Saudi Water Partnerships Company (SWPC) has announced that a consortium led by Acwa Power – a leading developer, investor, and operator of power generation, water desalination and green hydrogen plants worldwide – has been awarded the contract to develop an independent water project at Rabigh in Makkah region which will have a production capacity of 600,000 cu m per day.

Its consortium partners are Haji Abdullah Alireza & Partners Company, a key player in the management, operation and maintenance of sea water desalination plants, and Bahrain-based Almoayyed Contracting Group.

According to SWPC, Rabigh 4 is the eighth project in the desalinated water production pipeline being implemented in partnership with the private sector, since the launch of the National Water Strategy. The project, to be located 180 km northwest of Makkah on the Red Sea coast in the Western Province, will include the desalination plant and all associated infrastructure and facilities. It is due for completion in Q4 2025, said the Saudi utility.

The contract was signed by Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture and Chairman of the Board of Directors of SWPC Engineer Abdulrahman bin Abdul Mohsen Al Fadhli with Acwa Consortium partners at the ministry’s headquarters in Riyadh. Lauding the project, Engineer Al Fadhli said: “Rabigh 4 project will directly serve the pilgrims, in addition to the beneficiaries in the regions of Makkah and Madinah.”

Saudi Water Partnership Company CEO Engineer Khalid bin Zwaid Al Qureshi said the commercial operation will begin in the first quarter of 2026.

In addition to the water plant, the project scope includes developing 1.2 million cu m storage tanks as well as extension and connection to the existing power transmission substation, he added.

Meanwhile, Acwa Power has also signed a water purchase agreement with SWPC for a 600,000-cu-m capacity plant being developed on the Red Sea coast.