Authorities in Saudi Arabia have given approval to 32 new water and sewerage projects valued at SR325m ($87m), the kingdom’s water and electricity minister told the state-run Saudi Press Agency.
Abdullah Al-Hussayen said that the contracts included construction of reservoirs, pumping stations, sewerage networks and water treatment plants in parts of the country such as Tabuk, Najran, Al-Hafouf and Onaizah.
Separately, Saudi announced in March that it would spend SR519m on 29 water-related projects throughout the kingdom.
Included in the projects are the construction of a reservoir in the Asir region and a conveyor line from a treatment plant and another sewage related project in the Qassim area, the newspaper said.
A wastewater treatment plant in Hail is to be completed in 24 months and the operation and maintenance of pumping and treatment stations in the Asir province are also part of the projects the government is undertaking.
Saudi Arabia, the largest economy in the Arab world and biggest producer of oil globally, is spending more than $500bn to expand its infrastructure.
An expected budget surplus in 2013 and the government drawing down its foreign assets, which stood at around $634.8bn at the end of November 2012, will help finance its expenditure plans in the event of any shortfall in revenues, Jadwa Investment said in a report in February
Construction is forecast to be the fastest growing sector in 2013, according to Jadwa.
The kingdom’s economy is projected to grow 4.2 percent this year, slowing from about 6 percent in 2012, according to the International Monetary Fund.
