CASH TO SPEND
- From: Vol 13, Issue 7 (July 2012)
- Category: Need to know
- Region: Middle East
- Country: Saudi Arabia
- Related Companies: Dow Chemicals, Marafiq, National Water Company and Saudi Aramco
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Cash-rich Saudi utilities are looking for big results over a short timeframe.
- The National Water Company wants to spend more than half a billion dollars on groundwater extraction, treatment and supply facilities serving the capital, Riyadh. The kicker is that the main contract, which involves 25 separate water treatment plants, will need to be completed within six months of the contract award. With the city suffering water shortages this year, the need for new supply is urgent, but some bidders are sceptical about how realistic the timescale is (See Saudis line up Riyadh water supply blitz).
- Meanwhile, industrial utility Marafiq is in the early stages of negotiating a water offtake agreement with Sadara, the Dow/Saudi Aramco petrochemicals JV that will fund a new desal plant in the industrial city of Jubail. Considering Marafiq is already working on procuring another hefty desal plant in the city, it is an indication of the importance of the industrial market to Saudi water and wastewater spending (See Marafiq to expand portfolio with BOO).
