In December 2018, Acwa Power won the contract for the Rabigh 3 independent water desalination plant on Saudi Arabia's Red Sea coast. Its consortium with Saudi Brothers Commercial Company had submitted the lowest price among five bidders. The reverse osmosis plant was designed for 600,000 m³/day and was to supply Mecca and Jeddah, especially during Ramadan and the Hajj. The off-taker was the state-owned Water and Electricity Company under a 25-year concession, with commercial operation planned for December 2021.
The award showed the independent water project model in clear form: competition on the lowest water price, a private developer and a state off-taker with a long-term contract.
Source: The National