Utilities Development Company W.L.L. (UDC) was established, in May 2001, by Mohammed Abdulmohsin Al Kharafi & Sons Group (MAK) and Ionics Inc of the USA (now a part of GE), as a vehicle for executing the concession contract for the Sulaibiya Wastewater Treatment and Reclamation Plant under a build-operate-transfer (BOT) scheme. UDC is a special purpose company, the first SPC ever created in Kuwait. The relationship between MAK and Ionics had begun in 1998 when the two companies entered into a strong alliance and together prequalified for the tender for the Sulaibiya Wastewater Treatment and Reclamation Plant. On 7th May 2001, the concession contract was signed by the Government of the State of Kuwait, represented by the Ministry of Public Works, and Utilities Development Company. The Sulaibiya WWT&RP project has proved, beyond a shadow of doubt, the important role the private sector can play in the national development process through the activation of local investments and the attraction of foreign investors