There is enough water in Oman to meet demand, says PAEW

Muscat: “We have enough water capacity to meet the demand this year,” the PAEW Chairman Mohammed bin Abdullah al Mahrouqi has promised.
Read also: Oman's Public Authority for Electricity and Water announces hike in water tariffs
“We are confident that this year will be much better and we have enough capacity to meet the demand,” Al Mahrouqi replied when asked about the current water situation on the sidelines of the signing of water purchase agreement to establish the Qurayyat and Aseelah Temporary Desalination Plants with Muscat water LLC.
Speaking on the water tariff hike for commercial and industrial sector Al Mahrouqi said, “This is a part of the revision as tariffs in the country has not been changed for long time.”
“It is a minor increase in the tariff with effect from March and there wouldn’t be any increase in the residential consumption,” he added.
According to him, the hike in the tariff wouldn’t cause any harm to the commercial and industrial firms as the water consumption is nominal.
Oman Power and Water Procurement Company (OPWP) signed the water purchase agreement to establish the Qurayyat and Aseelah Temporary Desalination Plants with Muscat water LLC.
The agreement was signed by Engineer Yaqoob bin Saif Al Kiyumi, COO of OPWP and on behalf of Muscat Water Haitham Al Fannah COO of Sulaimi Group Holding.
The project will be located in Qurayyat in Muscat governorate and Jalan Bani Bu Ali in Shariqiyah South governorate.
Total Potable (drinkable) Water output of Qurrayat plant will 8,000 m3 per day whereas total Potable Water output of Asselah plant will be 10,000 m3 per day.
According to the officials, the project will be structured as Independent Water Projects (IWPs) with OPWP purchasing the Potable Water produced by the project under a water purchase agreement.
“This project is part of temporary and urgent desalination water projects being developed by Oman Power and Water Procurement Company in coordination with the Public Authority for Electricity and Water,” Engineer naïf bin Ali Al Abri, Acting Director of Projects Development said.
“Project will help to accomplish the growing demand for water in the Sultanate of Oman,” he added.
According to the officials, the project will contribute to create job opportunities to the nationals and create contractual opportunities for local business and enrich the Omani content through awarding the project to one of the national companies operating in this field.
They also said that most of the project’s materials will manufactured locally through specialised local companies.
The OPWP officials also said that they started the procurement process to develop the project in June 2015 and five companies participated in the tendering process.
Bidders have competed in their technical and financial bids, and through the evaluation and negotiation process carried out by the company, the project was awarded to the consortium of AquaSwiss and Al Sulaimi Group Holding.
“We are happy and proud for obtaining the opportunity to provide a technical solution to convert saline water into drinking water,” Dr. Manfred Reid, the Head of Global Business Development from AquaSwiss AG said.
“Serving the demands of thousands of people in the regions of Asselah and Qurayyat, making their life safer and more comfortable,” he added.