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ISTANBUL: Metito, the leading global provider of total intelligent water management solutions and alternative energy systems, acquired majority shares in Turkish chemical company Info Group. The news was announced in a signing ceremony at Ciragan Palace Kempinski, Istanbul in the presence of high level guests, key clients, and employees from both companies and members of the media.

Fady Juez, Metito Managing Director and board member, commented on this new acquisition during the event by saying; “This transaction marks Metito’s first entry into the Turkish market through investing in a local company. We are bringing to the local market over 60 years of global experience and knowhow, international networks and access to latest technologies and market intelligence, as well as a formidable financial backing by our key shareholders including Mitsubishi Corporation, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and the IFC. Info brings deep local knowledge and technical understanding of the requirements, regulations and market dynamics in Turkey”. “This formula will deem Info Group more competitive and more equipped to tap into great opportunities in Turkey and beyond”, he added.

Founding Partner of Info Group Abdullah Uslu also said that the cooperation they will be building with a major company which accomplished 3000 projects in over 46 countries worldwide shall serve as a great example to the establishment of significant partnerships in Turkey, despite the unfavorable effects of the global economic crisis over Turkey. Uslu continued to say;” Info accomplished over 10 million cubic meters of water recycling through the custom-built systems in accordance to the state, structure and business objectives of high level clients in Turkey and with Metito backing we will surely become more competitive and add further value”.

“We are excited to be partnering with Metito, a global multinational with an established presence and worldly experience. This is proof of the success we have so far achieved as a company and a testament to our ability to grow and to become further competitive above and beyond our current capabilities”, said Recep OZGAN, Info Group newly assigned General Manager.

• To support the theme of this year’s World Water Day “Leaving no one behind”, Metito collaborates with Planet Water Foundation to serve daily water needs in the Palghar district in India through innovative technologies
• Nearly 663 million people lack access to an improved water source and this number is expected to increase

UAE, 22 March 2019: According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), half of the world’s population will be living in water-stressed areas by 2025. This World Water Day, Metito and Planet Water Foundation are bridging the gap between water supply and demand by improving existing water sources in the communities.

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and WHO reported that nearly 663 million people lack access to an improved water source. The situation is expected to deteriorate further as a result of rising populations, urbanisation and industrialisation, and more importantly, the lack of sufficient knowledge among consumers about water scarcity, the importance of safe water access and the prospects of conflicts pertaining to water security.

By driving fundamental changes through sustainable projects across water-stressed markets and its community engagement programmes, Metito strives to positively impact on this impending scenario with effective knowledge transfer on water preservation, responsible consumption and wastewater recycling and reuse.

Metito has extended its partnership with Planet Water Foundation, a leading non-profit organisation that addresses global water poverty by delivering clean water access and hygiene education programmes, to construct and deploy an AquaTower, a drinking water filtration system, in the Palghar district in India.

Planet Water Foundation’s AquaTower is a sustainable source water filtration solution that secures access to clean water, helping the community by improving health, increasing educational opportunities through higher rates of school attendance, and transforming the lives of women and girls, who often dedicate several hours a day to collecting water.

“Individuals and organisations must play their role if we want to evoke positive change in the world water balance. We believe that knowledge sharing is the most critical aspect of it all. By deploying our resources – technological, intellectual and practical experience – we can bring about more sustainable solutions and secure water where it is needed. We must also educate and tap into the youth’s curiosity, unrestricted thinking space and ability to bring about effective change. Project 24 led by the non-profit organisation Planet Water Foundation checks all these boxes for us,” commented Mutaz Ghandour, Chairman and CEO at Metito.

While the greater Palghar area is a growing and more modern city by most standards in India, the rural communities have small-scale industries to drive their economies. Every village, or taluka, has a river or well acting as the primary water source, with villagers and children traveling approximately half a kilometer to collect water.

Bathing and defecation are performed outside due to a lack of proper plumbing and hygiene practices, making uncovered wells susceptible to overflow with waste and therefore unfit for human consumption. The lack of hygiene education is also demonstrated by families using unsanitary containers for purposes other than drinking water at home.

“Following our project last year in Indonesia, we are more than equipped to change the lives of many more in another area of need – this year, it will be the Palghar District in India. This continued initiative reinforces both our and Metito’s commitment to ending global water poverty and to supporting organisations who share the same vision of bridging the gap between depleting natural water supply and the increasing demand for clean and safe water,” said Mark Steele, Founder and Chief Executive Officer at Planet Water Foundation.

In 2018, Metito successfully deployed a similar project with Planet Water Foundation securing 30 volunteering hours, transferring water-health and hygiene knowledge to 16 teachers, reaching over 350 school children and over a thousand beneficiaries in Lombok Island, West Nusa Tenggara Province in Indonesia.

Elsewhere in the world, Metito continues to promote the importance of information dissemination and knowledge transfer on water scarcity, water preservation, safety and security. Primarily targeting school and university aged children, Metito hosts workshops, presentations and site visits where students are introduced to latest water statistics and the concept of water recycling and reuse, challenging the youth to improve the water situation in their country and worldwide and change their water consumption lifestyle.

Paving the path for a future with increased water security, Metito has been at the forefront of creating sustainable iconic projects in Africa and the Middle East including: AlGalalah mega seawater reverse osmosis desalination plant project, the largest plant of its type in Egypt, built on 60,000m2 with a capacity of 150,000 m3/day and serving 1M residents and industries; the first Independent Sewage Treatment Plant Project in West Dammam in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; and Kigali Bulk Surface Water concession, the first project of its type in sub-Saharan Africa, securing potable water needs for Kigali and other towns.

The project has a designed capacity of 350 thousand cubic meters per day

HE Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture, Chairman of the Water and Electricity Company, Chairman of the Supervisory Committee for Privatization in the Environment, Water and Agriculture Sectors – Eng. Abdulrahman Al Fadley  signed a Sewage Treatment Agreement (STA) for the development of the new wastewater treatment plant in Dammam. The plant has a designed capacity of 350,000 cubic meters per day and an initial capacity of 200,000 cubic meters per day and will serve the western region of Dammam. The project is the first independent sewage treatment plant project (ISTP) to be tendered to investors under a Build- Own- Operate-Transfer (BOOT) model and was awarded to the consortium led by the Metito Group and comprising the companies; “Metito”, “Mowah”, and “Orascom Construction”.

HE Eng. Al Fadley explained that signing this agreement is an integral part of the plan set by the Ministry to tender similar projects to the investors in different regions across the Kingdom. This is in line with the Kingdom’s “Vision 2030” and the wider initiatives approved by the Cabinet of Ministers to further encourage private sector participation in economic development initiatives.

Al Fadley pointed out that the project aims to upgrade services, make them more sustainable and increase capital spending efficiency by making the best use of the private sector experience in the environment, water and agricultural sectors.

H.E. Turki Abdulaziz Al Hokail, CEO of National Center for Privatization and PPP, elaborated on this point explaining how the center contributes to supporting and enabling the privatization program in the Kingdom to develop and to efficiently operate public-private partnerships projects. This initiative is the second privatization initiative in the water sector signed in less than a month and the center is currently working closely with the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, to complete other similar projects.

Mr.Khaled bin Zwaid AlQureshi, Chief Executive Officer Water and Electricity Company, said:  “The project will benefit the residents in West Dammam area with a designed capacity of 350,000 cubic meters per day, utilizing the MBBR technology”. “The project is expected to begin operation in February 2022 and that deciding to develop the project under an STA is aimed at securing more benefits, making the project more sustainable and eco-friendly through the use of innovative technological solutions able to reduce odors and noise and that will significantly cut electricity consumption”, added Mr. Khaled AlQureshi.

Mutaz Ghandour, Metito Group Chairman and CEO commented: “Major infrastructure developments are taking place in the Kingdom. The Dammam ISTP is a true landmark being the first of its kind to be developed under this progressive and visionary leadership and we are very proud that the Consortium led by Metito has been awarded a project of this size and importance in one of the most dynamic markets in the world and a key market for Metito”.

He also added: “We look forward to working with our partners to develop this project. We are confident that it will serve as a model for other similar projects in the Kingdom and further afield.”

Sami Alrayes, Mowah Chairman and CEO said: “We are proud that Metito / Mowah / Orascom Consortium has been awarded the first Independent Sewage Treatment Plant Project (ISTP) in Saudi Arabia, West Dammam by Water and Electricity Company (WEC). The objective of the privatization projects is to achieve 2030 Vision targets by boosting service level, improving capital, spending efficiency and to benefit from private sector experience and participation in finance and investment.”

Also, commenting on this agreement, Osama Bishai, CEO of Orascom Construction said: ” This project is a continuation of our efforts to build a solid portfolio of water-related construction projects similar to what we have achieved in power generation.”

• The council is aimed at leveraging the knowledge, experience and volunteerism of all its honorary members to boost advocacy for desalination and advanced water treatment solutions

The Board of Directors of the International Desalination Association (IDA) invited Mutaz Ghandour, Metito Chairman and CEO, to become a member of the IDA Honorary Council and an IDA Ambassador in recognition of his extensive industry expertise, outstanding contribution to the water sector and for his service to the IDA over the years.

The aim of this Council is to leverage the wealth of knowledge and experience that resides with its members to fulfil the IDA’s mission around the world and its commitment to encourage research, promote and exchange communication, disseminate information, and support education in the field of desalination and water sciences.

“Among IDA’s great strengths are the commitment of its membership to serve the Association and the depth of their industry experience and knowledge. The IDA Honorary Council is recognition of notable individuals who have devoted their time to the Association and who have distinguished themselves in the field of desalination and advanced water treatment solutions. They bring an extraordinary level of longstanding insight of the global industry. Through the support of the Honorary Council members, who will act as ambassadors for the Association, IDA will intensify the engagement with the world’s policymakers to help ensure sustainable solutions to growing water scarcity challenges,” said Shannon McCarthy, IDA Secretary General.

IDA is a non-profit association and associated with the United Nations as part of a growing international network of non-governmental organizations (NGOs). The IDA Honorary Council will be balanced by regional representation from five regions: Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, Middle East and Africa, North America, Pacific and Asia.

Commenting on this invitation Mutaz Ghandour said, “It is an honour to accept this expression of confidence and invitation from the IDA, an organization that Metito has supported throughout the years and which I believe is an excellent platform to exchange ideas and come up with new ones”.

“There is a lot more that can be done and I am confident that with the new IDA leaders more can be achieved especially through integrating with other organizations to widen the reach and exposure of its mission and the critical knowledge its expertise have to share.  Water scarcity is not an industry issue but an issue of general and global importance and I hope the IDA Honorary Council can add shared value on this front’, Mutaz added.

In 2017, Mutaz was also appointed Goodwill Ambassador to The UN Intergovernmental Institution for Combating Malnutrition, a Permanent International Observer to The United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). Mutaz was also named the Water’s Longest-Serving Chief Executive in the Global Water Business by Global Water Intelligence (GWI).

The Kigali Bulk Water Supply PPP project strikes again adding two coveted titles to its portfolio of awards. The project was awarded the ‘BEST UTILITIES PROJECT’ and the ‘GRAND PRIX’ award at the Partnerships Awards 2018 ceremony in London earlier this month.

The Partnerships Awards recognize and reward the best in PPPs and the Kigali Bulk Water Supply PPP project stood out for its trailblazing nature and ability to act as a standard bearer for the PPP industry across emerging markets. The judges felt the project is encouraging investors into both new sectors and new parts of the world, as well as recognized the high impact that the project has had on its community.

For more information about the awards and the winners please visit this link: https://edition.pagesuite-professional.co.uk/launch.aspx?pbid=6f2c95fd-768f-4d1e-95ce-7c2b9a37c903

Metito is the proud winner of the ‘Water Deal of the Year’ and a distinction award recipient for the ‘Desalination Company of the Year’ as announced at the 2018 Global Water Awards* ceremony, part of the Global Water Summit 2018, that took place at the Pavillon d’Armenonville in Paris, France.

Rami Ghandour, Metito Managing Director, received the coveted awards at the ceremony. Metito was the only company to receive two awards at this prestigious event.

“We are honored to receive such important global water awards and proud to be playing an active role in empowering communities around the world through developing strategic water projects and pioneering business models that enable such capital intensive projects to be executed.”, commented Rami Ghandour.

Metito won the ‘Water Deal of the Year’, for making the biggest contribution to the advancement of private sector participation in the international water sector, for the Kigali Bulk Water Supply Project, the First Bulk Surface Water Supply project in Sub Saharan Africa, procured through public-private partnership (PPP). Awarded in 2014 after an international competitive bid and financial close was achieved in November 2017, the project will secure 40M litres/day of safe and clean water covering 40% of Kigali’s water needs and Improve quality of service for over one million people in the community.

Metito also won a Distinction Award as the ‘Desalination Company of the Year’ for spearheading the genesis of mass desalination in Egypt last year, building the country’s largest ever plant at Al Yosr, while securing contracts to supply the country’s next two large-scale installations. With desal being leant on to future-proof Egypt’s water security and avert a diplomatic crisis with its Nile neighbors, Metito’s success has a positive political impact far beyond the field of water supply. The company is bending the boundaries of the water-energy nexus, pushing an innovative solar-driven SWRO design at the King Abdullah Economic City in Saudi Arabia that promises to free utilities from the burden of grid-constrained energy when considering desalination as an option. Metito also completed a reverse osmosis plant to polish treated sewage effluent in Doha, Qatar, and a unique BWRO/SWRO facility serving the power industry in Burullus, Egypt, demonstrate a company equally at ease with the complexities of industrial water as with serving resource-constrained residential communities.

The Abdullah Bin Hamad Al-Attiyah International Foundation for Energy and Sustainable Development hosted its ‘8th Quarterly CEO Roundtable’ in Qatar, exploring the priority steps required to ensure availability and sustainable management of water.

Among the high-ranking participants who joined the discussion were representatives from Woqod, Qatar Chemical Company, ExxonMobil Qatar, Sasol Qatar, ConocoPhillips Qatar, Qatar Shell, Dolphin Energy, Marubeni Corporation, and Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU). In addition to member CEOs, the Al-Attiyah Foundation invited world-renowned guest speakers, Fady Juez, Metito Managing Director, Dr Samer Adham, Global Water Sustainability Center at Qatar Science and Technology Park Manager, and Nick Carter, PwC Senior Advisor to share their insights and vision on sustainable water management.

Fady shared updated statistics on water scarcity and the ultimate solutions the GCC need to focus on, particularly desalination, water recycling and reuse.