Saudi Arabia’s ACWA Power plans to establish a membrane manufacturing plant in Egypt as the state targets an increase in its daily desalinated water production to 10 million cubic meters from a current 1.8 million cubic meters, the government said on Monday.
ACWA Power Chairperson Mohammad Abunayyan announced that the company has submitted bids for desalination projects tendered by the Ministry of Housing and has partnered with a major manufacturer to build the membrane factory in Egypt. The plans also include establishing a local training centre dedicated to membrane manufacturing and the operation of desalination plants.
Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly stated that the government aims to attract major companies to implement seawater desalination projects across several governorates while focusing on the localisation of related industries.
Minister of Housing, Utilities and Urban Communities Randa El–Menshawy noted that the government has held several meetings with ACWA Power officials to review planned projects. She added that the state is currently evaluating offers from ACWA Power alongside bids from several other companies to select the best options based on pricing, industry localisation, and other criteria.
Abunayyan stated that ACWA Power has invested $4 bn in Egypt to date. He cited the company’s successful track record in the Egyptian electricity sector as an incentive to pump new investments into water desalination, highlighting that ACWA Power currently produces around 11m cubic meters of desalinated water daily in Saudi Arabia.
The discussions occurred during a meeting attended by Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy Mahmoud Essmat, Deputy Minister of Housing for Utilities Ahmed Omran, and Advisor to the Finance Minister for Public-Private Partnerships Ater Hanoura. ACWA Power’s delegation included Hesham Ghabashi, Regional Head for the Middle East, Africa, and South East Asia, and Hassan Amin, CEO of ACWA Power in Egypt.
During the meeting, Madbouly and Abunayyan praised the strategic bilateral relations between Egypt and Saudi Arabia under the leadership of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi, Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz, and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, noting that these ties serve as a strong driver for enhancing economic partnerships and joint development projects.
