Saudi Water Partnership Company (SWPC) has announced that 20 developer/developer consortiums have been prequalified for the Riyadh-Qassim Independent Water Transmission Pipeline (IWTP) project, which will have a transmission capacity of 685,000 cu m per day once complete.
In a statement, SWPC said that the IWTP programme aims to help the Saudi Arabian government to achieve its goals of ensuring sustainable development of the Kingdom’s water resources, while providing affordable high-quality services.
The statement listed the pre-qualified bidders (lead and/or technical) as: Spanish infrastructure major Cobra Instalaciones y Servicios; Japan’s Marubeni Corporation; Italy’s Sicim and Chinese groups – Gezhouba Group Overseas Investment, Harbour Engineering Company; Railway Construction Corporation. 
In addition, regional firms such as Utico and Abu Dhabi National Energy Company (both from UAE), Kuwait’s Gulf Investment Corporation and Bahrain-based energy investment company Lamar Holding, were also listed.
In December 2021, SWPC said that a total of 31 companies had expressed their interest in the project, of which, 19 were Saudi firms. The local firms that have now been pre-qualified include Abdul Aziz Al Ajlan Sons; Hak Pijpleidingen Saudi; Al Bawani Water & Power; Al-Fahd Trading Industries & Contracting; Alkhorayef Water & Power Technologies; Mowah; Al-Rawaf Trading & Contracting; Al Sharif Group; Mutlaq Al Ghowairi; Nesma and Vision International Invest Company.
SWPC has said previously that it will be conducting a competitive process to select a developer/developer consortium for the 1,392-kilometre pipeline project, which is set to be implemented on a build, own, operate and transfer (BOOT) basis.
As per a deal inked with SWPC, the successful bidder will provide the entire transmission capacity to the Saudi utility company under a 35-year water transmission agreement, the statement said.
With this project, the government will develop the necessary potable water transmission systems (WTS) network comprising pipelines and interim/terminal storage facilities within the Eastern Supply Group to provide critical connectivity between the consumption centres and the upcoming desalination plants, it concluded.
