Water and Electricity Minister Abdullah Al-Hussayen.

Water and Electricity Minister Abdullah Al-Hussayen has promised there would be no water interruptions this coming summer, except in exceptional circumstances.

Al-Hussayen, who was speaking Tuesday at the Armed Forces Exhibition for Diversification in Riyadh, said there was sufficient supply for everyone, with no price changes instituted. He said water bills would be based on consumption.

The minister said Riyadh uses the equivalent of 250,000 water tankers daily. Pipelines between Riyadh and Dammam burst recently because these were more than 35 years old, he was quoted as saying by a local publication.

Al-Hussayen said that in Riyadh the Ras Al-Khair Plant produces 1 million cubic meters, with supplies to Riyadh of 800 cubic meters and the rest to northern governorates for the first time, including Hafr Al-Batin and Al-Ula village.

He said there are projects underway by the Saudi Electricity Company in cooperation with King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology to produce a solar energy plant in Khafji.

He said the armed forces exhibition was proving to be a big success in terms of moving toward localizing manufacturing of several products. Several companies had signed agreements at the event to produce spare parts, which was providing jobs for Saudis.

The Royal Saudi Navy signed Tuesday an agreement with the Prince Sultan Research Institute for Advanced Technologies at King Saud University, to produce spare parts for ships, including radar antennas and sensors.

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