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SWCC, WTTCO Eye $16 Bln Investment in Water Storage Systems in Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia’s Saline Water Conversion Corporation (SWCC) and the Water Transmission and Technologies Co. (WTTCO) sign a deal on management services outsourcing. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi Arabia’s Saline Water Conversion Corporation (SWCC) and the Water Transmission and Technologies Co. (WTTCO) sign a deal on management services outsourcing. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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SWCC, WTTCO Eye $16 Bln Investment in Water Storage Systems in Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia’s Saline Water Conversion Corporation (SWCC) and the Water Transmission and Technologies Co. (WTTCO) sign a deal on management services outsourcing. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi Arabia’s Saline Water Conversion Corporation (SWCC) and the Water Transmission and Technologies Co. (WTTCO) sign a deal on management services outsourcing. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Arabia’s Saline Water Conversion Corporation (SWCC) and the Water Transmission and Technologies Co. (WTTCO) signed on Tuesday a cooperation agreement to outsource management services.

Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture Abdurahman Al-Fadhli, who is also chairman of the board of directors of the SWCC, and governor of the SWCC Abdullah Al-Abdulkarim attended the signing ceremony.

Speaking at the ceremony, Abdulkarim said the corporation will focus on six platforms that include a commitment to safety and sustainability in innovation and engineering development.

Abdullah Al Zowaid, SWCC Deputy Governor Operations and Maintenance, told Asharq Al-Awsat that upon the completion of projects, pumping capacity is expected to reach 17 million cubic meters daily.

The agreement calls for a smooth and gradual transition of the management, operation and maintenance of water transmission systems to the WTTCO, enabling it to sign contracts with partners and work on a commercial basis, it was announced in a press statement.

More so, the deal will boost the efficiency and organization of the water sector, as well as develop the Kingdom’s economy by adding more than SR60 billion ($16 billion) worth of investment opportunities in water transport and storage systems by involving the private sector in funding future projects.

Under the agreement, the SWCC will enable the WTTCO to use its transport systems to perform assigned services and allow the employees to participate in related decision making. In addition, the WTTCO will supervise the operation, maintenance and assignment of operations, and follow up on the progress of project implementation.

In 2021, the WTTCO will complete its commercial activities, through activating systems and operations, governance of procedures, preparing support services, as well as signing commercial deals, and taking delivery of operating assets.

Meanwhile, the company’s plan for 2022 includes improving and upgrading operational efficiency and slashing capital costs.

The Saudi Cabinet had agreed in September 2019 to establish the WTTCO as a state-owned company, which will take over assets from the SWCC and will lead the development of the Kingdom’s huge pipelines.

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Saudi Arabia Makes History with Adoption of Riyadh Treaty on Design Law

Photo of the Riyadh Diplomatic Conference on the Design Law Treaty (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Photo of the Riyadh Diplomatic Conference on the Design Law Treaty (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Saudi Arabia Makes History with Adoption of Riyadh Treaty on Design Law

Photo of the Riyadh Diplomatic Conference on the Design Law Treaty (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Photo of the Riyadh Diplomatic Conference on the Design Law Treaty (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Arabia has made history by uniting the 193 member states of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) to adopt the Riyadh Treaty on Design Law. This landmark achievement, realized after two decades of deliberation, underscores the Kingdom’s leadership in enhancing the global intellectual property system.

The announcement came at the conclusion of the Riyadh Diplomatic Conference on the Design Law Treaty, a rare event for WIPO, which has not held a diplomatic conference outside Geneva for more than a decade. It was also the first such event hosted in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East, representing the final stage of negotiations to establish an agreement aimed at simplifying and standardizing design protection procedures across member states.

Over the past two weeks, intensive discussions and negotiations among member states culminated in the adoption of the Riyadh Treaty, which commits signatory nations to a unified set of requirements for registering designs, ensuring consistent and streamlined procedures worldwide. The agreement is expected to have a significant positive impact on designers, enabling them to protect their creations more effectively and uniformly across international markets.

At a press conference held on Friday to mark the event’s conclusion, CEO of the Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property Abdulaziz Al-Suwailem highlighted the economic potential of the new protocol.

Responding to a question from Asharq Al-Awsat, Al-Suwailem noted the substantial contributions of young Saudi men and women in creative design. He explained that the agreement will enable their designs to be formally protected, allowing them to enter markets as valuable, tradable assets.

He also emphasized the symbolic importance of naming the convention the Riyadh Treaty, stating that it reflects Saudi Arabia’s growing influence as a bridge between cultures and a global center for innovative initiatives.

The treaty lays critical legal foundations to support designers and drive innovation worldwide, aligning with Saudi Arabia’s vision of promoting international collaboration in the creative industries and underscoring its leadership in building a sustainable future for innovators.

The agreement also advances global efforts to enhance creativity, protect intellectual property, and stimulate innovation on a broader scale.

This achievement further strengthens Saudi Arabia’s position as a global hub for groundbreaking initiatives, demonstrating its commitment to nurturing creativity, safeguarding designers’ rights, and driving the development of creative industries on an international scale.

The Riyadh Diplomatic Conference, held from November 11 to 22, was hosted by the Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property and attracted high-ranking officials and decision-makers from WIPO member states.