National Water CEO says merging sectors first step in increasing efficiency

Mohammed Almowkley, CEO of National Water Co. (NWC)

Mohammed Almowkley, CEO of National Water Co. (NWC), said that the project to integrate sectors is the first step to engage the private sector in increasing operational efficiency, fill technical gaps, and localize technology and technical expertise.

During a ceremony for the completion of structure and merger of the water distribution sector in the Kingdom, Almowkley explained that this will be through management, operation and maintenance contracts with local and international alliances, in addition to concluding concession agreements within the objectives of the National Water Strategy and Vision 2030.

He also pointed out that achieving the objectives of the ninth program will enable the Kingdom to attract and localize modern technologies, transfer knowledge to national cadres, and provide jobs.

NWC began its journey by merging the areas of Madinah and Tabuk under the Northwest Sector as a first stage. It was followed by combining the governorates of Riyadh region under the Central Sector, and the Eastern Region under the Eastern Sector, on March 1, as a second stage.

The third stage of the program included gathering the governorates of Makkah region into the Western Sector, and combining Asir, Jazan, Najran and Al-Baha within the Southern Sector, which took place early July.

On Nov. 1, the timetable was completed by merging four areas, namely Qassim, Hail, Al-Jouf and the Northern Border under the Northern Sector.

The company completed a unified digital structure to upgrade the level of services provided to its customers and partners in the various regions of the Kingdom.

Over the past four years, the company implemented more than 1,090 projects, costing over SAR 35.8 billion, benefiting above 7.7 million new beneficiaries, and contributed to increasing the coverage rates of water and sanitation networks.