Etihad Water and Electricity Company and Alkhorayef Water and Power Technologies are among the companies competing to develop one of Saudi Arabia’s largest water transmission projects, the Riyadh–Qassim Independent Water Transmission Pipeline (IWTP), the Saudi Water Partnership Company (SWPC) said on Wednesday.
SWPC confirmed it has received three bids from private-sector groups. One consortium includes Alkhorayef alongside Al Jomaih Energy and Water, Al Bawani Capital and Buhur for Investment. Another features Etihad Water and Electricity Company with Lamar Holding and China’s Shaanxi Construction Engineering Group. The third bid came from Vision International Investment Company.
The IWTP, with a planned capacity of 685,000 cubic metres of water per day, will stretch 859 km between Riyadh and Qassim and allow bi-directional flows.
The project includes six large storage tanks in Riyadh totalling 1.02 million cubic metres and 32 operational tanks along the route with a combined capacity of 571,000 cubic metres. Solar integration is planned to curb emissions.
The project, tendered under a Build, Own, Operate and Transfer (BOOT) model, has attracted interest from 31 companies, including 19 local firms.
The winning bidder will operate the concession for 35 years, with commercial operations expected to start in early 2030.
Saudi Arabia is stepping up investment in strategic water infrastructure under Vision 2030, aiming to interconnect regional networks and secure long-term supplies for a growing population.
