Saline Water Conversion Corporation (SWCC) has prequalified nine companies to bid to build a water pipeline to run from the Ras al-Zour project.

Prequalified companies have been given until 14 June to submit bids to construct the project that will transport water from the new desalination project to Hafar al-Batin.

The project will have a capacity of 160,000 cubic metres per day and will comprise one hydraulic main pipeline, which will have a length of 352.1 kilometres.   

The main pipeline will start at Ras al-Zour and will have a diameter of 1.3 metres, running for 83.4km, to be followed by a pipeline with diameter of 1.1 m to take the water to the reservoir at Hafar al-Batin.

The selected supplier will also build a pumping station, which will have a discharge of 1.8518 metres per second.

UK-based firm Mott MacDonald is running the tender with SWCC, who will look for advisers to work on the project once a contractor is selected, which is likely to occur by the end of August.