RIYADH, 14 March — Saudi Arabia has expressed its interest in acquiring technological know-how for the prevention of water leakage from Japan, which, at seven percent of its total water consumption in the case of Tokyo, has a much lower rate of water leakage compared to that of the Kingdom.
“We see good scope for cooperation in the use of our advanced membrane technology for Middle East countries,” Shuichi Kadowaki, leader of Japan’s 20-member cooperation committee on water resources in the Middle East(CCWRME),” told a press conference here yesterday.
It was also announced that a team of experts from Japan’s International Cooperation Agency (JICA) will provide technical consultancy services to the Saudi government in the formulation of a master plan for efficient management and conservation of its water resources.
Saudi Arabia has one of the world’s highest rates of water consumption, with per capita use standing at 286 liters a day. It requires more than SR250 billion in investment for new water projects by the year 2020. Jeddah city alone needs SR60 billion in funds to meet its water requirements and expand its sewerage network.
The delegation, which arrived in the Kingdom on March 11 on a four-day tour, met with government officials in the ministries of municipal and rural affairs, agriculture and water, as well as Saline Water Conversion Corporation, besides executives from the Jeddah and Riyadh chambers of commerce and industry. They organized seminars in the two cities demonstrating the use of Japanese technology for the treatment and reuse of waste water. Today they will leave for Dammam.
