The Saudi National Water Strategy (NWS 2030), in accordance with the Saudi Vision 2030, recognizes the critical importance of ensuring sustainable development of the Kingdom’s water resources while providing affordable high-quality services. Amongst the key goals under NWS 2030 are i) to reduce the water demand supply gap in the Kingdom; and ii) to provide 90% of national urban supply by desalinated water to reduce reliance on non-renewable ground sources.

Through the Independent Water Transmission System (“IWTS”) program, the Saudi Government aims to achieve the aforementioned goals, by developing the necessary potable Water Transmission Systems (WTS) network comprising of pipelines and interim/terminal storage facilities to provide critical connectivity between the consumption centers and the upcoming desalination plants. This program includes the Ras Mohaisen – Baha – Makkah IWTS, which has a contracted transmission capacity of 515,000 cubic meters per day, and length of approximately 300 km.

The Water Transmission Company (“WTCO”) is a government-owned company, established under Council of Ministers Resolution No. 32, in September 2019 and is the licensed Desalinated Water Transmission System (DWTS) Operator and the entity responsible for water transmission in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, including the operation and maintenance of water transmission systems and storage facilities.

WTCO is therefore pleased to invite Expressions of Interest (“EOI”) in respect of the development of Ras Mohaisen – Baha – Makkah IWTS (the “Project”), part of the Western Supply Group. WTCO will conduct a competitive process to select a developer or developer consortium to develop the Project on a Design, Build, Finance, Lease and Transfer (“DBFLT”) basis. The project company developing the Project will lease the entire transmission capacity to WTCO under a Water Transmission Development and Lease Agreement (“WTDLA”). The term of the WTDLA is expected to be up to 35 years.

WTCO requests the following:

1.   Interested parties should express their interest to participating in the tender process starting from 6/11/2024 for a period of 10 business days. Interested parties should submit their EOI in electronic format (in PDF) to:                                            

Tariq A. Alnaeem,

Chief Executive Officer,

Water Transmission Co.,

Olaya Towers, B Tower, 10th Floor, Riyadh, Olaya St.

Postal Code: 7929, 12213, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,

Email address: wtco-ppp@wtco.com.sa

Copy to:

wtssynergyteam@synergyconsultingifa.com

2.   The EOI should specify as a minimum the following information:

- Name of the interested party.
- Headquarter location (country).
- Name and contact details (postal address, telephone number, and e-mail address) for the appropriate point of contact (“Point of Contact”) to whom all future correspondence will be addressed; and
- Where the interested party is considering potential consortium partners, an indication of such intention and details of potential consortium partners (to the extent it is known).

3.   The advisers on the Project are:

- Synergy Consulting IFA Inc. as Lead and Financial Adviser. 
- Clifford Chance as Legal Adviser. 
- ILF as Technical Adviser.