Spanish infrastructure group Lantania, in consortium with Saudi-based Mutlaq Al-Ghowairi Contracting Company (MGC), has been awarded a $544 million contract to build a major reverse osmosis (RO) desalination plant in Jubail for the Saudi Water Authority (SWA).
The plant, which will be located on the Arabian Gulf coast in Saudi Arabia’s central province, is designed to produce 600,000 cubic metres of potable water per day, significantly expanding the capacity of the Jubail water system.
The project scope includes the full design, equipment supply, construction, assembly, and commissioning of the facility, along with the development of seawater intake and outfall infrastructure and related civil works.
The contract is valued at €500 million ($544 million) and it marks another milestone in Saudi Arabia’s aggressive investment in water infrastructure to meet rising demand amid acute water scarcity challenges in the region.
This will be Lantania’s third major desalination project in Saudi Arabia. It follows the 300,000 m³/day Ras Mohaisen desalination plant currently under development, and the recently completed Jubail 3A plant, which supplies drinking water to over 1.6 million residents across the eastern provinces of Riyadh and Qassim.
Once operational, the three facilities—Jubail RO, Ras Mohaisen, and Jubail 3A—will together contribute 1.5 million cubic metres of desalinated water per day to the Kingdom’s grid, reinforcing Lantania’s position as a key player in the Middle East’s critical desalination sector.
The announcement comes amid a wave of public and private sector collaboration to meet Saudi Arabia’s long-term goal of diversifying its economy and reducing reliance on traditional water sources, such as underground aquifers.
In parallel to its desalination ventures, Lantania has also expanded into wastewater and biosolid treatment.
The company recently signed a turnkey agreement with local utility Tawzea to construct a biosolids treatment complex at the NEOM megaproject in Al-Badaa, which will include an Innovation Centre and Demonstration Centre.
Lantania is also supplying and commissioning a 16,000 m³/day wastewater treatment facility for The Red Sea Project, a flagship tourism development on Saudi Arabia’s west coast. The plant will use lagoon technology and 46 hectares of artificial wetlands to treat water to a quality suitable for agricultural irrigation.
Beyond the Gulf, Lantania has signed its first desalination contract in North Africa. The company will construct a 7,500 m³/day desalination plant for Agro Care in Tunisia, supplying irrigation water for greenhouse crops, with plans to expand capacity to 15,000 m³/day.
Saudi Arabia is one of the world’s largest producers of desalinated water, and investment in non-conventional water sources remains critical as demand for potable water rises alongside rapid urban and industrial growth.
