2022 PROJECT PIPELINE:

Desalination Projects in the Middle East

and North Africa

www.menadesal.com Researched and developed by:

MENA Market Overview in 2021

Even though the 2020s have started off with an unprecedented heightening of awareness
and activism regarding global environmental issues, no-one can change the inviable laws of
supply and demand. In the MENA region, demand for fresh water is increasing while supplies
dwindle at an alarming rate. The two sides of this coin combine to create somewhat grim
reading in 2021:

• Of the 17 most water-stressed countries, 12

are located in MENA.
• MENA contains more than 6.3% of the world’s
population, but less than 1% of global water
resources.
• The UAE recorded only 1.2 millimetres of rain
in the first three months of 2021.
• Making up the predicted MENA water deficit
in 2025 will require the production of an
additional 237 billion cubic metres of potable
water.
• By 2050, water scarcity could cost MENA
between 6-14 % of the entire region’s GDP
each year.

While these numbers are not encouraging, there are changes, opportunities and advancements
in the MENA desalination industry that provide hope for a sea-change in the region’s water
security prospects.

• Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Israel now use desalination to supply over 50% of their national
water needs.
• Saudi Arabia and the UAE are world leaders in attracting, supporting and leveraging
desalination technology.
• Through technological innovation, the cost of producing desalinated water has fallen to
below $0.50 per cubic metre – in the 1960s it cost over $10 per cubic metre.
• Energy costs of producing desalinated water have also fallen from highs of 7-8 kwh per
cubic metre to current averages of 2.5-3 kwh. This makes desalination sustainable from an
energy perspective, especially when powered via renewables.
• MENA will add an estimated 20GW of solar capacity and 5-6GW of wind by 2025.
• The global desalination market is predicted to grow from $17.7 billion in 2020 to $32.1
billion by 2027.
• 48% of the world’s water desalination projects are taking place in the MENA region, pushing
investments to a predicted $4.3 billion by 2022.

This shows that MENA is ready to capitalise on the strength of its existing desalination industry
as well as its abundant potential for producing renewable energy. As the monetary and
energy-related costs of producing desalinated water continue to fall, capacity will steadily
rise across the region. Thankfully, desalination is no longer being viewed as a ‘rich nation only’
solution.
Key MENA Desalination
Projects In The Pipeline
The following projects are representative of the expanding desalination pipeline
across different MENA countries, as they include deployments of varying size, scale
and underpinning technology. While this is far from an exhaustive list, it demonstrates
the growing commitment to boosting regional water security through desalination – a
strategy that will continue to attract greater investment as the decade progresses.

Al Taweelah 
Estimated project value: $840.5 million
Project stage: Under construction
Estimated completion date: Late 2022
Country: UAE

Developer/project owner/key stakeholders:

Emirates Water and Electricity Company (EWEC), ACWA Power

Project Overview: Once complete in 2022, Al Taweelah will join the list of the biggest
desalination plants in the world, with a daily production rate of 909,200 cubic metres.
This project is a major part of the significant investment and sustainability push being
undertaken by the UAE. Key Emirati utilities like EWEC aim to more than halve their
carbon footprint associated with desalination, so Al Taweelah will combine size with
sustainability by utilising the latest RO (Reverse Osmosis) technologies and using
renewable energy to drive its operations.

As a further green boost, a photovoltaic power plant will be integrated into the
project, meaning that renewable energy is expected to account for at least 30% of
the project’s electricity capacity within ten years. This, along with other sustainability
features of the project, allowed Al Taweelah to obtain the first-ever “sustainable
loan” qualification for a water desalination project globally, which accounts for $758
million of its financing.

Jebel Ali Sea Water Reverse Osmosis (SWRO)

Desalination Plant
Estimated project value: $237 million
Project stage: Construction completed, production at 100%
Estimated completion date: Completed mid-April 2021
Country: UAE
Developer/project owner/key stakeholders:
ACCIONA and BESIX (construction), Dubai Electricity & Water Authority (DEWA)
(owners)

Project Overview: While this project has just been completed, rather than being
in the production pipeline, its completion in April 2021 was essential in boosting
the UAE’s desalination production capacity by another 182 million litres of potable
water per day. As another RO plant, Jebel Ali emphasises the UAE’s sustainable
approach to its overall desalination strategy, as reverse osmosis emits 6.5 times
fewer greenhouse gases than thermal desalination.
Hassyan Sea Water Reverse Osmosis (SWRO) Project

Description: Construction of a Seawater Reverse Osmosis (SWRO) plant to produce

180 million imperial gallons per day (MIGD)
Project Status: Current Project

Shuweihat 4 Independent Water Producer (IWP)

Desalination Project

Description: Construction of a 70 million imperial gallon a day (MIGD) independent

water producer (IWP) desalination project
Project Status: New Tender

Taweelah RO Independent Water Project (IWP)

Description: Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contract to build

a Reverse Osmosis (RO) Independent Water Project with capacity of 200 million
imperial gallons a day (MIGD)
Project Status: Current Project

Waste Heat Recovery Power & Water Plant Project

Description: Construction of a waste heat recovery plant, which would have a power
generation capacity of 188MW and water desalination capacity of 14 million imperial
gallons a day (MIGD)
Project Status: Current Project

Umm Al Quwain SWRO Desalination IWP

Description: Construction of a Seawater Reverse Osmosis (SWRO) Desalination

Independent Water Project (IWP) with capacity of 150 million gallons per day
Project Status: Current Project
Desalination Plant Construction Project - Shuqaiq 4

Description: Construction of a 400,000 cm/d Desalination Plant

Project Status: Current Project

Jubail 3A Independent Water Projects (IWP)

Description: Construction of Independent Water Projects having capacity of

600,000 cm/d
Project Status: Current Project

Jubail 3B Independent Water Projects (IWP)

Description: Construction of Independent Water Projects having capacity of

600,000 cm/d
Project Status: Current Project

Desalination Park Research Centre Project - Jubail

Description: Construction of new desalination park research centre

Project Status: New Tender

Utilities Infrastructure Development Project - Red Sea

Description: Development of a utilities related infrastructure

Project Status: Current Project
Ras Al Khair Seawater Cooling Supply & Return Works
Project - Phase 2

Description: Construction of a sea water cooling supply and return works

Project Status: Current Project

Jubail 2 Desalination Plant Upgrade Project

Description: Engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract for the

upgrade of Jubail 2 desalination plant
Project Status: Current Project

Green Riyadh Project

Description: Construction of schools, car park sites, mosques, government

buildings, healthcare facilities, universities, roads
Project Status: New Tender

Shuaiba Desalination Plant Project - Phase 5

Description: Engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract for the

600,000 cm/d Desalination Plant
Project Status: Current Project

Desalination Plant & Transmission Network Project -

Dhahran

Description: Construction of a desalination plant and transmission network

Project Status: New Tender
Jubail 3A
Estimated project value: $650 million
Project stage: Construction
Estimated completion date: Late 2022
Country: Saudi Arabia
Developer/project owner/key stakeholders:
Saudi Water Partnership Company (SWPC)ACWA Power, Gulf Investment
Corporation (GIC) and AlBawani Water & Power Company (Albawani)

Project Overview: The Jubail project represents Saudi Arabia’s ongoing

commitment to remaining the world’s leader for desalination capacity and
innovation. Originally, it was planned as an integrated project but was then
split into two separate IWPs (Independent Water Projects) – Jubail 3A and Jubail
3B – with the bidding process repeatedly delayed due to COVID-related travel
restrictions. Jubail 3A is the smaller part of the whole, with a planned annual
production capacity of 600,000 cubic metres of potable water per day.

Jubail 3B
Estimated project value: Undisclosed (estimated circa
$600 million)
Project stage: Contract awarded
Estimated completion date: Late 2022
Country: Saudi Arabia
Developer/project owner/key stakeholders:
SWPC, ENGIE, Nesma and Alajlan

Project Overview: The second part of the Jubail desalination project push by
SWPC, Jubail B was awarded to an ENGIE-led consortium in late June 2021. In a
broadly similar approach to Jubail A, Jubail B will provide 570,000 cubic metres
of potable water per day, utilising reverse osmosis technology. Both of the Jubail
project parts will feature a level (currently undisclosed) of in-house renewable
energy capacity to boost the overall sustainability of their desalination operations.

Rabigh 3 IWP
Estimated project value: Undisclosed
Project stage: Under construction (85% completed in
mid-January 2021)
Estimated completion date: December 2021
Country: Saudi Arabia
Developer/project owner/key stakeholders:
SWPC, ACWA Power, Engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) was
awarded to a consortium of Abengoa, SEPCOIII (Power China) and SIDEM
(Veolia)

Overview: Rabigh 3 is nearing completion and is still on target to commence

operations by the end of 2021. This will be the culmination of Abengoa’s largest EPC
desalination plant project in Saudi Arabia, carried out alongside its consortium
partners. Once fully operational, the plant will provide a capacity of 600 million
cubic metres per day.
Sorek B
Estimated project value: $1.5 billion
Project stage: Pre-construction planning
Estimated completion date: 2023
Country: Israel
Developer/project owner/key stakeholders:
IDE Technologies, Israel Finance Ministry, Israeli Bank Leumi and European
Investment Bank (EIB) are financing

Project Overview: Israel aims to significantly increase its desalination capacity,

with the planned Sorek B plant project as its headline investment. Once complete,
Sorek B will increase Israel’s overall annual desalination capacity by 35%, as it will
provide another 200 million cubic metres per year. Thanks to the use of its advanced
technologies, the plant is expected to save the Israeli Government around $900
million over the course of its operational lifecycle.

Casablanca Desalination Plant Project

Estimated project value: $1 billion

Project stage: Preliminary study phase
Estimated completion date: 2027
Country: Morocco
Developer/project owner/key stakeholders: Ministry of Equipment, Transport,
and Water (contracts yet to be awarded)

Overview: While its completion is still some years away, the planned plant in
Morocco’s economic capital of Casablanca represents the largest desalination
undertaking in all of Africa. With its billion-dollar budget and planned production
rate of 300 million cubic meters per year, the Casablanca plant will vastly increase
Morocco’s desalination capacity as the flagship of the nation’s Water National
Plan 2020-2050.

Al Ghubra and Barka Expansion Projects

Estimated project value: $400 million
Project stage: Construction
Estimated completion date: Q2 2023 (Al Ghubra)
and Q2 2024 (Barka)
Country: Oman

Developer/project owner/key stakeholders:

Oman Power & Water Procurement Company, GS Inima Environment

Overview: In late 2020, the Oman Power & Water Procurement Company
awarded Spain-based firm GS Inima Environment with a two-part project to
expand the existing Omani desalination facilities in Al Ghubra and Barka. For the
Al Ghubra third phase expansion part of the project, GS Inima Environment will
be a increasing the plant’s daily processing capacity by 300,000 cubic metres,
bringing it up to almost 500,000 per day. For the fifth phase expansion of Barka,
the plan is to achieve an additional capacity of 100,000 cubic meters per day.
Kasseb Dam and Bomba desalination plants
Estimated project value: $100 million
Project stage: Under construction
Estimated completion date: October 2022
(Kasseb Dam plant) February 2023 (Bomba plants)
Country: Tunisia/Libya
Developer/project owner/key stakeholders:
Sonede, General Desalination Company of Libya (GDCOL) Va Tech Wabag,
Va Tech Austria

Overview: February 2021 saw the Indian group Va Tech Wabag winning key
contracts in new African markets Tunisia and Libya. In the case of Tunisia, the
group signed an EPC contract with Tunisia’s national water exploitation and
distribution company Sonede for a new 30,000 cubic metres per day desalination
plant near the Kasseb dam. In Libya, the group’s subsidiary, Wabag Austria,
concluded an agreement with the General Desalination Company of Libya
(GDCOL) to construct three linked desalination plants in Bomba, also with a
combined capacity of 30,000 cubic metres per day.

While small compared to the headline projects planned in other MENA countries,
the Kasseb/Bomba plants are a significant development for the regional
desalination industry. Building new success stories in less developed MENA
economies is essential for broadening the overall appeal, awareness and support
for desalination as a sustainable method of achieving water security.

14 Ro Plants In Egypt Governates

Estimated project value: Approx $619 million in total
Project stage: Under construction
Estimated completion date: 2022
Country: Egypt

Developer/project owner/key stakeholders: Multiple

Overview: Desalination is of critical importance to Egypt, particularly due to rising

population growth and concerns over the construction of the Grand Ethiopian
Renaissance Dam (GERD). In February 2021, the Egyptian Government pledged
over $51 billion towards its national water management plan that will be rolled
out over the next 20 years.

Desalination is an integral part of the plan, and this has already converted into
the construction of an additional 14 smaller-scale plants that will commence
operations during 2022. These new facilities will bring Egypt’s desalination
production capacity up to 1.3 million cubic metres per day.

This is also just one phase of Egypt’s larger drive to ramp up capacity, as the
Egyptian Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation plans to build the world’s
largest desalination plant in the Sharqiyah governorate at a cost of $1.15 billion,
which will be able to produce nearly 1.6 million cubic metres of water per day.
Aqaba - Amman Water Desalination &
Conveyance Project

Country: Jordan
Description: Development and Execution of Aqaba Amman Water Desalination and
Conveyance Project (AAWDCP)
Project Status: Current Project

Doha Seawater RO Desalination Plant

Project - Stage 2

Country: Kuwait
Description: Engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract to build a
seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) plant with capacity of 60 million imperial gallons
a day (MIGD)
Project Status: New Tender

Nuwaiseeb Power & Water Co-Generation

Plant Project - Phase 1

Country: Kuwait
Description: Engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract to build
a power and water co-generation plant with capacity of 3,000MW and 75 million
imperial gallons a day (MIGD) respectively
Project Status: New Tender

Masirah IWP

Country: Oman
Description: Construction of an Independent Water Project (IWP) with capacity of
10,000 cubic meters per day (2.2 million imperial gallons per day MIGD)
Project Status: New Tender

RO Desalination Plant Upgrade & Refurbishment

Project

Country: Oman
Description: Upgrade & Refurbishment of a Reverse Osmosis (RO) Desalination Plant
Project Status: Current Project
MENA’s Desalination Drive
– Paving the Long Road to
Water Security
Seawater desalination is essential to the long-term water security – and hence the very survival
– of the MENA region. With their groundwater reserves and natural aquifers drying up at an
astonishing rate, these countries are depending on their coastlines more than ever before.

As we can see from the expansion of the MENA desalination project pipeline, the reality of
water scarcity is translating into more proactive investment and greater levels of international
cooperation to accelerate the delivery of additional production capacity. From major individual
plants in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Israel and Oman, to small yet widespread deployments
across Egypt and lately Tunisia and Libya, rising water demand is being addressed and met
with increasing supply.

As we look beyond 2021 and further into decade, the picture of MENA’s desalination development
isn’t purely one of building capacity at all costs. Combined with this need is the equally vital
consideration of developing a sustainable desalination industry at the national and regional
level. This goes double for global desalination leaders such as Saudi Arabia, who are keen to tie
the fortunes of their growing water production capacity to that of their clean renewable energy
capacity. This is a trend that bodes well for both industries, as it plays to the natural strengths of
the MENA region, with its abundance of coastlines, and solar and wind potential.
WORLD’S LARGEST DESALINATION
PLANTS DETAILED BELOW
1. Ras Al Khair, Saudi Arabia: 1,036,000 m3/day

• Ras Al-Khair is a hybrid project that uses both thermal multistage flash (MSF) and reverse
osmosis (RO) technologies
• Located 75km north-west of Jubail and serving Riyadh
• Substantial power generation component, with a capacity of 2,400MW
• Main contractor for plant construction was Doosan and its consortium partner Saudi
Archirodon, with Poyry acting as the consultant for the project
• Started operations in 2014 but in 2017 was put up for sale by the Saline Water Conversion
Corporation (SWCC)

2. Taweelah, UAE – 909,200 m3/day

• Taweelah will catapult the UAE into the top three list
• Seven consortia are bidding on the mega project:
o ACWA Power
o Suez International Power SA Dubai Branch (Engie), with Marubeni Corp
o Sumitomo Corp, with Veolia Middle East
o Valoriza Agua, with Utico FZC
o IDB Infrastructure Fund II
o Cobra Instalaciones y Servicios, with Orascom Construction
o Acciona Agua, with Pal Group
o Suez International, with Sojitz Corporation and NV Besix SA

• ACWA Power with EPC consortium comprising Sepco3 and Abengoa has so far placed
the lowest bid using the higher electricity tariff at AED8.26 ($2.25) at $0.49 per cubic metre
• Expected to raise the emirate’s proportion of desalinated produced water by RO from 13
percent today to 30 percent by 2022

3. Shuaiba 3, Saudi Arabia – 880,000 m3/day

• Second in the list for Saudi Arabia, the Shuaiba 3 development is located 90 kilometres
south of the historic city of Jeddah
• Companies selected by ACWA Power to provide project engineering, procurement and
construction of the plant-
• Siemens of Germany for the power plant
• Doosan for the thermal desalination plant
• One expansion to the plant has been completed and one expansion is in the final construction
stage with a total additional 400,000 m3/day of RO capacity added, according to ACWA
Power
• Shuaiba will eventually overtake Ras Al Khair as the largest operating desalination plant
with total capacity of 1,282,000 m3/day

4. Jubail Water and Power Company (JWAP), Saudi Arabia - 800,000 m3 /day

• One of the world’s most notable integrated water and power facilities (IWPP)
• Plant is owned by Jubail Water and Power Company (JWAP)
• Off-taker is Marafiq Water and Supply Company (Tawreed), a wholly-owned subsidiary
 of Marafiq, which purchases all of the plant output through a 20-year Power and Water
Purchase Agreement (PWPA) with JWAP
• Jubail Plant is a joint venture between Marafiq, Saudi Electricity Company (SEC), the Water
and Electricity Holding Company, and the SGA Marafiq Consortium comprising ENGIE, Gulf
Investment Corporation, and ACWA Power Projects
• A dual-purpose facility, JWAP includes combined-cycle based power and multi-effect
distillation (MED) water generation
• Plant is split into four operational blocks
• Three of the four blocks are power and desalination blocks, each of which comprises three
gas turbines operating in a combined cycle with a single back pressure steam turbine
feeding each nine desalination MED units
• Fourth block is a ‘power only’ block with three gas turbines a one reheat condensing steam
turbine

5. Umm Al Quwain (UAQ), UAE – 682,900 m3/day

• Independent water project (IWP) is one of the largest pure play reverse osmosis plants in
the listing
• Along the border of Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah
• Expected to be commercially operational in the third quarter of 2022
• UAQ is being delivered as a build, own, operate and transfer (BOOT) with a water purchase
agreement (WPA) term of 35 years, with the Federal Electricity and Water Authority (FEWA)
as the off-taker
• This US$797 million project is being constructed by Chinese partner, Gezhouba Group
International Engineering, with SIDEM-Veolia delivering the US$255 million engineering
and procurement contract
• ACWA Power will have a 40 per cent share
• Techton Engineering and Construction 35 per cent

6. DEWA Station M, Dubai - 636,000 m3/day

• Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) M-Station project is one of the largest power
and desalination plants in UAE
• Producing 636,600 m3/day of potable water and with a total power capacity of 2,885MW.
• Completed in 2012
• Was built in eight units by Italian company, Fisia Italimpianti
• Multi-Stage Flash (MSF) distillation technology is used, each with a capacity of 80,000 m3/
day
• Total cost of the construction and expansion of M-Station - AED11.5 billion (US$3.1bn)
• Two dual-fuel-fired auxiliary boilers of 390 tons per hour, and 16 fuel-oil storage tanks, each
with a capacity of 20,000 cubic meters, with total fuel-oil storage of 320,000 cubic metres

7. Sorek, Israel – 624,000 m3/day

• Sorek should be considered the heavyweight membrane plant of the world in operation
with an enormous 624,000 m3/day capacity
• 15km south of Tel Aviv in Israel
• Developed by IDE Technologies
• Project was and continues to be unique in the use of 16 inch seawater reverse osmosis
membranes but in a vertical formation
• A further development – Sorek 2 – has since been announced with a capacity of 548,000
m3/day
• Sorek 2 will be the sixth desalination plant to operate in Israel alongside Hadera, Ashkelon,
the first Sorek, Palmachim and Ashdod (seven local and international companies were
recently shortlisted to develop the project)
8. Jubail 3A IWP, Saudi Arabia - 600,000 m3/day

• Investment value of US$650 million

• Jubail 3A Independent Water Plant (IWP) will generate 600,000 m3/day of potable water
• Greenfield seawater reverse osmosis desalination project is set for commercial operation in
the fourth quarter of 2022 5-year water purchase agreement was signed with the Saudi Water
Partnership Company (SWPC) by a consortium led by ACWA Power 40.2 per cent, including
Gulf Investment Corporation (GIC) and Al Bawani Water & Power Company (AWP)
• The consortium led by ACWA Power will design, construct, commission, operate and maintain
the desalination plant as well as associated potable water storage and electrical special
facilities
• Engineering Procurement Construction contract has been awarded to a consortium consisting
of Power China, SEPCO-III and Abengoa

9. Sorek 2, Israel – 570,000 m3/day

• In May 2020, IDE Technologies and Bank Leumi were selected for 25-year tender for the
construction of a second, new desalination plant in Sorek
• IDE’s proposal was at an “unprecedented low price” of about NIS1.45 m3 (~ USD 0.41/m3).
This reduction in price is predicted to save the water economy about NIS3.3 billion (US$1.02bn)
over the period of the facility’s operations
• Will use RO membranes to produce 580,000 m3/day
• Project will be funded by a consortium of entities-
o Bank Leumi
o German KFW Bank
o European Investment Bank (EIB) which will fund a €150 million loan for the project
o IDE is owned by Alpha Water Partners, controlled by Avshalom Felber and Amir Lang
together with Clal Insurance, Ayalon Insurance, Meitav Dash, and other institutional
investors

10. Fujairah 2, United Arab Emirates – 591,000 m3/day

• A second hybrid to join the list but this time in the UAE
• Fujairah 2 stacks up at 591,000 m3/day
• Includes multiple components-
o A 450,000 m3/day thermal plant
o A 136,500 m3/day reverse osmosis facility
o A 2000 MW power plant
o Contract was awarded to a consortium-
o Alstom for the power
o Sidem (Veolia) for the water under the name of the Fujairah II Independent Water &
Power Production project

• Abu Dhabi Water & Electricity (ADWEA) is the off-taker

• As per Sidem the solution helps to match seasonal water and power demands
• To protect the plant from algae blooms which can be problematic in the area, a dissolved air
flotation (DAF) system is used as a pre-treatment
 15 – 16 March 2022 | Abu Dhabi, UAE

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involved with ongoing and
upcoming water desalination
projects in the MENA region
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