The Saudi government has announced plans to spend SR1.1 billion ($293 million) on major infrastructure projects including the implementation of 16,000 sanitary drainage connections to homes across the kingdom.

An agreement in this regard was signed by the Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture and chairman of the board of directors of the National Water Company (NWC) Abdulrahman bin Abdulmuhsin Al Fadli, reported Saudi Press Agency.

The ministry officials will start work on 20 major development projects which are aimed at benefiting about one million people. All these projects will be completed within two years, the report stated.

The sanitary drainage network project will cover several districts of Jeddah including Al Muntazahat, Umm Al Salam, Al Naseem, Bani Malik,  Al Andalus, Al Rawda, Al Hamra and Al Ruwais, it added.