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  • US-Saudi consortium to build $5bn refinery outside Strait of Hormuz

    Administrator

    30 July 2026

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    A consortium of privately owned US and Saudi companies has announced an investment commitment of $5bn to build an integrated oil refining, storage and export facility outside the volatile Strait of Hormuz shipping lane.

    After three years of evaluating sites across the Gulf, the consortium has shortlisted three GCC locations beyond the Strait of Hormuz. Discussions have advanced over the past two years, with a preferred site expected to be selected by the end of 2026.

    The consortium, Mera Oil, comprises Fort Worth, Texas-based MWG Enterprises; the US-based Patel Family Office; and PWS, an associate company of Saudi Arabia’s AHQ Group.

    Mera Oil said it remains open to alternative proposals that meet its infrastructure, resilience and development requirements.

    The proposed project will feature a 200,000-barrel-a-day refinery, deepwater port connectivity, large-scale crude and refined-product storage, and marine export facilities.

    A pre-feasibility study covering refinery design, logistics, capital requirements and execution planning is at an advanced stage.

    Once a host jurisdiction is confirmed, the project will proceed to detailed site assessments and engineering design, with mechanical completion targeted for end-2029, followed by commissioning and the start of commercial operations.

    The consortium plans to focus on producing high-specification middle distillates, including ultra-low sulphur diesel and jet fuel, for selected international markets.

    The project is expected to occupy about 1,200-1,500 acres of port-connected industrial land and could create up to 3,000 direct jobs, and around 15,000 indirect and induced jobs, during construction and operations.

    Mera Oil is also progressing discussions with feedstock suppliers and expects financing to include sponsor equity, sovereign and institutional investment, project finance, export-credit support and sharia-compliant funding structures.

    “Designed as a route-resilient energy hub, the development aims to strengthen regional manufacturing, logistics, technical expertise and energy security,” Mera Oil said.

    The first phase of the planned investment will “incorporate energy-efficient refining technologies, emissions-control systems, and potential future capabilities including sustainable aviation fuel co-processing and carbon management.”

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

    Saudi Arabia builds for the global stage; Rising uncertainty creates fresh set of challenges in the Maghreb; Gulf banks remain robust in the face of geopolitical tensions.

    Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the August 2026 edition of MEED Business Review includes:

    > MARKET FOCUS: Maghreb fortunes diverge
    To see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click here
    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/17843946/main.jpg
    Indrajit Sen
  • Local contractor to build nine Bahrain substations

    Administrator

    30 July 2026

     

    Bahrain’s Electricity & Water Authority (EWA) has awarded the local Al-Kooheji Electrical a contract to build nine 66kV substations across the kingdom, according to a source.

    The project is estimated to be worth $110m and is intended to support rising electricity demand from Bahrain’s domestic, commercial and industrial sectors.

    Four local contractors submitted commercial bids for the contract in January. The bidders were:

    • Nass Contracting ($28.4m)
    • Poullaides Construction Company ($31.7m)
    • Mohammed Jalal Contracting ($32.4m)
    • Al-Kooheji Electrical ($34m)

    The substations will be located at South Hidd Industrial, Mondelez, Alba Downstream Park, Muharraq North, Hamala West, Bani Jamra, Hoora, Maqabah East and West Riffa Club.

    The scope includes the construction of the nine substations and control rooms, as well as the installation of transformers, switchgear and feeders connecting the facilities to the grid.

    It also covers communication cabling, monitoring systems, safety and security systems, and associated civil and structural works.

    As MEED understands, the substations are scheduled to be commissioned in stages. Two are planned for 2026, followed by four in 2027 and the remaining three in 2028.

    Serbia’s Energoprojekt Entel was appointed as consultant for the project in April 2025. The consultant’s contract was valued at about $460,000.

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/17834380/main.jpg
    Mark Dowdall
  • CB&I’s newly acquired unit wins Abu Dhabi wells contract

    Administrator

    30 July 2026

    US-based Chicago Bridge & Iron (CB&I) has announced that its Asset Solutions business – acquired earlier this year from UK-headquartered contractor Petrofac – has won a hydrocarbon well services contract in Abu Dhabi.

    The contract was awarded by Cosmo E&P Albahriya, a wholly owned UAE-based subsidiary of Japan’s Cosmo Energy Holdings Company (Cosmo).

    Under the well engineering services contract, CB&I Asset Solutions will support drilling, engineering, planning and operational activities for offshore Block 4 in Abu Dhabi.

    Cosmo secured 100% exploration rights for offshore Block 4 – covering 4,865 square kilometres of Gulf waters northwest of Abu Dhabi city – in February 2021.

    The block was offered in Abu Dhabi’s second hydrocarbons block competitive bidding round, launched by Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc) in May 2019.

    “The award strengthens Asset Solutions’ position in the Middle East and solidifies new relationships with key regional operators. With shared goals of prioritising safe, stable and environmentally conscious production, CB&I’s UAE-based team will draw on its local and global experience of delivering innovative well engineering solutions,” the Texas-based CB&I said in a statement.

    ALSO READ: Abu Dhabi awards production licences for hydrocarbon blocks

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

    Saudi Arabia builds for the global stage; Rising uncertainty creates fresh set of challenges in the Maghreb; Gulf banks remain robust in the face of geopolitical tensions.

    Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the August 2026 edition of MEED Business Review includes:

    > MARKET FOCUS: Maghreb fortunes diverge
    To see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click here
    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/17834142/main4710.jpg
    Indrajit Sen
  • Oman tenders advisory for 3GW solar programme

    Administrator

    30 July 2026

    Nama Power & Water Procurement Company (Nama PWP) has invited bids for financial and commercial consultancy services for the development of three 1GW solar independent power projects (IPPs).

    The projects will connect to Oman’s main interconnected system (MIS) and are targeted to reach commercial operation by the second quarter of 2030.

    The successful bidder will provide financial and commercial consultancy services for the development of the projects and advise Nama PWP on the competitive tendering process.

    The tender was issued on 28 July, and the bid submissions deadline is 10 September.

    The three projects covered by the financial and commercial consultancy tender are understood to also be part of the 4GW programme, for which a technical advisory tender was issued on 15 July.

    As MEED reported, this covers four 1GW solar projects connected to the MIS, also targeting commercial operation by the second quarter of 2030.

    The deadline for bids is 26 August.

    Oman Electricity Transmission Company (OETC) had earlier outlined the planned grid connection for four 1GW solar IPPs as part of the sultanate’s renewable energy expansion through 2030.

    The projects are included in OETC’s Five-Year Annual Transmission Capability Statement for 2026-30.

    The first, the 1GW Adam solar IPP, is scheduled for grid integration in 2028 and is further ahead in the procurement process, with Nama PWP issuing a request for qualification for the project in June.

    OETC said it expects the 1GW Al-Kamil 2 solar project to be integrated in 2030 through the planned Sadaf 400kV grid station. The 1GW Dhofar solar IPP and 1GW Mahadha solar IPP are also scheduled for integration in 2030.

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

    Saudi Arabia builds for the global stage; Rising uncertainty creates fresh set of challenges in the Maghreb; Gulf banks remain robust in the face of geopolitical tensions.

    Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the August 2026 edition of MEED Business Review includes:

    > MARKET FOCUS: Maghreb fortunes diverge
    To see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click here
    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/17817321/main.jpg
    Mark Dowdall
  • Azerbaijan seeks interest for wastewater PPP

    Administrator

    29 July 2026

    Azerbaijan has invited developers to submit expressions of interest (EoIs) for a public-private partnership (PPP) project to rehabilitate the Hovsan wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) and develop new wastewater recycling facilities.

    The scheme will be Azerbaijan’s first wastewater PPP. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is advising the government on the project.

    The Hovsan WWTP is Azerbaijan’s largest wastewater treatment plant with a design capacity of 640,000 cubic metres a day (cm/d).

    The project comprises two components. The first covers the rehabilitation, financing, operation and maintenance of the existing Hovsan plant to improve discharge quality and sludge management.

    The second component covers the design, construction, financing, operation and maintenance of a new wastewater recycling facility with a capacity of 100,000 cm/d. The facility will supply recycled water for irrigation.

    The overall project is expected to serve up to 2.5 million people in Baku.

    ADB’s Office of Markets Development and PPP (OMDP) is acting as transaction adviser. Its role includes supporting project concept development and structuring, preparing and executing the competitive tender process, and assisting the government in achieving financial close.

    The deadline for interested firms to submit EoIs is 21 August.

    Azerbaijan has previously used the PPP model to attract private investment into large infrastructure projects, including in the water and renewable energy sectors.

    The country’s first PPP tender in the water sector was for a seawater reverse osmosis desalination plant at Sumgayit Industrial Park, northwest of Baku.

    As previously reported, a consortium of Saudi Arabia’s Acwa and Turkiye’s IC Ictas Insaat Sanayi ve Ticaret won the contract to develop the $400m plant, which will have a capacity of 300,000 cm/d.

    In September 2025, Acwa signed agreements with the government of Azerbaijan covering a public‑private partnership agreement, a land lease, a sovereign undertaking, and a product water sale and purchase agreement.

    The plant has a 27.5-year project term, with early commercial operations scheduled for the second half of 2028.

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

    Saudi Arabia builds for the global stage; Rising uncertainty creates fresh set of challenges in the Maghreb; Gulf banks remain robust in the face of geopolitical tensions.

    Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the August 2026 edition of MEED Business Review includes:

    > MARKET FOCUS: Maghreb fortunes diverge
    To see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click here
    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/17805572/main.jpg
    Mark Dowdall
  • Kuwait construction holds up despite regional strife

    Administrator

    29 July 2026

     

    Kuwait’s construction and transport sectors are emerging from one of their strongest periods on record, with contract awards totalling $5.5bn last year, close to the record $5.6bn set in 2024.

    Against that backdrop, momentum has held up better than expected in 2026. Awards in the construction and infrastructure sectors reached about $1.2bn in the period to 27 July, only marginally down from the $1.6bn recorded over the same period last year. Given the disruption to investor confidence and tender timelines across the Gulf caused by regional conflict, the near-flat comparison points to a market that has held its footing rather than stalled.

    That steadiness reflects a broader push to keep major projects moving even as the region navigates a more uncertain operating environment. Underpinning the momentum is the $4bn engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract awarded to China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) in late December for the remaining phases of Mubarak Al-Kabeer Port on Boubyan Island, covering dredging, marine works and terminal infrastructure.

    Although the deal predates the current period of regional disruption, it helped establish momentum that has carried into 2026, with Kuwait continuing to advance large-scale schemes across ports, roads and utilities.

    This marks a notable shift for a market that, prior to its recent run, had a reputation for slow decision-making and a thin pipeline relative to regional peers. Contractors and consultants point to a steadier flow of tenders reaching the award stage this year, even with overall values marginally below last year’s pace – a gap narrow enough to suggest Kuwait’s pipeline has proven more insulated from regional volatility than many expected.

    Infrastructure pipeline

    Kuwait’s infrastructure pipeline is now approaching $16bn, spanning ports, roads and utilities projects at various stages of tendering and execution. The most recent addition came at Shuaiba Port, Kuwait’s oldest and principal industrial gateway, where the Kuwait Ports Authority (KPA) received bids in July for infrastructure and electrical modernisation works.

    The package sits alongside longer-term plans for Shuaiba. Since December, KPA has been in talks with Abu Dhabi’s AD Ports Group over a possible concession to develop a new container terminal, adding to a pipeline that already includes upgrade works at Shuwaikh and Doha ports under KPA’s wider tender programme.

    Elsewhere, Kuwait’s Public Authority for Housing Welfare (PAHW) has opened commercial bids for two major infrastructure and public buildings packages at South Al-Mutlaa Residential City. Local firm United Buildings Company has emerged as the lowest bidder on both, with combined offers worth KD44m covering the construction, completion and maintenance of services, infrastructure and public buildings across different district centres.

    Tendering is also under way for the estimated KD222m ($718m) rainwater drainage networks serving Sabah Al-Ahmad, South Sabah Al-Ahmad, Al-Khairan and Al-Wafra. The works comprise a major concrete sewer, three collection basins and an extensive stormwater drainage network, with collection tanks linked through an independent system that discharges to sea via the Nuwaiseeb outlet.

    Construction gains pace

    This infrastructure momentum has been mirrored in the construction sector, where Kuwait awarded an estimated $232m contract to China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC) in mid-July to construct the new headquarters of the Kuwait Direct Investment Promotion Authority (KDIPA). The contract covers a 275-metre, 55-storey office tower in Kuwait City’s Sharq district, targeted for completion in the second quarter of 2028.

    Beyond the KDIPA award, several schemes forming part of Kuwait’s estimated $36bn construction pipeline are expected to progress in the coming months.

    The largest is the first phase of the planned $22bn Sabriya City project, for which Beijing- and Shanghai-listed Metallurgical Corporation of China (MCC) is expected to sign one of the main contracts. MCC presented a fully funded proposal to Kuwaiti ministers for the city last year. The project is expected to include 52,000 housing units, alongside a power plant, hospital and marina.

    Consultants are meanwhile bidding for the design and supervision of the estimated $580m service hub buildings at Al-Mutlaa Health City, a project spanning more than 351,000 square metres.

    The Kuwait Authority for Partnership Projects (Kapp) has also awarded two landmark public-private partnership (PPP) deals this year.

    In January, it awarded an estimated $252m contract to develop the Al-Muthanna Complex real estate project to a local consortium comprising Real Estate House, National Investments Company, Arkan Kuwait Real Estate Company, Beyout Holding Company and Osoul Investment Company. The contract covers the rehabilitation, development, operation and management of the complex under a 15-year usufruct arrangement.

    In February, United Real Estate Company was awarded the third phase of a waterfront real estate project in Sharq, Kuwait City, under a similar 15-year arrangement covering rehabilitation, development, operation and management.

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/17805093/main.gif
    Yasir Iqbal
  • Saudi Aramco awards $940m Zuluf water expansion

    Administrator

    29 July 2026

    Madrid-headquartered Almar Water Solutions has announced that it has been awarded a $940m contract to expand Saudi Aramco’s Zuluf water treatment project as part of a joint venture with local utility developer AlJomaih Energy & Water.

    The second phase will add a new water treatment facility with a capacity of about 308,000 cubic metres a day (cm/d), equivalent to 1.9 million barrels of water a day.

    The facility, located at Tanajib in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province, will supply treated water for injection as part of Aramco’s development of the offshore Zuluf oil field.

    The contract to develop the project has been awarded to the same special-purpose vehicle (SPV) created under the Almar-led joint venture and responsible for the first phase through an extension of the existing contractual framework, the firm said in a statement. Almar is a part of Jameel Environmental Services.

    South Korea’s Samsung E&A will be the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor for the project.

    The expansion builds on the first phase of the Zuluf water treatment plant, which produced its first usable water earlier this month, marking its transition from construction to operations.

    Aramco awarded two contracts worth a combined $439m to Italy’s Fisia Italimpianti, a subsidiary of Italy-based Webuild Group, for the EPC works for the 185,000 cm/d facility in May 2023. Aramco had signed the project development contract with Almar and AlJomaih in December 2022.

    The second phase has a similar structure to the first phase and is being developed under a build-own-operate-transfer concession lasting until 2050. The main contract tender was issued in July 2025.

    The project is expected to reach financial close later this year, subject to customary conditions.

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

    Saudi Arabia builds for the global stage; Rising uncertainty creates fresh set of challenges in the Maghreb; Gulf banks remain robust in the face of geopolitical tensions.

    Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the August 2026 edition of MEED Business Review includes:

    > MARKET FOCUS: Maghreb fortunes diverge
    To see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click here
    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/17802706/main.jpg
    Mark Dowdall
  • Events put Saudi Arabia on the world stage

    Administrator

    29 July 2026

    Commentary
    Colin Foreman
    Editor

    The Expo 2030 and the 2034 World Cup will not transform Saudi Arabia’s economy on their own, but the momentum they generate and the international profile they bring underline their importance.

    Over the past decade, Saudi Arabia has taken great strides in changing the international perception of the kingdom. Futuristic projects and investment in football and other sports, combined with social reforms such as opening cinemas and allowing women to drive, have helped foster a new image for the country.

    This year, those efforts have been dented as the rest of the world once again sees a region blighted by conflict. Saudi Arabia will need to correct the course of public perception once the conflict draws to a close, and Expo 2030 Riyadh and the 2034 Fifa World Cup are well timed to help the kingdom maintain its modernisation drive.

    Both are truly global events that will attract millions of visitors. More than 40 million visits are anticipated at the Expo, and the World Cup final in Qatar in 2022 was watched by some 1.5 billion people.

    Both are truly global events that will attract millions of visitors

    Locally, the impact has already begun. Flying into Riyadh’s King Khalid International airport from the south, one can clearly see earthworks and infrastructure progressing at the Expo site. To the east of the city, construction work on King Fahd Sports City Stadium is well advanced.

    Expo Riyadh 2030 Company expects the construction phase and legacy development to contribute around $64bn to Saudi GDP and generate some 171,000 jobs. Fifteen stadiums are planned across five cities.

    Construction activity is ramping up. Tendering is starting for the first buildings at the Expo site, including the KSA Pavilion. Meanwhile, work is beginning on more stadiums and other related infrastructure projects that will support the World Cup.

    In the build-up to Expo 2030 and World Cup 2034, construction will be the main event.

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

    Saudi Arabia builds for the global stage; Rising uncertainty creates fresh set of challenges in the Maghreb; Gulf banks remain robust in the face of geopolitical tensions.

    Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the August 2026 edition of MEED Business Review includes:

    > MARKET FOCUS: Maghreb fortunes diverge
    To see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click here
    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/17794600/main.gif
    Colin Foreman
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