Marine Utilities

Saudi Arabia puts five seawater plants into one qualification programme

Published 18 July 2026 Editorial responsibility IMWO Region Middle East Confidence Confirmed
Reverse-osmosis membrane hall at the operating Yanbu 3 desalination plant; process context for Saudi IWPs, not one of the five proposed sites

Sharakat (Saudi Water Partnership Company)

Sharakat is qualifying developers for five future seawater reverse-osmosis plants in a single programme. Ras Al Khair 2, Ras Al Khair 3, Tabuk 1, Shuqaiq 4 and Jazan 1 add to 2.1 million cubic metres per day of planned capacity, with intake and outfall facilities assigned to the future project companies.

What changed

The current SWPC qualification material controls the five-project list, planned capacities, expected 2026 launch references and the shared responsibility for seawater intake and outfall facilities. Sharakat's portfolio pages confirm the named projects. None of the cited records establishes an individual RFP, preferred bidder, award, project-specific marine geometry, permit, mobilisation or construction.

Why it matters

This is a large marine-utility pipeline at shared qualification stage, not five awarded marine packages. The shared RFQ tells the market where responsibility will sit; the eventual RFPs must still define each coastline, intake route, outfall and diffuser, surveys, environmental controls, risk allocation and schedule.

Decision read

What remains open

Five separate coastal plants sit within one developer screen, and each future project company is expected to carry the intake and outfall facilities. The public record has no individual RFPs, preferred bidders, project-specific marine alignments, permits or awards. The 2.1 million-cubic-metre-per-day figure is the sum of planned design capacities, not capacity under contract. The programme becomes actionable when one of the five projects leaves the shared qualification stage and publishes its own information package.

Next watchpoints

  • Qualification outcome and named developer pool
  • Individual RFP date and data room for each of the five projects
  • Project-specific ESIA, coastal permit and fisheries conditions
  • Bathymetric, oceanographic, geotechnical and seawater-quality surveys
  • Intake, pumping, shore crossing, outfall and diffuser basis
  • Preferred bidder, water-purchase agreement and financial close
  • EPC and marine works packaging
  • Offshore mobilisation, testing and first-water evidence

Related records 1

Knowledge context

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Sources used 8

Corrections and methodology

Facts are dated to the source record above. IMWO updates the brief when procurement, award, delivery, or scope evidence materially changes.

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