JEDDAH: The National Water Company has announced the beginning of procedures to take over water and sewage operation and management in Riyadh and Jeddah within the next three months. The jobs will be handed over to the company by previously government-run administrations. The jobs include the management of underground water, distribution of drinking water and the tasks of collecting and treating sewage water.
In a statement issued to the press, the company said that it would assume the task of training the employees of the water and sewage sector before turning it from a government-run operation into a private sector one. The company has begun executing contracts previously signed this year with France’s Veolia Water AMI in Riyadh and the coalition between France’s Suez water company and Arabic Company for Water Development and Energy Limited (Aqua Power) in Jeddah for the development, management and maintenance of the water and sewage sector in addition to developing customer service departments and minimizing leakage. The company is also in the process of opening new branches in Jeddah and Riyadh and establishing more than five customer service centers. The statement added that the company would open two new training centers managed in cooperation with France’s Suez and Veolia to contribute to the development of company’s staff. The company announced its preparations to take over the water and wastewater operation of three new cities — Makkah, Madinah and Dammam/Alkhobar. The operation and management responsibilities for the new cities are the responsibility of the National Water Company. The statement added that the company is in the process of assigning consultant firms to handle the companies bidding on the future contracts for those cities. The plans are scheduled to be finalized in 2009.
