meed-logo

line1 line2 line3
SIGN IN / REGISTER

Sustainability drives water investments

29 December 2023

 

Growing water scarcity that could imperil long-term economic expansion plans in much of the Middle East and North Africa region continues to drive investments in improving the sector’s capacity and efficiency.

This spending covers projects to increase water desalination and water treatment capacity to meet growing demand more sustainably, as well as water transmission pipeline projects to reduce water loss and improve sanitation.

Other projects, such as reservoirs and district cooling, are also picking up as national and municipal governments work to improve water security and reduce the carbon footprint of buildings. 

Across the five sub-sectors, an estimated $22bn-worth of contracts were awarded between January and November 2023. This is nearly twice the previous year’s figure, according to data from regional projects tracker MEED Projects.

Saudi Arabia accounted for 43 per cent of the total contracts awarded, followed by the UAE at 23 per cent.

Key awards

Recent months have seen the award of several pioneering projects.

Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc) and Abu Dhabi National Energy Company (Taqa) awarded a 30-year build-own-operate-transfer (BOOT) contract for the first phase of Project Wave to a team of Egypt’s Orascom Construction and Metito in May this year. The scheme will replace the current aquifer water injection systems used to maintain reservoir pressure in all onshore oil fields in Abu Dhabi. It is expected to reduce the water injection-related energy consumption of the oil fields by up to 30 per cent.

The same month, a consortium including the local Alkhorayef Water & Power Technologies Company won a contract worth SR7.78bn ($2bn) to develop and operate the first independent water transmission pipeline (IWTP) project in Saudi Arabia. The Rayis-Rabigh scheme will be 150 kilometres (km) long and transmit 500,000 cubic metres a day (cm/d) of drinking water between the two municipalities.

Morocco’s National Office of Electricity & Drinking Water (Onee) also awarded a contract to develop and operate the first phase of a seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) desalination plant in Grand Casablanca – the first major independent water producer (IWP) scheme in the country. A team of Spain’s Acciona and the local Afriquia Gaz and Green of Africa won the 30-year build-operate-transfer contract for the scheme, which will require a total investment of $875m.

State utility Dubai Electricity & Water Authority (Dewa) awarded the contract for its first IWP to Saudi-based utility developer Acwa Power. The Hassyan 1 IWP, which has a capacity of 180 million imperial gallons a day (MIGD), will require an investment of AED3.36bn ($914m).

Neom and its subsidiary Enowa have also awarded over $900m-worth of water utility contracts in the first 11 months of 2023, while Saudi Aramco awarded the $750m Jafurah water desalination project to a local consortium of Al-Bawani, Mowah Company and Lamar Holding.  

While the majority of the contracts awarded in 2023 were procured on an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) basis, the largest individual contracts are schemes that are being implemented using the public-private partnership (PPP) model.

Saudi Arabia accounted for 43 per cent of the total water contracts awarded, followed by the UAE at 23 per cent

Future projects

Data from MEED Projects shows that close to $75bn of projects are in the pre-execution phase, with a third of this total already in the bidding stage.

Water transmission and pipeline projects account for about 35 per cent of the planned and unawarded projects, followed by water desalination and water treatment plants, which each have a share of approximately 25 per cent.

With its population expected to reach 50 million by 2030, Saudi Arabia accounted for more than 43 per cent of the planned and unawarded water projects in the Mena region.

Water offtaker Saudi Water Partnership Company (SWPC) plans to procure 50 independent water infrastructure projects, according to its latest Seven-Year Statement covering the years 2022-28.

In terms of water desalination capacity, SWPC plans to procure  3.5 million cm/d of capacity based on its 2022-28 plan, exclusive of the Ras Mohaisen IWP which is under bid. The Saline Water Conversion Corporation (SWCC) has also initiated several SWRO projects that are being procured using an EPC model.

Together, SWCC and SWPC, in addition to the National Water Company and its spin-off Water Transmission & Technologies Company, account for a projects pipeline of more than $20bn, or more than a quarter of the total.

Neom and Enowa are emerging as major water project clients, with each having planned projects valued at about $3bn. Enowa is the client for the planned zero liquid discharge SWRO plant in Neom, which will be developed by a team of Japan’s Itochu and France’s Veolia. The project has an estimated budget of $1.5bn.

Going forward, the largest potential client is Dubai Municipality, which has restarted a major project known as the Deep Tunnels Portfolio. The estimated $22bn scheme will be developed as a public-private partnership (PPP) initiative and will involve developing assets across the city of Dubai and Hatta.

The scheme involves the construction of two sets of deep tunnels terminating at two terminal pump stations located at sewerage treatment plants (STPs) in Warsan and Jebel Ali. A conventional sewage and drainage collection system and STPs will be built in Hatta. The scheme also includes recycled water distribution systems connected to the STPs.

Qatar is also expected to resume projects activity in 2024.  In addition to the water desalination component of the Facility E independent water and power project, Qatar’s Public Works Authority (Ashghal) is expected to issue the request for proposals for four contracts that make up the South of Wakrah and New District of Doha pumping station and outfall scheme in the first quarter of 2024.

In the UAE, Adnoc and Taqa are also expected to start the procurement process for the second phase of Project Wave in 2024. As with the Mirfa seawater treatment plant, the Al-Nouf facility will be developed and maintained as a BOOT project. 

Egypt’s plan to procure renewable energy-powered water desalination plants will provide investors and local contractors with opportunities in the coming months or years. In May, the Sovereign Fund of Egypt disclosed that 17 teams and companies had been qualified to bid for the contracts to develop up to 8.85 million cm/d of renewable energy-powered desalination capacity in the country. The tender for the first phase of these projects is expected to be issued soon.

Mena power rides high into 2024

https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/11339767/main.gif
Jennifer Aguinaldo

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

Click here to register
Exclusive from Meed
Related Articles
  • Sharjah developer launches Al-Mamzar towers scheme

    9 June 2026

    Local real estate developer Alef Group has launched a mixed-use development in the Al-Mamzar area of Sharjah. The Linar project is valued at AED4bn ($1.1bn) and comprises five residential towers and one commercial tower. Across the development, the 50- to 55-floor towers will offer a total of 2,620 residential units.

    With 325 metres of sea-facing frontage overlooking Al-Mamzar Beach, the development also includes retail and service spaces. Tower A, which forms part of Phase 1 of the project, is expected to be completed from 2030 onwards. 

    In a statement, the developer said that following strong demand for expressions of interest (EoIs) in Tower A, Alef Group expanded EoIs to include towers B and C. All Phase 1 EoIs have now been fully reserved, representing a total of 1,572 residential units with a combined value of over AED2bn. The group is preparing to open EoIs for towers D and E.

    In April, Alef Group awarded Abu Dhabi-based construction firm A&M International a AED750m contract to build the next phases of its Hayyan residential community in Sharjah. The scope includes the construction of more than 700 villas and townhouses across three clusters – Samr 1, Samr 2 and Deem – along with Hayyan Mall, a clubhouse and associated infrastructure works.

    The Hayyan masterplan includes seven residential clusters: Alma, Arim 1, Arim 2, Arim 3, Samr 1, Samr 2 and Samr 3.

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

    GCC looks beyond the Strait; Iraq’s reform window narrows as fiscal assumptions shatter; MEED Top 100 companies.

    Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the June 2026 edition of MEED Business Review includes:
    To see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click here
    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/17157150/main1720.jpg
    Colin Foreman
  • Record investment drives Jordan’s utilities market

    9 June 2026

     

    In April, Jordan signed the final technical and legal agreement for its landmark National Water Carrier Project, paving the way for the financial close of the kingdom’s largest planned water infrastructure project to date.

    The agreement represents a significant step forward for the scheme, which is now projected to reach $5.6bn in total costs, including financing, up from earlier estimates of $3.5bn.

    Paris-based investment and utility firms Meridiam and Suez were awarded the contract last year to develop the project in partnership with Jordan’s Water & Irrigation Ministry.

    Since then, multiple large-scale financing agreements have been put in place for the project, which is expected to supply about 40% of Jordan’s drinking water needs.

    While new contract awards have been limited in 2026, the successful execution of the Aqaba-Amman Water Desalination and Conveyance scheme will help reassure the market that large-scale infrastructure projects of this nature can move forward.

    The project is set to reduce the benchmark water cost from about $3 a cubic metre in 2024 to approximately $2.7 and is crucial to addressing Jordan’s severe water scarcity.

    Prime Minister Jafar Hassan recently said that the scheme, along with the Aqaba Port railway project, represented “the largest level of foreign investment in the kingdom’s history”.

    For its part, the government has said it will contribute $722m to the Aqaba-Amman project, representing the largest single capital expenditure in the state budget.

    Upcoming projects

    Looking forward, there is a healthier pipeline of new water projects, led by a two-phased wastewater treatment project at Wadi Zarqa.

    The first phase will have an initial capacity to treat 150,000 cubic metres a day (cm/d) of wastewater by 2030.

    The $150m second phase covers an independent sewage treatment plant with a capacity of 200,000 cm/d. Both tenders are expected to be released in the coming months.

    Two larger projects, valued at $300m each, are currently in the planning stages. Both are managed by Yarmouk Water Company and involve major transmission pipeline works in Ajloun and Irbid as part of the Jordan Water Sector Efficiency Project.

    The Jordan Water Sector Efficiency Project is a World Bank-backed programme aimed at reducing water losses, improving utility performance and enhancing the efficiency of water services across the kingdom.

    Power contracts

    Jordan’s power sector is set for a record-breaking year following the announcement that a $900m combined-cycle gas turbine (CCGT) plant will be developed in partnership with Etihad Development Company, a subsidiary of the UAE’s Etihad Water & Electricity (EtihadWE).

    The project will be developed under a build-own-operate model with Jordan’s National Electric Power Company (Nepco) purchasing electricity under a 25-year power-purchase agreement.

    For context, Jordan’s power sector saw just $33m in total contract awards in 2025, according to MEED Projects.

    The full-year total last exceeded $100m in 2022, when there were $111m of contract awards. The plant is expected to meet about 10% of Jordan’s electricity demand once operational.

    The kingdom has also been looking at other forms of power generation, such as Jordan’s first 450MW pumped hydroelectric energy storage project near Al-Mujib Dam.

    Earlier this year, US-headquartered K&M Advisors and France’s Artelia were appointed as transaction advisers to carry out the final feasibility study for the project, which is expected to be tendered in the third quarter of 2026.

    The Ministry of Energy & Mineral Resources (MEMR) is also planning to undertake the construction of a 1,000MW wind power plant and battery energy storage system near the Port of Aqaba in Jordan.

    The renewable energy scheme could potentially support the kingdom’s emerging green hydrogen industry, including a separate planned $1bn green ammonia and hydrogen project in Aqaba.

    In May, the project became the first publicly announced green ammonia project in Jordan to receive development approval from the Council of Ministers.

    The project would be developed by Jordan Green Ammonia, a special-purpose vehicle funded by the UAE-based 7Fidelity Group and Poland’s Hynfra.

    The project in Aqaba is expected to produce 100,000 tonnes a year of green ammonia from 2030

    Of approximately $6bn-worth of power projects in the pre-execution phase, it is worth noting that about $4.4bn are still in the early study or feed stages.

    Near-term awards are likely to come from several smaller substation and power generation schemes.

    Jordan-Syria power link

    Among the wider pipeline of regional opportunities, Jordan’s power sector could also benefit from efforts to restore electricity connectivity with neighbouring Syria.

    Syria’s Public Establishment for Transmission & Distribution of Electricity recently tendered a contract to repair the 400kV high-voltage interconnector transmission lines between the two countries.

    The works form part of Syria’s $146m Electricity Emergency Project, which is being financed through a World Bank grant and aims to restore critical electricity infrastructure across the country.

    The rehabilitation of the Syria-Jordan interconnector is expected to enable the import of up to 600MW of electricity and represents one of several initiatives under way to rebuild Syria’s power network following years of conflict and underinvestment.

    More broadly, Syria is emerging as an active power market in its own right. In April, Germany’s Siemens Energy signed manufacturing agreements for major power plant projects being developed by a consortium led by Qatar’s UCC Holding.

    The contracts cover combined-cycle power packages for the Zayzoun and Deir Azzour power plant projects, announced last year as part of a $7bn memorandum of understanding between the consortium and Syria’s Ministry of Energy.

    The May 2025 agreements include four combined-cycle gas turbine power plants in Traifawi, Homs and Zayzoun, Deir-Azzour and Mehardeh in Hama with an installed capacity of 4GW.

    Additionally, a 1GW solar power plant will be developed in Wedian Al-Rabee in Syria’s southern region.

    Most of these projects, awarded under concession agreements following a strategic memorandum of understanding framework, are due to come online in 2029.

    After years of inactivity, this is considerable progress. The next step is attracting sufficient interest in new and upcoming tenders. This will signal whether international contractors are ready to re-engage with the country’s power sector.

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/17157016/main.gif
    Mark Dowdall
  • PIF-owned Ardara tenders Al-Wadi sewer package

    9 June 2026

     

    Ardara, a subsidiary of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), has issued a tender for the trunk sewer diversion and associated works package at its Al-Wadi development in Abha in Saudi Arabia’s Asir region.

    The scope includes the construction of rainwater and flood drainage networks, roads and transport infrastructure, and associated works within the wider Al-Wadi project.

    The bid submission deadline is 15 June.

    The sewer diversion package, valued at about $20m, is part of Ardara’s wider Al-Wadi development in Abha. The company, launched by PIF in 2023, is developing the 2.5-square-kilometre Al-Wadi destination in Abha as a mixed-use tourism and lifestyle development. The project will include residential, hospitality, commercial and recreational assets. 

    As MEED understands, the sewer diversion works are expected to facilitate the development of future phases of the Al-Wadi project by relocating existing wastewater infrastructure within the site.

    The tender follows demolition works completed on the site last year.

    Previously, in 2024, US-based Parsons was appointed to provide project management and supervision services for the project.

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

    GCC looks beyond the Strait; Iraq’s reform window narrows as fiscal assumptions shatter; MEED Top 100 companies.

    Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the June 2026 edition of MEED Business Review includes:
    To see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click here
    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/17156098/main.jpg
    Mark Dowdall
  • Abu Dhabi selects team for 3.3GW Al-Nouf IPP

    9 June 2026

     

    State utility Emirates Water & Electricity Company (Ewec) has selected a preferred developer and contractor for the 3.3GW Al-Nouf independent power producer (IPP) project in Abu Dhabi, according to sources.

    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. 

    Japan’s Sumitomo Corporation has been selected as the preferred developer, with the power-purchase agreement (PPA) expected to be signed in the coming weeks, sources said.

    It is also understood that a joint venture of Spain’s Tecnicas Reunidas and Egypt’s Orascom Construction has been picked as the preferred engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor.

    Three developer consortiums submitted bids earlier this year, along with Sumitomo as the only company to bid individually.

    The bidders included:

    • Aljomaih Energy & Water (Saudi Arabia) / Sembcorp Industries (Singapore) / EDF Power Solutions (France)
    • Engie (France) / Korea Overseas Infrastructure & Urban Development Corporation (Kind) / Korea Western Power Company (Kowepo)
    • Korea Electric Power Corporation (Kepco) / Etihad Water & Electricity (EtihadWE) (UAE)
    • Sumitomo (Japan) 

    Ewec issued a request for proposals for the project last August. It had previously received statements of qualifications for the contract in April 2025.

    This follows confirmation earlier this month that Ewec has signed a PPA with a developer consortium for the 2.5GW Taweelah C IPP project.

    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.

    As MEED previously reported, both projects are following 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 for the Al-Nouf plant 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.

    > Be recognised among the best in the industry at the MEED Projects Awards 2026 …

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/17155245/main.jpg
    Mark Dowdall
  • Zoom launches new Saudi data centre at center3

    9 June 2026

    Zoom has announced a new data centre in Saudi Arabia to boost in-kingdom capacity for government and enterprise customers requiring local data residency.

    In a statement, Zoom said the data centre is located within center3, a Saudi-headquartered provider of carrier-neutral data centres and subsea cable systems linking Europe, Asia and Africa. Zoom said the data centre builds on its broader investment plans in the kingdom, including a $75m commitment made last year focused on artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled innovation and the advanced infrastructure required to scale it.

    Zoom said its existing regional data centre, established in 2023, already supports customers with local data residency requirements, while the new site will enhance services for government entities, enterprises and critical national infrastructure organisations.

    AI is an important part of Saudi Arabia’s economic growth plans leading up to 2030. In January, government officials confirmed that as the global economy is evolving rapidly with the rise of AI, some projects such as The Line at Neom have slowed down, while other projects related to the World Cup, Expo 2030, technology and AI have accelerated. 

    The largest AI project in the kingdom is being developed by Humain, which is owned by the Public Investment Fund (PIF). In May, it issued a tender inviting firms to develop infrastructure for its planned 6GW hyperscale AI data centre campus in Riyadh.

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/17155250/main.jpg
    Colin Foreman