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WATER MANAGEMENT-
Aguas de Valencia to rehabilitate two wastewater treatment plants in Taif: PIF-owned National Water Company (NHC) awarded Spanish water unit Aguas de Valencia a SAR 555 mn contract to rehabilitate, operate, and maintain two wastewater treatment plants in Taif for 15 years, it said in a statement. The plants will have a treatment capacity of 147k cbm per day, the statement said, adding that the facilities will have a tariff level of SAR 0.67 / cbm.
All under one ambitious plan: The NHC has embarked on a plan since the start of the year to offer 113 existing treatment plants to local and foreign investors as it looks to rehabilitate its existing assets. The facilities being offered to the private sector have an overall treatment capacity of 2.4 mn cbm / d, according to the NHC. The plan comes under a strategy to open the sector to private investors to help achieve environmental sustainability.
INFRASTRUCTURE-
#1- Zatca wants the private sector to build residential projects, water treatment plants at land ports: The Zakat, Tax, and Customs Authority (Zatca) issued an invitation for two expressions of interest to set up residential buildings and water and sewage treatment plants at some of Saudi’s land ports under a PPP framework with the National Center for Privatization, it said in two separate posts on X (here and here). The residential buildings projects will be under a 23-year design, build, finance, operate, maintain, transfer scheme at nine land ports. It will see the design and construction of residential units and the upgrade of existing facilities. The wastewater treatment PPP features a 15 year contract with a similar project delivery method across ten ports.
What’s next: The deadline for submissions is set for Sunday, 30 June.
#2- An overhaul of Saudi’s TV and radio infrastructure: The Saudi Broadcasting Authority issued an expression of interest for a public-private-partnership project seeing the development and upgrade of TV and radio infrastructure in partnership with the National Center for Privatization, state news agency SPA reported. The project aims to develop infrastructure of television and radio towers across 143 sites under a 25-year rehabilitate, finance, operate, maintain and transfer contract. It aims to increase the number of high-quality broadcast TV and radio channels. Interested investors can submit their applications by no later than Sunday, 21 July.
#3- The Green Riyadh Project has kicked off the development of three major parks across a handful of neighborhoods in Riyadh, Saudi Gazette reports. The initiative entails planting over 585k trees in Eastern Riyadh, and raising the per capita rate of green spaces by 16x. No further information was provided.
DEBT WATCH-
#1- The Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) signed a USD 150 mn financing agreement for Tajikistan’s Rogun hydropower plant which will boast a total installed capacity of 3.6 GW when completed, the Jeddah-based multilateral lender said in a post on X. The funds will finance the construction of a 335-meter-high clay core rockfill dam on the Vakhsh River in the Rogun district. The dam will have six turbines generating 600 MW each.
The IsDB has emerged as a key backer for the project: Tajikistan’s government said in April that it secured USD 550 mn from the IsDB and other development institutions in the region for the megaproject. It said earlier this year that it needs USD 6.2 bn to complete the project which will help increase the Central Asian country’s energy production and ensure energy security.
#2- Tadawul-listed Wafrah for Industry and Development has obtained a SAR 50 mn Shariah-compliant credit facility from Riyad Bank, it said in a disclosure to Tadawul. The three-year facility will help finance the company’s working capital and pay off invoices.
HEALTHCARE-
State-owned Health Holding Company will add three health clusters to its portfolio in 2H 2024, it said in a post on X. The three clusters are located in Riyadh, Sharqiya and Qassim, with other clusters set to be transferred gradually based on their readiness over the next two years, it said. The transfer of the clusters comes under Health Holding’s plan to improve healthcare services across the Kingdom.
About the company: The state-owned integrated healthcare provider aims to turn “scattered” healthcare facilities across the Kingdom into accountable care organizations to meet healthcare needs in designated areas.
FINANCIAL SERVICES-
Sub-developers and contractors will have an easier time getting financial services from four leading local banks if they are referred by PIF-backed Roshn Group, after the real estate developer signed MoUs with Arab National Bank, Bank Albilad, Bank AlJazira and Riyad Bank, Roshn said on X. The four banks will provide sub-developers and contractors competitive margins and tailored credit facilities among others.
EDUCATION-
Nomu-listed education provider Academy of Learning signed a SAR 6 mn cooperation contract with training consultancy Bunyan to mark the “first step of several subsequent projects” between the two companies, it said in a disclosure to Tadawul. The contract spans five years, with the first phase running for 18 months. Details on the next phases are set to be determined at a later stage.
TECH-
Nomu-listed Naseej Tech was awarded a SAR 17.2 mn project from the Commerce Ministry to support the ministry’s digital transformation programs, it said in a disclosure to Tadawul.
AVIATION-
The Saudi Investment Bank (Saib) unveiled with flagship airline Saudia’s AlFursan loyalty program a product that allows users to earn reward miles monthly based on their average balance, according to a joint statement. The program, named “Travel Account,” will allow users to redeem their miles through Saib’s app.
What AlFursan said: “AlFursan is committed to strengthening relationships with our members by providing them with diverse and exclusive opportunities to earn miles and other unique benefits. The Travel Account further simplifies this process by allowing members to easily transfer their miles to AlFursan and redeem them for our extensive rewards program” said Essam Akhonbay, Vice President of AlFursan loyalty at Saudia.
ENTERTAINMENT-
Another water park: The Investment Ministry and the General Entertainment Authority signed an investment agreement with local entertainment company Nowaar to set up new entertainment and water parks across the Kingdom, it said on X. The inaugural water park agreed under the agreement is set to open its doors to visitors next year. The Investment Ministry did not provide details about the size of investments for the project.
REMEMBER- Saudi unveiled last month its first (and the region’s largest) water theme park Aquarabia. The park, which is a part of Qiddiya, will be home to 22 water games and attractions, including the world’s first double water loop and roller coaster with the highest jump among other record-breaking water games. It is set to complement Qiddiya’s Six Flags Theme Park.
