The National Water Company (NWC) is currently implementing 453 water projects worth SR26 billion in major cities across the Kingdom, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

This comes in the context of the NWC’s efforts to develop water infrastructure projects in Riyadh, Jeddah, Makkah and Taif.

The projects are aimed at raising operational efficiency and coverage ratios in densely populated areas and keeping up with water demand and the provision of services in accordance with global standards, according to the NWC.

Significant projects include the implementation of water storage tanks and the rehabilitation of pumping stations, transmission lines and major and minor networks, in addition to increasing water connections and environmental services to houses.

Media sources said that 324 projects are being implemented in major cities at a total cost of SR8.19 billion, while projects that have been awarded with signed contracts during 2013 amounted to more than SR5.3 billion.

In addition, 131 projects have been awarded at a cost of more than SR4.6 billion, it said.