Saudi environment ministry launches water distribution company | Omar El-Huni

  • Date: 17-Dec-2020
  • Source: Arab Weekly
  • Sector:Economy
  • Country:Saudi Arabia
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Saudi environment ministry launches water distribution company | Omar El-Huni

LONDON—Saudi Environment Minister Abdulrahman al-Fadhli announced the establishment of the environment-focused Water Transmission and Technology Company (WTTCO). The new company's launch is part of broader efforts to privatise Saudi Arabia's agriculture, environment and water sectors by the Supervisory Committee.

In 2017, the Supervisory Committee was established to work in tandem with the National Centre for Privatisation to achieve a main directive of Saudi Vision 2030 –increasing economic growth, transparency, competitiveness and accountability.

The WTTCO will be responsible for maintaining and managing the country's water distribution, storage and transmission systems, which bring over 7 million cubic meter of desalinated water, a key source of distributed water, across 8,000km. The company will also aim to drive water research and technology innovation to help achieve greater impact and efficiency in the sector.

The new outfit is viewed as an enormous leap in water sector integration. In order to reduce supply chains cost, achieve greater spending efficacy and maximise assets, the WTTCO will operate commercially.

Expressing gratitude for the continued support from Saudi Arabia's leadership, Fadhli, who also chairs the Supervisory Committee for the Privatisation of the Environment, Water and Agriculture Sector, as well as the Board of Directors of Saline Water Conversion Corporation (SWCC), said he was