meed-logo

line1 line2 line3
SIGN IN / REGISTER

Growth inevitable for the Saudi water sector

14 March 2024

Latest news on Saudi Arabia’s water sector:

> Sepco 3 and Wabag team wins Al Haer EPC package
> Miahona and Besix team signs Al Haer deal
> Ras Mohaisen bids due by end of March
> King Salman Park selects water package bidder
> Bid evaluation for Oxagon cooling continues
> Three consortiums form for Jubail-Buraydah scheme
> Firms to submit Neom water documents
> Neom’s utility projects take shape

 

The water sector is playing an increasingly important role as Saudi Arabia enters the execution phase of Vision 2030.

In the foreseeable future, the momentum to build water desalination, treatment, district cooling, storage and transmission facilities will only accelerate. This is due to the need to ensure security of supply, adopt a circular carbon economy and support the development of sports and tourism destinations such as Trojena at Neom, not to mention the kingdom's aggressive population growth,

Over a 10-year window, the sector had its best year in 2023, awarding contracts with a total value of approximately $10bn, some 50% higher than in 2022.

But 2024 looks to be even better than the previous year if the value of contracts awarded in the first two months is any indication.

Key clients, including Saline Water Conversion Company (SWCC), Saudi Water Partnership Company (SWPC) and National Water Company (NWC), along with Neom, have awarded contracts valued at more than $6.2bn as of mid-March. This equates to 63% of the value of contracts awarded in 2023 and 95% in 2022.

Trojena dams

In January, Italian contractor WeBuild awarded a single contract worth $4.7bn to construct dams at the Trojena mountain resort in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. The deal includes the construction of three dams that will form a freshwater lake for the Trojena ski resort.

Other schemes awarded so far this year include a package for sewage networks and pumping stations in Al-Khobar as well the expansion of an existing sewage treatment plant in the city; the second phase of the Arda water transmission system and the upgrade of the Hali dam and Shuiba water transmission system; and the Al Haer independent sewage treatment plant (ISTP) project.

2023 highlights

In 2023, water transmission and distribution (T&D) deals accounted for more than half, 54%, of the total contracts awarded in the kingdom’s water sector.

The water transmission segment's impressive performance hinged on the award of a contract to develop and operate the kingdom’s first independent water transmission pipeline (IWTP) project.

The $2.07bn Rayis-Rabigh IWTP project will have a length of 150 kilometres and transmit 500,000 cubic metres a day (cm/d) of drinking water between the two municipalities.

A team comprising the local Alkhorayef Water & Power Technologies Company, Spain’s Cobra Group and Egypt’s Orascom Construction won the contract to develop the Rayis-Rabigh IWTP scheme.

It offered a levelised water transmission cost of SR1.25678 a cubic metre for the build-operate-transfer (BOT) contract, which lasts 450 months, including the 30-month construction period.

The value of awarded water T&D contracts eclipsed those seen in the water desalination and treatment segments, although they individually registered sizeable contract awards uplift relative to 2022.

An estimated $1.3bn-worth of waste desalination contracts were awarded in 2023. These include the Rabigh 4 independent water project (IWP), awarded by SWPC, and the Jafurah IWP, which caters to Saudi Aramco’s gas development scheme.

A more diverse client base boosted the water treatment segment, which awarded over $2.1bn of contracts in 2023. While the kingdom’s potable water distributor and water treatment company, NWC, dominated the water treatment segment, real estate developers such as King Salman Park Foundation, Neom, The Red Sea Development Company and Roshn also awarded water treatment contracts last year as part of their flagship real-estate projects.

Notably, SWPC selected a bidder for the kingdom’s first independent strategic water reservoir (ISWR) project last year. 

A team comprising the local Vision International Investment Company, Kuwait's Gulf Investment Corporation and the UAE's Abu Dhabi National Energy Company (Taqa) proposed to develop the Juranah ISWR project for SRhals18.11 ($c4.83) a cubic metre.

The Juranah ISWR scheme is the first of several reservoir projects that SWPC intends to develop with private sector partners. It has a design capacity of 2.5 million cubic metres. The developer team has yet to reach financial close on the scheme as of March.

Unawarded projects

More than $31bn of projects are in the pre-execution phase across the kingdom’s five water segments, with T&D, desalination and water treatment accounting for over 80 per cent of the projects pipeline.

The three main stakeholders, SWPC, SWCC and NWC, are expected to continue to dominate future contract awards.


Bid evaluation is under way for water desalination engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) schemes tendered by SWCC, including the second phases of the Shuaibah and Yanbu water desalination plants. SWPC's second IWTP project, two IWPs and multiple NWC transmission schemes are in the bid phase and likely to be awarded in the remaining months of 2024.  

However, the trend whereby some of the largest real-estate developers are going ahead with tendering utility projects independent of these state-backed companies is expected to be sustained.

In addition to the SWCC spin-off, Water Transmission and Technologies Company (WTTCO), gigaproject developers such as Neom and its utility arm, Enowa, and the various royal commissions, among others, have sizeable contracts likely to be awarded over the next 12 to 18 months.

https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/11589706/main.jpg
Jennifer Aguinaldo

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

Click here to register
Exclusive from Meed
Related Articles
  • Oman begins procurement for truck road PPP

    2 July 2026

     

    Oman’s Ministry of Transport, Communications & Information Technology (MTCIT) has tendered a contract for the sultanate’s second public-private partnership (PPP) road scheme.

    The project spans 66 kilometres between Al-Buraimi and Al-Dhahirah governorates, starting at the Al-Khatm border crossing in Mahdah and ending at the Al-Fath area in Dhank.

    Under the scheme, the winning bidder will design, build, finance and transfer the project, which is specially designed for heavy vehicles.

    MTCIT issued the tender on 30 June. The deadline to purchase tender documents is 11 August, and the clarification period will run from 11 to 18 August.

    The bid submission deadline is 30 January 2027.

    In August 2023, Oman shortlisted five of the eight prequalified teams to compete for the Salalah-Thumrait truck road (STTR) project, the sultanate’s first PPP road project.

    The project failed to materialise beyond that point.

    In January, MEED reported that Oman is planning to establish a new commercial railway line to transport essential supplies between Salalah and Thumrait – an initiative understood to have preceded the STTR project. The railway is planned to be implemented as a PPP.

    The scheme comprises the construction of a railway line approximately 150-170km long. Two main stations are planned: Salalah Station, near the port and food storage facilities, and Thumrait Station, which will serve as a distribution hub for the surrounding areas.

    Trains are expected to be equipped with refrigerated and dry containers. The scheme aims to reduce transport costs between the two areas by 20%-30%, and Oman plans to pitch the project to major food companies to secure long-term transport contracts.

    The proposed project timeline is:

    • 2025: Conduct economic, technical and environmental feasibility studies
    • 2026: Launch the project for investment on a PPP basis
    • 2027-30: Construction of the railway line
    • 2031: Trial operations
    • 2032: Full commercial operations

    The project is touted as a key initiative under Oman Vision 2040, which aims to transform the sultanate into a global logistics hub.

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/17525698/main.jpg
    Yasir Iqbal
  • Acwa signs Mauritania gas IPP agreements

    2 July 2026

    Saudi Arabia’s Acwa has announced it has signed the public-private partnership (PPP) and power-purchase agreements for the 230MW N’diago combined-cycle gas turbine (CCGT) power plant in Nouakchott, Mauritania.

    The agreements cover the development, financing, construction and operation of the project. They were signed in Nouakchott in the presence of senior officials from the Mauritanian government and Acwa chairman Mohammad Abunayyan.

    The project is Mauritania’s first large-scale gas-fired independent power project (IPP). It is also expected to be the country’s first major gas-fired power plant procured through a PPP structure.

    The CCGT plant will provide 230MW of baseload generation capacity. It will use Mauritania’s domestic natural gas resources to supply the national grid.

    Separately, Mauritanian Electricity Company (Somelec) has been advancing procurement for the construction of a 50MW solar power and battery energy storage system IPP project. It issued an expression of interest request in May.  

    Mauritania currently has several wind and solar power projects in the early study stages, according to regional project tracker MEED Projects.

    There are also plans to build a 1,200MW wind power plant near Port Etienne in the Bay Province of Nouadhibou, for which China Energy Engineering was appointed as the main contractor in 2024. 

    Meanwhile, Acwa’s portfolio comprises 111 assets that are operational, under construction or in advanced development. These represent investments of SR468.9bn ($125bn).

    According to the company, it has a power generation capacity of 98GW, including 52.3GW of renewable energy, and manages 9.7 million cubic metres a day of desalinated water globally.

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/17525605/main.jpg
    Mark Dowdall
  • Saudi water sector awaits next catalyst

    2 July 2026

    Commentary
    Mark Dowdall
    Power & water editor

    Saudi Arabia’s water sector is entering a critical period as developers and investors wait for the next signal that the kingdom’s project pipeline is moving forward.

    Seven months have passed since preferred bidders were announced for the Arana and Hadda independent sewage treatment plant (ISTP) projects, which together will provide 350,000 cubic metres a day (cm/d) of treatment capacity. The projects had been expected to reach financial close in the second quarter of this year, but have yet to do so.

    In parallel, Saudi Arabia’s Vision Invest was selected as preferred bidder last December for the estimated $2bn Riyadh-Qassim independent water transmission pipeline (IWTP) project. It was reported at the time that the company had submitted a levelised tariff of SR2.627 ($0.70) a cubic metre, almost 20% below the next nearest bid. The project, which will comprise an 859-kilometre pipeline with transmission capacity of 685,000 cm/d, had been tipped to reach financial close this quarter.

    The uncertainty extends beyond projects awaiting financial close. The developer tender bid deadline was recently pushed back again for the $150m Riyadh East ISTP. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia’s Water Transmission Company (WTCO) is understood to be reviewing the delivery model for the Jubail-Buraidah and Ras Mohaisen-Baha-Mecca independent water transmission system (IWTS) projects.

    According to sources familiar with the plans, WTCO is considering establishing a special purpose vehicle that would take equity stakes in both schemes. This could further delay procurement for a project that has already seen multiple deadline extensions. Sharakat’s next wave of independent water projects (IWPs) is also in the pipeline. The first of these is not expected to be tendered until early 2027.

    According to regional project tracker MEED Projects, Saudi Arabia’s water infrastructure sector recorded $3.14bn-worth of awards in the first half of this year, substantially lower than the $7.58bn recorded during the same period in 2025.

    While activity has slowed, the longer-term outlook remains unchanged. Population growth and industrial expansion continue to drive demand for desalination, wastewater treatment and water transmission infrastructure. In the meantime, key stakeholders are looking for the next clear signal that the project pipeline is regaining momentum.

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/17510220/main.jpg
    Mark Dowdall
  • Contractor wins Jeddah road expansion deal in Riyadh

    2 July 2026

     

    The Royal Commission for Riyadh City (RCRC) has awarded a contract for the Jeddah Road Development Project in Riyadh.

    Local construction firm Saudi Pan Kingdom (Sapac) won the contract.

    Spanning 29 kilometres, the scheme includes 14 bridges and five lanes.

    Designed to handle up to 353,000 vehicles a day, the road is expected to be completed by 2028, with mobilisation works already under way.

    The project forms part of the third package of the RCRC’s Riyadh Main and Ring Road Axes Development Programme, which was announced in January.

    The other schemes include:

    > Taif Road Development Project: The project stretches 15km and includes four bridges, each with four lanes. It also features two tunnels. It will have a capacity of up to 200,000 vehicles a day and will enhance connectivity between Riyadh’s southern and western districts and the city centre.

    > Thumamah Road Development Project: The eastern section of the project will span 8km and include three bridges and three tunnels, linking the northern and eastern parts of Riyadh. The project will have a daily capacity of up to 200,000 vehicles.

    > King Abdulaziz Road Development Project: The northern section of the project stretches 4.7km and will include four bridges, four lanes and one tunnel, with a capacity of up to 450,000 vehicles per day.

    > Othman Bin Affan Road Development Project: The northern section will span 4.3km and include seven bridges and other related upgrades to enhance traffic flow across northern Riyadh. The project will have a daily capacity of up to 500,000 vehicles.

    > Second phase of engineering enhancements for congested areas: This project targets eight locations across the city’s road network, where advanced engineering solutions will be applied to reduce congestion and improve intersection performance, increasing traffic capacity by 40% to 60%.

    The contract for the Jeddah Road Development Project is the latest of several high-profile deals awarded by the RCRC recently. In May, it awarded an estimated SR5bn ($1.3bn) contract to construct the Sheikh Jaber Al-Sabah Road project in Riyadh.

    That contract went to a joint venture of Riyadh-based Al-Rashid Trading & Contracting Company (RTCC) and Turkiye’s IC Ictas.

    Stretching 12km, the project runs from Khurais Road to Al-Thumama Road and is a key component of the Second Eastern Ring Road scheme.

    Works include five interchanges: Prince Bandar, King Abdullah, Imam Abdullah, Dammam Road and Al-Thumama.

    In 2021, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud said the population of Riyadh would double to 15-20 million people by 2030. 

    He directed government entities to work closely with the RCRC to prepare the city’s development strategy.

    The RCRC’s major projects include Riyadh Metro, Riyadh Art, Sports Boulevard, King Salman International Park, Green Riyadh and several road development projects in the capital.

    READ THE JULY 2026 MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – click here to view PDF

    Stress test for Gulf aviation; Mixed performance as country outlooks diverge in the Levant; GCC tourism sector pivots from crisis to recovery mode.

    Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the July 2026 edition of MEED Business Review includes:
    To see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click here
    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/17523376/main.jpg
    Yasir Iqbal
  • Dubai announces First Al-Khail road development project

    2 July 2026

    Register for MEED’s 14-day trial access 

    Dubai’s Executive Council has announced the First Al-Khail Street Development project, which will run parallel to Sheikh Zayed Road.

    The scheme comprises a 15-kilometre elevated carriageway with three lanes in each direction.

    According to a Dubai Media Office statement, “The project will provide access to areas including Al-Barsha, Al-Quoz, Business Bay and Meydan.”

    “It is expected to serve more than 2.6 million people and reduce travel time on Sheikh Zayed Road by 51% during peak hours,” the statement added.

    Designed to accommodate more than 9,000 vehicles an hour, construction is expected to begin in the third quarter of 2027, with completion targeted for 2030.

    The development forms part of a wider AED18bn ($5bn) programme covering initiatives related to culture, trade, infrastructure, Emiratisation, finance, investment, urban planning and the city’s population census.

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/17523587/main.jpg
    Yasir Iqbal