Latest News

• 
  Contractor wins $44m Morocco rail stations deal

  Administrator

  19 October 2026

  Morocco’s national railway operator, Office National des Chemins de Fer (ONCF), has awarded a MD437.6m ($44.5m) contract to local firm Jet Contractors to build five railway stations along the Benguerir-Marrakech corridor.

  The project forms part of the wider Kenitra-Marrakech high-speed rail development programme.

  Jet Contractors will build one high-speed rail station and four regional express rail stations.

  These include two stations in Benguerir, and one each at Sidi Bou Othmane, Sidi Ghanem and Marrakech Stadium.

  The scope of work includes construction and fit-out of the stations and associated infrastructure, including concrete structures, platforms, ancillary facilities, passageways, circulation areas and connection zones within the stations.

  It also covers architectural finishing works; testing and commissioning of electrical networks; and all mechanical, electrical and plumbing services.

  The contractor will also provide all safety, security and protection systems, including alarms, fire detection and firefighting systems, and surveillance systems.

  Morocco awarded multiple civil works contracts in 2024 to international and local firms to build its Kenitra-Marrakech high-speed railway line.

  The rail project is part of a $37bn strategy to connect more of Morocco’s cities, ports and airports by rail. It will stretch 375 kilometres from Kenitra on the northwest coast to Marrakech in the south.

  The project is divided into seven lots, each measuring 36km to 64km. The rail link will pass through cities including Rabat, Sale and Casablanca.

  The link will extend the Al-Boraq high-speed rail line between Tangier, Rabat and Casablanca. The line began operating in 2018 and was Africa’s first high-speed railway system.

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  Yasir Iqbal
• 
  Firms submit Dubai multibillion-dollar road scheme interest

  Administrator

  19 October 2026

  

   

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  Contractors submitted expressions of interest on 10 October for a design-and-build contract for a multibillion-dollar new road that will run parallel to Sheikh Zayed Road.

  Dubai’s Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) held an online meeting after the submissions to prepare for the prequalification phase of tendering, expected to start in a few weeks.

  The scope covers about 30 kilometres (km) of works.

  These include about 15km of viaduct along First Al-Khail Street and more than 14.5km of bridge ramps, along with other associated infrastructure works.

  The RTA floated the expression of interest notice to contractors in early September.

  The project is another significant initiative aimed at alleviating pressure on the existing Sheikh Zayed Road section from Hadiqa Street to Hessa Street.

  Dubai has previously explored bold concepts to expand capacity on Sheikh Zayed Road, including proposals to introduce double-decker sections to add extra lanes without widening the existing corridor.

  The idea was discussed in the context of rising congestion and limited right-of-way along one of the city’s busiest arterial roads, with elevated decks potentially carrying through traffic while existing at-grade lanes served local access.

  The plans ultimately became standalone schemes, with subsequent efforts focusing instead on corridor-wide upgrades, interchange improvements and complementary public transport expansions to manage demand more sustainably.

  The latest project aligns with Dubai’s continued investment in upgrading and expanding its road network to keep pace with rapid population growth and rising commuting demand.

  Planning for growth

  Dubai launched the 2040 Urban Master Plan in March 2021, referencing studies indicating that the emirate’s population will reach 5.8 million by 2040, up from 3.3 million in 2020. The daytime population is set to increase from 4.5 million in 2020 to 7.8 million in 2040.

  In December 2022, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, approved the 20-Minute City Policy as part of the second phase of the Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan. 

  In addition to the road projects, the RTA’s Dubai Metro Blue Line extension and Dubai Metro Gold Line form part of Dubai’s plans to improve residents’ quality of life by cutting journey times, as outlined in the policy.

  The policy aims for residents to have 80% of their daily requirements within a 20-minute journey, on foot or by bicycle. This goal will be achieved by developing integrated service centres with all necessary facilities and increasing population density around mass transit stations.

  ---

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

  Industry and logistics drive development at Neom; Saudi Arabia’s investment priorities realign amid conflict; MEED’s 2026 power developer ranking.

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

  > AGENDA: Oxagon takes centre stage at Neom > MARKET FOCUS: Saudi projects hold steady > INDUSTRY REPORT: MEED’s 2026 GCC power developer ranking > POWER: AI is creating a grid capacity problem > LEGAL: What IFAD’s wind-down means for Gulf commodity markets > OIL: Oil companies focus on North Africa amid Hormuz crisis  > LEADERSHIP: The future city does not need to hang above the ground

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

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  Yasir Iqbal
• 
  Libya seeks offshore contractors for $8bn gas project

  Administrator

  19 October 2026

  Libya’s Mellitah Oil & Gas Company (MOG) has invited companies to prequalify for a major offshore package as part of its Mellitah Complex Expansion & CO2 Management Integrated Development Project, which is estimated to be worth about $8bn.

  The package is estimated at around $3bn and focuses on developing offshore pipelines and subsea systems for the “E” Offshore Installation Project and CO2 project.

  The deadline to submit prequalification documents is 5 November. The contract will use the engineering, procurement, installation and commissioning (EPIC) model.

  MOG is a joint venture of Libya’s National Oil Corporation and Italian oil and gas company Eni.

  This is not the first time MOG has invited submissions for the offshore pipelines and subsea systems package. The company originally launched a prequalification process for the EPIC contract in 2021, but the project experienced delays and the process was eventually cancelled. The prequalification process was restarted nearly three years later, but it was also ultimately abandoned.

  Complex expansion

  As part of the Mellitah Complex Expansion & CO2 Management Integrated Development Project, two offshore structures – Structure A and Structure E – will be developed in Libya’s offshore block NC 41.

  Structure A is in the central-western part of the area, about 80 kilometres (km) from the Libyan coast, with a water depth of 95-105 metres.

  Structure E is located in the central-eastern part of the area, about 130km from the Libyan coast, in a water depth of 205-235 metres.

  The scope of the wider project includes:

  • A new wellhead platform installed in 96 metres of water as part of the development of Structure A
  • A new production platform installed in about 220 metres of water depth as part of the development of Structure E
  • Modification of the existing Sabratha platform
  • Sealines and subsea systems for structures A and E
  • Upgrading the existing onshore Mellitah complex

  Project contract awards

  In June 2024, MOG awarded an offshore engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract worth €1.2bn ($1.28bn), which was part of the Mellitah Complex Expansion & CO2 Management Integrated Development Project.

  The contract was awarded to a consortium of three Italian companies: Rosetti Marino, Kerry Project Logistics and Gruppo Antonini.

  In a statement, Rosetti Marino said its share of the project contract was worth €400m ($428m), comprising 33% of the total contract value.

  Rosetti Marino said its scope of work includes EPC and load-out activities to deliver the topside of the approximately 6,000-tonne gas production wellhead platform, named WHP-A, to be installed off the coast of Libya.

  Project setbacks

  During 2023 and 2024, several setbacks affected the Mellitah Complex Expansion & CO2 Management Integrated Development Project.

  In November 2023, MOG restarted the prequalification process for an upstream offshore package worth an estimated $700m.

  The project scope involves modifications to the offshore Sabratha platform at the Bahr Essalam field.

  Less than two months later, MOG restarted prequalification for a second package as part of the integrated development project.

  The scope of the second package covers key sealine and subsea systems.

  No reason was given for restarting the prequalification process for two of the project’s packages.

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  Wil Crisp
• 
  Bahrain awards Sitra 400kV grid contracts

  Administrator

  19 October 2026

  

   

  Bahrain’s Electricity & Water Authority (EWA) has awarded two contracts related to the establishment of new Sitra 400kV grid substations, according to sources.

  The first contract covers transformer and reactor works, including supplying and installing three 400kV, 500MVA power transformers and associated reactors. The package covers design, manufacturing, supply, transportation, erection, testing and commissioning.

  Switzerland-headquartered Hitachi Energy has been appointed as the main contractor for these works after submitting a bid of BD17.8m ($47.1m) in April, as reported by MEED.

  Germany’s Siemens Energy previously submitted the only other offer of BD23.9m ($63.2m).

  The second contract involves 400kV and 220kV feeder cable works for the same Sitra 400kV grid substations. The package covers the design, manufacture, supply, transportation, installation, testing and commissioning of 400kV and 220kV feeder cables.

  Earlier this year, MEED reported that three South Korean companies had made offers for the feeder cable packages, with Iljin Electric submitting the lowest bid of BD35m ($92.7m).

  It is understood that the contractor has now been appointed to carry out the main works for the project.

  The works are part of the broader “Establishment of New 400 kV Grid Substations & Subsystem” initiative, aiming to bolster the power grid’s capacity and support integration with new power and water infrastructure at Sitra.

  In September 2025, Siemens Energy won a contract worth BD48.1m ($127m) to build a 400kV transmission substation in Sitra to provide the transmission link for the planned Sitra independent water and power plant (IWPP), which is expected to generate at least 1,200MW of electricity.

  Bahrain’s fourth IWPP is being procured by EWA under a public-private partnership framework for 20-25 years.

  The combined-cycle gas turbine plant includes a seawater reverse osmosis desalination facility, which will have a production capacity of 30 million imperial gallons a day of potable water.

  Last month, MEED exclusively reported on proposed first-year tariffs for the project following the opening of financial bids. Saudi Arabia’s Acwa submitted the lowest offer for both the power and water components.

  This includes a first-year power tariff of BD17.1652 ($45.65) a megawatt-hour and a water tariff of BD0.4915 ($1.307) a cubic metre.

  Abu Dhabi National Energy Company (Taqa) submitted a first-year power tariff of BD17.48190 ($46.49) a megawatt-hour and a water tariff of BD0.54285 ($1.444 ) a cubic metre.

  The main contract for the build-own-operate project is expected to be awarded by the end of the year.

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  Mark Dowdall
• 
  Bahrain introduces rail law ahead of GCC network talks

  Administrator

  19 October 2026

  Bahrain has introduced legislation to regulate railway development and operations as Gulf states prepare to advance the planned GCC railway network.

  According to local media reports, the legislation, referred to Bahrain’s Shura Council, establishes a legal framework for constructing, managing, operating, maintaining and developing railway networks in the kingdom.

  The law also sets out requirements for licensing, operational safety, cross-border rail services, passenger and freight tariffs, and railway-related service charges.

  The move comes ahead of a meeting of GCC transport ministers in Manama next month. The meeting is expected to consider the regulatory framework required to support the regional railway programme.

  Bahrain is positioning the legislation as a step towards linking its future domestic network with the planned GCC railway, which is expected to be operational by the end of 2030.

  Bahrain’s planned rail connection to Saudi Arabia is expected to be associated with the proposed King Hamad Causeway.

  The project is intended to create a second fixed link between the two countries alongside the existing King Fahd Causeway. Bahrain has also considered a future transport connection with Qatar.

  GCC railway programme progresses

  Under the overall plan, the railway will run from Kuwait, pass through Dammam in Saudi Arabia, reach Bahrain via a planned causeway, and continue from Dammam to Qatar, the UAE and, ultimately, Muscat via Sohar in Oman. The railway is reported to cover about 2,186 kilometres in total.

  The route length within each member state is as follows:

  • UAE – 684km
  • Saudi Arabia – 672km
  • Oman – 306km
  • Qatar – 283km
  • Kuwait – 145km
  • Bahrain – 36km

  The railway is designed for passenger trains travelling at 220 kilometres an hour (km/h) and freight trains operating at 80km/h-120km/h.

  Saudi Arabia has begun procurement for its section of the network, which will run for about 672km from Al-Khafji, close to the Kuwait border, to Al-Batha on the UAE border. Saudi Arabia Railways (SAR) issued a design-consultancy tender in May 2026 covering concept, preliminary and issued-for-construction design, including the review and completion of the existing preliminary design.

  The Saudi procurement is a significant step because it defines the core overland section required to connect Kuwait with the UAE through Saudi Arabia. SAR subsequently tendered another contract to appoint a design management and review consultant for the network.

  The UAE has completed its national freight railway network through Etihad Rail, including the route towards the Saudi border at Ghweifat. The UAE-Saudi connection remains dependent on the development of the Saudi section and the cross-border infrastructure, systems and operating agreements needed to enable services.

  Elsewhere, Saudi Arabia and Qatar have revived discussions on a rail connection between the two countries. The project gained renewed momentum after the GCC Supreme Council agreed to establish the GCC Railways Authority in 2021.

  Bahrain’s new railway legislation adds a regulatory element to this wider effort, although physical construction and cross-border delivery arrangements are still required in several GCC states.

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  Yasir Iqbal
• 
  Algeria tenders 310km Tamanrasset railway

  Administrator

  16 October 2026

  

   

  Algeria’s state railway project developer, Agence Nationale d’Etudes et de Suivi de la Realisation des Investissements Ferroviaires (Anesrif), has invited national and international contractors to bid for the construction of a 310-kilometre (km) railway line between Hotel Station and Moulay Lahcen Station. 

  The planned line is a key segment of the proposed railway corridor connecting El-Menea, In-Salah and Tamanrasset across the southern wilayas of In-Salah and Tamanrasset.

  The tender notice was issued on 12 October, with bids due by 10 November.

  The tender is open to single contractors and consortiums. To qualify, single firms must have executed at least 200km of new railway lines or track-doubling works since 2010, with accepted project certificates covering sections of at least 100km, along with a cumulative 800 metres of railway bridges with individual spans exceeding 30 metres.

  Bidders must also provide at least two rail-tamping machines, two ballast regulators, and a project director with an engineering degree and at least five years of railway construction management experience.

  From a commercial and classification perspective, single bidders and consortium leaders must hold a category-nine (IX) professional qualification in public works.

  Bidders must also demonstrate an average annual turnover in construction of at least DZ260bn ($1.96bn) across the 2023-2025 financial period.

  For joint ventures, the cumulative turnover of all members must meet the $1.96bn threshold, with the consortium leader accounting for at least $1.3bn.

  Offers must be accompanied by a bid bond exceeding 1% of the total bid value for submissions exceeding $7.4m, with proposals remaining valid for 90 days beyond the submission date.

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  Yasir Iqbal
• 
  Joint venture wins $246m RCRC bridges contract

  Administrator

  16 October 2026

  

   

  A joint venture of local contractor Mofarreh Group and Turkey-based Gulsan Holding has won an estimated SR923m ($246m) contract from the Royal Commission for Riyadh City (RCRC) to construct a series of grade-separated steel flyovers across the capital.

  The contract, known as Package 2 (Groups 2 and 3), is part of RCRC’s urgent bridges programme under the wider project to build steel bridges at 10 junctions across Riyadh.

  The works have a 12-month execution timeline to fast-track traffic decongestion across major arterial corridors.

  The joint venture’s scope covers the engineering and construction of grade-separated steel bridge interchanges across seven key intersections:

  • IC04: Al-Khair Road and King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Road
  • IC05: Prince Turki Road and Imam Saud Road
  • IC06: Al-Takhassosi Road and Saeed Al-Sulami Road
  • IC07: Khurais Road and Al-Hareth Bin Abdullah Road
  • IC08: Khurais Road and Ash-Sharq Road
  • IC09: Khurais Road and Marmar Road
  • IC10: Al-Kharj Road and Al-Hilla Road

  The total length of the flyovers is 8.86 kilometres, excluding Junction IC10.

  In addition to the structural steel superstructures, concrete bridge foundations, decks and approach ramps, the contract includes retaining walls, utility diversions, temporary phased traffic arrangements, associated roadworks, drainage networks, roadway lighting, intelligent transportation systems and landscaping.

  The client received commercial proposals from several local and international contractors. Other bidders included:

  • Masco
  • Nesma & Partners
  • Al-Omaier Trading & Contracting Company 
  • Yuksel Saudia 
  • Batco 
  • Modern Building Leaders
  • Sapac

  The urgent bridges initiative is part of Riyadh’s rapid transport infrastructure programme to improve traffic throughput, enhance safety and ease vehicular congestion across central and ring-road corridors ahead of major events, including Expo 2030 and the 2034 Fifa World Cup.

  In July, Mofarreh Group and Turkiye’s Gulsan Holding formed a joint venture to bid for and deliver transport infrastructure projects in Riyadh for RCRC.

  The joint venture said it will target road, bridge, viaduct and interchange projects.

  Mofarreh will provide local market access and operational capacity, while Gulsan will contribute international experience in large-scale transport projects.

  The companies said the new venture will support knowledge transfer and localisation, and promote the use of international engineering and construction standards aligned with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 infrastructure and sustainability goals.

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  Yasir Iqbal
• 
  Humain tenders 100MW Riyadh AI data centre

  Administrator

  16 October 2026

  

   

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  Saudi artificial intelligence infrastructure developer Humain has issued a request for proposals for an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract to deliver a 100MW artificial intelligence (AI) data centre facility in Riyadh’s Al-Saad area.

  The tender was issued on 17 September, with bids due by 8 November.

  The contract includes core-and-shell works; civil works; mechanical, electrical and plumbing installation; testing and commissioning; and site infrastructure across a 350,200-square-metre plot.

  The project also includes an optional expansion phase that could raise total site capacity to 200MW.

  The initial 100MW development is split into two equal 50MW phases, structured across two single-storey IT buildings housing four 25MW data halls.

  Phase one targets a ready-for-service date by October 2028, followed by phase two in January 2029.

  Under the optional phase three, an additional 100MW facility would be brought online by July 2029.

  The data centre will be designed to support high-density graphics processing unit clusters and AI-compute workloads, with rack densities of 240kW to 250kW.

  The facility will be built to Uptime Institute Tier III topology and LEED Silver standards as a baseline, targeting LEED Gold.

  The operational design targets an annualised power usage effectiveness below 1.35.

  Power will be delivered through four 33kV connections supplied by Saudi Electricity Company from two separate high-voltage/medium-voltage primary substations. The scope requires 15 transformers, 15 static 2,250kW IT uninterruptible power supply (UPS) units, and 450kW mechanical UPS systems with lithium-ion battery storage for each 25MW block. 

  Backup emergency diesel generators will be provided on an owner-furnished, contractor-installed basis, with the EPC contractor handling their installation, connection and testing. Fuel storage will provide 24 hours of autonomous run-time, split between on-site underground bulk tanks and generator belly tanks.

  Thermal management combines air and liquid cooling. High-density server racks will be equipped with direct-to-chip liquid cooling loops using coolant distribution units and technical water distribution, paired with air-cooled chillers operating in dual high- and low-temperature loops, alongside fan-wall units.

  The total construction timeline is capped at 25 months from site handover or contract signing, with pre-execution early mobilisation scheduled to start in January 2027.

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  Yasir Iqbal