Saudi Arabia plans to relaunch bids for a large-scale power and water desalination plant in November after increasing its target capacity, the kingdom's water and electricity minister said on Sunday. Japan's Sumitomo Corp said in May it has put on hold its consortium's plans for the Ras Azzour project, estimated to cost $6 billion, after Saudi Arabia said the plant was no longer designated an independent project.
"The project will be tendered, God willing, in November," Abdullah bin Abdul-Rahman al-Husayen said in a speech. "It is in the best interest that the Saline Water Conversion Corp (SWCC), implements the project with full government funding," he said. SWCC is a state owned electricity and water desalination company.