RIYADH, 26 August 2004 — Saudi Arabia has awarded a SR263 million contract to a Turkish company to build Murwani Dam near Jeddah. The contract was part of the government’s ambitious plan to build five dams at a total cost of over SR1 billion within a few years.
“Yuksel Insaat Saudia Co Ltd., which became one of the fastest growing companies of its kind in the Kingdom, has been awarded the contract by the Ministry of Water and Electricity,” Erol Ozdemir, regional manager of Yuksel, said yesterday.
Ozdemir, who was also accompanied by another senior Yuksel executive Murat Bugday, said that the catchment area of Murwani Dam is 2,762 sq kmand the height of the main structure will be 101 meters. The project will be completed in 2009.
He said, “Yuksel has the high-tech capability and international standards to implement such dam projects for the Saudi government.”
“Currently, we are executing some prestigious projects for the government agency and private sectors such as the SR198 million Baysh dam in Jizan under the Ministry of Water and Electricity,” said Ozdemir.
The Baysh dam is located at about 500 meters from the junction of Yakhref and Baysh valley in Jizan, where the destruction caused by flash floods has been devastating.
These multipurpose dam projects have been a priority for the Saudi government.
