if we apply the win-win principle to any vital project, we wouldn’t find a better example than wastewater treatment projects.
reviewing the history of these projects, along with others that were either never completed such as dow chemicals or faced delays that doubled their costs, reveals a common pattern. the culprits were often senior officials, either due to inexperience, envy, or incompetence.
this brings to mind the story of a russian citizen who was awarded a medal and political asylum by the us, despite being neither a politician nor a spy. this was because he played a huge role in precipitating the collapse of the soviet union in 1991. his responsibility was recruitment, and he always chose the worst people to fill the most critical positions.
converting wastewater into water suitable for various uses, including human consumption, as is common in many countries, especially in the west, is a very important project due to its environmental, industrial, and huge financial benefits.
we have four highly efficient plants, but their implementation has been plagued by numerous problems, obstacles, and unjustified delays. this is largely due to laziness and obstructive bureaucracy, which has led to the waste of hundreds of millions of dinars over reasons that are often unbelievable and mostly stem from trivial issues.
for example, the umm al-hayman wastewater treatment project began in 2008, yet the company only recently announced the start of actual production and the achievement of good performance levels.
what caused a delay of nearly 17 years, resulting in massive losses and significant environmental damage from dumping billions of cubic meters of polluted water into the sea, so much so that the average weight of the midge fish has dropped from 100 grams to just 50 grams?
let’s assume it took two years to prepare the documents, select the implementing company, and secure approvals from the state audit bureau, financial controllers bureau, the joint ventures authority, and other important stakeholders including the ministry of interior, the ministry of electricity and water, the ministry of public works, the ministry of oil, and the central agency for public tenders (which has recently improved after previously being the slowest).
add two years of delay due to the covid-19 pandemic, plus four years to complete construction of all project facilities and start production.
that still leaves seven years unaccounted for, lost most likely to negligence, delays, complacency, or the stubbornness of the managers involved.
this is unacceptable to any reasonable person, especially since similar patterns have repeated in dozens of vital projects for over half a century.
how can a single project eliminate massive amounts of waste, protect both the desert and marine environments, improve air quality, and on top of that, generate electricity and water suitable for various human, industrial, and agricultural uses?
it also produces a key material used for oil well injection, and, eventually, water safe for human consumption, as is common practice in many countries worldwide.
unlike the organic fertilizer produced by the treatment process, this project is ultimately profitable for all parties involved, benefiting every citizen and resident without exception.
yet, the project has been crippled by delays, and those involved have been drained by procrastination and stalling, perhaps even regretting their participation, due to the actions of incompetent, envious, or unqualified employees.
the country urgently needs to implement numerous mega-projects, including wastewater treatment plants, especially given urban expansion and the anticipated population growth.
we therefore hope the council of ministers will take decisive action to address these unjustified delays in vital projects, as such postponements have only caused harm to everyone.