Ras Al Khaimah Launches Its First Public-Private Sewage Project

The Public Services Department signed a long-term Sewage Treatment Agreement with a consortium of TAQA Water Solutions, Etihad Water and Electricity, and Saur International to develop the emirate’s largest wastewater treatment plant, with a capacity of 60,000 cubic metres per day and the potential to serve up to 300,000 residents. The agreement covers the development of the Ras Al Khaimah Wastewater Treatment Plant. The agreement is Ras Al Khaimah’s first public-private partnership. It will be delivered through a build–own–operate–transfer model, under which the project company will design, finance, construct, commission, insure, own, operate and maintain the plant and its associated assets for the duration of the partnership before transferring ownership to the Public Services Department. The partnership will upgrade and expand wastewater infrastructure in Ras Al Khaimah. TAQA Water Solutions will collect wastewater at the plant via a 6.3 km gravity pipeline and distribute recycled water through a network extending up to 26 km, with all recycled water to be reused for irrigation and cooling. Officials stated that the project is intended to improve treatment efficiency, strengthen operational reliability and enhance infrastructure readiness to meet the demands of urban expansion. They added that the partnership brings together public sector leadership and private sector capabilities to support long-term objectives related to service quality, resource sustainability and environmental protection. The project is expected to support long-term water security objectives and enable the reuse of recycled water for key applications. The signing took place at the Etihad Water and Electricity Museum within the Saud bin Saqr Energy and Innovation Complex in the Al Barirat area of Ras Al Khaimah. At the conclusion of the partnership term, ownership of all project assets will be transferred to the Public Services Department in line with established public-private partnership frameworks.