Amman, June 11 (Petra) -- The Ministry of Water and Irrigation said Thursday that the Meridiam-Suez consortium is the sole consortium to have submitted a final bid for the National Water Carrier Project after meeting all technical, financial and qualification requirements.
Responding to reports circulated by some media outlets regarding the project, the ministry said five international consortia had been shortlisted for the final stage of the tender process to submit technical and financial offers. However, four of the shortlisted consortia either withdrew from the competition or did not submit final bids.
In a statement, the ministry said the Meridiam-Suez consortium submitted its official and comprehensive proposal after fulfilling all prequalification requirements and complying with the project's technical and financial standards.
The ministry noted that the consortium includes several leading international companies specializing in investment, infrastructure and water services, giving it strong access to international financing institutions and the capacity to secure funding under the Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) model on favorable terms.
It said Meridiam is a global infrastructure investment company managing assets exceeding $23 billion worldwide, while Suez is among the world's leading companies in the water and sanitation sector.
The consortium also includes VINCI, a major international engineering company; Orascom, one of the region's largest infrastructure and construction firms; Arab Contractors, a leading contracting company in the Middle East; and Greece-based Archirodon, one of the world's prominent engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractors.
The ministry said the participation of these companies reflects the consortium's strong technical expertise and financial capabilities. It added that the National Water Carrier Project is a strategic national project that has been implemented with a high level of transparency and governance throughout its preparation, evaluation and tendering stages, strengthening investor confidence and enhancing the project's ability to secure substantial international financing.
The ministry also highlighted the project's strategic importance, as well as its technical and economic viability, alongside government support for its implementation.
//Petra// AJ
