BUSINESS REPORTER
MUSCAT, JUNE 30
On the occasion of the visit of His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik to France, the Oman Water and Wastewater Services Company (Nama Water Services) announced it has granted global utility giant SUEZ and its partners, National Trading Company LLC and National Energy Center SAOC, a performance-based contract to provide water and wastewater services to the governorates of Muscat, North Sharqiyah and South Sharqiyah - collectively known as Cluster 1.
This 15-years contract, for a total amount of 2 billion euros (approx. RO 900 million), will cover the Operation and Maintenance of water and wastewater assets and services for 2.3 million inhabitants, equivalent to 43% of the population of the Sultanate of Oman. It also includes a water loss reduction target to meet the highest international standards.
Commenting on the pact, Xavier Girre, CEO - SUEZ, said: “It is an honour for SUEZ to collaborate with the Omani authorities to provide sustainable drinking water and sanitation services to more than 2 million people. This is also a great source of pride as it is the largest contract ever awarded to SUEZ in the Middle East, illustrating the strong momentum of our development in the region. This success reflects the recognition of SUEZ teams’ expertise in addressing critical water challenges in a context of structural water stress.
The scope of the contract, drawn on SUEZ’s expertise, will cover both:
•Water services with the operation and maintenance of 240 wells and 10,700 km of pipelines to distribute 470,000 m³/day of drinking water. It also covers the refurbishment and upgrading of 4 desalination plants and the operation of more than 400 000 smart meters.
•Wastewater services with the operation and maintenance of 22 wastewater treatment plants, representing a total treatment capacity of 280,000 m3/day, around 3,000 km of sewer networks, and 400 km of treated effluent networks delivering treated water for reuse, and installation and operation of new wastewater house connections.
The performance-based contract incorporates 33 key performance indicators (KPIs) designed to ensure the sustainable operation of the network and the delivery of high-quality water services, with the operator's remuneration linked to its performance. Among the key targets are reducing water losses from 34% to 11% by 2040, ensuring a continuous 24-hour supply of high-quality drinking water, and implementing optimized preventive maintenance programmes to enhance service reliability and extend the lifespan of critical assets.
Beyond technologies, the success of the project relies on the expertise of the Omani teams. A comprehensive capacity-building programme, drawing on international expert knowledge, has been designed to develop operational and managerial skills over the long term. The performance-based contract involves strong commitment to Omanisation (>83%) and In Country Value1, supporting the government's strategic goals of Oman Vision 2040.
In this partnership, Nama Water Services retains its strategic and regulatory role of supervision and governance, while the Consortium will be responsible for day-to-day operations, through the dedicated company National Sustainable Water Alliance LLC: National Trading Company LLC, a multi-sector investor across Power & Utilities, Manufacturing, IT, Real Estate and retail, will provide field knowledge, financial and investment expertise; and National Energy Center (NEC), a leading Omani utility development and infrastructure investment company focused on water, energy and digital utility solutions.
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