Under the patronage of Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmad Al-Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, Kuwait signed the contract for the North Kabd Wastewater Treatment Plant and its associated works at a ceremony held at Bayan Palace. Minister of Public Works Dr Noura Al-Mashaan signed on behalf of the Kuwaiti government in the presence of Chinese Ambassador Yang Xin, according to the Kuwait News Agency. The event was also attended by First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Fahad Al-Yousef Al-Sabah, Defense Minister Sheikh Abdullah Ali Al-Sabah, Acting Head of the Prime Minister’s Diwan Sheikh Khaled Mohammad Al-Khaled Al-Sabah and Acting Undersecretary of the Ministry of Public Works Eid Al-Rashidi. This agreement represents the second major cooperation project with China after the Mubarak Al-Kabeer port development.
The contract, valued at 999.85 million Kuwaiti dinars or about $3.3 billion, was approved earlier in the year by the Central Agency for Public Tenders for a direct award to China State Construction Engineering Corporation, Reuters reported. The Chinese firm will design, build, operate and maintain the facility for 10 years, creating what will be Kuwait’s largest sewage treatment plant with a capacity of up to one million cubic metres per day using advanced technologies. The project includes related infrastructure to improve wastewater collection, transportation, treatment and reuse of reclaimed water across the country.
The Ministry of Public Works has stated that the plant will upgrade infrastructure quality, boost environmental sustainability and align wastewater systems with ongoing urban growth while advancing Kuwait’s sustainable development objectives. Kuwait has long faced challenges in reusing treated wastewater, much of which is discharged into the sea because of limited storage capacity and infrastructure constraints, according to assessments from the Reuters news agency. The development supports the goals of Kuwait Vision 2035 by expanding treatment capabilities in line with population increases and economic diversification efforts.
Bilateral ties with China gained momentum following the 2023 visit to Beijing by then-Crown Prince, now Amir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, which produced multiple memoranda of understanding on infrastructure and related sectors. The North Kabd initiative forms part of a series of China-backed projects that also encompass power plants, renewable energy, waste recycling and new residential cities, a pattern tracked by regional project monitors. Officials have described the wastewater plant as an example of high-quality collaboration under the Belt and Road framework focused on infrastructure and environmental protection.
Minister Al-Mashaan said at the signing that the project constitutes a major infrastructure and wastewater system development reflecting deepened practical cooperation between Kuwait and China. The Prime Minister’s direct involvement in the ceremony highlighted the priority assigned to strategic initiatives that address long-term national needs. The agreement builds on preparatory work that included initial planning announced in 2013 and bids invited for facility expansion in 2022, according to industry databases.
Once operational, the plant will help mitigate environmental pressures and improve overall efficiency in managing wastewater volumes that have grown with urban expansion. The 10-year operations and maintenance component by the Chinese contractor ensures sustained performance beyond initial construction. This contract follows the January 2026 tender approval and forms one element of coordinated follow-up on agreements signed with partner countries in recent years.
