During the official visit to France on June 29 by Oman’s Sultan Haitham bin Tariq, several major agreements were signed between French companies and the Sultanate, according to Oman Daily. Among them is a landmark 15-year contract worth nearly €2 billion awarded to Suez to modernise and operate part of the country’s water and wastewater services.
Awarded by the state-owned Nama Water Services, the project will be carried out through a joint venture bringing together Suez (51%), the National Energy Center (34%) and the National Trading Company (15%). It covers drinking water and sanitation services in Muscat, the Omani capital, as well as the governorates of North and South Al Sharqiyah, two provinces located along the country’s eastern coast on the Arabian Sea. In total, 2.3 million people, around 43% of the Sultanate’s population, are affected.
This is the largest contract ever secured by Suez in the Middle East and one of the most significant in its history in water utility operations. It includes the management of 240 wells, 10,700 kilometres of pipelines and 22 wastewater treatment plants, as well as the upgrading of four desalination facilities. The partners will also oversee more than 400,000 smart meters and develop wastewater reuse solutions.
Vision 2040 in focus
The joint venture’s remuneration will depend on the achievement of 33 key performance indicators, including 24/7 water supply, reducing network losses from 34% to 11% by 2040, and deploying predictive maintenance tools powered by Suez’s digital technologies.
The Omani sovereign’s visit was also marked by another strategic deal supporting the energy transition. French utility EDF signed a roughly $3 billion agreement to develop and operate the Sultanate’s first pumped-storage hydropower plant (PSP). The facility will be built at the Wadi Dayqah Dam, around 90 kilometres south of Muscat, and will be capable of storing up to 2 gigawatts (GW) of electricity, helping stabilise the grid and support renewable energy development.
In addition, several other agreements were concluded during the visit, covering logistics, ports and the Muscat metro. A framework agreement was also signed between Asyad Group and CMA CGM to develop and operate a multipurpose terminal, alongside commitments in health, culture, education and space.
These deals are aligned with Oman’s Vision 2040 programme, which aims to modernise the country’s water and energy infrastructure in order to secure resources and accelerate the energy transition. Further tenders for new desalination plants and wastewater treatment expansions are expected in the coming years, opening additional growth opportunities for Suez.
Source: Oman Daily