MUSCAT: Two new Independent Water Projects (IWPs) are planned for development to help address capacity deficits anticipated in the Sultanate of Oman over the next four to six years.According to Nama Power and Water Procurement Company (Nama PWP) — the single buyer and procurer of electricity and desalinated water capacity — the first project, designated North Batinah IWP, is envisioned with a capacity of 150,000 m³/day, with operations slated to begin in 2032.
The Dhofar Water IWP 2030, on the other hand, will be sized at around 80,000 m³/day and is expected to commence operations around 2030. The proposed North Batinah project will be sufficient to cover demand growth in the Main Interconnected System (MIS) — encompassing three supply zones: Muscat Zone, Barka Zone and Sohar Zone — in the coming years, PWP noted in its latest 7-Year Outlook Statement.
“Procurement activities would begin once the Pre-Investment Appraisal Documents (PIAD) are finalised and approved by the Authority for Public Services Regulation (APSR). PWP is also coordinating with Nama Water Services (NWS) to secure a suitable site for this project”, the company said.
Significantly, peak water demand in the MIS is projected to increase at a rate of 3 per cent per year, rising from 1,211 thousand m³/day in 2025 to around 1,483 thousand m³/day by 2032, according to the offtaker.
Actual average water demand in the MIS reached 1,088 thousand m³/day in 2025. Supply will be further bolstered in 2027 when the Ghubrah III IWP, currently under construction, is scheduled to commence commercial operations with a capacity of 300,000 m³/day.
In the Sharqiyah Zone — covering the governorates of Al Sharqiyah North and South, excluding Masirah Island — peak water demand is expected to increase at 4 per cent per year, from 137 thousand m³/day in 2025 to 178 thousand m³/day by 2032. No new capacity is envisaged for procurement in this zone during the forecast period.
Peak water demand in the Dhofar Zone, meanwhile, is projected to grow at 3 per cent annually, rising from 201 thousand m³/day in 2025 to 240 thousand m³/day by 2032.
Nama Dhofar Services (NDS) — a subsidiary of Nama Group — oversees the delivery of potable water to consumers and manages the development, operation and maintenance of the Dhofar water network across Salalah, Taqah and Mirbat.
In assessing water demand growth in the zone, authorities are considering two main drivers: City demand, representing the water needs of Salalah, Taqah and Mirbat cities currently supplied through the existing distribution network; and Jabal demand, covering the mountainous areas of these wilayats, where supply still partly depends on local wellfields.
In addition, Nama Dhofar Services plans to expand the existing network to cover a larger portion of the Jabal areas and to assess the feasibility of extending supply to nearby wilayats such as Thamrait and Sadah, according to the offtaker.
The new project, designated Dhofar Water IWP 2030, is proposed to be developed in Raysut, for which a suitable site is currently being identified. Development procedures will be initiated upon the completion of a hydrological study to determine safe abstraction levels from the wellfields in the main system (Salalah, Taqah and Mirbat), Nama added.
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