RIYADH, 12 September 2005 — Forty-eight companies, mainly Saudi, are now competing to win the contract to build and operate the second stage of Al-Shuqaiq desalination plant, Riyadh newspaper reported. The total investment to establish the desalination plant totals SR9 billion. Stage three of the desalination plant will start in the first quarter of next year and it will take three full years to finish the project. The total energy produced by the plant is 900 megawatt and 880,000 cubic meters of water per day.