Missed the live session? Watch the webinar on demand here

On June 10, SHARAKAT joined MEED GlobalData for a webinar that drew over 400 developers, contractors, financiers and those already active in the water industry. The session was practical by design, walking through Saudi Arabia’s water public-private partnership (PPP) market in detail.

Engineer Talal AlTayar, vice-president for independent water projects (IWPs) and independent water transmission pipelines (IWTPs), and Engineer Dhafir Alshehri, vice-president of contract management at SHARAKAT, spent the hour discussing the specifics of pipeline numbers, contractual structure and the qualification process. With over 100 questions submitted before the session ended, the appetite in the room was not hard to read.

Edward James, head of content and research for the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) at MEED GlobalData, opened the webinar with the water sector projects market performance across the region and the numbers are considerable. From 2016 to 2025, the value of annual Mena water contract awards more than quadrupled – from $7.5bn to $33bn – as the region focuses on increased supply and greater reliability.

Saudi Arabia is by far the biggest water projects market in the region and, globally, the world’s largest producer of desalinated water. With the rise of PPPs, a growing number of water projects are now being implemented through the PPP contractual framework as it becomes more established and mainstream across the Gulf. “Everything is in the public domain, the tariffs, who has pre-qualified, the winners. There’s complete transparency,” said James.

The scale of SHARAKAT’s portfolio and pipeline, as presented by Engineer Talal, illustrates clearly what is in motion. Fifteen assets are already under contract and operational; six are under construction; and nine are in active tendering, with the Riyadh East independent sewage treatment plant (ISTP) the next project awaiting request for proposal (RFP) submissions. Beyond that, more than 21 projects are confirmed across desalination, sewage treatment, transmission and storage through to 2033.

SHARAKAT has also achieved four-star global recognition from the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM), which authenticates the company’s commitment to institutional excellence, strong governance and sustainable development within the kingdom’s water sector.

“We are looking for companies to participate, bringing more technical and commercial added value to our projects, and bringing more experience to the sector,” said Engineer Talal. The figures behind their asset classes are worth noting. Desalination capacity will reach 88.1 million cubic metres a day (cm/d) by 2033. Sewage treatment targets 2.6 million cm/d by 2030, supported by 11,500 kilometres (km) of collection networks. Strategic storage will add 7.05 million cm/d of capacity by 2029 and water transmissions adds 4.4 million cm/d across 2,900km of pipelines.

Engineer Dhafir walked attendees through the framework behind those numbers and made clear that transparency is not a preference at SHARAKAT, but a legal obligation. Under Saudi Arabia’s PSP law, all procurement stages are published on SHARAKAT’s website, from expression of interest to financial close.

“SHARAKAT has a proven track record of delivery. It is a trusted party and official agent in Saudi Arabia and always looks at continuous improvement through stakeholder feedback at every phase in the project life cycle – from planning, tendering, construction, operation and even afterwards,” added Engineer Dhafir.

He took participants through the process of what happens when a project is awarded. As the principal government offtaker and sole buyer of all types of water PPP projects in the kingdom, SHARAKAT structures concession terms that run between 25 and 35 years. Payments are availability-based, meaning they are tied to the asset’s performance rather than the volume of water produced. Throughout the project lifecycle, SHARAKAT’s role is to also monitor partner accountability using digital tools and real-time data to track performance and intervene where required.

“One of the strengths that SHARAKAT has is that we are backed by the Ministry of Finance’s credit support agreement, which ensures the bankability and cash flow and payment is granted for the investors and lenders,” he added. That combination of availability-based payments and government backing removes the revenue uncertainty that makes comparable markets difficult to underwrite.

Edward James reflected on two decades of watching the market develop: “I don’t believe I’ve ever seen a failed Saudi water PPP, or a failure to financial close. Everything has always been smooth in terms of the entire process.”

More than 70 companies at the webinar indicated their interest in SHARAKAT’s prequalification programme. The programme is open to local and international developers. Prior experience in Saudi Arabia is not a requirement. For project details, you can visit www.sharakat.com.sa and follow SHARAKAT’s official media channels.