SWPC issues RFPs for 500,000-cu-m Saudi water pipeline

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Saudi Arabia - Saudi Water Partnerships Company (SWPC) has announced that it has issued request for proposals (RFPs) to the pre-qualified bidders for the development of Rayis-Rabigh Independent Water Transmission Pipeline (IWTP) project that will have a 500,000 cu m/day transmission capacity.

The 150-km-long pipeline project is expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2025, said SWPC in its notification.

Initially, the project was set to have a 900,000 cu m/day transmission capacity and was pipeline was 100 km long.

A total of 14 developer/developer consortiums have been prequalified for the project. These include global players such as Spanish infrastructure major Cobra Instalaciones y Servicios; Japan's Marubeni Corporation; and Chinese group Harbour Engineering Company in addition to regional firms - Utico and Abu Dhabi National Energy Company (from UAE), and Kuwait's Gulf Investment Corporation.

SWPC said that in December last year, a total of 31 companies had expressed their interest in the Rayis-Rabigh project, of which 14 were Saudi firms.

The major local firms which have now been prequalified are Abdul Aziz Al Ajlan Sons; Al-Fahd Trading Industries & Contracting; Alkhorayef Water & Power Technologies; Mowah; Al-Rawaf Trading & Contracting; Mutlaq Al Ghowairi; Nesma and Vision International Invest Company, it added.

SWPC had in an earlier notification said it will conduct a competitive process to select a developer/developer consortium for the 100-km-long pipeline project which will be implemented on a build, own, operate and transfer (BOOT) basis.

The successful bidder will provide the entire transmission capacity to SWPC under a 35-year water transmission agreement, said the statement from the utility company.

SWPC pointed out that its obligations under the agreement will be backed by a credit support agreement from the Saudi government.

Through the kingdom's Independent Water Transmission Pipeline (IWTP) programme, the Saudi government aims to achieve the two major goals of slashing the water-demand-supply gap in the kingdom and provision of 90% of national urban supply through desalinated water to cut reliance on non-renewable ground sources.

For the project, SWPC has signed up Synergy Consulting IFA as the lead and financial advisor, while Amer Al Amr Law Firm is the legal advisor for the project and Fichtner GmbH & Co. KG the technical advisor.