The Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture of Saudi Arabia has signed the agreement for the Shuqaiq-3 Independent Water Project (IWP) with the winning consortium of Marubeni Corporation, Acciona Agua S.A., Abdul Latif Jameel Commercial Development Company and Rawafid Alhadarah Holding Company.

Located in the city of Shuqaiq, on the Red Sea coast, the IWP involves the development, financing, engineering, procurement, construction, implementation, operation and maintenance of a desalination plant with a net potable water capacity of 450,000 m³/day. The plant will utilise reverse osmosis seawater desalination technology.

The tender for the project was launched in November 2017. The Marubeni-led consortium was one of six final bidders.