The Saudi General Authority for Salt Water Desalination said the water desalination plant in Ras al-Khair mining city would start producing water and electricity by the first quarter of 2013, al-Sharq al-Awsat daily reported Thursday (December 1st).

Minister of Water and Electricity Abdullah al-Haseen, who is also the board chairman of the General Organisation for Water Desalination, said during a visit to inspect the project that the ministry is not considering giving licenses to new companies to produce water in the upcoming period.

Fuhaid al-Sharif, governor of the Saline Water Conversion Corporation, said the plant in Ras al-Khair would start experimental electricity production in July 2012 and commercial production in December 2012.

Ras al-Khair water desalination plant is the world's largest integrated water desalination project. Contracts for the project, worth 25 billion riyals ($6.66 billion), were awarded in November 2010.