Bidders have been granted more time on the NEOM wastewater treatment plant tender at Oxagon. MEED reported the extension on 28 October, the second delay in a month. However, the public summary gave no revised closing date.
Earlier, Enowa set a 2 October deadline. On 8 October, MEED reported a shift to 25 October. Now that date has moved again. No reason was given.
Two separate wastewater treatment packages are now under tender at Oxagon. Enowa’s design-build-operate contract covers industrial and sanitary streams. In parallel, Neom Green Hydrogen Company seeks a contractor for its own interim plant.
The Oxagon wastewater treatment plant tender carries no disclosed contract value. The $350M+ figure is indicative. For context, the first phase of Neom’s separate Hidden Marina recycling plant was estimated near $347 million in 2024.
Despite setbacks in such projects more often than not, the Arab nation holds pride in having the world’s largest wastewater treatment plant in Egypt. The project was executed by a joint venture of Orascom Construction and Arab Contractors under a $739 million agreement signed with the Armed Forces Engineering Authority in 2019. The facility comprised four water treatment lines, each with a daily processing capacity of 1,250,000 cubic meters.
What the NEOM wastewater treatment plant tender includes
The industrial stream starts at 35,000 cubic metres a day, in modular trains of 5,000 cubic metres each. Capacity can rise to 45,000. The sanitary package adds 1,000 cubic metres a day.
The contract covers supply, installation, commissioning and three years of operations and maintenance. The plants must also be demountable. As a result, crews can relocate them as the industrial footprint changes.
Tender documents allow export credit agency financing. Consequently, each ECA proposal will count in the commercial evaluation.
So far, MEED has named Saudi contractor Alfanar, Beijing-based PowerChina and France-based Veolia. A 13 October report put the field at seven firms. Egypt-based Orascom bid on the cancelled 2024 scheme.
Meanwhile, a second plant enters procurement
The second tender comes from Neom Green Hydrogen Company. It issued a request for qualification on 24 October for an interim wastewater plant. Submissions close on 22 November.
That plant will handle cooling water blowdown and industrial wastewater. Its pumping station will transfer 14,530 cubic metres a day. NGHC wants it ready by 15 April 2027. Meanwhile, its $8.5 billion hydrogen project is in commissioning.
Why the deadline keeps moving
Oxagon is now the priority node of Neom. In 2026, Enowa lifted site power capacity to 3.15 GW. At the same time, Humain and DataVolt began work on a 100MW data centre.
Still, resets are common here. The Oxagon Village Water Recycling Plant tender was cancelled in 2024 despite three bids. Instead, Enowa now wants interim capacity that can move.
For now, bidders wait on a new date. Evaluation will follow, with financing proposals shaping the shortlist. Overall, utility work at Oxagon is advancing.
Project Overview: NEOM Wastewater Treatment Plant
- Project Value: $350M+ (indicative)
- Location: Oxagon, Neom, Saudi Arabia
- Client: Enowa (Neom utility)
- Status: Bid deadline extended again
Scope
- Industrial stream: 35,000 cubic metres/day
- Expandable to 45,000 cubic metres/day
- Sanitary stream: 1,000 cubic metres/day
- Design-build-operate, three years O&M
Project Highlights
- Two wastewater packages under tender
- Modular, demountable, relocatable units
- ECA financing in commercial evaluation
- Seven firms linked to bid
Key Developments
- Original deadline: 2 October 2026
- First extension to 25 October
- Further extension reported 28 October
- NGHC tender closes 22 November
Key Challenges
- No disclosed contract value
- Repeated deadline slippage
- 2024 recycling tender cancelled
- Interim units must be relocatable
Outlook
- Bid evaluation after new deadline
- NGHC plant ready by April 2027
- Utilities support 3.15 GW hub
- Long-term treatment plan unconfirmed
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