The Ministry of Energy explained the details of an agreement to supply smart water meters signed with the Saudi Meters Company.
The media office at the Ministry of Energy told Enab Baladi on June 16 that the Saudi company was not chosen randomly to sign the agreement, but based on several foundations and criteria.
It added that the approved criteria included the company’s experience in the field of meters and its long track record in manufacturing them, in addition to the modern technologies it uses and its experience in handling them.
According to the Ministry of Energy, the selection criteria also included product quality, production volume, the technical conditions and features of the meters produced, experience in installation and operation, the quantities of meters produced, and the countries where they have been installed, in addition to price.
Regarding the reasons for the announced five-year period to implement the contract, the Ministry of Energy said the matter is linked to several factors centered on production quantities, the readiness of infrastructure for installation, including water networks and communications networks, and the company’s installation capacity.
The Ministry of Energy told Enab Baladi that the announced number of meters agreed to be supplied under the agreement, five million meters, will cover the number of subscribers and exceed it by a certain percentage, as the expected population increase was taken into account.
The ministry’s media office said 2026 will see the installation of 300,000 meters, noting that the process will begin in several governorates to be selected according to specific criteria.
Water Meter Agreement
The Syrian General Establishment for Drinking Water and Sanitation signed a contract with Saudi Meters Company on June 14 to supply and install five million prepaid smart water meters.
The Syrian Ministry of Energy explained that the meters targeted for supply operate using ultrasonic technology and are equipped with an advanced digital tracking system that allows accurate and instant consumption readings.
The ministry said the project will be implemented according to a phased plan extending over four years, taking into account the readiness of networks in the governorates and service priorities, with a focus on training national cadres and ensuring the quality of installation, operation, and maintenance.
It added that adopting prepaid smart meters represents a basic step within the ministry’s program to modernize the measurement and control system, improve operational efficiency, regulate fair distribution, and strengthen the sustainability of water resources nationwide.
Syrian Minister of Energy Mohammed al-Bashir said the agreement constitutes a pivotal step in modernizing the water sector, strengthening management efficiency, and moving toward a more accurate, transparent, and sustainable system.
Al-Bashir said smart meters “have become an essential part of the modern management system, because of their ability to control losses, improve billing procedures, reduce paperwork burdens, enable immediate monitoring of network status, and address malfunctions more quickly.”
The agreement was signed on behalf of the Ministry of Energy by Taher al-Omar, director general of the General Establishment for Drinking Water and Sanitation in Syria, while Turki al-Amri, head of the board of managers at Saudi Meters Company, signed on behalf of the company.
What is the Saudi Meters Company?
Saudi Meters Company was established in 1981 as the first manufacturer of smart water applications in the Gulf region.
The company states on its official website that it produces mechanical types of smart water meters, including dry multi-jet, semi-dry multi-jet, and wet multi-jet models, and serves markets in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf.
In 2017, the company signed an industrial agreement with Diehl Metering, a company specializing in innovating and developing smart meters, systems, and software to measure water and thermal energy consumption.
According to the company, the signed agreement aims to manufacture smart water applications with an annual production capacity of 500,000 smart water solutions.