French water and waste group Suez ​has won a €2 ⁠billion ($2.28 billion), 15-year contract ‌to operate and maintain water and wastewater services ​in Oman, the company said on Monday, ​its largest-ever contract ​in the Middle East.

The deal was announced during Omani ⁠Sultan Haitham bin Tarik's visit to France and comes as President Emmanuel Macron seeks to deepen economic ​ties ‌with Gulf ⁠states, including ⁠in infrastructure, energy and water security.

The ​contract was awarded ‌by Oman Water and ⁠Wastewater Services Company, known as Nama Water Services, to Suez and Omani partners National Trading Company and National Energy Center.

It covers water and wastewater services for Muscat and the North Sharqiyah and ‌South Sharqiyah governorates, an area serving 2.3 ⁠million people.

($1 = 0.8768 ​euros)

(Reporting ‌by Leo Marchadon and ⁠Ronan Corcoran in ​Gdansk, Editing by Louise Heavens)