Acwa–WTCO consortium signs technical services agreement with Fichtner to support Syria’s water sector

Acwa, acting in consortium with the Water Transmission Company (WTCO), has signed a Technical Services Agreement with the Syrian Ministry of Energy, and Fichtner, the international engineering and consultancy group, to study Syria’s water resources and to develop solutions for seawater desalination and water transmission.

The agreement builds on the Joint Development Agreement (JDA) signed with the Ministry in February 2026, initiating the technical studies envisaged under that agreement. The work will assess Syria’s water resources and future water needs and identify priority seawater desalination and associated transmission solutions to strengthen water security and support long-term planning for the country’s water sector.

Mohamed Fata Nahhas, CEO Syria, Acwa, said: “We now look forward to beginning the detailed technical work needed to define the solutions required to meet the challenges and objectives laid out in the JDA, which will provide the Ministry of Energy with a clear, evidence-based view of available resources, future demand and the priority projects needed to support a sustainable water system.”

The work is being carried out in close coordination with the relevant Syrian authorities and will produce a roadmap for a sustainable water system, ranking options by impact, deliverability and speed to market.

Desalination is central to Acwa’s water business. Taweelah in the UAE produces over 909,000 m³ a day, while Rabigh 3, Rabigh 4, Shuaibah 3 and Jazlah in Saudi Arabia each produce 600,000 m³ a day. In total, Acwa manages 9.7 million m³ a day of desalinated water across 24 assets in seven countries, sold in bulk to state utilities under long-term contracts. The study will give the Ministry of Energy a clear basis for prioritizing future water projects.