meed-logo

line1 line2 line3
SIGN IN / REGISTER

Veolia’s Rabat project moves to design

9 April 2025

 

French water, waste and energy services firm Veolia is undertaking the detailed design for a new water desalination plant in Morocco.

Estelle Brachlianoff, the firm’s chief executive, told MEED that her firm is undertaking the detailed design for the planned Rabat independent water project (IWP) in the North African state and expects this phase to be completed this year.

“We will make an announcement hopefully this year,” she said, referring to the project’s next stage leading to its construction.

Veolia signed a memorandum of agreement with the Moroccan government in October last year to develop the planned seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) plant.

Located near Rabat on the Atlantic coast and catering to the Rabat-Sale-Kenitra and Fes Meknes regions, the facility is expected to have a capacity to treat up to 822,000 cubic metres a day (cm/d) of seawater.

MEED understands the project’s preliminary design and feasibility studies were completed within four months.

The project is one of nearly two dozen deals involving French entities that were signed and announced on 28 October during French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to Rabat.   

Veolia says the project will supply drinking water to regions “particularly affected by drought”.

The project will be structured as a public-private partnership (PPP), with Veolia involved for over 35 years in the construction, financing and operation of the plant.

The combined population of the four regions the plant will cater to is roughly 9.3 million.

According to Veolia, its total contracted municipal desalination capacity in the Middle and Near East is more than 7 million cubic metres a day.

The majority of these desalination plants use RO to treat seawater, with only two major plants in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait using the older multi-effect distillation technology.

Photo credit: Sur desalination plant in Oman (for illustrative purposes only)

https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/13641090/main.jpeg
Jennifer Aguinaldo

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

Click here to register
Exclusive from Meed
Related Articles
  • Firms submit Dubai Metro Gold Line bids

    10 June 2025

    Dubai’s Roads & Transport Authority has received bids from consultants for Dubai Metro’s Gold Line.

    US-based Aecom submitted the lowest-priced offer at AED628m ($171m) for the five stages of the consultancy work available on the project.

    Aecom’s price is about 18% lower than the second-lowest-priced offer of AED765m, which was submitted by UK-based Mott MacDonald.

    The other offers are AED843m from US-based Parsons and AED1.16bn from Canada’s AtkinsRealis.

    Lebanon’s Dar Al-Handasah submitted an offer of AED105m, which is understood to cover part of the consultancy work.

    Stage one covers the concept design; stage two the preliminary design; and stage three preparing tender documents. Stage four covers construction supervision, and stage five covers the defects and liability period.

    The Gold Line will start at Al-Ghubaiba in Bur Dubai. It will run parallel to – and alleviate pressure on – the existing Red Line, before heading inland to Business Bay, Meydan, Global Village and residential developments in Dubailand.

    Blue Line

    Dubai is also progressing with another metro project. A day earlier on 9 June, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, and Ruler of Dubai, attended the foundation stone laying ceremony of the Dubai Metro Blue Line.

    The contract to build and supply equipment for the Blue Line was awarded in December last year. The RTA awarded a AED20.5bn main contract to a consortium of Turkiye’s Limak Holding; Mapa Group, also of Turkiye; and the Hong Kong office of China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation.

    The Blue Line consists of 14 stations, including three interchange stations at Al-Jaddaf, Al-Rashidiya and International City 1, as well as an iconic station in Dubai Creek Harbour. By 2040, daily ridership on the Blue Line is projected to reach 320,000 passengers. It marks the first Dubai Metro line to cross Dubai Creek on a 1,300-metre-long viaduct.

    At the foundation stone ceremony, Sheikh Mohammed approved the design of the Emaar Properties Station at Dubai Creek Harbour, which will be the highest metro station in the world, standing at 74 metres. It has been designed by US architect Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM).

    Upon the completion of the Blue Line, Dubai's total railway network will extend from 101 kilometres to 131km. This includes 120km for the Dubai Metro and 11km for Dubai Tram. The number of metro and tram stations will increase from 64 to 78, encompassing 67 stations for the Dubai Metro and 11 stations for the Dubai Tram.

    Additionally, the fleet will expand from 140 to 168 trains, including 157 for the Dubai Metro and 11 for the Dubai Tram.

    READ MORE: UAE accelerates its $60bn transport push

     

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

    Gulf accelerates AI and data centre strategy; Baghdad keeps up project spending, but fiscal clouds gather; Banking stocks rise despite lower global oil prices

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

    > GULF PROJECTS INDEX: Gulf projects index leaps 4.3%
    To see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click here
    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/14041280/main.jpg
    Colin Foreman
  • Work progresses on multiple industrial city projects

    10 June 2025

    The Royal Commission for Jubail & Yanbu (RCJY) has awarded a number of large contracts totalling more than $337m over the past six months for the expansion and modernisation of infrastructure across three of its industrial cities. 

    Awarded to local contractors, the contracts are:

    In Jubail 

    • Construction of education facilities to accommodate 18,000 students and 1,500 teaching and support services staff; awarded to Al-Rajhi Building & Construction for SR331.9m ($89.7m)
    • Completion of six student dormitory buildings at Jubail Industrial College; awarded to Shar Company for SR316.4m
    • Development of basic facilities in the Mardouma neighbourhood, covering roads, potable water, treated wastewater, sewage and drainage networks, and a water transmission pipeline; awarded to Mofarreh Al-Harbi for SR127.8m 

    In Yanbu

    • The third phase of construction of seven residential buildings in Al-Aziziyah 1A; awarded to Samman Construction for SR63.3m

    In Ras Al-Khair

    • Extensive road works comprising the construction of a 2-kilometre section of the East-West Road, an additional lane on the East-West Road 10, new intersections along Highways 415 and 422, site preparation works, two conveyor culverts and street lighting facilities; awarded to Rashid Contracting Establishment for SR204.4m
    • Construction of the Western Ras Al-Khair Road connecting the naval base with the entrance to Ras Al-Khair industrial city; awarded to Mofarreh Al-Harbi for SR204.2
    • Development of the water evacuation area covering site preparation, secondary infrastructure, road works, and a stormwater and flood drainage network; awarded to Mofarreh Al-Harbi for SR51m
    • The development of site area development B phase three, covering the basic infrastructure works over an area of 1,430 hectares; awarded to Mofarreh Al-Harbi for SR90m
    • The repair and rehabilitation of Highway 7; awarded to Technical Development Contracting Company for SR68.7m

    Saudi Arabia’s industrial cities remain the backbone of the kingdom’s manufacturing base, accommodating critical hydrocarbons export facilities and associated downstream processing facilities.

    Investing in basic infrastructure such as roads, drainage networks and accommodation units is therefore considered essential for Riyadh’s plans to attract industrial investment and expand its non-oil manufacturing output.

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

    Gulf accelerates AI and data centre strategy; Baghdad keeps up project spending, but fiscal clouds gather; Banking stocks rise despite lower global oil prices

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

    > GULF PROJECTS INDEX: Gulf projects index leaps 4.3%
    To see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click here
    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/14041016/main.gif
    Edward James
  • Spanish/local team wins Egypt wastewater treatment deal

    10 June 2025

    Spain’s Acciona and the local DHCU have been awarded a €35m ($40m) contract by the Construction Authority for Potable Water and Wastewater (CAPW) to manage the operation and maintenance of phase two of the Gabal El-Asfar wastewater treatment complex in Egypt for eight years.

    The contract involves rehabilitation and upgrade works across two plants within the complex, each with a treatment capacity of 500,000 cubic metres a day (cm/d).

    In 2022, Acciona and DHCU were awarded the contract for the operation, maintenance and enhancement of phase one of the plant, which has a capacity of 1.5 million cm/d.

    In 2013, Acciona, with local firm Hassan Allam Construction and Germany's Passavant, was awarded the contract to construct the Gabal El-Asfar wastewater treatment plant. It was designed to handle 500,000 cm/d of wastewater and was completed over a four-year period.

    Acciona has also partnered with CAPW to manage the water infrastructure for the upper-level supply network in New Cairo, a satellite city located approximately 30 kilometres east of the capital. This project involves sourcing water from the Nile River, transporting it to a drinking water treatment facility, and ensuring its treatment and storage before distribution to consumers.

    Gabal El-Asfar is said to be the largest wastewater treatment facility in both Africa and the Middle East, and ranks as the third largest globally in terms of treatment capacity, processing 2.5 million cm/d to serve the eastern regions of Cairo – home to approximately eight million residents.

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/14040319/main.png
    Colin Foreman
  • China Energy wins Egypt’s first waste-to-energy project

    10 June 2025

    China Energy Engineering International Group has won the contract to build Egypt’s first waste-to-energy (WTE) project.

    The Abrawashu waste-to-energy project in Giza will have a total installed capacity of 30MW and a waste treatment capacity of 1,200 tonnes a day.

    The project includes the design, procurement, construction and commissioning of the entire power plant.

    MEED reported in 2023 that the Egyptian authorities had signed contracts for the country’s first WTE plant, to be located in Abu Rawash, Giza.

    The consortium developing the project, Renergy Group, consists of the National Organisation for Military Production (MOMP), Green Tech Egypt and Bahrain-headquartered OAK Holdings.

    The project will be implemented using a design-build-own-operate model and will require an investment of about $120m.

    The plant will operate for 25 years, after which the ownership of the asset will be transferred to the Giza Governorate.

    In addition to the estimated $120m in foreign investments, the developer team has committed to awarding approximately 40% of the contracts to Egyptian companies.

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

    Gulf accelerates AI and data centre strategy; Baghdad keeps up project spending, but fiscal clouds gather; Banking stocks rise despite lower global oil prices

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

    > GULF PROJECTS INDEX: Gulf projects index leaps 4.3%
    To see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click here
    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/14040297/main.gif
    Colin Foreman
  • Morocco signs UK agreement for World Cup projects

    10 June 2025

    Morocco and the UK have signed an agreement to collaborate on critical infrastructure projects ahead of football’s 2030 World Cup.

    The agreement was signed during a visit to Morocco by UK foreign secretary David Lammy on 1 June.

    The outline of the agreement was detailed in a joint communique: “2030 World Cup government-to-government partnership agreement, signed between the UK Department of Business and Trade and Morocco’s minister delegate of budget, to progress UK-Morocco collaboration on critical infrastructure projects ahead of tournament.”

    Morocco has made progress on a variety of infrastructure projects in preparation for the World Cup. For the venues themselves, it has started the tendering process for the Grand Stade Hassan II stadium in Casablanca. Six other stadiums will be renovated in the cities of Agadir, Casablanca, Fez, Marrakech, Rabat and Tangier.

    Another major infrastructure development recently was the award of $540m of contracts across nine packages for construction works on the Rabat-Casablanca continental expressway. The contracts were awarded to several local and Chinese firms.

    Tendering is also expected to start soon for a contract to build a new terminal at Morocco’s largest airport, Mohammed V International airport in Casablanca. The estimated $1.6bn expansion will increase the airport’s capacity to 30 million passengers a year.

    The joint Morocco/UK communique also said: “Regarding the 2030 Fifa World Cup, the UK reiterates its congratulations to Morocco on its successful bid to co-host the tournament. Morocco welcomes the UK government’s technical support and efforts to promote associated commercial opportunities for UK businesses across the value chain.

    “Both ministers expressed their commitment to collaborate on priority infrastructure projects ahead of the tournament, including by utilising support from the UK government, where relevant and jointly agreed, as well as expertise from the UK supply chain.”

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

    Gulf accelerates AI and data centre strategy; Baghdad keeps up project spending, but fiscal clouds gather; Banking stocks rise despite lower global oil prices

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

    > GULF PROJECTS INDEX: Gulf projects index leaps 4.3%
    To see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click here
    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/14036053/main.jpg
    Colin Foreman