On August 24, 2026, United Water announced that the consortium led by the company successfully won the bid for the 11th package of the long-term operation and maintenance contract for municipal sewage of Saudi National Water Company. This is the second entry ticket for United Water in the high-end water market in Saudi Arabia, after winning 10 packages in early 2026. The total long-term contract revenue of the two guarantees for 15 years exceeds 4.4 billion yuan, and the scale of water management will reach about 780000 cubic meters per day. From engineering construction to long-term operation, the Middle East story of Chinese water companies is turning a new page.

15 year long-term contract landing

The project covers 5 municipal sewage treatment plants in Medina Province, with a total scale of 442000 cubic meters per day after upgrading and renovation. The cooperation period is 15 years, including the first 3 years of non-stop repair period. The expected total revenue during the 15 year operation period is 1.1406 billion Saudi riyals, which is approximately 2.05 billion RMB at the exchange rate on the signing date. The project involves the repair and upgrading of process equipment for 5 sewage treatment plants, as well as a 15 year full cycle operation and maintenance service. This is the second entry ticket that United Water has won in the high-end water market in Saudi Arabia, following the 10th package of the northern region project in 2026.

Nearly 800000 cubic meters in management scale

The 10th package project covers 9 sewage treatment plants in 8 cities and 4 provinces of Saudi Arabia, with a treatment capacity of 337800 cubic meters per day. The estimated total revenue during the 15 year operation period is 1.3056 billion Saudi riyals, about 2.366 billion yuan. The total long-term contract revenue locked in by the joint water management company in Saudi Arabia has exceeded 4.4 billion yuan, and the scale of water management will reach about 780000 cubic meters per day. With a 15 year long cycle, a total scale of nearly 800000 cubic meters per day, and a total revenue of over 4.4 billion yuan, United Water is upgrading from a Chinese water company to a long-term operator in the Middle East water market.

Saudi Arabia's $100 billion market opens up

The Saudi Vision 2030 and its accompanying National Water Strategy 2030 prioritize water security as a national priority. Saudi Arabia plans to attract $64 billion in private capital investment in 18 industries by 2030, with plans to attract over 204 billion Saudi riyals and approximately $64 billion in private sector investment in the water sector alone. The goal is to increase the reuse rate of treated wastewater to 70% by 2030. The Saudi National Water Company is pushing a large number of existing water assets to the market, adopting a long-term operation and maintenance contract model to introduce international professional operators. Keywords: international news and information, sewage treatment, infrastructure

In the past decade, Chinese enterprises have mainly played the role of EPC engineering general contractors in the Middle East water industry. United Water has won two 15 year long cycle operation and maintenance contracts, indicating that Chinese water companies have the ability to compete with world-class operators on the same stage. For Chinese enterprises engaged in water operation, sewage treatment technology, and smart water systems, the public-private partnership window in Saudi Arabia's water market is accelerating. United Water Services stated that it will actively promote contract signing and project handover, leverage its technical and management advantages in the fields of water supply and sewage treatment, and provide high-quality water services to the local area.Editor/Gao Xue