NWC Chief Executive Officer Loay Bin Ahmed Al-Mussallam signed the accord with Unilver Managing Director Yasser Al-Joharji on the sidelines  =of the Sixth Global Competitiveness Forum in Riyadh.

Under the deal, Unilever will be working with the NWC to carry out-reach program with the objective of educating children and households about the importance of water and tips on how to conserve it via its better utilization.

Paul Polman,chief executive officer of Unilever and Sanjiv Mehta, chairman of Unilever in North Africa and the Middle East, were also present.

This is one of the first collaborations of the NWC with a private company to address the issue of water scarcity in the Kingdom, said Al-Mussalam.

“Established three years ago, NWC stands as one of the leading water utility companies in the MENA region and its mission is to improve the water and waste water services in the country as well as to protect the environment to maintain a sustainable supply of water in the future,” the NCW chief said, pointing out that water is a key area of Unilever's  Sustainable Living Plan which would help NWC to address the burning issue of water scarcity in the country.

Al-Joharji said his company is delighted to partner with the National Water Company to educate consumers about water conservation and encourage people to take small everyday actions that can add up to make a big difference to the issue of water scarcity.

“Water is a key area of Unilever’s Sustainable Living Plan and this initiative will help us make a difference in our community.”

As part of its Sustainable Living Plan, Unilever is looking to reduce the water associated with the consumer use of its products by half, Al-Joharji said.

In a water usage study conducted by the National Water Company, the largest proportion of water used at homes in the Kingdom include 26 percent for its use for laundry, 21 percent for bathing and personal hygiene,19 percent for household cleaning and 17 percent  for  dishwashing and other miscellaneous work.

“Along with the NWC we plan to introduce a school-outreach program where we will be targeting both public and private schools across the Kingdom since  we believe children are quick learners and great agents of change,” Al-Joharji said.

He said the school programs will be further supplemented by a wide range of planned activities to further raise awareness of the issue.

The Kingdom is globally one of the countries facing water scarcity due to limited natural water sources with rainfall average estimated at 70 mm/year.