On September 1, 2026, a 15 year operation and maintenance contract was officially signed at the headquarters of Riyadh National Water Company in Saudi Arabia. Jiangsu United Water, as the leading party, has partnered with Saudi Armada Holding to acquire the long-term operation rights of nine sewage treatment plants in northern Saudi Arabia, with a contract amount of 348 million US dollars. This is the first contract led by a Chinese enterprise in Saudi Arabia's LTOM plan, and also marks a key leap for China's water industry to go global from completion to long-term roots.

Building a three-dimensional layout for the Northern Ninth Factory

The project covers nine sewage treatment plants in the four provinces of Hail, Kassim, Jiaof, and the northern border, involving nine towns including Unaza, Bukeriya, and Hail, with a total treatment capacity of 337800 cubic meters per day. The consortium will be responsible for restoration, efficiency improvement, capacity upgrading, deep sludge treatment, and 15 year full cycle operation and maintenance. This is the 10th package contract of NWC's long-term operation and maintenance plan, and also the first contract officially signed by a Chinese funded enterprise in the plan.

Continuous breakthrough verification mode upgrade

In January 2026, United Water Services, as the leading party, won the bid for the 10th package. In August, they received a notification of winning the bid for the 11th package in the northwest region, which includes five sewage treatment plants with a total treatment capacity of 442000 cubic meters per day. The estimated total revenue for 2015 is about 2.05 billion yuan. From establishing a Saudi subsidiary in January 2025 to obtaining two contracts, it only took one and a half years to break through the market ice. The consecutive winning of bids marks a profound transformation of Chinese water companies from engineering contractors to long-term operational service providers.

The operation and maintenance track releases billions of space

NWC has completed the signing of eight contracts under this plan, aimed at attracting private sector investment in the restoration and operation of existing water assets. Saudi Arabia's National Water Strategy 2030 prioritizes water security, with increasing demand for wastewater reuse and seawater desalination. The China Saudi Arabia joint venture model has been validated as an effective path, and the qualifications and resources of local partners are the key leverage to win long-term operation and maintenance contracts. The water industry is becoming a new mainline for Chinese investment to go global after energy infrastructure. Whoever completes the construction of localized capabilities first will be able to take the lead in this wave of billion dollar dividends.Editor/Gao Xue