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Saudi Arabia extends deadlines for water PPPs

3 February 2026

Saudi Arabia’s Water Transmission Company (WTCO) has extended the bid submission deadline for engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contracts for two major independent water transmission system projects.

The Jubail-Buraidah and the Ras Mohaisen-Baha-Mecca transmission projects were first tendered last September under the public-private partnership (PPP) model.

The initial deadlines for qualified contractors to submit technical and financial bids were 1 February and 5 February, respectively.

The new bid submission deadline for the Jubail-Buraidah project is 8 March.

Scheduled to begin construction in 2027, the scheme comprises an approximately 348-kilometre-long greenfield water transmission system with a capacity of 840,650 cubic metres a day (cm/d), delivering water from the Ashmasiah reservoirs to cities and towns in Al-Qassim province.

The project is large by WTCO standards. The company’s second phase of the Khobar-Hofuf system, completed in 2024, was 140km in length, with a capacity exceeding 530,000 cm/d. 

For the Ras Mohaisen-Baha-Mecca water transmission system project, the new bid submission deadline is 15 March.

The project involves constructing an approximately 325-kilometre-long greenfield independent water transmission system with a capacity of 542,000 cm/d, delivering water from Ras Mohaisen to the Adham and Aradhiyah regions.

Prequalification for both projects closed on 15 January.

It is understood that local firms Alkhorayef Water & Power Technologies and Mutlaq Al-Ghowairi Contracting Company (MGC) are among the firms qualified to bid for the Ras Mohaisen contract.

Saudi Arabia also has even larger independent water transmission pipeline (IWTP) initiatives under way. One such project, also linking Jubail and Buraidah, spans 587km and carries 650,000 cm/d.

MGC secured the EPC contract for this project in June last year. 

It will have a total cost of SR8.5bn ($2.2bn).

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

Spending on oil and gas production surges; Doha’s efforts support extraordinary growth in 2026; Water sector regains momentum in 2025.

Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the February 2026 edition of MEED Business Review includes:
To see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click here
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Mark Dowdall

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