Consortium to develop Saudi Arabia sanitation PPP

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Jeddah, Saudi Arabia (picture courtesy Atkins)
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia (picture courtesy Atkins)

Saudi Arabia’s National Water Company has marked progress with its first privatisation project by awarding a contract to a consortium to support it in developing three wastewater schemes to cover more than seven million people in Jeddah, Dammam and the Northern Border region.

The consortium is led by financial consultant Mizuho Bank and includes legal consultant White & Case and engineering consultancy Atkins, part of the SNC-Lavalin group.

According to a statement from Atkins, the three projects covering Jeddah, Dammam, Turaif, Arar and Sakaka will be developed using Build-Operate-Transfer / Build-Operate-Own (BOT/BOO) to finance the construction of wastewater treatment facilities. It says that currently a low percentage of the wastewater produced in the country is collected and treated.

Atkins says it will provide advice on public-private collaboration, along with input on technical requirements such as conceptual design of the wastewater treatment plant facilities, environmental impact review and guidance, and procurement and bid evaluation support.

In the company statement, Francoi-Xavier Basselot, Atkins’ market director for water in the Middle East, said: ‘With strong economic development and a rising population, the current sanitation infrastructure across the Kingdom is not adequate and needs to be expanded. Through these flagship projects, the NWC, with support from the consortium, will bring much needed improvements to the environment, ecology and public health for the citizens of Saudi Arabia.’

Keywords: 

  • Saudi Arabia, Atkins, municipal wastewater, PPP