MEWA moves towards adopting plan to privatize environment sector: Official

Mansour Al-Mushaiti, Deputy Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture (MEWA) is currently working on the adoption of the environment sector privatization plan, which includes privatizing some services of the five national environmental centers that have been established, according to Deputy Minister Mansour Al-Mushaiti.

The ministry is working to privatize all sectors within its scope, namely the environment, water and agriculture sectors, Al-Mushaiti told Al-Eqtisadiah Newspaper.

The privatization of water distribution activity through management contracts as a preliminary stage is to prepare the distribution sector for private sector contribution, followed by long-term franchising contracts, privatization of desalinated water production and wastewater treatment projects, strategic storage projects, and water transmission line systems.

Privatization and investment are essential engines to achieve Vision 2030, strategic plans and objectives of the ministry by maximizing the benefit of resources and assets which it owns and oversees, creating a stimulating investment environment for all those interested in investment opportunities in the ministry sectors, attracting domestic and international interested investors, reducing reliance on the state budget, and raising the quality and efficiency of services provided to citizens.

MEWA is working to complete what it has begun in plans to privatize its sectors and affiliates, and also to develop and improve the quality of services, meet the requirements of its beneficiaries, activate the role of the private sector partnership, as well as reduce direct costs to the state, Al-Mushaiti said.

He also pointed out that the most important thing the ministry is working on in its future plans is to complete projects through privatization in the transfer of ownership of assets from the government to the private sector or delegating the provision of certain government services to the private sector.