Called "South Jeddah Corniche" (SOJECO), the plant will be the third such facility established by Sawaco, a Saudi Brothers Commercial Company that supplies potable grade water to hotels, factories, hospitals and private housing complexes.

SOJECO will produce 10,000 cubic meters of water per day (m3/day). It will specially take care of the upcoming Jeddah Industrial City Phase II, besides the existing factories in Al-Khumra area.

Jeddah Industrial City Phase II is one of the major projects of the Kingdom with an area of eight million square meters. It is located 35 km south of Jeddah on the Laith-Jazan highway.

It is being developed by Saudi Industrial Property Authority (Modon), which has allocated lands for 163 factories. The total area of these factories is 1,767,815 square meters, with investments estimated at more than SR4 billion.

According to Nizar Kammourie, general manager of Sawaco, the new desalination plant is timely as the new factories in the Phase II are slated to start operation by the end of 2010. He said the plant will supply "tailor-made" water to the specific needs of new factories.

"We supply customized water for different industrial needs. For example, we supply 180 ppm drinking grade water to Pepsi. At the same time we supply demineralized water with salinity less than 10 ppm to United Sugar Co.," said Kammourie.

According to him, the two existing plants of Sawaco in Jeddah produce 10 different types of water. Sawaco is the first commercial water production plant to operate in the Kingdom under a license awarded by the Ministry of Water. Its first plant in North Obhur was launched in December 2001. It produces 13,500 m3/day of potable desalinated water. Its second plant, launched in 2007, produces 4,500 m3/day.

Sawaco claims to follow the standards set by World Health Organization (WHO) and the Saudi Arabian Standard Organization (SASO).

It boasts of being the only company in the Kingdom and Middle East to engage stainless Steel Grade 316L trailers for transporting water. The company operates 120-strong fleet around the clock, serving more than 6,000 customers comprising hotels, factories, hospitals and private villas.