meed-logo

line1 line2 line3
SIGN IN / REGISTER

Saudi water projects momentum holds steady

12 September 2023

This package on Saudi Arabia’s water sector also includes: 

> Riyadh holds water pipeline bid clarifications
> Red Sea awards Amaala utility package
> Five banks agree $545m Rabigh 4 financing
> Saudi Arabia extends desalination bid deadline
> Albawani joins Jafurah water developer team
> Saudi Arabia evaluates Al-Haer wastewater bids

 

The Saudi water market remains the region’s largest, with $30bn-worth of projects in varying planning and procurement stages.

The sector is expected to expand further with multibillion-dollar capital expenditures allocated by the potable water and wastewater collection and treatment firm, the National Water Company (NWC), and Saline Water Conversion Corporation (SWCC), the world’s largest producer of desalinated water.

This offers great opportunities for water asset developers and engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractors aiming to capture a share of the kingdom’s burgeoning water projects market.

SWCC, NWC and the principal buyer of water, Saudi Water Partnership Company (SWPC), awarded over $32bn of water infrastructure and utility projects between 2013 and 2022, according to MEED Projects data.

Driving investment within the sector is the need to improve water security, a key component of Saudi Vision 2030, along with rising demand due to population and economic expansion.

Reducing the carbon footprint of the kingdom's existing seawater desalination fleet, dominated by plants running on older technologies, is also contributing to the urgency to build more energy-efficient water infrastructure.

This is matched by moves to make potable and wastewater water transmission and distribution more efficient and to minimise leakage and non-revenue water. The kingdom also needs to expand its overall water storage capacity to improve its emergency response.

Simultaneously, like most of its groundwater-scarce neighbours, there is growing pressure to adopt treated sewage effluent for agricultural and industrial applications to reduce demand for seawater desalination and comply with the kingdom’s circular carbon economy approach.

“It is an interesting time for the Saudi water sector,” says a Dubai-based water expert.

“There are many projects in the tendering phase, but there is also some degree of uncertainty in terms of how the roles of the key stakeholders could shift [in the future].”

This stems from the years-long restructuring of the sector and last year's cabinet resolution approving the transfer of water production, transportation and storage assets owned directly or indirectly by SWCC to Water Solutions Company, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Saudi sovereign vehicle, the Public Investment Fund (PIF).

There is widespread expectation that SWCC will focus on research and development following the transfer of its assets to the PIF subsidiary, although this has not been formally announced. 

Diversified clients

The lengthy restructuring of the kingdom’s water sector and rapid advance of so-called gigaprojects have diversified the profile of clients in the kingdom.

Neom and its subsidiary Enowa, SWCC transmission arm Water Transmission & Technologies Company (WTTCo) and other gigaproject developers, such as the royal commissions for Riyadh City and Al-Ula, have joined the mainstream water utility companies and municipalities in tendering new water infrastructure contracts over the past year.

In terms of projects in the pre-execution phase, SWPC is the top client, with a pipeline of projects worth at least $7bn.

SWPC is mandated to procure all water infrastructure projects in the kingdom on a public-private partnership (PPP) basis, including water desalination, wastewater treatment, transmission and reservoirs.

Its latest Seven-Year Planning Statement covering 2022-28 stipulates the procurement of about 50 independent water infrastructure projects, including several in the bid stage.

SWPC’s future projects pipeline outperforms that of NWC and SWCC. Neom, Enowa, WTTCo and the Royal Commission for Al-Ula round out the top seven clients.

Riyadh rides power projects surge

Independent projects

Following consecutive awards of independent water producer (IWP) and independent sewage treatment plant (ISTP) contracts between 2019 and 2021, SWPC has recently paced out the award of new contracts.

It has only awarded one contract, directly negotiated with Saudi utility developer Acwa Power for the Shuaiba 3 seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) project in 2022. This year, it awarded another contract for the Rabigh 4 IWP scheme, in addition to the contract to develop the kingdom’s first independent water transmission pipeline, which connects Rayis and Rabigh.

SWPC is evaluating the bids it received for the contract to develop the Al-Haer independent sewage treatment plant (ISTP), the first of the round-three projects under its ISTP programme, and expects to receive bids in October for the 300,000 cubic-metre-a-day (cm/d) Ras Mohaisen IWP.

The contract to develop the kingdom’s first independent strategic water reservoir (ISWR) project is expected to be awarded this year. The Juranah ISWR has a capacity to store 2.5 million cubic metres of water. The project is anticipated to significantly boost water security, particularly in Mecca and Medina, which host several million pilgrims annually.

EPC works

Despite moves to transfer its assets to the PIF subsidiary, SWCC cemented its reputation as the world’s largest producer of desalinated water when its fleet of 30 desalination plants reached a total combined capacity of 6.6 million cm/d in 2022.

The company is not resting on its past success, having issued successive tenders for SWRO plants using an EPC model over the past 12-18 months.

In July this year, it invited bids for the contract to build a 200,000 cm/d SWRO facility in Ras al-Khair.

This came three months after it received two bids for the contract to build the second phase of the Shuaibah water desalination plant, which has an even higher capacity of 545,000 cm/d.

Around the same time in March, SWCC tendered a contract to construct a greenfield SWRO plant in Yanbu with a design capacity of 500,000 cm/d.

SWPC last awarded a major SWRO contract in mid-2021. The giant 1 million cm/d Jubail SWRO plant is being built by a team of Metito and local firm Saudi Services for Electromechanic Works.

Before this, in late 2019, it awarded a contract to construct a 400,000 cm/d SWRO plant in Shuqaiq to a team of Spain’s Acciona and Al-Rashid Trading & Contracting Company.

SWCC, though WTTCo, has also tendered multiple water transmission projects, including pipelines around Riyadh and connecting Riyadh and Ras al-Khair, Shuqaiq and Jizan and Al-Duwadimi and Atif.

In its 2022 annual report, SWCC stated that it had achieved exceptional results in supporting the Saudi Green Initiative, reducing carbon emissions, increasing operational efficiency to above 99 per cent and saving SR1.6bn ($427m) in operational costs.

The company also “increased local content in its operational efficiency by 61 per cent and demonstrated noteworthy patent accomplishments, innovations, studies and scientific publications”.

Innovation

New tourism-related developments, the expansion of industrial complexes and the need to limit carbon emissions are driving capacity-building and innovation.

The Red Sea development is completing the kingdom’s first private sector multi-utility project, which includes developing and operating a solar photovoltaic power plant, battery energy storage system, water desalination and treatment and waste recycling plants in one contract.

In addition to tendering major water transmission and distribution networks, Neom is also finalising the design for a zero-liquid discharge SWRO plant catering to the development. Enowa, Japan’s Itochu and France’s Veolia are expected to tender the project's EPC package soon.

The proposed state-of-the-art desalination plant will be powered 100 per cent by renewable energy and use advanced membrane technology to produce separate brine streams.

This will enable the production of brine-derived products, which will be developed and monetised downstream. The bigger plan includes establishing a brine processing complex in Oxagon, which could require an investment of between $15bn and $20bn.

https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/11132882/main.gif
Jennifer Aguinaldo

Register for MEED's guest program now to access this article.

Click here to register
Exclusive from Meed
Related Articles
  • Ruwais industrial complex struck by drones

    10 March 2026

    Register for MEED’s 14-day trial access 

    Abu Dhabi authorities are responding to a fire that has broken out at a facility in Ruwais industrial complex, caused by a drone attack.

    The Ruwais industrial complex, located in Abu Dhabi's Al-Dhafra region, houses the world's fourth-largest single-site oil refinery and is operated by Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc).

    No injuries have been reported at this time, the Abu Dhabi Media Office said.

    The UAE continues to intercept drones and missiles fired from Iran, as attacks on the Gulf countries continue for a 11th day in the ongoing regional conflict.

    Apart from the Ruwais refining complex, which has a capacity of 922,000 barrels a day (b/d) of crude oil and condensates, Ruwais industrial complex is also home to petrochemicals producer Borouge’s main production complex.

    Additionally, Adnoc is in an advanced stage of engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) on a liquefied natural gas (LNG) project within the Ruwais industrial complex, which will have the capacity to produce about 9.6 million tonnes a year (t/y) of LNG from two processing trains, each with a capacity of 4.8 million t/y. When the project is commissioned, which is due to take place in 2028, Adnoc’s LNG production capacity will more than double to about 15 million t/y.

    Separately, Taziz – a 60:40 joint venture of Adnoc Group and Abu Dhabi’s industrial holding company ADQ – is overseeing the development of at least seven specialty chemicals plants in its planned derivatives zone in Ruwais Industrial City.

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/15926385/main2738.jpg
    Indrajit Sen
  • Contractors submit bids for Dorra offshore gas project packages

    10 March 2026

     

    Contractors have submitted bids to Al-Khafji Joint Operations (KJO) for engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) works on a project to develop natural gas from the Dorra gas field, located in the waters of the Saudi-Kuwait Neutral Zone.

    KJO, which is jointly owned by Saudi Aramco subsidiary Aramco Gulf Operations Company and Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) subsidiary Kuwait Gulf Oil Company (KGOC), has divided the project’s scope of work into four EPC packages – three offshore and one onshore.

    Indian contractor Larsen & Toubro Energy Hydrocarbon (L&TEH) has won package one of the Dorra facilities project, which covers the EPC of seven offshore jackets and the laying of intra-field pipelines. The contract awarded by KJO to L&TEH is estimated to be valued at $140m-$150m, MEED reported in October.

    Contractors submitted bids for the remaining three packages – offshore packages 2A and 2B and onshore package three by the final deadline of 9 March, according to sources.

    KJO had extended the bid submission deadlines for these packages several times since last year.

    The EPC scope of work for package 2A includes Dorra gas field wellhead topsides, flowlines and umbilicals. Package 2B involves the central gathering platform complex, export pipelines and cables. Package three includes the EPC of onshore gas processing facilities.

    Saudi Arabia and Kuwait are pressing ahead with their plan to jointly produce 1 billion cubic feet a day (cf/d) of gas from the Dorra gas field.

    The two countries have been producing oil from the Neutral Zone – primarily from the onshore Wafra field and offshore Khafji field – since at least the 1950s. With a growing need to increase natural gas production, they have been working to exploit the Dorra offshore field, understood to be the only gas field in the Neutral Zone.

    Discovered in 1965, the Dorra gas field is estimated to hold 20 trillion cubic metres of gas and 310 million barrels of oil.

    The Dorra facilities scheme is one of three multibillion-dollar projects launched by subsidiaries of Saudi Aramco and KPC to produce and process gas from the Dorra field that has advanced in the past few months.

    AGOC onshore Khafji gas plant

    AGOC has set a current bid submission deadline of 22 April for seven EPC packages as part of a project to construct the Khafji gas plant, which will process gas from the Dorra field onshore Saudi Arabia.

    MEED previously reported that AGOC issued main tenders for the seven EPC packages in 2025. Contractors were initially set deadlines of 24 October for technical bid submissions and 9 November for the submission of commercial bids, which was then extended by AGOC until 22 December.

    The seven EPC packages cover a range of works, including open-art and licensed process facilities, pipelines, industrial support infrastructure, site preparation, overhead transmission lines, power supply systems and main operational and administrative buildings.

    France-based Technip Energies has carried out a concept study and front-end engineering and design (feed) work on the entire Dorra gas field development programme.

    Progress has been hampered by a geopolitical dispute over ownership of the Dorra gas field. Iran, which refers to the field as Arash, claims it partially extends into Iranian territory and asserts that Tehran should be a stakeholder in its development. Kuwait and Saudi Arabia maintain that the field lies entirely within their jointly administered Neutral Zone – also known as the Divided Zone – and that Iran has no legal basis for its claim.

    In February 2024, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia reiterated their claim to the Dorra field in a joint statement issued during an official meeting in Riyadh of Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed Bin Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud.

    Since that show of strength and unity, projects targeting the production and processing of gas from the Dorra field have gained momentum.

    KGOC onshore processing facilities

    KGOC has initiated early engagement with contractors for the main EPC tendering process for a planned Dorra onshore gas processing facility, which is to be located in Kuwait.

    KGOC is at the feed stage of the project, which is estimated to be valued at up to $3.3bn. The firm is now expected to issue the main EPC tender within the first quarter of this year, MEED recently reported.

    The proposed facility will receive gas from a pipeline from the Dorra offshore field, which is being separately developed by KJO. The complex will have the capacity to process up to 632 million cf/d of gas and 88.9 million barrels a day of condensates from the Dorra field.

    The facility will be located near the Al-Zour refinery, owned by another KPC subsidiary, Kuwait Integrated Petroleum Industries Company.

    A 700,000-square-metre plot has been allocated next to the Al-Zour refinery for the gas processing facility and discussions regarding survey work are ongoing. The site could require shoring, backfilling and dewatering.

    The onshore gas processing plant will also supply surplus gas to KPC’s upstream business, Kuwait Oil Company, for possible injection into its oil fields.

    Additionally, KGOC plans to award licensed technology contracts to US-based Honeywell UOP and Shell subsidiary Shell Catalysts & Technologies for the plant’s acid gas removal unit and sulphur recovery unit, respectively.

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/15926065/main5801.gif
    Indrajit Sen
  • Abu Dhabi receives bids for 3.3GW Al-Nouf IPP

    10 March 2026

     

    Two joint ventures have submitted bids for the development of the 3.3GW Al-Nouf independent power producer (IPP) project in Abu Dhabi.

    Located within the newly established Al-Nouf complex, the facility will be the largest single-site, carbon-capture-ready, combined-cycle gas turbine plant in the UAE. 

    State utility and offtaker Emirates Water & Electricity Company (Ewec) issued a request for proposals for the project last August.

    Ewec received statements of qualifications for the contract in April 2025.

    The groups that submitted bids are:

    • Aljomaih Energy & Water (Saudi Arabia) and China Energy Engineering Corporation
    • Orascom (Egypt) and Sumitomo (Japan) 

    As MEED previosuly reported, the project will follow the model of Abu Dhabi’s IPP programme, in which developers enter into a long-term agreement with Ewec as the sole procurer. 

    This involves the development, financing, construction, operation, maintenance and ownership of the plant, with the successful developer or developer consortium owning up to 40% of the entity. The remaining equity will be held indirectly by the Abu Dhabi government.

    The project site was selected for its ability to accommodate both seawater-cooled power generation and reverse osmosis desalination technologies.

    The plant will have the capacity to support several utility-scale energy and desalination projects in the future.

    The facility is scheduled to begin commercial operations in the third quarter of 2029.

    Taweelah C IPP

    Last year, the Taweelah C IPP became the first gas-fired power plant project to be procured by Abu Dhabi since 2020, when Ewec awarded Japan’s Marubeni Corporation the contract to develop the Fujairah 3 IPP.

    Ewec is procuring the 2,500MW gas-fired IPP, which will be located in the Al-Taweelah power and desalination complex, approximately 50 kilometres to the northeast of Abu Dhabi.

    It is understood that three groups have submitted bids for the developer contract. These are:

    • Sumitomo (Japan) / Korean Midland Power / Korea Overseas Infrastructure & Urban Development Corporation 
    • Aljomaih Energy & Water (Saudi Arabia)  / Sembcorp (Singapore)
    • Etihad Water & Electricity (UAE) / Korea Western Power (Kowepo) / Kyuden (Japan)

    A team of UK-based Alderbrook Finance and US-based Sargent & Lundy is providing financial and technical advisory services to Ewec for the Taweelah C IPP

    The power purchase agreement for the project was previously expected to be signed by the end of 2025, with the project scheduled to begin commercial operations in the fourth quarter of 2028.

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/15924159/main.jpg
    Mark Dowdall
  • Eighty-nine firms express Qassim airport interest

    10 March 2026

    Eighty-nine local and international firms have expressed interest in a contract to develop Prince Naif Bin Abdulaziz International airport in Qassim, Saudi Arabia.

    The project is being developed by Saudi Arabia’s Civil Aviation Holding Company (Matarat), through the National Centre for Privatisation & PPP (NCP).

    In a statement, NCP said the list includes 55 local companies and 34 international firms comprising 19 developers; 33 engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractors; 13 operators; 11 advisors; nine equity investors; three financial institutions and one in the other category.

    These are:

    Developers

    • Ports Projects Management & Development Company (local)
    • Tamasuk Holding (local)
    • Makyol (Turkiye)
    • Al-Gihaz Holding (local)
    • Alfanar Company (local)
    • Nesma Infrastructure & Technology (local)
    • Plenary (Australia)
    • WCT International (Malaysia)
    • Al-Bawani (local)
    • Egis (France)
    • Mada International Holding (local)
    • Vision Invest (local)
    • Almutlaq Real Estate Investment Company (local)
    • Samsung C&T (South Korea)
    • Sarh Developments (local)
    • IC Ictas (Turkiye)
    • Kalyon (Turkiye)
    • Saudi Binladin Group (local)
    • Lamar Holding (Bahrain​)

    EPC Contractors

    • SkyBridge (US)
    • Avic (China)
    • Saudi Pan Kingdom Company (local)
    • Fas Energy & Infrastructure (local)
    • Alghanim International (Kuwait)
    • Abdul Ali Al-Ajmi (local)
    • Technical Development Company for Contracting (local)
    • China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (China)
    • Almansouryah General Contracting (local)
    • Al-Fahd Company (local)
    • YDA Insaat (Turkiye)
    • China Harbour Engineering Company (China)
    • Rowad Modern Engineering (Egypt)
    • Abdullah Fahad Al-Khaledi Company for General Contracting (Saudi Arabia)
    • Shade Corporation (local)
    • Al-Ayuni Investment & Contracting (local)
    • Setec (France)
    • International Hospitals Construction Company (local)
    • Arkad Engineering & Construction Company (local)
    • Alrawaf Trading & Contracting (local)
    • Abdulrahman Saad Alrashid & Sons (local)
    • Mistacoglu Holding (Turkiye)
    • Al-Jaber Contracting (Qatar)
    • Mobco Construction (local)
    • Sateaa Al-Tameer for Real Estate Development & Investment (local)
    • China State Construction Engineering Corporation Ltd (China)
    • China Construction Excellence Company (China)
    • Safari Company (Saudi Arabia)
    • Al-Sharif Group Holdings (local)
    • Nayef Abdulkarim Company Al-Rakhis Contracting Company (local)
    • Al-Yamama (local)
    • Almabani (local)
    • Buna Al-Khaleej Contracting (local)

    Operators

    • Annasban Group (local)
    • Indiza Airport Management (South Africa)
    • GMR Airports (India)
    • Flynas (local)
    • Bangalore International Airport Limited (India)
    • Idemia Public Security (France)
    • Saudi Ground Services (local)
    • Oman Airports Management Company (Oman)
    • Al-Qussie International (local)
    • Serco Saudi Arabia (local)
    • Al-Shams National Global Energy (local)
    • DAA International (Ireland)
    • TAV Airports (Turkiye)

    Advisors

    • Contrax International (UAE)
    • Typsa (Spain)
    • Ghesa Ingenieria Y Tecnologia (Spain)
    • Pini Group (Switzerland)
    • Hill International (United States)
    • Walter P Moore Engineering Consultants (United States)
    • Foster + Partners (UK)
    • Arabtech Jardaneh (Jordan)
    • Currie & Brown (UK)
    • Meinhardt (Singapore)
    • Populous (UK)

    Equity Investors

    • Namaya International Investment Company (local)
    • Zamil Group Investment Company (local)
    • Buhur for investment (local)
    • Asyad Holding (local)
    • IDS Consulting (local)
    • Al-Gassim Investment Holding (local)
    • Erada Advanced Projects (local)
    • Sumou Global Investment (local)
    • Abrdn Investcorp Infrastructure Partners (Bahrain)

    ​Financial Institutions

    • Bank Aljazira (local)
    • Arab National Bank (local)
    • Piper Sandler​ Companies (United States)

    ​​Other

    • Middle East ​Tasks Company Metco (local)

    The project scope includes the redevelopment of the passenger terminal as well as other associated facilities such as airside infrastructure, including runway, taxiways and aprons.

    The project will be developed on a design, finance, construction, operations, maintenance and transfer basis.

    The clients issued an expression of interest notice for the project on 9 February, and companies were given until 23 February to submit responses.

    The latest development follows Matarat Holding and NCP prequalifying five teams to bid for a contract to develop the new Taif international airport project in Mecca Province in January.

    According to local media reports, four consortiums and one standalone company have been prequalified to proceed to the next stage of the project.

    The new Taif International airport will be located 21 kilometres southeast of the existing Taif airport, with a capacity to accommodate 2.5 million passengers by 2030.

    The clients opted for a 30-year build-transfer-operate (BTO) contract model, including the construction period.

    Previous tenders

    The Taif, Hail and Qassim airport schemes were previously tendered and awarded as public-private partnership (PPP) projects using a BTO model.

    Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation (Gaca) awarded the contracts to develop four airport PPP projects to two separate consortiums in 2017.

    A team of Tukiye’s TAV Airports and the local Al-Rajhi Holding Group won the 30-year concession agreement to build, transfer and operate airport passenger terminals in Yanbu, Qassim and Hail.

    A second team, comprising Lebanon’s Consolidated Contractors Company, Germany’s Munich Airport International and local firm Asyad Group, won the BTO contract to develop Taif International airport.

    However, these projects stalled following the restructuring of the kingdom’s aviation sector.

    Saudi Arabia has already privatised airports, including the $1.2bn Prince Mohammed Bin Abdulaziz International airport in Medina, which was developed as a PPP and opened in 2015.

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/15922809/main.png
    Yasir Iqbal
  • Egypt brings new gas wells online

    10 March 2026

    Egypt has brought new wells online in the Mediterranean Sea and the country’s Western Desert region, according to a statement from Egypt’s Petroleum & Mineral Resources Ministry.

    In the Mediterranean, the second well in the West El-Burullus (WEB) offshore field was brought online, increasing the field’s output from about 25 to 37 million cubic feet a day (cf/d).

    The project is being developed and produced through a joint‑venture vehicle known as PetroWeb, in which the lead partner is US-based Cheiron.

    The production is forecast to exceed 70 million cf/d following the connection of the third well in the coming days, while the drilling of the fourth well has been completed with promising results, according to the ministry.

    The development plan includes drilling two additional wells on the Papyrus platform, linked to WEB, to maximise the utilisation of the concession area's resources and accelerate production.

    The well in the Western Desert has been brought on by Badr El-Din Petroleum Company (Bapetco), which is a joint venture of London-headquartered Shell and state-owned Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation.

    Production tests showed rates of 10-15 million cf/d, in addition to 300–650 b/d of condensate, according to Egypt’s Petroleum & Mineral Resources Ministry.

    The latest well has increased the confirmed reserves in the area from 15 billion cubic feet to 25 billion cubic feet.

    Four more production wells are planned for in the Badr El-Din concession as Bapetco continues its push to ramp up production from the field.

    Egypt is pushing to increase domestic production of gas amid soaring global prices due to the US and Israel’s war with Iran.

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/15916500/main.jpg
    Wil Crisp