SEPTECH said it is expanding its Middle Eastern operations with the establishment of state-of-the-art offices and factories in Saudi Arabia.

The water giant has entered into a strategic joint venture with Saudi partner Mawrid Holdings to form Septech Saudi Arabia. The company’s head office will be based in Riyadh, while the factories will be set up in the Eastern and Western provinces. Septech will retain a majority stake.
“We look forward to introducing our latest technologies in water/water reuse, desalination and utilities management expertise to address the country’s growing water challenges,” said David Heffernan, CEO, Septech. “Mawrid Holding’s strategic strength lies in the fact that they have a deep understanding of the marketplace and the related challenges and opportunities that it presents.”
Water scarcity is a critical issue that the region is dealing with. According to a report released by Birzeit University in Palestine, the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region has five per cent of the world’s population and less than one per cent of the world’s available water.
Water reuse technology has surfaced as an important solution to this serious threat. According to Global Water Intelligence water expert, Christopher Gasson, the water reuse market in Saudi Arabia will be worth $3.4 billion between 2009 and 2016, making it the largest water reuse market in the world after the US and China.
“There is great potential in the water reuse market in Saudi Arabia,” said Mansour Swaidan, vice-chairman, Mawrid Holdings. “This is the first strategic water infrastructure investment that we have undertaken with Septech who are the proven industry leaders in water technology and expertise,” he said. Heffernan forecasts that Septech Saudi Arabia’s annual turnover will exceed SR300 million ($79.99 million), and anticipates a growth rate between 20 to 30 per cent in two to three years, respectively.