Nama Water Services (NWS), the main provider of water and wastewater services across the Sultanate of Oman, excluding Dhofar, has set out a long-term investment programme valued at RO 11.1 billion, equivalent to around $28.8 billion, running through to 2050. The plan is aimed at strengthening the country’s water security and expanding wastewater services in line with Oman Vision 2040, as population demand is expected to rise sharply over the coming decades.
The capital expenditure programme is designed to respond to forecasts that Oman’s population will double within the next 25 years. NWS currently serves more than 90 percent of the country’s population within its service area. The new strategy seeks to ensure near-universal access to water supplies and significantly higher wastewater treatment capacity to support long-term economic development and urban growth.
Details of the Integrated Master Plan (IMP) were presented by Eng Abdulhakeem bin Amur al Dhuhli, Master Planning and Strategic Investments Manager at Nama Water Services, during the Water Majlis 2025, organised by the Oman-German Friendship Association in collaboration with NWS. The plan reflects a national focus on resilient infrastructure and the equitable management of water resources.
In the short term, NWS has allocated RO 666 million for its 2025–2027 capital investment programme. Of this total, RO 453.3 million will be directed towards water supply projects, while RO 212.7 million will support wastewater infrastructure. More than 225 projects are planned during this three-year period, including over 113 water-related initiatives and more than 112 wastewater projects covering treatment facilities and network expansion.
The investment framework is based on a structured assessment of infrastructure requirements against projected water demand and wastewater generation. This approach is intended to guide spending decisions and includes options for Public-Private Partnerships, where appropriate.
Planned developments between 2025 and 2027 are expected to deliver measurable improvements in service coverage. The water programme will add more than 8,000 kilometres to the existing distribution network, extending supply to areas that are currently underserved. The plan also includes the construction of 202 new reservoirs, providing a combined storage capacity of more than 1.8 million cubic metres, alongside 90 new pumping stations to improve system efficiency. These measures are expected to connect more than 162,000 additional water customers.
At the same time, the wastewater programme will see the development of 28 new sewage treatment plants of varying capacities. More than 1,500 kilometres of new sewage networks will be installed, enabling service connections for over 42,000 new wastewater customers during the same period.
Looking further ahead, the Integrated Master Plan extends to 2050 and is structured to support a projected population of around 9.2 million people. The total planned investment of RO 11.1 billion will be spread across 410 projects. Wastewater infrastructure represents the largest share of this long-term spending, with RO 7.2 billion allocated to expanding and modernising sewage systems across the country.
The remaining investment is divided between RO 2.0 billion for water supply projects and RO 1.8 billion for integrated water and wastewater initiatives. By 2050, the plan is expected to support approximately 1.75 million water connections, supported by a distribution network spanning 30,000 kilometres. Wastewater services are projected to include 151 sewage treatment plants and a similar length of sewage pipelines.
The master plan sets ambitious service coverage targets aligned with, and in some cases exceeding, the benchmarks of Oman Vision 2040. Water coverage, currently estimated at 72.5 percent, is expected to reach around 96 percent by 2040. Wastewater coverage is projected to rise from a reference level of 29.2 percent to 75 percent over the same period.
Sustainability is a central element of the strategy, particularly through the increased use of Treated Effluent as a non-conventional water resource. The plan aims to raise treated effluent utilisation from 50 percent to 71 percent. In parallel, national capacity for water production from Independent Water Producers is expected to reach 932 million cubic metres per year, supported by a total storage capacity of 6.6 million cubic metres by 2050.
Through this long-term commitment of RO 11.1 billion, Nama Water Services is positioning the water sector to meet both current pressures and future demand. The Integrated Master Plan represents a significant shift towards sustainable water management and improved asset performance, with the aim of securing a reliable water future for Oman well beyond the middle of the century.
