Beijing-based environmental company Sound Group has won a bid for water treatment in Saudi Arabia and this is reported to be the first time that a Chinese environmental company has ever provided environmental services outside of China.
It is learned that Sound Group has won the bid of upgrading the water treatment facilities for the No. 9 Waste Water Processing Plant of Saudi Arabian Jubail and Yanbu Electric and Water Resource, a subsidiary of Saudi Arabian Jubail and Yanbu Electric and Water Resource Undertaking Company. The contract has a total value of CNY560 million.
"The signing of the agreement will certainly be recorded in the history of the development of China's environment industry as it marks a debut for Chinese environment companies to enter the international market." commented Luo Jianhua, secretary general of China Environment Service Industry Association.
In August 2008, Saudi Arabian Jubail and Yanbu Electric and Water Resource Undertaking Company requested bids for this project. The bidding attracted a lot of international water companies as well as the local water service providers, and included some prestigious companies from France and Japan. In February 2009, the proprietor of the project sent an invitation to Epure International, a subsidiary of Sound Group, inviting the company to join the bidding. In May, the proprietor visited and inspected EI and in later July it decided to award EI the project.