Aqualia strengthens its position in Saudi Arabia with the acquisition of a majority stake in a desalination plant in Jeddah

Aqualia has just acquired 51% of the special purpose vehicle (SPV) Qatarat Saqia Desalination Company Ltd ("Qatarat") from the Saudi Arabian group Haji Abdullah Ali Reza and Co Ltd (HAACO). Qatarat manages the desalination plant at King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah, on the Red Sea coast.

The agreement reached between both companies is finalised with the purchase of another 51% of HAAISCO (Haji Abdullah Ali Reza Integrated Services Ltd). This is the HAACO subsidiary in charge of the operation and maintenance of several desalination plants in Saudi Arabia, including the one managed by Qatarat.

The Saudi General Authority Of Civil Aviation (GACA), which manages the airports in Saudi Arabia, awarded in 2007 to a HAACO participating consortium the project to build, operate under concession for 20 years and transfer this vital infrastructure. Aqualia now acquires a majority stake in this business and will continue to manage the contract in force until 2029.

The desalination plant has a production capacity of 42,500 m3 of drinking water per day. The plant has six single pass reverse osmosis systems and another two double pass systems to provide two water quality types, depending on the different needs of the airport.

HAAISCO also operates and maintains two other desalination plants in this Gulf country: the seawater plant at KAUST University in Thuwal and the MSF (multi-stage flash distillation) plant in Rabigh, with 52,250 m3 and 10,000 m3 of daily production each respectively.

Aqualia, which will consolidate both businesses in its global accounts, is significantly strengthening its position in the region and increasing its desalination capacity by more than 100,000 cubic metres per day.

Aqualia's presence in the Middle East

Aqualia has been working in the Middle East since 2011. In Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, Aqualia developed an important project for five years to optimise the city's water supply network, allowing it to offer a better service to more than 3 million inhabitants.

In the same country, Aqualia is also currently carrying out the administration of the services affected by the capital's metro works (also implemented by the FCC group) and has operated and maintained the Hadda and Arana wastewater treatment plants in the city of Mecca, with half a million inhabitants served.

In the Emirate of Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates), the company also manages the operation and maintenance of the sanitation and wastewater treatment network in the eastern part of the emirate, which includes the city of Al Ain and remote areas, with a population of more than 650,000 inhabitants, as well as the operation and maintenance of the sanitation system of Abu Dhabi capital and the adjacent islands of Al Reem, Al Maryah and Al Saadiyat, with another 630,000 inhabitants served.

In addition, Aqualia was chosen in 2014 to manage the sanitation system in Al Dhakhira (Qatar) for 10 years, serving over 200,000 inhabitants.

Finally, in Oman the Spanish company manages, in a joint venture with the Omani company Majis, all the water facilities in the port of Sohar and its free zone, the largest port area in the Sultanate.