Jordan's King calls Crown Prince; welcomes Saudi stance on rights of Palestinians    Takamol Holding to showcase advanced technology solutions and services at LEAP 2025    MoH summons person for spreading misinformation that ginger causes strokes    GEA hosts mass wedding of 300 couples at "Night of a Lifetime" celebration during Riyadh Season 300 cars and housing as gifts for the newlyweds    Makkah deputy emir inaugurates 179 educational projects in Makkah and Jeddah    7 Saudi hospitals advance in Brand Finance's 2025 rankings    Food Culture Festival kicks off in Riyadh's Diplomatic Quarter    Saudi Arabia to present 'The Um Slaim School: An Architecture of Connection' at Biennale Architettura 2025 Syn Architects explore Riyadh's architectural heritage, fostering new pedagogical approaches and global dialogue    Al Hilal reclaims top spot in AFC Champions League Elite with 4-1 win over Persepolis    USAID employees around the world will be placed on leave Friday and ordered to return to US    Billionaire philanthropist Aga Khan dies    At least ten people killed in Swedish school shooting, authorities say    Trump says US will 'take over' Gaza Strip and doesn't rule out using American troops    Royal Decree Enhances Integrity and Recovers Public Funds    SRMG Think hosts high-level discussion on IMF's latest GCC economic report in Riyadh    Trump: US aims to catch up Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund    PetroRent signing ceremony marks innovative collaboration between Petromin and Transregions to transform car rental and leasing services    Cristiano Ronaldo scores twice as Al Nassr thrashes Al Wasl 4-0 in AFC Champions League Elite    Al Ahli extends unbeaten run with 3-1 comeback win over Al Sadd in AFC Champions League Elite    Grammy Awards 2025: Beyoncé wins best country album    Bollywood star Saif Ali Khan 'out of danger' after attack at home in Mumbai    Order vs. Morality: Lessons from New York's 1977 Blackout    India puts blockbuster Pakistani film on hold    The Vikings and the Islamic world    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Jeddah water crisis nears end
By Waleed Al-Omair and Abdul Aziz Ghazzawi
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 25 - 02 - 2009

The water crisis in Jeddah should be over by the middle of this year, Abdullah Al-Hussayyin, the Minister of Water and Electricity, said Tuesday.
Al-Hussayyin also said that this year's summer would be one of the best for the province of Asir in terms of water availability.
“The test run for Al-Shu'aibah III Desalination Plant has started,” the minister said.
“We are still in the test run stage, but there is a discernable improvement in the supply of water.”
The plant that has not been handed over yet.
The minister made the remarks at a press conference following the launch of the National Water Company's Jeddah branch.
“As for water supply to Asir, we hope to keep desalination plant working at half capacity during annual maintenance,” he said, explaining that an unavoidable delay in the arrival of two water desalination barges would disrupt annual maintenance work at the plant as of Feb. 26.
The plant runs at half capacity during annual maintenance but the resultant shortage would be offset by the two barges, one of which has arrived and started production on Tuesday. The second barge would start production on March 12, he said.
By summer, Asir would have ample water supply from the desalination plant working at full capacity and the two barges producing 150,000 cubic meters of water, compared to the current supply of 100,000 cubic meters.
Drainage projects
The minister also spoke about the sanitary drainage projects under way in Jeddah, which have seen roads in several parts of the city dug up, inconveniencing residents and motorists.
He explained that the delay was because several integrated projects were under way simultaneously. These include building tunnels and bridges, and redeveloping districts that have sprouted in an unplanned manner.
The citywide sanitary drainage project has two sections, one in the airport area and the other in Al-Khumrah. Al-Hussayyin expects all the projects to be completed within three years.
The minister did not specify the water consumption tariff envisaged when the projects are completed, saying only that it is a sovereign decision. But he confirmed that the tariff would be increased to recover part of the developmental costs, as was reported when the water company was established.
The minister has signed contracts worth SR7 billion for the sanitary drainage projects in Jeddah.
He said the construction of flyovers and tunnels has led to alterations in some of the sanitary drainage contracts, and subsequent renegotiations with the contractors.
While Saudi Arabia has over 1,000 cities, villages and rural complexes, only 20 cities alone consume 80 percent of the total quantity of water produced, the minister said.
“What we are targeting in the foreseeable future is to cover these 20 cities. One of the first steps in this regard will be to privatize water supply in Makkah, Madina, Taif, Dammam, Al-Khobar and Dhahran, followed by the remaining cities,” he said.


Clic here to read the story from its source.