RIYADH, 1 July 2007 — As part of an effort to ensure better delivery of potable water and address water shortage problem, Saudi Arabia has awarded an SR1.44 billion contract to a major Turkish company to build a water transmission system. “A consortium of Yuksel Insaat Saudia Co. and Turkey-based Yuksel Construction LLC has emerged as the lowest bidder for this prestigious project,” said Murat Bugday, Yuksel’s assistant general manager. “The Saline Water Conversion Corporation (SWCC) is the client and the project is likely to be signed later this year,” Bugday said here yesterday. This water transport project would be completed within 29 months from the signing date, he added. The project is particularly important for the growing population of Dammam, Alkhobar, Jubail, Ras Tanura, Safwa, Qatif, Sayhat, etc.
Spelling out the features of this water project, Bugday said that the new pipeline system would supply water into the existing blending stations. “The scope of the water transmission system is to transport potable water produced at the New Marafiq Desalination Plan located within the industrial area of Jubail, at the northeast coast of the Kingdom,” he explained.