Saudi Arabia is planning to spend SR40bn ($10.6bn) on building a number of desalination plants in the kingdom, a senior official said on Sunday.
The governor of the Saline Water Conversion Corporation also announced plans to privatise SWCC next year, state news agency SPA reported.
“There are a number of projects under implementation such as pipelines worth SR25bn, Ras Alkhair and Yanbu Al-Madinah plants and a power generation plant,” said Fuhaid Al-Sharief.
SWCC runs more than 30 desalination plants on the Red Sea and the Gulf.
Saudi Arabia is considered the largest producer of desalinated water in the world, supplying 3.3 million cubic metres daily, SPA added.
Al-Sharief said the government was making strenuous efforts to meet present and future water demand, adding that it was key for the country to build more desalination plants and dams to ensure water security and meet growing demand.
The SWCC chief also disclosed plans to make use of solar energy to generate power required for desalination plants.
“With the cooperation of King Abdulaziz City of Science and Technology, we’ll produce desalinated water in Alkhafji and Jubail using solar energy,” he said in comments published by SPA.
The Saudi Electricity Company (SEC) on Saturday signed a SR4.6bn contract to establish a power plant in Shoaiba, about 120km south of Jeddah. Saleh Al-Awaji, chairman of SEC’s board, said the new plant would add 1,238MW to the network in the Western Province.
The new plant, to be operational in 35 months, he added.
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