Latest News

• 
  Saudi Arabia gauges interest for Al-Ula wastewater expansion

  Administrator

  27 October 2026

  

   

  Saudi Arabia’s Royal Commission for Al-Ula (RCU) is conducting market sounding for the first phase of the Mughayra wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) expansion before formally starting its tendering process, according to industry sources.

  The project is valued at SR400m ($107m) and is intended to increase the Mughayra plant’s wastewater treatment capacity to 62,000 cubic metres a day.

  RCU is gauging interest from potential contractors and has not yet issued a prequalification questionnaire, a source said.

  The scheme forms part of Saudi Arabia’s broader investment drive to develop its cultural and tourism offering across Al-Ula.

  The commission launched its Journey Through Time Masterplan in April 2021, with implementation scheduled in three phases through 2035. The masterplan covers infrastructure development, water management and irrigation, alongside the regeneration of a 9-kilometre cultural oasis.

  French engineering firm Artelia previously noted in its 2025 annual corporate report that it is involved in the design phase of the Mughayra WWTP.

  RCU is also developing strategic potable-water storage infrastructure in Al-Ula, including a design-and-build project covering a 50,000-cubic-metre reservoir at Hub 06 and a 15,000-cubic-metre reservoir at Hub 08.

  Local contractor Bin Omairah previously confirmed that it is serving as the engineering, procurement and construction contractor for the storage facilities.

  https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/20950333/main.jpg

  Mark Dowdall
• 
  Qatari firm wins $147m Syria road deal

  Administrator

  27 October 2026

  Register for MEED’s 14-day trial access 

  Qatari contractor Al-Mohannadi for Roads, Trading & Contracting has signed a $147m contract with Syria’s General Directorate of Roads to rehabilitate and expand a 215-kilometre (km) highway corridor connecting to the Iraqi border.

  The project covers the rehabilitation and dualisation of a 170km section linking the Al-Busairi junction to the Al-Tanf border crossing, alongside the construction of a 45km link between the Al-Sabaa Biyar junction and Al-Busairi. Work is scheduled for completion within 900 days.

  The agreement was signed in Damascus by Moaz Najjar, director-general of the General Directorate of Roads, and Abdullah Adnan Al-Zattam, chief executive of Al-Mohannadi, in the presence of Syrian Transport Minister Yarob Badr and Finance Minister Mohammad Yusr Barnieh.

  The upgrade is intended to restore and expand one of Syria’s primary overland arteries to Iraq, which has suffered significant deterioration and capacity bottlenecks following years of conflict. The Al-Tanf corridor represents the most direct overland link between Damascus, central Syrian industrial centres and Baghdad.

  The project is designed to accommodate heavier commercial freight vehicles and reduce transit times between the two countries.

  The investment also forms part of broader efforts to re-establish Syria’s role as a regional transit corridor connecting Mediterranean ports with landlocked trade routes into Iraq and the wider region.

  https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/20950332/main.gif

  Yasir Iqbal
• 
  Adnoc showcases $16.3bn local manufacturing potential

  Administrator

  27 October 2026

  Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc Group) has identified more than AED60bn ($16.3bn) in local manufacturing opportunities through 2030.

  The Abu Dhabi energy company also announced changes to its procurement, supplier registration and In-Country Value (ICV) localisation frameworks.

  The measures were announced at the second Make it with Adnoc Forum, held in Abu Dhabi on October 25. They are intended to give manufacturers, suppliers and investors greater visibility of future demand and a faster, clearer route to compete for Adnoc contracts, the company said.

  The more than 200 manufacturing opportunities cover products required for Adnoc’s projects and operations, including:

  • Rotating equipment and power
  • Electrical, control and automation systems
  • Drilling and completion equipment
  • Chemicals and catalysts
  • Piping, fabrication and heavy equipment
  • Spare parts and advanced manufacturing

  Many of the identified products are currently imported, Adnoc said. “Manufacturing them in the UAE shortens lead times, reduces exposure to global supply disruptions and strengthens the resilience of Adnoc’s operations,” it said in its statement.

  Adnoc, the UAE Ministry of Industry & Advanced Technology and the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (Adio) will work together to connect manufacturers with these opportunities. The collaboration will combine visibility of Adnoc’s demand, access to the national industrial database and financing through the National Industrial Resilience Fund, the company said.

  Adnoc also signed two memorandums of understanding on the sidelines of the forum with Adio and Kezad Group.

  ICV scheme expansion

  Adnoc announced the expansion of its Local+ programme, part of its ICV framework, to more than 100 UAE manufacturers, compared with 70 at its launch in May. The programme gives UAE-made products priority in Adnoc projects by requiring engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractors bidding for new tenders to source relevant products from manufacturers approved under the programme.

  Separately, Adnoc announced a redesign of its supplier registration and prequalification process. The company is targeting a reduction of up to 80% in the time required for suppliers to complete the process and become eligible to compete for Adnoc opportunities.

  The new model halves the number of required documents and removes prequalification requirements for 60% of service categories.

  A single window brings together registration, qualification and compliance, with requirements tailored to the nature of the work and its level of risk. Artificial intelligence will support document verification and the reuse of existing data, reducing repetitive submissions and administrative processing.

  ALSO READ:

  Adnoc steps up crude oil capacity expansion

  Adnoc funnels billions into boosting gas processing

  “Adnoc’s enhanced ICV model will more closely connect procurement decisions with commercial value and suppliers’ contribution to the UAE economy. Under the new model, commercial and ICV offers will be integrated into a single evaluation model,” the company said.

  “The previous bid-matching approach will be retired, encouraging suppliers to submit their most competitive commercial and ICV offers from the outset. Requirements will be proportionate to contract size and scope.

  “The model also enhances the administration of ICV-related retention payments. Where retention applies, automated calculation and release processes through the Adnoc Supplier Hub will improve transparency, reduce manual follow-up and support suppliers’ cash flow as obligations are met.”

  Alongside the ICV and registration enhancements, Adnoc outlined a new commercial approach built around four strategic shifts: agile, competitive, strategic and forward-looking.

  “The approach will advance simpler procurement and faster decision-making, contracting models aligned with project and market dynamics, targeted commercial negotiations and earlier visibility of Adnoc’s future demand.”

  Since its launch in 2018, Adnoc’s ICV programme has directed more than AED307bn ($83.6bn) into the UAE economy, the company said. By the end of 2025, it had also supported the localisation of more than 130 products, the development of 95 UAE factories, and employment opportunities for more than 27,500 Emiratis at participating private sector companies.

  https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/20948385/main5518.jpg

  Indrajit Sen
• 
  Contractors submit bids for Qiddiya infrastructure

  Administrator

  27 October 2026

  

   

  Contractors submitted proposals on 14 October for a design-and-build contract covering infrastructure works at District 0 in Qiddiya City.

  The scope includes the design, supply, construction, testing, commissioning and defects liability period for Road I in District 17, Road Q in District 19 and the District 18 Ring Road.

  In total, the package covers approximately 17.4 kilometres (km) of roads, including 1.4km of bridge structures.

  Beirut-headquartered Dar Al-Handasah is the lead design consultant for districts 17 and 19, with a remit that also includes potable water and recycled water storage tanks and pumping stations.

  US-based Jacobs is the lead design consultant for the District 18 Ring Road.

  The tender is the third infrastructure package for Qiddiya’s District 0. The first two packages, tendered in March, remain under procurement, as MEED exclusively reported.

  MEED understands that bid evaluation for these packages is in its final stages and that awards are expected soon.

  Qiddiya Investment Company (QIC) is also advancing plans to develop additional assets at Qiddiya City.

  Last month, MEED exclusively reported that QIC had awarded an estimated $500m-$600m contract to build an e-games arena, known as the Fortress Arena.

  The scope of work includes the construction of an auditorium with about 5,100 seats, as well as commercial areas, hospitality facilities and other associated infrastructure.

  The Fortress Arena is one of several projects within the wider Qiddiya development.

  Other projects include the Dragon Ball theme park, Prince Mohammed Bin Salman Stadium, a horse-racing venue, a performing arts centre, the Speed Park, the National Tennis Centre, Six Flags Qiddiya City and Aquarabia water park.

  The Qiddiya project is a key part of Riyadh’s strategy to boost leisure tourism in the kingdom. According to UK analytics firm GlobalData, leisure tourism in Saudi Arabia has grown significantly in recent years.

  ---

  MEED’s October 2026 report on Saudi Arabia includes:

  > COMMENT: Saudi projects hold steady
  > GOVERNMENT: Riyadh looks to reset its regional defence outlook
  > ECONOMY: Conflict bolsters case for Saudi economic diversification
  > BANKING: Saudi lenders readjust to lower lending and deposit climate
  > UPSTREAM: Aramco upstream spending gathers pace
  > DOWNSTREAM: Sabic steps up Saudi petchems investment
  > POWER: Saudi Arabia’s power award activity slows
  > WATER: Saudi water sector hits sharp slowdown
  > CONSTRUCTION: Saudi construction defies the headwinds
  > TRANSPORT: Saudi infrastructure pushes forward amid conflict
  > DATABANK: Saudi data indicates project spending shift

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

  https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/20946209/main.jpg

  Yasir Iqbal
• 
  Egypt approves new wastewater and desalination PPPs

  Administrator

  27 October 2026

  Register for MEED’s 14-day trial access 

  Egypt has added three infrastructure projects to its public-private partnership (PPP) pipeline, including an industrial wastewater treatment plant in Port Said and a large-scale desalination plant in Suez.

  The Higher Committee for Public-Private Partnership, chaired by Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, approved the projects on 25 October and authorised preparations for their tendering.

  The industrial wastewater treatment plant will serve the El-Raswa Industrial Zone in southern Port Said, with a first-phase capacity of 35,000 cubic metres a day (cm/d). The Suez desalination plant will have a capacity of 1 million cm/d and will be implemented in two phases.

  The third project covers the right to operate the Capital Gardens transformer substation, its connecting lines and associated electricity networks under a PPP arrangement.

  The committee must approve each project separately before its tender can be launched, in accordance with Egypt’s PPP law.

  The committee also approved the tendering of four industrial wastewater treatment plants in Alexandria, Giza, Beheira and Port Said. The facilities will serve the Amreya, Abu Rawash, Wadi El-Natrun and El-Raswa industrial zones, with capacities of 15,000-35,000 cm/d.

  Two further desalination projects were approved for tendering. These are a 900,000-cm/d plant in Port Said and a 1 million-cm/d plant in Suez.

  The Port Said plant is expected to serve the governorate and parts of Ismailia. The Suez plant will serve Suez, the Suez Canal Economic Zone and surrounding areas, with its second phase expected to supply the New Capital and nearby facilities.

  ---

  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

  https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/20943556/main.jpg

  Mark Dowdall
• 
  Riyadh selects contractor for $534m road works

  Administrator

  27 October 2026

  

   

  Register for MEED’s 14-day trial access 

  The Royal Commission for Riyadh City (RCRC) has selected Riyadh-based contractor Saudi Pan Kingdom (Sapac) for an estimated SR2bn ($534m) contract to carry out road construction works in the capital.

  The scope of work covers the construction of 6 kilometres (km) of new road infrastructure, including interchanges 9, 10 and 11 on King Salman Road.

  The contract includes road and bridge works; earthworks; stormwater drainage systems; road lighting; intelligent transportation systems; irrigation pumping stations; landscaping; utility diversions; and associated civil, structural, electrical and infrastructure works.

  The award follows RCRC’s selection of local firm Alomaier Trading & Contracting Company for an estimated SR1.13bn ($301m) contract to upgrade a section of Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah Road in eastern Riyadh. 

  That project involves constructing an urban road corridor about 3km long with a right-of-way width of about 120 metres. The package includes three interchanges featuring post-tensioned, voided-slab concrete bridges; a cut-and-cover tunnel; and three box culverts designated IC02, IC03 and IC04.

  It also encompasses stormwater drainage, pumping and lifting stations, irrigation networks, mechanically stabilised earth retaining walls, roadway lighting and power distribution systems.

  RCRC’s roads development programme is upgrading Riyadh’s arterial network through new road corridors, interchanges, bridges, tunnels and supporting utility infrastructure.

  The programme is intended to address congestion, improve connections between key areas and expand the capital’s transport capacity ahead of Expo 2030 and the 2034 Fifa World Cup. Recent awards to Sapac and Alomaier form part of this wider investment.

  ---

  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

  https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/20942374/main.jpg

  Yasir Iqbal
• 
  Eni signs deals to export Cyprus gas through Egypt

  Administrator

  27 October 2026

  Register for MEED’s 14-day trial access 

  Italian oil and gas company Eni has signed the main engineering, procurement, construction and drilling contracts for a project to export gas from reserves in Cyprus using a major pipeline to Egypt.

  The project includes contracts with several companies that will develop infrastructure in both Egypt and Cyprus.

  The awards include a contract that has been won by Egypt’s Petrojet for a new onshore gas pipeline in Egypt that will help to transport gas to Egypt’s Damietta liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility, according to local news reports.

  Separately, US-based Baker Hughes signed a contract for the design, procurement and construction of subsea production systems, including associated equipment and control systems.

  In September, it was announced that US-headquartered McDermott will carry out offshore work for the project, including the transportation, installation and connection of subsea pipelines and equipment.

  Italy's Dalmine will supply subsea gas export and monoethylene glycol pipelines, while US-listed TechnipFMC will design, procure and manufacture flexible gas production pipelines.

  In a statement released on 26 October, Eni said: “The development will leverage a fast-track approach based on regional integration and the use of existing infrastructure.

  “Gas produced from Cronos will be transported to Egypt, where it will be processed through existing facilities, including the Zohr infrastructure, before being liquefied at the Damietta LNG plant for export to international markets, primarily Europe.”

  The project is expected to come online in the first half of 2028.

  Since the US and Israel attacked Iran on 28 February, sparking a regional conflict, there has been increased interest in oil and gas assets in North African countries such as Egypt.

  The ongoing conflict has made exporting oil and gas through the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab El-Mandeb Strait more difficult due to attacks on shipping.

  Unlike many Middle East nations, Egypt, Algeria and Libya do not need to use these export routes and can continue to ship oil and gas without disruption.

  ---

  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

  https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/20929234/main.jpg

  Wil Crisp
• 
  Saudi Arabia raises electricity tariffs

  Administrator

  26 October 2026

  Register for MEED’s 14-day trial access 

  Saudi Energy, formerly Saudi Electricity Company, has announced revised electricity tariffs, which will take effect on 1 January 2027. 

  The revised tariff schedule, published on the company’s official website, covers residential, commercial, industrial, agricultural, charitable and government customers.

  The largest percentage increase in consumption rates is 16.7%, for residential customers using up to 6,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) a month. Residential customers will pay 21 halalas/kWh for monthly consumption of up to 6,000kWh, up from 18 halalas. For consumption above 6,000kWh, the rate will rise from 30 to 33 halalas/kWh, a 10% increase.

  The industrial tariff will increase by 15%, from 20 to 23 halalas/kWh. Commercial customers, private healthcare facilities and private educational facilities will pay 25 halalas/kWh, up from 22 halalas, for consumption up to 6,000kWh a month, and 35 halalas/kWh above that level, up from 32 halalas.

  Tariffs for charities and government customers will also increase. In addition to consumption-based charges, customers will pay a fixed monthly fee based on the capacity of their electricity meter. This replaces the previous separate charge for meter reading, maintenance and billing, with VAT applied to the revised tariffs. 

  Electricity investment

  The new tariffs coincide with changes to water consumption tariffs announced by the National Water Company, also effective from 1 January 2027.

  King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud directed support measures following a proposal presented by Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed Bin Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud.

  This includes raising the minimum wage required for Saudi nationals to count as full employees towards private sector localisation quotas under the Nitaqat programme. 

  The tariff changes come as Saudi Arabia plans substantial investment in its electricity infrastructure. In September 2025, Saudi Energy announced plans to invest SR220bn ($58.7bn) in power infrastructure projects between 2025 and 2030.

  A June 2025 report by Fitch Ratings forecast negative free cash flow of about SR16bn a year over the period and rising leverage, reflecting the financial demands of the programme.

  https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/20924301/main5024.gif

  Mark Dowdall