Lloyd Martin of Severn Trent Services with Kate Rudd British Consul General in Jeddah.JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia's water and environmental sector is attractive, British industry experts observed in a recent visit to the Kingdom. David Dales, Director of Water, Environment and Natural Resources of URS Scott Wilson, said: "We see Saudi Arabia as an expanding and interesting market in the water and environmental sector. In Jeddah, we are undertaking a waste management project for the municipality, as well as another separate wastewater project." URS Scott Wilson is a leading provider of engineering, construction and technical services around the world and already has an office in Riyadh, as well as a small office in Al-Khobar and a project team in Jeddah. The company is currently providing project management consultancy and technical expert support to the Al Haramain High Speed Line project management team, to assist with the timely construction of the project to the required standards of quality and safety. At a Water and Environment Seminar organized by British Water and UK Trade and Investment at the British Consulate-General in Jeddah last Friday, Andrew Winfield, Export Sales Manager for Permastore Ltd. spoke about their 'glass-fused-to-steel' storage tanks for use in the water and wastewater industry. The tanks are supplied in kit form and ensure much faster building times than, for example, the construction of large concrete tanks. They have the benefits of high quality and low maintenance as well as long-term protection without risk. Kate Rudd, the Consul-General, emphasized the importance of investment to meet the spiralling demand for potable water alongside the need for sewage treatment and the recycling of wastewater. She also pointed out the effects of climate change around the world: "As I speak, thousands are homeless, missing or dead in mudslides caused by torrential rain in Brazil. An area greater than the size of France and Germany is flooded in Australia; Sri Lanka is experiencing torrential rain and here in Jeddah on 28th December there was more rain in one day than is normally expected in an entire year. And yet Saudi Arabia is located in one of the most arid areas of the world. It seems that there's either not enough water, or far too much." Jeddah is currently the most populous city in the world without an integrated waste water system and Rudd pointed out that in the Kingdom, it is estimated that only 22 of the 106 municipal areas have a wastewater network. "More investment is needed to build new systems to meet the spiralling demand for drinking water and for sewage treatment. British companies can help Saudi Arabia address these challenges. UK Water and Environment companies have a world-class reputation and have the expertise and experience to meet international growing demand." Dr. Hatim Aseer AlMotairi from the Presidency of Meteorology and Environment (PME), in his speech, quoted Article 32 of The Basic Law of Governance which stipulates: "The state shall work towards the preservation, protection and improvement of the environment, as well as prevent pollution," and went on to explain PME's role in this work: "To raise environmental awareness, the PME implemented a package of measures, including the expansion of awareness-raising campaigns on environmental issues, holding workshops on environment and development, and establishing the National Centre for Environmental Awareness." The visiting delegates varied greatly in their experience of doing business in the Kingdom. Lloyd Martin, Regional Director of the GCC, Middle East & Africa for Severn Trent Services has visited Jeddah about 11 times. "On three of these visits," he said with some amusement, "It has rained intensively!" His organization is a major private water and wastewater company providing services to 11 million people in Europe and the US, including 8 million in the industrial heartland of England. "We don't have any contracts here yet," he explained, "but there are tenders scheduled in mid-2011for management contracts in Dammam and Al-Khobar. A partner is essential and we are pleased to be working at the moment with Miahona (part of the Abunayyan Group), i.e. part of ACWA Holdings - on the potential projects in the areas of O&M and Management Contracts," he said. They are also waiting on other joint venture contracts for Treated Sewage Effluent (TSE) with the National Water Company. Tim Hallam, Managing Director of Hy-Ram, on his first visit to Saudi Arabia, represents a relatively small family-owned business, but - have connections worldwide. The company has pioneered innovative repair techniques for leaking pipes as well as new pipe insertion techniques. Hallam's objectives are to find companies in Saudi Arabia to partner with them to use their products and techniques here. Other companies represented included: Atkins; Fusion Group; Kee Safety; Mott MacDonald; Sembcorp Industries; Bridge Trading Services.
