The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) requires a forward-thinking approach to continue to deliver its growing population clean, plentiful water in such an arid climate. To provide the water the country needs, the National Water Company was established as a government-owned joint stock company in 2008, as the first step in transformation of the water and wastewater sector in the Kingdom aimed at improving efficiency and customer satisfaction. Currently NWC provides water distribution, sewerage collection, and wastewater treatment services across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

In 2017, the Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture (MEWA) assigned NWC the responsibility for management and supervision of the entire distribution sector throughout the Kingdom, including the 13 MEWA regional water services directorates. Subsequently, all directorates were merged under NWC, and since then NWC has become responsible for the water distribution sector across the Kingdom.

Currently, the NWC is working to manage its water resources by investing in new technologies, promoting smart water use, and modernizing its water infrastructure.

From its cluster offices in Jeddah, Abha, Madinah, Riyadh, Dammam, and Qassim, NWC’s approach to delivering its massive portfolio of water programs and projects offer an example of how water authorities in even the most challenging conditions can leverage innovation and conservation to ensure steady and safe supply to their customers.

As announced in September 2023 by the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, NWC’s nearly $80 billion in projects will be delivered in phases over the next several years and will include connecting drinking water with customers, boosting underground water resources, increasing reservoir capacity, reducing network losses, and improving treatment processes and facilities. To help deliver these ambitious projects, NWC awarded Hill International the Program Management Oversight (PMO) contract for their projects.

Hill President, Middle East and North Africa Waleed Abdel-Fattah explained: “Hill’s PMO support encompasses strategic planning and on-site project and construction management, functional support to NWC business units, reporting to NWC’s head office, change management, claims avoidance, project controls, contract management, engineering interface management, testing and commissioning management, knowledge transfer, and project handover and closeout.

“Taken as a whole, these services will help the NWC to realize their new projects holistically, as well as to enjoy schedule and cost efficiencies and proactive knowledge management that will benefit not only these specific projects, but their organization as a whole.”

Abdel-Fattah concluded, “As the world looks to better manage its natural resources, the NWC’s approach provides an excellent example of how technology and commitment, combined with the right planning, oversight, and monitoring support, can realize construction programs and projects of size and scope successfully.”