Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture Abdul Rahman Al-Fadli.

:: Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture Abdul Rahman Al-Fadli signed a number of contracts to operate and maintain a series of water and sewage projects in five regions of the Kingdom, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) said.

The cost of the water and sewage projects totaled SR146.7 million ($39.19 million), the agency said.

One of these contracts concerns operation and maintenance of a water and sewage project in Qatif province, in the eastern region, at the cost of SR53.7 million to be carried out within a period of 36 months.

The second contract covers water connection projects in some provinces of Riyadh region at the cost of SR12.6 million over 48 months.

Makkah villages and centers will receive water projects at the cost of SR14.9 million, while Baha villages will receive a water network operation and maintenance project worth SR6.8 million, with an implementation period of 36 months for each project.

Another contract covers a water carrier line from the Abu Marwa wells to a ground reservoir in Dhalm, Makkah region, at a cost of SR20.1 million; another for a water purification plant project in Riyadh province was signed for SR15 million.

Additionally, another two contracts were signed for water projects in Abha and Asir regions at a cost of SR13.3 million and SR10.2 million, respectively, the agency said.