KUWAIT CITY, Jan 26: Kuwait has approved a 999.85 million Kuwaiti dinar ($3.3 billion) contract with China State Construction Engineering Corporation to build the country’s largest sewage treatment facility, the official gazette reported Sunday.

The Central Agency for Public Tenders authorized a “direct contract” between the Ministry of Public Works and the Chinese state-owned company to construct, operate, and maintain the North Kabd sewage plant over a 10-year period. The project will have the capacity to treat up to one million cubic meters of wastewater daily.

The approval follows a review of the Ministry’s January 6, 2026, request for an exemption from national workforce employment regulations due to the specialized technical requirements of the project. The Central Agency confirmed the contract based on legal and regulatory provisions, including Decree No. 48 of 2024 on infrastructure cooperation with China and Cabinet Resolution No. 1246.

Sources revealed that the decision marks a critical step in moving the North Kabd project from the preparation and study phase to implementation. The project will use advanced wastewater treatment technologies and incorporate renewable energy systems.

The North Kabd facility is part of a broader series of China-backed projects in Kuwait, including the $4 billion Mubarak Al-Kabeer port project signed in December with China Communications Construction Co.

Kuwait faces challenges in reusing treated wastewater, with much of it currently discharged into the sea due to limited storage and infrastructure constraints. Existing quality standards restrict reuse mainly to irrigation purposes.

Officials said the new plant will strengthen Kuwait’s wastewater management system, support environmental sustainability, and meet the demands of urban expansion.