Makkah Gov. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal receives Mohammed bin Saleh Al-Ghamdi, director general of water services in Makkah, on Saturday.

:: Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, adviser to King Salman and governor of Makkah, discussed the works and projects of the National Water Co. (NWC) in the region, including 87 projects worth a total of SR6.8 billion ($1.8 billion).

Mohammed bin Saleh Al-Ghamdi, director general of water services in Makkah, explained the NWC’s projects to Prince Khaled, notably the Smart Operation Project, which the World Water Organization recognized as the world’s best smart water project of 2018.

The Smart Operation Project in Makkah aims to transform the control of water from a manual to an automated system, and improve operational efficiency by proactively dealing with technical problems.

The project has contributed to the sustainability of water supply in Makkah, particularly the holy sites, reducing water interruptions at the sites by 70 percent compared to previous years, and ensuring the quality of water provided to guests of the Grand Mosque.

Prince Khaled reviewed the NWC’s completed projects, including the rehabilitation of old sewage networks in Jeddah in a record time of just six months.

Al-Ghamdi said the NWC has lowered the proportion of faltering projects in the water and sanitation sectors.

There are no longer any setbacks in Makkah, and only 10 percent of projects in Jeddah and Taif are faltering, he added.

Prince Khaled was briefed on the 13 water and sanitation projects underway in Makkah, including the construction of main lines and networks. There are 55 water and environmental projects underway in Jeddah, and 19 in Taif.