JEDDAH, 23 August — Makkah Governor Prince Abdul Majeed yesterday signed contracts worth SR1.4 billion with a number of national companies to carry out water and sewage projects in the holy city.
Speaking to reporters after the signing ceremony, the governor commended the support of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd and Crown Prince Abdullah, deputy premier and commander of the National Guard, for development projects in Makkah.
He said a number of new projects will soon be inaugurated in Makkah and Jeddah and other parts of the region. He said the second desalination plant in Shuaiba will be ready in four months to pump water to Jeddah, Makkah and Taif.
“There is no doubt that we need more of such desalination plants and we’ll work for that.”
Saudi Arabia is the world’s largest producer of desalinated water. There are 27 desalination plants on the Red Sea and Arabian Gulf, which supply more than 600 million gallons of drinking water daily.
Earlier, Prince Abdul Majeed chaired a meeting of the Water and Sewage Department in the Makkah region, and he urged Saudis and expatriates to use water carefully and prudently.
“Water wastage will hamper our efforts to ensure a constant supply by constructing new plants and dams,” he pointed out.
Meanwhile, Agriculture and Water Minister Dr. Abdullah Muammar said the newly established Water Ministry, to be launched next year, will do what is needful to protect and develop the country’s water resources.
Speaking to Okaz newspaper, he said the committees assigned to prepare the structure and regulations of the ministry will complete their work by the end of this year, adding that the new ministry will be inaugurated by the beginning of the next fiscal year.
Muammar said the ministry had received more than 20 offers from Saudi and foreign companies to establish desalination plants. “These offers are being studied by the Supreme Economic Council.”
The minister disclosed that the proposed desalination plant in Baha will cost about SR6 billion.
“Feasibility studies on the project have been completed,” he said, and added that the project will be established by the private sector.
