Manila Water, partners sign Saudi Arabia water contract

MANILA, Philippines — Manila Water Co. Inc., together with French water distributor Saur Group and Saudi’s Miahona Co., have signed a seven-year water contract in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange, Manila Water said the consortium signed the management, operation and maintenance contract (MOMC) of the National Water Company (NWC) of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the country’s eastern cluster.

The eastern cluster has a population of 5.27 million and a supply demand of about 1.8 billion liters of water per day. It includes the cities of Dammam, Al Hofuf, Al Jubail, Al Khobar, Al Qatif and Hafar Al Batin.

In December 2020, Manila Water won the bid for its first project in Saudi Arabia. It signed a seven-year agreement to manage and implement improvement initiatives for the water and wastewater systems of the north west cluster.

The cluster is one of six regional clusters created under Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 and National Water Strategy, which restructures the water distribution services and engages private sector participation.

Manila Water said winning the North West and Eastern clusters puts the company and its partners in a strong competitive position when the same management contracts are converted into long-term concessions.

Manila Water president and CEO Jocot de Dios said Manila Water would bring 24 years of experience and knowhow in the water space to provide innovative solutions to the water and wastewater requirements in a region whose population and demand are almost comparable to its existing concession area in eastern Metro Manila and Rizal province.

Manila Water holds a 30 percent interest in the consortium.