Kuwait – Kuwait has awarded a massive contract worth nearly $3.3 billion to a specialized Chinese company. The contract is for constructing, operating, and maintaining the Kabd North wastewater treatment plant. This move reflects the Gulf state’s commitment to strengthening its environmental infrastructure. In addition, it shows an expansion of its cooperation with China on strategic projects.
The Kuwaiti Official Gazette reported on Sunday that the Central Agency for Public Tenders approved proceeding with the direct contract between the Ministry of Public Works and the China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC). The total value of the contract is 999.85 million Kuwaiti dinars, equivalent to approximately $3.276 billion.
Processing one million cubic meters
According to official data, the Kabd North plant is the largest wastewater treatment facility in Kuwait in terms of capacity. Once operational, it is expected to treat up to one million cubic meters of wastewater daily using advanced technologies. The contract stipulates that the Chinese company will construct, operate, and maintain the plant. Furthermore, the company is to carry out all associated works for a period of 10 years.
The project comes at a time when Kuwait faces challenges related to the reuse of treated wastewater. Large quantities are currently discharged into the sea due to limited storage capacity and inadequate infrastructure. There are also technical constraints related to water quality, which restrict its use to irrigation.
Development of relations between Kuwait and China
The Kabd North wastewater treatment plant is one of several major projects Kuwait has undertaken in cooperation with the Chinese government in recent years. These projects include the Mubarak Al-Kabeer Port project. The contract for this port was signed last December for nearly four billion dollars. There are other projects as well, encompassing power and water plants, renewable energy projects, waste recycling, and the development of new cities and residential areas.
Relations between Kuwait and China have witnessed significant development recently. This is particularly true following the visit of the Emir of Kuwait, Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, to Beijing in 2013, when he was Crown Prince. During that visit, the two sides signed several bilateral agreements in the fields of infrastructure, energy, and sustainable development.
