Who Was Who at SWPF 2009?

Samer Mazloum, deputy general manager, WETICO
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Utilities Middle East provides a guide to some of the biggest companies taking part in this year’s Saudi Water & Power Forum.

WETICO
Samer Mazloum, deputy general manager

What projects are you working on in Saudi Arabia?
As an EPC contractor, we’ve been responsible for executing a majority of the wastewater treatment plants in the Kingdom, and we’ve also recently expanded into the large-scale desal plants.

The latest project that we’ve completed is the 240,000 cubic metre Jeddah 3 desal plant and we’ve also been working on the Najran MBR treatment plan, which treats around 70,000 cubic metres of water per day.

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Why are you sponsoring SWPF 200?
WETICO is a Saudi firm and Saudi Arabia is also our strongest market. SWPF is probably the premier water event in the country, so for us it’s definitely a strategic choice for us to be at SWPF 2009, to sponsor it and to make sure that everybody knows that WETICO is one of the major water treatment companies in the Kingdom. We just want to make a mark and say that we are here.

Why is SWPF so important for the local market?
This event draws in companies from outside of the country and the Middle East, as well as the more local firms.

It’s developed well over the last few years and drawn a fair bit of attention, so it gives excellent exposure to local firms, and offers strong references for those looking to expand or build in the utilities market in Saudi Arabia, whether they are private entities that are developing projects, or government agencies that are looking to obtain products or services that may not be available in the Kingdom.

First Solar
Jos van der Hyden, VP for business development

Why are you attending SWPF 2009?
We are here to participate in a forum discussion and to establish and deepen our contacts in the Saudi power sector.

How do you think Saudi Arabia is faring in its efforts to diversify its energy supply?
In my view, Saudi Arabia is still in the early stages of diversifying its energy supply. This means that there are more questions than answers.

These are some of the questions that will be raised at the forum discussion where I am participating: What guidance is available from the government on alternative energies? What is required to make renewable energy a more attractive investment? How can alternative energies be successfully integrated into existing infrastructure?

What trends do you foresee in the Saudi solar sector?
We expect to see large scale grid-connected PV systems in the desert areas of the country where there is a massive solar energy resource available and lying in wait.