Water Ministry launches new projects worth SR4.9bn

 In keeping with the Vision 2030 and the National Transformation Program (NTP) 2020, several water-related projects costing SR4.9 billion ($1.3 billion) were launched at a special sahoor party hosted by the Ministry of Water, Environment, and Agriculture at a hotel in Riyadh on Tuesday.
Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture Abdulrahman Al-Fadli said the 116 projects are aimed at supplying more drinking water and providing better sanitation services across the Kingdom.
These projects include purification and pumping stations, as well as the expansion and upgrading of treatment plants and implementation and completion of projects and household connections, lines for the transfer of drinking water and sewage facilities.
Additional water tanks will be set up in places such as Asir, Madinah, Najran, Tabuk, Riyadh, Qassim, Al-Jouf, the northern borders, Hail and Jazan.
Al-Fadli said his ministry is keen to improve and expand the areas covered by water and sanitation services in all regions of the Kingdom to keep pace with increasing demand.
The minister said these projects have been prioritize depending on the needs of the respective regions.
Mohammed bin Mukli, undersecretary of the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture for water services, and CEO of the National Water Co., said SR2.2 billion have been allocated for wastewater projects that would lay 1,400 km pipelines.
The cost of projects in the sector of water services from pumping stations and water purification, and the establishment of reservoirs and transmission lines, amounts to about SR2.7 billion, he said.
The capacity of the water plants is about 371,000 cubic meters, and the capacity of the water tanks is about 497,000 cubic meters. The total length of networks and lines of water transfer projects will be increased by 1,900 km, providing 37,500 water connections.
Mukli said 30 projects would be inaugurated in the Riyadh region at a cost of SR1 billion, while the share of the Makkah area for 13 projects would cost SR994 million. Asir region has six projects for water supply at a cost of SR464 million, and Hail at a cost of SR280 million.
Jazan has been provided with eight projects at a cost of over SR299 million, Al-Baha will have two projects at a cost of nearly SR41 million, and Najran at a total cost of nearly SR93 million. In the Eastern Province, 12 projects worth SR469 million were launched.
Al-Jouf will have six new projects worth SR466 million, the northern border will have eight projects costing SR215 million, and Qassim will have 11 projects at a total cost of SR438 million.
He described this package of projects as the largest launched this year.
“We are actively seeking to address all shortcomings in the water services sector by delivering timely projects, preventive maintenance, upgrading customer service centers, improving treatment plants, increasing efficiency and capacity, while achieving environmental sustainability and upgrading the environmental services provided to citizens,” he concluded.