meed-logo

line1 line2 line3
SIGN IN / REGISTER

Water developers adopt selective stance

19 September 2024

 

UAE-based utility Sharjah Electricity & Water Authority (Sewa) and Saudi water offtaker Saudi Water Partnership Company (SWPC) each received a single bid for their recently tendered independent water producer (IWP) projects.

An all-local team comprising Acwa Power, Haji Abdullah Alireza & Company (Haaco) and AlSharif Contracting & Commercial Development submitted the sole proposal for the contract to develop the Jubail 4 and 6 IWP schemes in Saudi Arabia.

This is a far cry from the four bids SWPC received in 2020 for a contract to develop and operate the Jubail 3B IWP.

However, the fact that SWPC received only two bids for the contract to develop the smaller Ras Mohaisen IWP in April this year indicates that utility or water developers and investors have increasingly adopted a more selective stance when it comes to bidding for new projects.  

"Combined, Jubail 4 and 6 is a large project and most developers are tied up with other ones, as there are many IWPs under way at the moment, not only in Saudi Arabia but throughout the GCC," says Robert Bryniak, CEO at Dubai-based Golden Sands Management (Marketing) Consulting.

The Jubail 4 and 6 seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) plants will have a total combined capacity of 600,000 cubic metres a day (cm/d) and will be developed under one contract.

In comparison, the Ras Mohaisen IWP has a capacity of 300,000 cm/d, while Sewa's Hamriyah IWP will have a capacity of 410,000 cm/d. 

Bryniak says that many developers are at, or near, their capacity and this makes it difficult to make short-term commitments without paying significantly more for skilled workers and key equipment component parts. 

"Developers may be shying away from some of the larger projects because of this, especially knowing that tariffs need to be competitive to win.

"Developers have to spend significant amounts just to bid on a project and, if unsuccessful, this sunk cost needs to be eventually recouped on future projects. And I think this is resulting in developers being more selective in terms of the projects they go after, focusing more on those where they believe they have a good chance of winning."

The case is slightly different for the Hamriyah IWP, which is Sharjah's first major SWRO project to be procured on a public-private partnership (PPP) basis.

Acwa Power submitted the sole proposal for the contract to develop the project in December last year.

"This is Sharjah’s first IWP and, unlike other jurisdictions such as Oman, Abu Dhabi and Saudi Arabia, the emirate has yet to establish a track record with PPPs, especially in power and water," explains Bryniak

Given several false starts and issues with past PPPs, it is likely that developers will shy away and focus their efforts on more established – and financially stronger – offtakers elsewhere in the region.

Known for its strong risk appetite, Acwa Power signed the water procurement agreement with Sewa earlier in September and a team of France's Sidem and its parent company Veolia has been selected as the project's engineering, procurement and construction contractor.

This means discussions with banks and financial institutions could be nearing their conclusion, leading to the start of the project's construction. 

Once the Hamriyah IWP reaches financial close and commercial operations, Bryniak says Sewa should be able to attract more developers for future IWPs. 

Going forward, procurers could also consider adopting new or additional measures to attract more developers to their future IWP projects and avoid incurring higher tariffs.

A UAE-based executive with an international developer says that in some cases the quality of the request for proposals (RFPs) being issued can be improved.

MEED understands some of the recent RFPs lack comprehensive information or details, which leads contractors to add higher contingency costs to cover risks. 

Bryniak concurs, adding that going forward, procurers throughout the GCC will need to spend more time and effort marketing and promoting their IWPs, and will need to be more selective in terms of timing, in order to optimise competition.

"They may also need to consider modifying their procurement processes to attract more bidders. Otherwise, they might continue to realise only one or just a few bidders, with likely higher tariffs in the near term."

https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/12557172/main5039.gif
Jennifer Aguinaldo

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

Click here to register
Exclusive from Meed
Related Articles
  • Egypt approves plans for 869MW wind power plant

    22 June 2026

    Egypt’s Cabinet has approved plans for French renewable energy developer Voltalia to develop an 869MW wind power project.

    The scheme will be built on land allocated by the New & Renewable Energy Authority (NREA), according to a statement posted by the Cabinet following its most recent weekly meeting.

    Voltalia will make an initial investment of $53m and has committed to achieving commercial operations by December 2028.

    Voltalia already operates the 32MW Ra solar plant at the Benban solar complex in Aswan and is expanding its renewable energy portfolio in Egypt.

    Previously, in 2024, it signed a framework agreement with Egypt’s Taqa Arabia to develop a green hydrogen and renewable power cluster near the Ain Sokhna port in the Suez Canal Economic Zone.

    The green hydrogen development is planned in two phases, each centred on a 500MW electrolyser powered by more than 1.3GW of renewable generation capacity. The project, still in its early stages, is expected to produce up to 350,000 tonnes of green ammonia a year.

    Voltalia’s partnership with Taqa Arabia also includes plans for a 3.2GW hybrid wind and solar project to repower the existing 545MW Zafarana wind farm in Suez Governorate. The Cabinet statement did not indicate whether the newly approved 869MW wind project forms part of that proposal.

    Meanwhile, the developer won another contract, earlier this year, to develop a 132MW solar power project in Tunisia’s Gabes region.

    The project, known as Wadi, marked Voltalia’s third major solar award in the country after the Sagdoud and Menzel Habib projects awarded in 2024.

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/17376730/main.jpg
    Mark Dowdall
  • Local firm signs Jeddah drainage contracts

    22 June 2026

    Local contractor Alkhorayef Water & Power Technologies (AWPT) has announced it has signed two contracts with Jeddah Municipality to operate and maintain stormwater and surface water drainage networks across the city.

    The contracts have a combined value of SR202.06m ($53.9m), and each will run for five years.

    The first contract, valued at SR108.46m ($28.9m), covers the operation and cleaning of stormwater and surface water networks in the South and Al-Malisa sub-municipalities.

    The second contract, worth SR93.59m ($25m), covers similar services for the Airport Sub-Municipality.

    In March, MEED reported that the firm had won a long-term contract to carry out work in the airport’s sub-municipality area. The agreement was signed on 16 June.

    Elsewhere, construction has yet to begin on phases one and two of the King Abdullah Road-Falasteen Road tunnel project, each valued at about $175m.

    According to sources, Jeddah Municipality selected Saudi contractor Thrustboring Construction Company to build the large-diameter stormwater drainage tunnels in 2025. However, an official agreement has yet to be signed.

    The municipality was also previously planning to rehabilitate the existing Al-Zahra pumping station. Prequalification for the project began in 2020; however, it is understood that the main contact tender was cancelled last year.

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/17376097/main.jpg
    Mark Dowdall
  • Qiddiya seeks contractors for indoor arena project

    22 June 2026

     

    Register for MEED’s 14-day trial access 

    Saudi Arabian gigaproject developer Qiddiya Investment Company (QIC) has invited contractors to prequalify for a contract to build an indoor sports arena within its Qiddiya entertainment city project.

    The invitation was issued on 21 May, with a submission deadline of 28 June.

    The multipurpose arena is designed to International Olympic Committee standards.

    It will be located in District 18, in the Uptown South area of Qiddiya.

    Once completed, the indoor arena will be capable of hosting a wide range of sports, cultural and entertainment events.

    The arena will feature numerous sports courts for basketball, handball, futsal, volleyball, tennis, boxing and gymnastics.

    It will have a seating capacity of 18,000 spectators.

    The project is scheduled for completion by 2030.

    QIC’s other major projects include an e-sports arena, the National Tennis Centre, Prince Mohammed Bin Salman Stadium, a motorsports track, a racecourse, the Dragon Ball and Six Flags theme parks, and Aquarabia.

    QIC opened the Six Flags theme park to the public in December last year.

    The park covers 320,000 square metres and features 28 rides and attractions, including 10 thrill rides and 18 aimed at families and young children.

    The Qiddiya project is a key part of Riyadh’s strategy to boost leisure tourism in the kingdom.

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/17375504/main.jpg
    Yasir Iqbal
  • Egypt signs gas deal with Harbour Energy

    22 June 2026

    Egypt’s Ministry of Petroleum & Mineral Resources has signed a new agreement with London-headquartered Harbour Energy.

    Under the scope of the agreement, Harbour Energy will drill two new exploration wells and carry out maintenance work for one of the existing wells within the Dsouq-1 development contract.

    Harbour Energy committed an initial $6m investment and a $1m signing bonus for the Dsouq concession. Total investment could rise to $18m if commercial discoveries are made.

    The signing was witnessed by Egypt’s Minister of Petroleum, Karim Badawi.

    He said that his ministry is continuing to implement a package of investment measures and incentives aimed at encouraging partners to increase investments and intensify exploration, development and production activities.

    The agreement was signed by Syed Saleem, a member of the executive branch of the state-owned Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company (EGAS), and Samah Sabry, the executive director of Harbour Energy for the Middle East and North Africa region.

    Harbour Energy drilled two new wells in Egypt during the fiscal year 2025/2026, resulting in the addition of reserves estimated at 35 billion cubic feet of gas.

    The company aims to drill three new exploration wells during the fiscal year 2026/2027.

    Egypt is currently pushing to boost the production of both oil and gas in its territory.

    Earlier this month, Egypt’s Ministry of Petroleum & Mineral Resources announced that it had fully settled all outstanding arrears owed to oil and gas companies.

    Two years ago, in June 2024, the country owed approximately $6.1bn to partners in the oil and gas sector.

    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/17374536/main4731.jpg
    Wil Crisp
  • Iran invites companies to register for Kharg Oil Terminal development

    22 June 2026

     

    Iran has invited companies to participate in a project to develop the existing Kharg Oil Terminal, according to documents released by the state-owned National Iranian Oil Company and Iranian Oil Terminals Company.

    The project focuses on developing units capable of receiving, storing and exporting extra-heavy West Karun crude oil at a rate of 700,000 barrels a day.

    The scope of the project includes design, purchase, installation and commissioning of the new facility.

    The contract will use the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) model, according to the tender documents.

    The project aims to use existing oil storage tanks and reconstruct the deepwater crude oil export berth known as Berth Number One.

    The berth known as Berth Number Three will serve as a backup berth for the project.

    The winning bidder for the contract will be responsible for a range of works, including:

    • Carrying out all stages of verification of the project’s basic design, design and engineering
    • Supply and procurement of goods and materials
    • Execution and installation
    • Pre-commissioning and commissioning

    The project is expected to take 30 months to complete, and the winning contractor will also be responsible for maintaining the facility for a further 12 months.

    Companies that wish to submit bids need to do so through Iran’s Government Electronic Procurement System (Setad).

    Companies interested in participating in the tender have seven days from the publication of the tender notice to receive the documents.

    They then have a further 14 days to upload the required documents into the government procurement system.

    Iran exports most of its oil via the Kharg Oil Terminal on Kharg Island.

    US President Donald Trump said strikes in mid-March “obliterated” Kharg’s military assets but did not target the island’s oil infrastructure.

    He warned that if Iran continued disrupting traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, he would reconsider the decision to spare energy targets on the island.

    Trump has threatened several times to take “control” of Kharg Island, but he has not yet followed through on this threat.

    The small coral island is located 33 kilometres from Iran’s coast and has strategic importance because Iran’s coastline is mostly too shallow for large tanker ships to dock.

    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/17374518/main.jpg
    Wil Crisp