At the Future Minerals Forum 2025, Maaden shared updates on its exploration activities, highlighting gold and copper intercepts at the Wadi Al-Jaww and Jabal Shayban exploration areas in the Arabian Shield. These findings suggest the emergence of a new gold and copper district.


    READ THE JULY 2025 MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – click here to view PDF

    UAE and Turkiye expand business links; Renewed hope lies on the horizon for trouble-beset Levant region; Gulf real estate momentum continues even as concerns emerge

    Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the July 2025 edition of MEED Business Review includes:

    > PROJECTS MARKET: GCC projects market collapses
    > GULF PROJECTS INDEX: Gulf projects index continues climb
    To see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click here
    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/14230483/main.jpg
    Yasir Iqbal
  • Parsons to project manage Dubai Metro Blue Line

    9 July 2025

    US-based engineering firm Parsons Corporation has announced that it has been selected by Dubai’s Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) as the project management consultant for the Dubai Metro Blue Line extension project.

    In an official statement, Parsons said that its scope encompasses comprehensive project management services, including design review, procurement support, construction supervision, testing and commissioning oversight, and project handover management.

    The Blue Line will connect the existing Red and Green lines. It will be 30 kilometres (km) long, with 15.5km underground and 14.5km above ground.

    The line will have 14 stations, seven of which will be elevated. There will be five underground stations, including one interchange station, and two elevated transfer stations connected to the existing Centrepoint and Creek stations.

    In December last year, the RTA awarded a AED20.5bn ($5.5bn) main contract for the construction of the project.

    The main contractor’s consortium is responsible for all civil works, electromechanical works, rolling stock and rail systems. After completing the project, the contractor will assist with maintenance and operations for an initial three-year period.

    According to an official statement, the Blue Line will have a capacity of 46,000 passengers an hour in both directions.

    The project is scheduled for completion in September 2029.

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/14229390/main.jpeg
    Yasir Iqbal