AL-KHOBAR — National Water Company (NWC) is planning a capital expenditure of SR50 billion on new projects from 2013 to 2017 to improve and expand the Kingdom's water and wastewater infrastructure. Speaking at Saudi Arabian Energy EPC Projects 2013 conference in Al-Khobar, Yahya Al-Yousef, asset director at NWC, said the utility was planning to spend the money to expand its coverage of water services throughout the Kingdom's major cities. NWC currently manages water services in Riyadh, Jeddah, Makkah and Taif, which have a combined population of 10.6 million people and a daily potable water supply of 2.7 million cubic meters a day (cm/d). By the end of 2014, NWC is aiming to provide water and wastewater services for Madinah, Dammam and Al-Khobar, which will involve servicing a total population of 2.2 million and a daily potable water supply of 809,000 cm/d. Al-Yousef said that as of April 2013, NWC had 243 projects under construction with a total value of SR19.8 billion. He said "the majority of these were in Riyadh and Jeddah, with SR8.7 billion and SR8.3 billion-worth of projects under way in each respectively." Al-Yousef added, "In Makkah, projects worth SR1.5 billion are ongoing and SR1.3 billion worth of schemes were under way in Taif." NWC is planning to spend SR50 billion on projects in the seven cities it is providing water and wastewater services. The majority, SR18 billion will be spent in Riyadh, SR15.7 billion will be spent on water schemes in Jeddah, and SR10.7 billion will be invested in Makkah and Taif. "Approximately SR2.8 billion has been allocated for Medina and SR2.8 billion will be spent in the cities of Dammam and Al-Khobar in the Eastern Province." For water storage schemes, NWC is planning to build 8 million cubic meters of storage tanks in Riyadh and 6 million cubic meters of storage in Jeddah. Both water storage schemes are expected to be fast-tracked by the government. The water firm is also planning to build 1.2 million cubic meters of new sewage treatment capacity in Riyadh. The proposed project is part of Riyadh's efforts to increase water reuse in the capital and reduce its dependence on the import of desalinated water from Jubail. Authorities in Saudi Arabia have given approval to 32 new water and sewerage projects valued at SR325m ($87m), the Kingdom's water and electricity minister told the Saudi Press Agency. Abdullah Al-Hussayen said that the contracts included construction of reservoirs, pumping stations, sewerage networks and water treatment plants in parts of the country such as Tabuk, Najran, Al-Hafouf and Onaizah. Separately, Saudi announced in March that it would spend SR519 million on 29 water-related projects throughout the kingdom. Included in the projects are the construction of a reservoir in the Asir region and a conveyor line from a treatment plant and another sewage related project in the Qassim area, the agency said. A wastewater treatment plant in Hail is to be completed in 24 months and the operation and maintenance of pumping and treatment stations in the Asir province are also part of the projects the government is undertaking. Saudi Arabia is spending more than $500 billion to expand its infrastructure. An expected budget surplus in 2013 and the government drawing down its foreign assets, which stood at around $634.8 billion at the end of November 2012, will help finance its expenditure plans in the event of any shortfall in revenues, Jadwa Investment said in a report in February Construction is forecast to be the fastest growing sector in 2013, according to Jadwa. The Kingdom's economy is projected to grow 4.2 percent this year, slowing from about 6 percent in 2012, according to the International Monetary Fund.
