Saudi brings on 2.5 million m³/d in desalination capacity

Saudi Arabia's General Establishment for Water Desalination (GEWD) is, over the next four years, implementing new projects with a total production capacity of up to 2.5 million m³/d in the Makkah region and the eastern province.

 

Water and electricity minister, Abdullah Al-Hussayen, told a recent press conference that the first project in the Makkah region includes the establishment of two plants with the first - in Jeddah - with a production capacity of 400,000 m³/d, and the second in Rabigh with a production capacity of 600,000 m³/d to meet the needs of Makkah, Taif and Jeddah. 

GEWD governor, Abdul Rahman Al-Ibrahim said the establishment was currently working on presenting the project to the contractor, while the other approved project in Jubail will cover the eastern province and Riyadh water needs with a capacity of 1.5 million m³/d. 
He said that the projects will meet all water needs in the designated areas and were expected to be launched at the end of 2016 and completed by mid-2020. 

He said the ministry is implementing water and sewage projects worth more than SR 60 billion (US$ 16 billion) but, due to the large expansion of some cities and regions, some citizens and residents may not feel the results of such projects yet.