His Excellency the Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture, and Chairman of the Board of Directors, Saudi Water Partnership Compan, Eng. Abdulrahman AlFadley has signed the Rayis – Rabigh Independent Water Transmission Pipeline agreement. This substantial pipeline will have a transmission capacity of up to 500,000 cubic meters daily and span a total of 150 kilometers.
AlFadley pointed out the importance of private sector participation in the development of the water sector in all regions of the Kingdom, increasing its contribution to development in line with Vision 2030 objectives, as well as improving service quality and enhancing spending efficiency by leveraging the private sector's expertise in construction, operation, and management.
He added that the signing of the agreement is part of the Ministry's plans and strategic objectives aimed at implementing water transmission projects in collaboration with investors across the Kingdom.
The CEO of the Saudi Water Partnerships Company, Engineer Khaled AlQurayshi highlighted that the Raysis-Rabigh Independent Water Transmission Pipelines project is the first of its kind in the region for water transportation and is being developed in partnership with the private sector.
AlQurayshi explained that this project will contribute to improving water transmission efficiency, reducing electricity consumption levels and operational costs, and supporting local content by increasing localization in terms of labor and resources. He added that the project was offered to investors under a Build, Own, Operate, and Transfer ("BOOT") basis.
This project attracted interest from 31 companies, including 14 Saudi companies. The project was ultimately awarded to an alliance between the Saudi company "Al-Kharif" for Water and Energy Technology and the Spanish company Cobra. He also mentioned that the project's operation is set to commence in the second quarter of 2026.
The Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture is working to create an advanced and attractive investment environment to enhance partnerships with the private sector. This is achieved through the development and presentation of investment plans and initiatives for optimal investment opportunities, as well as empowering investors to access a diverse range of investment opportunities. This contributes to the achievement of its strategic objectives in the sectors of environment, water, and agriculture.