Saudi Arabia has relaunched its Ras Mohaisen–Baha–Makkah Independent Water Transmission System (IWTS) project, with the state-owned Water Transmission Company (WTCO) stepping in to oversee the project’s procurement.
Originally handled by the Saudi Water Partnership Company (SWPC), the project has now been rebranded and retendered with revised specifications to support the Kingdom’s growing water needs.
WTCO, established in 2019 to manage Saudi Arabia’s water transmission and storage, issued a call for Expressions of Interest (EOI) for the IWTS project on November 6, 2024.
The EOI submission window closes on November 19, inviting firms to participate in the competitive bidding process.
The project’s transmission capacity has been significantly raised to 515,000 cubic meters per day (m³/day) from a previous level of 185,000 m³/day, marking an important expansion aimed at meeting the Kingdom’s strategic water goals.
The 300-kilometer-long pipeline project will be developed through a Design, Build, Finance, Lease, and Transfer (DBFLT) model, with a lease term lasting up to 35 years under a Water Transmission Development and Lease Agreement (WTDLA).
The project will rely on a consortium of advisors, including Synergy Consulting as the financial adviser, Clifford Chance as the legal adviser, and ILF as the technical adviser.
The IWTS project is a key part of Saudi Arabia’s National Water Strategy (NWS 2030) and Vision 2030, aimed at achieving water sustainability and security.
It will connect desalination facilities with urban areas and contribute to the country’s goal of providing 90% of urban water supply through desalinated sources, thereby minimizing reliance on non-renewable groundwater.
The retendering of the Ras Mohaisen–Baha–Makkah project follows a period of activity in the Kingdom’s water transmission sector.
In recent months, SWPC has moved forward with additional projects, including the Jubail-Buraydah and Riyadh-Qassim water transmission systems, reinforcing Saudi Arabia’s commitment to expanding its water infrastructure in line with future demand.
