Denton Wilde Sapte leads on Oman's first independent water project

The Sur IWP is a Rial Omani 60 million (£85 million, US$165 million) project to provide the Sharqiyah region with a desalinisation plant with a capacity of 17.66 MIGD (million gallons per day).

"This is an important project for Oman, both in terms of the water resources it will provide to the region and also as a significant involvement of private sector capital", says Muscat-based partner Mary Allan.

The Sharqiyah Desalination Company SAOC, a consortium made up of the National Power & Water Co LLC of Oman and Veolia Water AMI of France, won the bid for the 20 year contract to construct and manage the facility. The agreement also involves Sharqiyah taking on the ownership of an existing desalinisation plant on the same site.

Denton Wilde Sapte has advised the Oman Government on many previous related projects, including the Al Kamil, Barka I and Sohar IPPs and IWPPs and the Salalah Power Concession. It is currently advising on the Salalah IWPP. The firm also advised the Government on the creation of its new electricity legislation which established a new market structure and regulator.

"We have played a key role in the Oman Government's privatisation programme over the last few years, advising on the establishment of the new industry arrangements, projects and changes of ownership in the electricity and related water sectors. Like previous projects, this is an important first for Oman and the Gulf and we are delighted to have been involved", adds Mary.

The SUR IWP is expected to begin operating in January 2009.

Mary Allan led the team with partner Nouraddin Alkheir Ahmed and assistance from solicitors Nadir Gilani and Victoria Dugdale.

Denton Wilde Sapte has been present in Muscat since 1981. The Muscat office is part of the firm's extensive network of Middle East offices which has 87 lawyers located in Abu Dhabi, Cairo, Dubai and Muscat.