meed-logo

line1 line2 line3
SIGN IN / REGISTER
Latest News
  • Qatar’s Ashghal outlines Q1 2026 project plans

    Administrator

    4 February 2026

    Qatar’s Public Works Authority (Ashghal) has outlined plans to undertake 67 projects as part of its development strategy for 2026. 

    The majority of the upcoming projects cover sectors such as buildings, highways, roads, water and drainage.

    The projects to be undertaken in the first quarter of this year include:

    1. Access road to the Qatari Emiri Air Defence command building
    2. Call-off agreement for road and infrastructure works
    3. Carrying out all recommended work to ensure the necessary approvals from the Civil Defence Authority are obtained
    4. Remaining works of C/2020/60 RIW for junctions & RA in various areas of Greater Doha: phase 9
    5. Remaining works of C/2020/124 R & I in Mebaireek (Zone 81): packages 1&2
    6. Strategic FTS for Karwa City, Asian City, IA 2 Diversions and SA
    7. Modifications and additions to existing schools: packages 2-8
    8. Construction of Mekeines – Umm Bab Link Road
    9. Construction of Msheireb offices
    10. Construction of parking lots for areas 2 and 3 and modification of road infrastructure, the bus station and Gate 6
    11. Remaining works of C/2018/114 Umm Al-Dome improvement
    12. Remaining works of C/2019/90 access roads for Umm Ghuwailina 
    13. Remaining works of C2017/86, roads surrounding Al-Bayt Stadium 
    14. Remaining works of C2018/7 & C2017/118, Al-Kheesa foul sewer: packages 1&2
    15. Consultancy services for MM building damages investigation and repairs recommendations
    16. Consultancy services for modernisation of tunnels on Lusail Expressway & Sabah Al-Ahmad corridor
    17. Consultancy services for survey works, GIS, CAD and BIM on a call-off basis
    18. Consultancy supervision services for construction of Mekeines – Umm Bab Link Road
    19. Demolition and construction of two schools (Simaisma Junior School, Simaisma High School): package 3
    20. Demolition of decommissioned facilities: phase 6
    21. Design and build for water treatment plant (including treated sewage effluent plant for UDST)
    22. Design and construction of pedestrian crossings: phase 4
    23. Design of external administrative buildings for the protection and nature reserves sector, and the Turtle Protection Centre
    24. Design and build of a truck stop outside the wall of the medical quarry in Al-Ruwais
    25. Design, supply and install the new sparkling lights for the Arch 5/6
    26. Execution of Central Doha and Corniche Package: two remaining works
    27. Foul sewer GAP tunnel 1.6 kilometres long, diameter 600-800 mm at Doha North
    28. Framework contract for the road link works in several locations across Qatar 
    29. Industrial area STW asset improvement works: phase 2 AM24-0032
    30. Modernisation of tunnels on Lusail Expressway & Sabah Al-Ahmad corridor
    31. New consultancy supervision services
    32. On-call contract for geotechnical, environmental & structural tests and evaluation services
    33. Operational insurance – property all risk and third-party liability
    34. Package 1: design and build of strategic SGW drainage Western Tunnels – Southern area – C878/S1
    35. Paving and house connection for existing plot at Nuaija Zone 44
    36. Pilot deep wells construction
    37. PPP pre-contract framework – future work orders
    38. Pre-contract PCS for centralised sewage solids treatment and management facility
    39. Pre-contract PCS for Strategic Qatar Integrated Drainage Master Plan Update 2026 C767/3
    40. PSA for Strategic FTS for Karwa City, Asian City, IA 2 Diversions and SA
    41. PSA roads and infrastructure in Wadi Al-Banat (Zone-70)
    42. PSA roads and infrastructure in Al-Kheesa North and East (Rawdat Al-Hamama District): package 3
    43. R&I in southwest of Al-Wukair (DW086 – DW092)
    44. Refurbishment, reinstatement and repair works for strategic location in Qatar: phase 9 (QN) AM22-1011
    45. Roads and infrastructure in Al-Kheesa
    46. Roads and infrastructure in Al-Kheesa North and East (Rawdat Al-Hamama District): package 3
    47. Roads and infrastructure in Rawdat Abal Heeran: package 4
    48. Roads and infrastructure in Sailiya Al-Attiyah: package 1
    49. Roads and infrastructure in Sailiya Al-Attiyah: package 2
    50. Roads and infrastructure north of Smeisma: package 4
    51. Secondment contract for professional staff for the Highway Projects Department
    52. Secondment contract for professional staff for Roads Project department: phase 2
    53. STW rehabilitation and maintenance: Qatar West phase 2 AM25-0020
    54. Supervision for community college projects
    55. Supervision for design and construction of pedestrian crossings: phase 4
    56. Supervision for roads and infrastructure for Qatar Armed Forces
    57. Supervision for roads and infrastructure for Qatar Armed Forces – A
    58. Supervision for the design and build of a new communications room and technical store for Al-Shahaniya radio station
    59. Supervision for foul sewer GAP tunnel – 1.6km long, diameter 600-800 mm – at Doha North
    60. Supervision of deep injection wells enabling works – pilot at Al-Thumama
    61. Supervision of the Ministry of Education and Higher Education warehouses project
    62. Supply of equipment and spares for DNOM AM21-192
    63. Supply of pumps for DNO&M workshop section AM25-0075
    64. Surrounding roads around North Camp
    65. Surrounding roads around Doha Air Base
    66. TSE rehabilitation and maintenance: Qatar West phase 2 – AM25-0031
    67. TSE renewal programme and assets improvements: Qatar South phase 2 – AM22-132
    Qatar market overview

    Qatar’s next construction cycle is starting to take shape. In recent months, the country has made progress on several high-profile, large-scale infrastructure schemes that are set to inject fresh momentum into Qatar’s construction pipeline and, crucially, translate into years of contract flow for local contractors, suppliers and service firms.

    The largest of these schemes includes the proposed high-speed rail line connecting Riyadh and Doha, the revived Friendship Bridge to Bahrain and a planned road corridor linking Qatar with the UAE.

    For the construction industry, these moves signal that the state is ready to shift from post-World Cup consolidation to a new, longer-term buildout anchored in regional connectivity.

    That longer-term view is especially important after a flat 2025, when contract awards slipped to just over $2bn — the weakest annual total in the past five years — and many in the industry felt a widening gap between plans and procurement.

    The mood has now shifted. With about $64bn-worth of projects in the pipeline, Qatar is not short of project opportunities.

    The next phase has the potential to sustain contractors and the wider supply chain in the near term, while bringing a more predictable rhythm back to the market as these programmes are broken into packages and move to tender.

    MEED’s February 2026 report on Qatar includes:

    > COMMENT: Qatar’s strategy falls into place
    > GVT & ECONOMY: Qatar enters 2026 with heady expectations
    > BANKING: Qatar banks search for growth
    > OIL & GAS: QatarEnergy achieves strategic oil and gas goals in 2025
    > POWER & WATER: Dukhan solar award drives Qatar's utility sector
    > CONSTRUCTION: Infrastructure investments underpin Qatar construction

    To see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click here
    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/15565036/main.jpeg
    Yasir Iqbal
  • Dar Global seeks firms for Dubai Trump tower and hotel

    Administrator

    4 February 2026

     

    Register for MEED’s 14-day trial access 

    Saudi Arabia-headquartered real estate developer Dar Global has asked contractors to express interest in a contract to build the Trump International Hotel and Tower project in Dubai.

    Dar Global is developing the project in collaboration with the US-based Trump Organisation.

    The 80-floor tower will be built next to the Shangri-La Hotel on Sheikh Zayed Road.

    The tower will be among the tallest in Dubai, with an estimated height of approximately 350 metres.

    In December last year, Dar Global appointed Dubai-based Edrafor Emirates to undertake the foundation works on the project.

    Dar Global is also developing the estimated $1bn Trump Plaza Jeddah project in Saudi Arabia. 

    In November last year, Abu Dhabi-based contractor Arabian Construction Company won the estimated SR2bn ($532m) main contract to build the Trump Tower Jeddah.

    The project comprises a mixed-use development of apartments, townhouses, offices, retail, food and beverage offerings, and a 4,000-square-metre club.

    Dar Global, a subsidiary of Dar Al-Arkan, was one of the first Saudi brands to list on the London Stock Exchange.

    According to an official statement, the project is the region’s first Trump International Hotel & Tower and represents the fifth collaboration between Dar Global and the Trump Organisation.

    Dar Al-Arkan established Dar Global in 2017 to focus on developing projects in the Middle East and Europe. It has $12bn-worth of projects under development in six countries: the UAE, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UK and Spain.

    It completed three developments – the Urban Oasis and Da Vinci towers in Dubai and the Sidra gated community in Bosnia – in 2023.

    The company collaborates with global brands including Missoni, W Hotels, Versace, Elie Saab, Automobili Pagani and Automobili Lamborghini.

    READ THE FEBRUARY 2026 MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – click here to view PDF

    Spending on oil and gas production surges; Doha’s efforts support extraordinary growth in 2026; Water sector regains momentum in 2025.

    Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the February 2026 edition of MEED Business Review includes:
    To see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click here
    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/15564796/main.jpg
    Yasir Iqbal
  • Elon Musk-backed firm signs Dubai Loop construction deal

    Administrator

    4 February 2026

    Register for MEED’s 14-day trial access 

    Dubai’s Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) has signed an agreement with Elon Musk-backed firm The Boring Company to begin construction of the Dubai Loop transportation system.

    The agreement was signed on the sidelines of the World Governments Summit in Dubai on 3 February.

    The first phase of the project comprises a 6.4-kilometre (km) route with four stations, linking the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) and Dubai Mall.

    The stations will be located at DIFC 2, ICD Brookfield Place, Dubai Mall Zabeel Parking and Burj Khalifa.

    The first phase is expected to cost about AED565m ($154m).

    This phase is anticipated to be delivered within one year following the completion of design work and other preparations.

    The tunnelling works are expected to begin in the second half of this year.

    Next phase

    The second phase of the project will connect the Dubai World Trade Centre and DIFC with Business Bay.

    The tunnels will extend up to 22km and include 19 stations.

    The total cost of the project across both phases is expected to be around AED2bn ($545m), with completion scheduled within three years.

    In a statement published by the Emirates News Agency (Wam), the RTA said the pilot route is expected to serve around 13,000 passengers a day. The full route is projected to have a total capacity of about 30,000 passengers a day.

    The RTA and The Boring Company signed a memorandum of understanding on the sidelines of the World Governments Summit in Dubai in February last year to explore the development of the Dubai Loop transportation system.

    The Dubai Loop is expected to be similar to The Boring Company’s Las Vegas Convention Centre (LVCC) Loop project. The LVCC Loop is a 2.7km underground tunnel system that connects different convention centre halls, reducing walking time across the site to about two minutes.

    The LVCC Loop has been in operation since 2021. It uses Tesla Model 3 cars to carry passengers between five stations. The Boring Company began construction in November 2019 at an estimated cost of $49m.

    READ THE FEBRUARY 2026 MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – click here to view PDF

    Spending on oil and gas production surges; Doha’s efforts support extraordinary growth in 2026; Water sector regains momentum in 2025.

    Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the February 2026 edition of MEED Business Review includes:
    To see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click here
    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/15564682/main.jpg
    Yasir Iqbal
  • Aramco to finalise long-term agreements with engineering firms

    Administrator

    4 February 2026

     

    Register for MEED’s 14-day trial access 

    Saudi Aramco is on course to finalise long-term agreements (LTAs) with prominent energy sector engineering firms, aiming to create a pool of consultants it can engage in future for project study- and design-related requirements.

    The structure of this proposed pool of engineering consultants will be similar to Aramco’s existing general engineering services-plus (GES+) group, which provides project management and engineering services – including concept studies, pre-front-end engineering and design (pre-feed) and feed – to support Aramco’s capital programmes in Saudi Arabia across onshore greenfield and brownfield projects in gas, oil and new-energy infrastructure.

    Aramco also maintains LTA pools with offshore and onshore engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractors, and the layout of the planned pool of engineering firms will be akin to those two bodies, sources told MEED.

    According to sources, the following companies, among others, are understood to have submitted proposals to Aramco for the proposed LTA pool of engineering consultants:

    • Bechtel (US)
    • Fluor (US)
    • KBR (US)
    • Wood (UK)
    • Worley (Australia)

    Aramco received proposals from these firms last year and has since held several rounds of “discussions and negotiations” with them, sources said. The Saudi energy giant is now believed to have agreed with the bidders the terms and other aspects on which the proposed LTA engineering pool is to be built, sources added.

    “If all goes to plan, we could see Aramco signing LTAs with the contractors to create the group within the first quarter [of 2026],” one source said.

    While Aramco’s planned engineering LTA pool will be “largely similar” to its GES+ group, sources said a key distinguishing factor will be the ability of consultants in the new pool to bid for, and secure, engineering work for Aramco’s international projects, as well as to execute overseas work for Aramco’s in-kingdom projects.

    The GES+ body, which comprises joint ventures between foreign and local firms, receives tenders from Aramco only for in-kingdom engineering studies. The GES+ pool consists of the following entities:

    • KBR (US) / Abdulhadi & Al-Moaibed Consulting Engineering Company (AMCDE; local)
    • SNC-Lavalin (Canada) / Fayez Engineering (local)
    • Jacobs (US)
    • Worley (Australia)
    • Wood Group (UK) / Faisal Jamel Al-Hejailan Engineering (local) / Dar Al-Riyadh Engineering Consultants (DAR) / Petro-Infrastructure Engineering (PI Consult)
    • Technip Energies (France) / Dar Al-Riyadh Engineering Consultants (local)
    • Bechtel (US) / Arabian Consulting Engineering Centre (local)
    ALSO READ: Aramco picks consultant for New Energies scheme

    READ THE FEBRUARY 2026 MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – click here to view PDF

    Spending on oil and gas production surges; Doha’s efforts support extraordinary growth in 2026; Water sector regains momentum in 2025.

    Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the February 2026 edition of MEED Business Review includes:
    To see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click here
    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/15560184/main1154.jpg
    Indrajit Sen
  • Saudi Arabia extends deadlines for water PPPs

    Administrator

    3 February 2026

    Saudi Arabia’s Water Transmission Company (WTCO) has extended the bid submission deadline for engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contracts for two major independent water transmission system projects.

    The Jubail-Buraidah and the Ras Mohaisen-Baha-Mecca transmission projects were first tendered last September under the public-private partnership (PPP) model.

    The initial deadlines for qualified contractors to submit technical and financial bids were 1 February and 5 February, respectively.

    The new bid submission deadline for the Jubail-Buraidah project is 8 March.

    Scheduled to begin construction in 2027, the scheme comprises an approximately 348-kilometre-long greenfield water transmission system with a capacity of 840,650 cubic metres a day (cm/d), delivering water from the Ashmasiah reservoirs to cities and towns in Al-Qassim province.

    The project is large by WTCO standards. The company’s second phase of the Khobar-Hofuf system, completed in 2024, was 140km in length, with a capacity exceeding 530,000 cm/d. 

    For the Ras Mohaisen-Baha-Mecca water transmission system project, the new bid submission deadline is 15 March.

    The project involves constructing an approximately 325-kilometre-long greenfield independent water transmission system with a capacity of 542,000 cm/d, delivering water from Ras Mohaisen to the Adham and Aradhiyah regions.

    Prequalification for both projects closed on 15 January.

    It is understood that local firms Alkhorayef Water & Power Technologies and Mutlaq Al-Ghowairi Contracting Company (MGC) are among the firms qualified to bid for the Ras Mohaisen contract.

    Saudi Arabia also has even larger independent water transmission pipeline (IWTP) initiatives under way. One such project, also linking Jubail and Buraidah, spans 587km and carries 650,000 cm/d.

    MGC secured the EPC contract for this project in June last year. 

    It will have a total cost of SR8.5bn ($2.2bn).

    READ THE FEBRUARY 2026 MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – click here to view PDF

    Spending on oil and gas production surges; Doha’s efforts support extraordinary growth in 2026; Water sector regains momentum in 2025.

    Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the February 2026 edition of MEED Business Review includes:
    To see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click here
    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/15559028/main.jpg
    Mark Dowdall
  • Projects market goes back to basics

    Administrator

    3 February 2026

    Commentary
    Colin Foreman
    Editor

    Read the February issue of MEED Business Review

    The Middle East projects market is recalibrating. After years of ambitious project launches that aimed to transform economies, 2025 marked a turning point as the regional projects market declined.

    According to regional projects tracker MEED Projects, the total value of contract awards in the GCC fell by almost a third in 2025 compared to 2024, as spending in Saudi Arabia halved due to challenges with the gigaprojects

    The slowdown in contract awards has forced a return to basics. With budgets under pressure, project spending is now being allocated more selectively. Projects with clear returns on investment, either financial or social, are the ones now moving into construction and towards completion.

    Upstream oil and gas sits within the back-to-basics narrative. Despite decarbonisation targets and the energy transition, oil remains structurally necessary to the global economy, and Mena producers, with low extraction costs, are uniquely positioned to supply it. 

    The second pillar is gas – both a transition fuel and an enabler of diversification. Reflecting that shift, upstream gas and LNG projects have accounted for close to 60% of total upstream spending in the region since 2020, in a pattern that looks set to continue.

    Both trends explain why upstream project spending has continued to rise this decade — reaching about $51.6bn in 2025, even as Brent has softened from its 2022 highs.

    For contractors and suppliers, the opportunity is huge. MEED Projects is tracking roughly $120bn of upstream schemes that have moved beyond the study phase and are expected to be awarded this year. 

    In a market focused on return on investment, upstream continues to stand out as a prospect for 2026 and beyond.

    READ THE FEBRUARY 2026 MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – click here to view PDF

    Spending on oil and gas production surges; Doha’s efforts support extraordinary growth in 2026; Water sector regains momentum in 2025.

    Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the February 2026 edition of MEED Business Review includes:
    To see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click here
    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/15558470/main.gif
    Colin Foreman
  • Firms win $185m Bahrain signature bridge deal

    Administrator

    3 February 2026

     

    Register for MEED’s 14-day trial access 

    A joint venture of Bahrain-based firm Haji Hassan Group, Saudi Arabia’s Alomaier Trading & Construction Company and Greece’s Terna has won a BD69.6m ($185m) contract to build package four of the Busaiteen Link road scheme.

    The contract was awarded by the Bahrain Ministry of Works (MoW).

    The package involves the construction of a signature bridge connecting Muharraq to the existing North Manama Causeway and Bahrain Bay.

    The three-year contract covers construction works on the Busaiteen Link from junction four to junction five, as well as the bridge and roads connecting the new Busaiteen Link to the existing North Manama Causeway.

    The Saudi Fund for Development is financing the project.

    Bahrain’s MoW received bids for the contract in June 2024, and the Bahrain Tender Board opened prices on 25 November of that year.

    In May 2024, MoW also awarded a BD37.2m ($98.7m) contract for construction works on package three of the Busaiteen Link scheme.

    The contract was awarded to a team of local contractors, Nass Contracting and Nassir Hazza & Bros.

    The 64-week contract covers work from junction one to junction four of the scheme. It involves the construction of 8.3 kilometres (km) of a four-lane dual carriageway, another 2.4km of associated dual carriageway, three storm surface water lifting stations, adjustments to airport runway approach lights and additional associated infrastructure works.

    According to GlobalData, Bahrain’s construction industry output is expected to grow by 3.4% in real terms this year, supported by developments in commercial, energy and utilities projects and increased foreign direct investment.

    The infrastructure construction sector is expected to grow by 6% in 2024 and register an annual average growth of 4% in 2025-28, driven by the government’s efforts to upgrade the country’s transport infrastructure.

    READ THE FEBRUARY 2026 MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – click here to view PDF

    Spending on oil and gas production surges; Doha’s efforts support extraordinary growth in 2026; Water sector regains momentum in 2025.

    Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the February 2026 edition of MEED Business Review includes:
    To see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click here
    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/15555603/main.jpg
    Yasir Iqbal
  • Qatar heads for a growth surge in 2026

    Administrator

    3 February 2026

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/15555212/main.gif
    MEED Editorial
Top Trending Articles
Exclusive from Meed

  • Digital Subscription

    $175/month

    Paid Annually

    buy now
    • MEED.com

      Unlimited access to 20 year archive on desktop and mobile

    • Video Content

      All the latest news and analysis in a convenient video format

    • Daily/Weekly Newsletters

      Receive your choice of sector and country newsletters at your preferred frequency

  • Premium Subscription

    $291/month

    Paid Annually

    buy now
    • MEED.com

      Unlimited access to 20 year archive on desktop and mobile

    • Video Content

      All the latest news and analysis in a convenient video format

    • Daily/Weekly Newsletters

      Receive your choice of sector and country newsletters at your preferred frequency

    • MEED Premium Datasets

      Access five interactive datasets and conduct your own research into market trends, deals and companies

    • MEED Bussiness Review Magazine

      Get our unique, forward looking commentary and analysis delivered to your desktop

    • Regular Subscriber Briefings

      Network with industry leaders and fellow colleagues in an informal setting

    • Account Manager/Training

      A dedicated account manager for all your requests and enquiries to make the most the platform