Water and Electricity Minister Abdullah Al-Hussayen signed here yesterday contracts worth more than SR709 million to establish six new water desalination plants in Al-Wajh, Amlaj, Rabigh, Laith, Qunfuda and Farasan. Speaking to reporters after the signing ceremony in Riyadh, Al-Hussayen said the new projects would double water supply in villages and towns on the Kingdom's west coast and end the water crisis there. He said the new water desalination plants in Al-Wajh, Amlaj, Laith, Qunfuda and Farasan would supply additional 9,000 cubic meters of water each daily while the new Rabigh plant would pump 18,000 cubic meters of water daily. He said the privatization plan for the existing water desalination plants had made considerable progress. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia launched privatization of water desalination plants by awarding a SR9.1 billion contract to a consortium of Saudi and Malaysian companies in order to set up the third plant in Shuaiba. --MORE 1056 Local Time 0756 GMT
