he Shuqaiq 3 desalination plant, with a rated production capacity of 450,000 cubic meters per day and located in the province of Jizan, in southwestern Saudi Arabia, was inaugurated in a ceremony organized under the patronage of His Royal Highness Prince / Mohammad Bin Nasser and the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Environmental, Water and Agriculture.
The ceremony, held in the Chamber of Commerce Hall in Jazan City, was presided by HE Eng. Abdulrahman Al-Fadhli, Minister of Environmental, Water and Agriculture in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia together with numerous authorities such as HE Eng. Abdullah Al-Abdulkarim, Governor of the Saline Water Conversion Corporation (SWCC) and HE Eng. Khaled Alqureshi, CEO of Saudi Water Partnership Company (SWPC). HE Álvaro Iranzo, Spanish Ambassador to Saudi Arabia also attended together with members of the Consortium, including representatives of Abdul Latif Jameel and Almar Water Solutions
This is the region’s first large-scale plant that uses highly energy-efficient pure reverse osmosis technology, and it will supply up to 150 Hm3 (gigaliters) of high-quality water annually, meeting the demand in the Asir and Jizan provinces, which are home to nearly 4 million people.
A multidisciplinary team of more than 2,000 people participated in the plant’s construction, on completion marking an important health and safety milestone, with over 9 million man-hours without lost-time incidents. All work was carried out under rigorous work protocols within the context of COVID-19, which have made it necessary to implement very demanding plans to accelerate the work whilst protecting the workforce.
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Recognized across the water sector as one of the most complex, innovative and sustainable plants in its class, in September 2019, Shuqaiq 3 was awarded the “Utilities Project of the Year” at the Middle East Energy Awards 2019 held in Dubai, UAE, consolidating its position as one of the region’s flagship projects.
After the ceremony, Carlos Cosín, CEO of Almar Water Solutions, commented: “We are very proud of how the construction of the Shuqaiq 3 desalination plant was carried out. The challenge of COVID-19 put us to the test and brought out the best of everyone involved in the project. Thanks to them, today we can say that Shuqaiq 3 is one of the most ambitious projects in the area and will supply drinking water to the population, industry and agriculture, improving the quality of life of millions of people”.
Fady Jameel, Deputy President and Vice-Chairman of Abdul Latif Jameel, said: “Water is a fundamental resource for the development and prosperity of communities around the world. That is why, Almar Water solutions, as part of Abdul Latif Jameel Energy, is extremely proud to have contributed to Shuqaiq 3’s development, recognized as a flagship project not only in Saudi Arabia but also in the region. The capacity and technological complexity of this project is highly impressive, offering present and future generations the chance to help drive greater water security under Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030”.
Awarded to the consortium formed by Almar Water Solutions (through Abdul Latif Jameel Enterprises), ACCIONA, Marubeni Corporation and Rawafid Alhadarah Holding Co and with an investment of close to 600 million dollars, the Shuqaiq 3 plant will supply drinking water to more than 1.8 million people, while contributing to the economic and industrial development of the area.