Latest News

• 
  Boutique Group tenders Tuwaiq Palace hotel in Riyadh

  Administrator

  24 April 2026

  

   

  Saudi Arabia’s Boutique Group, backed by the sovereign wealth vehicle Public Investment Fund (PIF), has retendered a contract to convert Tuwaiq Palace in Riyadh into a hotel.

  Contractors have been given a deadline of 31 May to submit proposals.

  The scheme comprises 40 hotel rooms and suites and 56 one- and two-bedroom villas.

  According to regional projects tracker MEED Projects, the contract was first tendered in 2022.

  In January of that year, Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman launched Boutique Group to manage and convert historic and cultural Saudi palaces into ultra-luxury hotels.

  Boutique Group’s first phase covers three palaces, two of which are under construction. Al-Hamra Palace in Jeddah is being converted to include 33 suites and 44 villas. In July 2023, MEED reported that Jeddah-based Al-Redwan Contracting was appointed the main contractor for the Al-Hamra Palace conversion.

  The other project is the Red Palace in Riyadh, which will feature 46 suites and 25 guest rooms. In 2023, local contractor Mobco won the contract to undertake the project.

  In 1957, the Red Palace became the headquarters of the Council of Ministers for 30 years, and later served as the main office for the Board of Grievances until 2002.

  Jordan-headquartered Dar Al-Omran is acting as supervision consultant on all three projects.

  Photo credits: Omrania

  ---

  MEED’s April 2026 report on Saudi Arabia includes:

  > COMMENT: Risk accelerates Saudi spending shift
  > GVT &: ECONOMY: Riyadh navigates a changed landscape
  > BANKING: Testing times for Saudi banks
  > UPSTREAM: Offshore oil and gas projects to dominate Aramco capex in 2026
  > DOWNSTREAM: Saudi downstream projects market enters lean period
  > POWER: Wind power gathers pace in Saudi Arabia
  > WATER: Sharakat plan signals next phase of Saudi water expansion
  > CONSTRUCTION: Saudi construction enters a period of strategic readjustment
  > TRANSPORT: Rail expansion powers Saudi Arabia’s infrastructure push

  To see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click here

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  Yasir Iqbal
• 
  Firms announce 129MW Dubai data centre

  Administrator

  24 April 2026

  Dubai’s Integrated Economic Zones Authority (DIEZ) has signed a joint-venture agreement with Netherlands-headquartered data centre developer Volt to build a new artificial intelligence (AI)-ready data centre in the emirate.

  Planned for Dubai Silicon Oasis, the development will take the form of a campus covering up to 60,000 square metres.

  The project will be delivered in two phases, starting with 29MW of immediately available capacity, followed by a second phase adding a further 100MW of committed power.

  Under the arrangement, DIEZ will supply the land and essential infrastructure, while Volt will finance and develop the project, lead construction, and manage the design, leasing, implementation and day-to-day operations.

  French firm Schneider Electric, which has its regional headquarters in Dubai Silicon Oasis, will support the development by supplying advanced electrical systems, power distribution capabilities and smart data centre infrastructure.

  The GCC currently has more than 174 active data centre projects, representing over $93bn in investment, led by international players such as AWS, Google and Huawei, alongside regional developers including Khazna and Moro, supported by government-led localisation strategies.

  More than a dozen large-scale facilities valued at over $100m each are currently under tender, with further packages expected to reach the market over the next six to 12 months.

  The UAE is one of the leading data centre markets, with hyperscale campuses, sovereign cloud initiatives and edge data centre deployments underway.

  Data centre development is closely aligned with the UAE’s digital economy and AI roadmap, as well as the wider smart city programme.

  Priorities include hyperscale and colocation facilities to support cloud service providers; edge data centres to reduce latency and enable 5G and IoT use cases; energy-efficient designs using advanced cooling, modular construction and renewables; and strategic partnerships between global hyperscalers, local developers and utilities.

  

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  Yasir Iqbal
• 
  Iraq signs upstream oil contract

  Administrator

  24 April 2026

  State-owned Iraqi Drilling Company (IDC) has signed a contract with China’s EBS Petroleum for a project to drill 17 horizontal wells in the southeastern portion of the East Baghdad field.

  Mohamed Hantoush, the general manager of IDC, said the contract signing came after a “series of successful achievements” by the company at the field.

  The achievements included the completion of a project to drill 27 horizontal wells and another project to drill 18 horizontal wells, according to a statement released by Iraq’s Ministry of Oil.

  In January, Iraq’s Midland Oil Company (MOC), in collaboration with EBS Petroleum, completed the country’s longest horizontal oil well in the southern part of the East Baghdad field.

  The well, which was called EBMK-8-1H, reached a total depth of 6,320 metres, and had a 3,535-metre horizontal section, making it the country’s largest horizontal well ever drilled.

  Senior officials from the Iraqi Oil Ministry and representatives of EBS Petroleum attended the well’s completion ceremony.

  EBS Petroleum is a subsidiary of China’s ZhenHua Oil, which is focused on Iraq.

  ZhenHua Oil is the operator of the field and is working with Iraqi partners to oversee the field’s development.

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  Wil Crisp
• 
  Jordan tenders oil and gas terminal project

  Administrator

  24 April 2026

  

   

  Jordan’s Aqaba Development Corporation (ADC) has tendered a project for the development of the facilities at the Aqaba Oil and Gas Terminal.

  The project has been divided into two packages, and a bid deadline has been set for 15 June 2026.

  The oil and gas terminal is located south of the city of Aqaba in Jordan’s Southern Industrial Zone.

  The scope of Package 1 includes:

  • Rehabilitation of petroleum product pipelines of various sizes and their accessories (such as supports, structures and valves), including rectification of painting defects
  • Inspection and repair of pipe welds
  • Rectification and overall maintenance of the product booster pump
  • Inspection, maintenance, testing and commissioning of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) booster pumps
  • Rectification of two overhead cranes
  • Rectification and calibration of instrumentation, including pressure indicators and valves

  The scope of Package 2 includes:

  • Rehabilitation of control rooms and security rooms, replacing them with concrete control rooms, including infrastructure works and all required services
  • Removal of unused tanks and equipment previously used for exporting crude oil
  • Rehabilitation of the existing gate in order to improve safety and security with the installation of a tire killer
  • Carrying out maintenance and repairs for the oil berth dolphins and trestle with inspection
  • Maintenance, repair and reinstallation of oil berth concrete slabs
  • Removal and extension of the jetty platform
  • Installation of a lighting system at pipelines beside booster pumps
  • Installation of stripping pumps at the LPG terminal
  • Replacement of drain line path for slop tank of LPG booster pumps
  • Rehabilitation of the existing closed drain drum
  • Rectification of cone sealing issue of all truck loading arms
  • Conversion of manual valves to motor-operated valves
  • Remote operation of shut-off valves on the main pipeline alongside and near the entrance gate
  • Upgrading of the firefighting system

  The last date for questions and clarifications related to the project will be 13 May 2026.

  The Aquaba Oil and Gas Terminal was built to meet demand for petroleum products and LPG imports into Jordan.

  It is operated by state-owned Jordan Oil Terminals Company (JOTC), which was established in 2015 as a private shareholding company.

  Earlier this year, Abu Dhabi’s AD Ports Group signed an agreement with ADC to manage and operate the Aqaba multipurpose port.

  AD Ports is managing and operating the port under a 30-year concession agreement.

  Under the agreement, AD Ports and ADC will establish a joint venture to oversee port operations.

  AD Ports will hold a 70% stake in the joint venture, with the remaining 30% held by ADC.

  AD Ports Group will also invest AED141m ($38.4m) in the joint venture.

  The signing ceremony was held at the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority headquarters in Aqaba on 5 February.

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  Wil Crisp
• 
  Decision imminent on Dubai sewerage tunnel contracts

  Administrator

  24 April 2026

  

   

  A final decision on the first two packages of the flagship Dubai Strategic Sewerage Tunnels (DSST) project is imminent, with two remaining bidders having submitted best and final offers. 

  The AED80bn ($22bn) public-private partnership (PPP) scheme comprises three packages: J, W and Links.

  According to a source, two consortiums led by Etihad Water & Electricity (UAE) and Vision Invest (Saudi Arabia) were recently invited to submit final bids for packages J and W, which were tendered last November.

  The winning consortium is expected to be formally confirmed in the coming weeks once the required approval process is completed, the source said.

  MEED had previously reported that three consortiums were bidding for the project, which is being procured by Dubai Municipality’s sewerage and recycled water projects department.

  These included:

  • Consortium 1: Led by Plenary Group (Australia) alongside Itochu (Japan) and Infrastructure Holding (UAE) 
  • Consortium 2: Led by Vision Invest (Saudi Arabia) alongside Suez Water Company (France)
  • Consortium 3: Led by Etihad Water & Electricity (UAE) alongside Tamasuk Holding (Saudi Arabia) and Alkhorayef Water & Power (Saudi Arabia)

  It is understood that the consortium led by Pleneray Group has since been dropped from consideration for the contract.

  As MEED previously reported, the bid packages include equity partners, an appointed operator and a construction contractor.

  Of the bidders still in contention, MEED understands that Vision Invest plans to act as operator for that consortium, while Suez will lead construction.

  In the other consortium, EtihadWE plans to take the operator role, with construction led by France’s Veolia.

  Large-scale sewerage network

  The DSST masterplan project covers the construction of two sets of deep tunnels terminating at pump stations at Warsan and Jebel Ali Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs). It also includes over 200 kilometres of sewer links.

  Construction work was previously categorised in multiple packages under the Warsan Strategic Tunnel Scheme (Package W) and the Jebel Ali Strategic Sewerage Scheme (J1 North, J2 South, J3 Jebel Ali Links).

  These packages have now been restructured and renamed.

  The bid submission deadline for the third 'Phase 2 Links' package, meanwhile, was recently extended.

  The new deadline is June 30. 

  The three packages are being procured under 30-year design, build, finance, operate and maintain concession models.

  The DSST project aims to convert Dubai’s sewerage system from a pumped network to a gravity-based system, enabling the emirate to replace existing sewage pumping stations and meet long-term capacity needs.

  The programme also marks the first time the municipality will implement In-Country Value (ICV), a local content programme that promotes economic benefits.

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  Mark Dowdall
• 
  Dubai scales up its metro ambitions

  Administrator

  23 April 2026

  

   

  Dubai’s rail sector has rarely seen such a concentrated burst of procurement activity as it has in the past year.

  Within the space of a few months, Dubai’s Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) has moved simultaneously on three distinct fronts: tendering design consultancy for the Route 2020 extension that will connect the Expo 2020 metro station to Al-Maktoum International airport; inviting study-and-design bids for a 55-kilometre Airport Express Line linking Dubai International airport to Al-Maktoum International airport; and culminating in Dubai Ruler Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum’s approval of the AED34bn ($9.2bn) Gold Line, a 42km fully underground route that the emirate is calling the largest transportation project in its history.

  These projects form a key part of the Dubai Rail Network Plan 2032, which outlines the development of six public transportation schemes comprising a mix of metro, passenger and high-speed rail lines.

  The most prominent feature of the plan is the addition of new lines to Dubai Metro’s existing network, representing a systematic effort to support the shift of Dubai’s economic centre of gravity towards Dubai South and the vast development corridors in between.

  The city is also seeking to stay ahead of the curve by investing heavily in infrastructure. Data from regional projects tracker MEED Projects shows that the emirate has awarded over $14bn-worth of transport projects in the past two years alone, with several other multibillion-dollar schemes still moving through the planning stages.

  All of this work is being carried out in line with the Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan, which forecasts the emirate’s population will reach 5.8 million by 2040 – a clear indication of the scale of daily movement the city must accommodate.

  

  Project progress

  Dubai Metro Gold Line

  On 21 April, Sheikh Mohammed officially announced the launch of the new AED34bn ($9.2bn) Gold Line project.

  The line will be a fully underground network spanning over 42 kilometres, with 18 stations.

  It will run from Al-Ghubaiba in Bur Dubai to Jumeirah Golf Estates.

  The Gold Line will connect with Dubai Metro’s existing Red and Green lines and integrate with the Etihad Rail passenger network.

  In October last year, MEED exclusively reported that the RTA had selected US-based engineering firm Aecom to provide consultancy services for the project.

  Stage one covers concept design; stage two, preliminary design; stage three, preparation of tender documents; stage four, construction supervision; and stage five, the defects liability period.

  Airport Express Line

  Procurement has started for another metro line extending from Dubai International airport (DXB) in Al-Garhoud to Al-Maktoum International airport (DWC) in Jebel Ali.

  Earlier this month, the RTA invited consultants to bid for a contract to study and design what is referred to as the Airport Express Line.

  The proposed line will stretch about 55km and include five stations that will provide passengers with facilities such as remote airline check-in, baggage drop-off and security screening.

  The new line will run from the Red Line metro station at DXB through Al-Jaddaf, along Al-Khail Road to a new station at Jumeirah Village Circle (JVC), before continuing on to DWC.

  There will be two spur lines. The first will run from the new JVC station to Al-Fardan Exchange metro station at Emirates Golf Club, while the second will branch toward Business Bay, where another station will be built.

  Expo 2020 route extension

  Dubai is also undertaking the Route 2020 extension of its metro system, which will start from the Expo 2020 metro station and connect with Al-Maktoum International airport’s West Terminal.

  Consultants submitted their bids earlier this month for the design contract.

  The extension will run for about 3km and feature two stations.

  The existing Route 2020 metro link is a 15km line that branches off the Red Line at Jebel Ali metro station. The line comprises 11.8km of elevated tracks and 3.2km of tunnels, and has five elevated stations and two underground stations.

  Dubai Metro Blue Line extension

  Construction progress on the Dubai Metro Blue Line extension is expected to reach 30% by the end of 2026, according to official accounts.

  In December 2024, the RTA awarded a AED20.5bn ($5.5bn) main contract for the construction of the project.

  The contract was awarded to a consortium of Turkiye’s Limak Holding, Mapa Group, also of Turkiye, and the Hong Kong office of China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation (CRRC).

  The Blue Line will connect the existing Red and Green lines. It will be 30km long, with 15.5km underground and 14.5km above ground.

  The line will have 14 stations, seven of which will be elevated. There will be five underground stations, including one interchange station, and two elevated transfer stations connected to the existing Centrepoint and Creek stations.

  The project is scheduled for completion in September 2029.

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  Yasir Iqbal
• 
  Contractors form teams for Bab Gas Cap main plant project

  Administrator

  23 April 2026

  

   

  Contractors have formed consortiums to participate in the main tendering exercise for a major project involving the development of infrastructure to process incremental gas output arising from the unlocking of gas caps at the Bab onshore hydrocarbons development in Abu Dhabi.

  As part of its 2030 upstream production increase goals, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc Group) is working to extract gas from four underdeveloped gas cap reservoirs at the Bab onshore field development – Thammama A, Thammama B, Thammama F and Thammama H. While the Thammama A, B and H reservoirs are estimated to collectively produce 1.45 billion cubic feet a day (cf/d) of gas, output from the Thammama F gas cap is expected to be at a rate of 396 million cf/d.

  Existing trains at the Habshan processing complex in Abu Dhabi will be unable to handle the new gas volumes. Therefore, Adnoc Group subsidiary, Adnoc Gas, is required to build new facilities to process an additional volume of up to 1.85 billion cf/d of raw gas when its parent company starts production from the Bab gas caps.

  Adnoc Gas is planning to build a gas processing plant in the Bab area, about 170 kilometres from Abu Dhabi, along with associated pipeline networks and other ancillary units, as part of the broader Bab gas cap development project. It has divided the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) scope of work on the project into four packages:

  • EPC package 1 – Main Bab gas cap plant
  • EPC package 2 – Early civil works
  • EPC package 3 – Pipelines
  • EPC package 4 – Non-process area works

  Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange-listed Adnoc Gas issued an expression of interest (EoI) document to contractors for the main EPC tendering process for the main Bab gas cap plant on 10 February. The company had set an initial EoI submission deadline of 17 February, which it later extended until 20 February, with contractors submitting responses by that date, MEED previously reported.

  Following the completion of the prequalification phase, contractors that expressed interest formed the following teams to compete in the main contract tendering round, according to sources:

  • Larsen & Toubro Energy Hydrocarbon (India) + Samsung E&A (South Korea)
  • Saipem (Italy) + NMDC Energy (UAE)
  • Technip Energies (France) + JGC Corporation (Japan) + Sinopec (China)
  • Tecnimont (Italy) + China Petroleum Engineering and Construction Corporation (CPECC)

  Adnoc Gas is expected to issue the main EPC tender for the central Bab gas plant in May, sources told MEED.

  The other three packages remain in the main contract tendering stages, the sources said.

  Prior to issuing the EoIs for the Bab gas cap development project packages, Adnoc Gas completed an early engagement process with contractors in September and October last year, as MEED previously reported.

  In December last year, Adnoc Gas awarded the front-end engineering and design (feed) works for the Bab gas cap development project, which will increase its gas processing capacity by about 20%, to Australia-based consultancy Worley. The feed contract has a duration of more than 1.2 million man-hours, making it the largest-ever engineering job awarded by Adnoc Gas.

  Adnoc Gas currently has a capital expenditure (capex) commitment of $20bn for the 2023-29 period, which is on course to increase to about $28bn as the company strives to achieve final investment decisions (FID) on the second and third phases of its rich gas development programme this year.

  The first phase of the RGD project is under construction. Adnoc Gas awarded $5bn-worth of engineering, procurement and construction management (EPCm) contracts in three tranches for phase one of the RGD last June – the company’s largest-ever capital investment.

  The second and third phases involve building a natural gas liquids fractionation train at the Ruwais gas processing facility and a new gas processing train at the Habshan complex, respectively, Peter Van Driel, the company’s chief financial officer, had earlier told journalists on a call.

  MEED, in March, reported that Adnoc Gas had selected main EPC contractors for both the Ruwais NGL Train 5 and the Habshan 7 gas processing train projects, which are estimated to be valued at around $4bn each. Adnoc Gas is yet to officially award the EPC contracts for the two projects.

  Adnoc Gas’ capex commitment could exceed $30bn when the company achieves FID on the Bab gas cap development project, which is currently expected later this year, Van Driel previously said.

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  Indrajit Sen
• 
  Sports Boulevard tenders Wadi Hanifa road works

  Administrator

  23 April 2026

  

   

  Register for MEED’s 14-day trial access 

  Saudi Arabia’s Sports Boulevard Foundation has issued a tender inviting firms to bid for a contract to build a road and associated infrastructure in the Wadi Hanifa area of Riyadh.

  The bid submission deadline is 27 April.

  The scope includes construction of an 11.4-kilometre road and associated infrastructure, including public realm works, utilities and security systems.

  The scheme is the latest package to progress on Riyadh’s Sports Boulevard project.

  The Sports Boulevard Foundation is also evaluating bids for its Global Sports Tower in the development’s Athletics District.

  The 130-metre-tall Global Sports Tower will have a gross floor area of 84,000 square metres (sq m) and will include more than 30 sports facilities. The tower will feature what is billed as the world’s tallest indoor climbing wall, at 98 metres, and a 250-metre running track.

  Sports Boulevard will run across Riyadh from east to west. Once complete, it is intended to be the world’s longest park, stretching more than 135 kilometres.

  The project is divided into multiple districts, including the Wadi Hanifah, Arts, Urban Wadi, Entertainment, Athletics and Eco districts, as well as Sands Sports Park.

  The large-scale development aims to transform central Riyadh – currently dominated by major highways – into a recreational corridor.

  Sports Boulevard will include 4.4 million sq m of public realm and landmark buildings. Along with the Global Sports Tower, there will be a Centre for Cinematic Arts and a 2,000-seat amphitheatre.

  It will also deliver more than 2.3 million sq m of mixed-use commercial, residential and retail space, alongside sports facilities, around the park, known as the Linear Park.

  

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  Yasir Iqbal