Atkins consortium wins work on Saudi sanitation project

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Atkins consortium wins work on Saudi sanitation project

Atkins, member of the SNC-Lavalin group, has won an advisory services contract from state-owned National Water Company (NWC) as part of a consortium to provide sustainable sanitation services in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Comprising three flagship privatization projects (Jeddah, Dammam, Turaif, Arar, Sakaka), those will improve the current wastewater infrastructure in the cities of Jeddah, Dammam and Northern Border region for more than seven million inhabitants. The consortium is led by financial consultant Mizuho Bank and supported by legal consultant White & Case.

Francois-Xavier Basselot, Atkins’ market director for water in the Middle East, said: “With strong economic development and a rising population, the current sanitation infrastructure across the Kingdom is not adequate and needs to be expanded. Through these flagship projects, the NWC, with support from the consortium, will bring much needed improvements to the environment, ecology and public health for the citizens of Saudi Arabia.”

Currently a low percentage of the wastewater produced in the country is collected by the existing network and treated. The projects will be developed using the Build-Operate-Transfer / Build-Operate-Own (BOT/BOO) scheme to finance the construction of wastewater treatment facilities, where private funds are used to construct and commercially operate a facility before ownership is transferred to a public entity.

This is the first privatization project for NWC.Atkins will provide advice on public-private collaboration as well as insights on the technical requirements such as conceptual design of the wastewater treatment plant facilities, environmental impact review and guidance, or procurement and bid evaluation support.Saudi Arabia has been diversifying and modernizing the industrial base of the country in line with the National Transformation Program, Saudi Vision 2030, to be less dependent on petroleum resources. The Program is also aimed at promoting privatization to reduce public spending.

Source: www.atkinsglobal.com

Moving Abroad Checklist

Initial Considerations

Will your partner be travelling with you?

If so, what will they be giving up in your present home and will they be able to continue with their career in your new home? You will need to check whether a separate visa is required for your partner to work or if your visa gives that right. If they are unable to work you will need to decide on the effect on your finances and what alternatives are available to give a fulfilling life (home business, training, voluntary work).

Are you taking family with you?

Moving with family raises many exciting opportunities, but also can create challenges. The HSBC Expat Explorer survey indicates that expat kids can take six months to settle in to their new country (see article). Getting young or even older children to prepare to move and leave their friends and family behind can be a challenge and should be thought through.

The options for education is another area that needs to be thought through.

Moving your child to a new country with a different education system can be a great opportunity to broaden their experience, but if they are close to key exams the timing can make this inadvisable. If you do take your family with you, it is important to decide between joining the local school system or choosing an international school.

Where will you be living?

Whether you will be living in a house or apartment, furnished or unfurnished, these decisions will affect what you need to take with you. The time you are planning to live overseas will also affect whether you should leave your property at home empty, rent it out or sell it. See the article Sell, Store or Ship.