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• 
  NextChem wins Sabic ammonia-urea project role

  Administrator

  15 September 2026

  Italy-based NextChem, a subsidiary of oil and gas contractor Maire, has been selected to provide nitrogen technology licensed by Stamicarbon, for Sabic Agri-Nutrients’ seventh fertiliser plant in Saudi Arabia’s Jubail Industrial City.

  Sabic Agri-Nutrients, an affiliate of chemicals giant Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (Sabic), recently awarded the main engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract for the project, known as San VII, to South Korea’s Samsung E&A. It was valued at $3.47bn.

  The San VII project in Jubail Industrial City, in the kingdom’s Eastern Province, will have a production capacity of about 1.2 million metric tonnes a year (t/y) of conventional ammonia and 2.6 million metric t/y of urea. The complex will also feature a post-combustion carbon capture unit.

  Sabic previously announced that it had received approval for feedstock allocation for the project from the Saudi Energy Ministry in March. The project will expand Sabic Agri-Nutrients’ urea production capacity by 54%, from approximately 4.8 million metric t/y to 7.4 million metric t/y.

  NextChem said the total value of the technology package it secured is about €125m ($144.46m).

  The grassroots fertiliser plant will comprise two urea production units, each with a capacity of 3,850 metric tonnes a day.

  The scope of work for Stamicarbon, which is NextChem’s nitrogen technology licensor, includes a licensing agreement with Sabic, as well as contracts with the EPC contractor covering the process design package and proprietary equipment supply, leveraging proprietary NX Stami urea technology.

  In addition to NextChem securing a technology licensor role for the San VII project through Stamicarbon, the following firms have also won contracts to provide their patented process technologies for the project to Sabic Agri-Nutrients:

  • KBR (US) – ammonia production technology
  • Thyssenkrupp Uhde Fertilizer Technology – urea production technology
  • Shell Global Solutions International (Netherlands) – carbon capture technology

  The San VII project replaces a previously planned low-carbon or blue ammonia project with a conventional ammonia and urea facility. The project, which was previously known as San VI, was slated to produce 1.2 million metric t/y of low-carbon ammonia and 1.1 million metric t/y of urea and specialised agri-nutrients.

  Before being restructured into its current form, MEED reported in March last year that Samsung E&A was the frontrunner to win the main EPC contract for the project.

  Sabic Agri-Nutrients expects construction on the San VII project to begin in Q4 2026, with commissioning scheduled to start in Q3 2030. The commissioning period will last four months, ahead of the start of commercial production and completion of the project in Q4 2030.

  The San VII project “is also expected to represent a significant step toward enhancing the company’s competitiveness and sustainability through the integration of advanced carbon capture technologies and the reduction of emissions intensity across its operations. This will contribute to reducing the carbon footprint of its products, supporting the company’s sustainability and carbon neutrality ambitions”, Sabic Agri-Nutrients said in a Saudi Stock Exchange (Tadawul) filing.

  “The project is considered one of the key pillars of the company’s 2040 strategy, which aims to strengthen the kingdom’s position in the agricultural nutrients export market and contribute to global food security, in line with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030,” it added.

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

  Nuclear power ambitions gather pace; Kuwait keeps dealmaking alive despite war; Region invests in raising gas processing capacity.

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

  > AGENDA: Gulf nuclear revival takes shape > MARKET FOCUS: Kuwait keeps dealmaking alive under fire > INDUSTRY REPORT: Gas processing takes centre stage in Mena region > INTERVIEW: Emsteel persists with business productivity and efficiency > TUNNELS: The Gulf’s next construction boom is happening underground

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

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  Indrajit Sen
• 
  Aramco upstream spending gathers pace

  Administrator

  14 September 2026

  

   

  Saudi Aramco has committed capital expenditure (capex) of $50bn-$55bn in 2026, with about 65%-70% of the budget earmarked for upstream oil and gas projects.

  The spending will support the Saudi energy giant’s strategy of maintaining its oil production capacity at 12 million barrels a day (b/d) while increasing gas production capacity by 80% by 2030 from a 2021 baseline.

  Aramco has already spent $12.25bn on upstream oil and gas projects so far in 2026, according to data from MEED and MEED Projects. 

  The largest share of spending this year has been on the Dorra gas field development, being undertaken by Al-Khafji Joint Operations (KJO), a joint venture of Saudi Aramco subsidiary Aramco Gulf Operations Company and Kuwait Petroleum Corporation subsidiary Kuwait Gulf Oil Company.

  The offshore Dorra gas field is located in the waters of the Saudi-Kuwait Neutral Zone. KJO has divided the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) scope for the field development into four packages, comprising three offshore packages and one onshore package.

  KJO awarded contracts for offshore packages 2A and 2B and onshore package 3, with a combined estimated value of about $6.5bn, in August.

  US-based McDermott International secured offshore package 2A, valued at about $1.5bn. The contract covers the engineering, procurement, construction and installation (EPCI) of wellhead topsides, flowlines and umbilicals.

  A consortium of India’s Larsen & Toubro Energy Hydrocarbon (L&TEH) and Italian contractor Saipem secured package 2B, estimated to be worth about $3.4bn.

  The largest of the offshore packages, the contract covers the EPCI of the Dorra central gathering platform complex, together with export pipelines and cables.

  KJO had previously awarded L&TEH offshore package 1, estimated at $140m-$150m, in October last year. The scope covers the EPC of seven offshore jackets and the installation of intra-field pipelines.

  Separately, Spanish contractor Tecnicas Reunidas secured onshore package 3, valued at $1.65bn. The contract covers the EPC of onshore gas processing facilities.

  The scale of the Dorra awards illustrates the importance of gas development to Aramco's wider upstream investment programme.

  Jafurah unconventional gas scheme

  Aramco, meanwhile, continues to move forward with its multi-phased Jafurah unconventional gas scheme, for which it received a capex grant of $100bn from the Saudi government at the start of this decade.

  During the second quarter of this year, Aramco awarded the main EPC contract for the fourth expansion phase of the Jafurah development to L&TEH.

  The project involves the EPC of two gas compression trains at the giant gas basin in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province. Each train will have the capacity to process up to 200 million cubic feet a day (cf/d) of gas.

  L&TEH confirmed the contract award in August, saying the scope includes gas inlet facilities, gas compression systems, condensate and produced-water handling systems, propane refrigeration systems and associated utilities.

  Alongside the fourth expansion phase, Aramco is nearing a decision on the main EPC contract for the fifth expansion phase of the Jafurah programme.

  MEED has reported that a frontrunner has emerged for the contract, with the scope understood to be similar to that of the fourth expansion phase.

  Offshore spending

  Offshore projects remain another major component of Aramco’s upstream investment programme.

  The company spent almost $11bn on offshore EPCI contracts last year, more than double its capital expenditure on offshore projects in 2024, marking another year of robust upstream project spending in Saudi Arabia.

  Aramco has maintained that momentum in 2026.

  In early January, the company selected US-based McDermott for Contract Release and Purchase Order (CRPO) 166. The scope is understood to have been carved out of the estimated $15bn Marjan offshore field development project, under which Aramco awarded contracts for 20 EPCI packages in 2019.

  McDermott secured the largest share of work on the overall project, winning two packages with a combined estimated value of about $4.5bn.

  The CRPO 166 contract was single-sourced to McDermott without a competitive tendering process and issued as a change order.

  Aramco awarded its second offshore contract of the year to Saipem for CRPO 156, estimated to be worth about $500m.

  The contract covers the EPCI of a 48-inch trunkline comprising about 65 kilometres offshore and 12km onshore, together with associated subsea facilities at the Safaniya oil field, one of the world’s largest offshore oil fields.

  Looking ahead, Aramco is also evaluating bids from its offshore long-term agreement (LTA) contractors for up to 11 further tenders.

  These include CRPOs 154 and 155, covering the next phase of infrastructure expansion at Safaniya; CRPO 161, which involves the EPCI of four gas jackets at the Arabiyah, Hasbah and Karan fields; and CRPOs 163 and 164, covering infrastructure at the Abu Safah, Berri, Karan, Marjan and Safaniya fields.

  LTA contractors also submitted bids between July and August for a further six CRPOs – 167, 168, 169, 170, 171 and 176 – covering the EPCI of infrastructure at the Abu Safah, Berri, Manifa, Marjan and Zuluf fields.

  With further offshore contract awards expected before the end of the year, Aramco’s upstream investment programme is set to remain one of the main drivers of project activity in Saudi Arabia.

  The combination of major gas developments, including Dorra and Jafurah, and a substantial pipeline of offshore oil and gas projects suggests that 2026 is on course to become another strong year for upstream investment in the kingdom.

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  Indrajit Sen
• 
  Miral commits $3.2bn Yas Island investments

  Administrator

  14 September 2026

  Abu Dhabi’s Miral has announced plans to invest over AED12bn ($3.2bn) in Yas Island over the next five years.

  According to a statement, the investment will fund a pipeline of new projects, as well as expansions and enhancements to existing attractions, supporting Abu Dhabi’s Tourism Strategy 2030.

  The next phase of development will focus on expanding Yas Island’s theme parks and attractions, while introducing new immersive rides and experiences that reflect changing visitor expectations.

  The investment will also strengthen the island’s hospitality offering through additional hotel rooms and enhancements to its overall accommodation portfolio.

  The investment is separate from the previously announced Disney project. 

  Miral recently started the expansion works of its Harry Potter-themed expansion at the Warner Bros World Yas Island entertainment destination in Abu Dhabi.

  The scope of the Warner Bros World phase two expansion includes adding 63,000 square metres (sq m) to the existing theme park.

  This will include a Harry Potter-themed zone with three new rides called Diagon Alley, Hogwarts Castle and The Forbidden Forest, along with retail outlets and food and beverage facilities.

  Yas Waterworld

  Miral has developed a series of theme parks and other entertainment-related attractions on Yas Island, working with several local and international contractors.

  In July last year, Miral opened a new 16,900 sq m expansion of its Yas Waterworld park to the public.

  The expansion added 3.3 kilometres of slide sections to the park. The addition of 18 new rides and attractions, bringing the total number of rides to more than 60, is expected to increase visitor capacity by 20%.

  Construction was carried out by local contractor Alec.

  Disney park

  The Walt Disney Company and Miral signed an agreement in May to build a Disney theme park resort on Yas Island.

  Disney, which is based in the US, said the Abu Dhabi site will be its seventh theme park resort. The others are in California and Florida in the US, Paris in France, Hong Kong and Shanghai in China, and Tokyo in Japan.

  In a statement, Disney noted that the UAE is located within a four-hour flight of one-third of the world’s population, making it a significant gateway for tourism. It is also home to one of the world’s busiest airline hubs, with 120 million passengers travelling through Abu Dhabi and Dubai each year.

  The Disney theme park resort in Abu Dhabi will include entertainment areas, themed accommodations, dining venues and retail experiences.

  In 2023, Miral opened SeaWorld Abu Dhabi, also on Yas Island. Alec was the contractor for the estimated $565m project.

  In 2018, Miral opened the Warner Bros theme park on Yas Island. Belgium’s Besix was the contractor for the estimated $531m project.

  Other Miral projects have included the Etihad Arena and the indoor climbing and skydive centre Clymb. Bam International of the Netherlands was the contractor for the arena and Germany’s Zublin was the contractor for Clymb.

  Yas Island was launched as a project in 2006 by local developer Aldar Properties. The original centrepiece attractions were the Yas Marina Circuit, which hosts Formula 1 motor racing’s annual Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, and the Ferrari World theme park.

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  Yasir Iqbal
• 
  Contractors prepare bids for Oxagon wastewater plant

  Administrator

  14 September 2026

  

   

  Contractors are preparing to submit bids to build a wastewater treatment plant for Oxagon, Neom’s industrial cluster.

  The industrial wastewater treatment package will have an initial capacity of 35,000 cubic metres a day (cm/d), supplied in modular trains of 5,000 cm/d each. A separate sanitary wastewater treatment package will have a capacity of 1,000 cm/d.

  The contract is structured as a design-build-operate project and covers the supply, installation and commissioning of industrial and sanitary wastewater treatment packages, as well as three years of operation and maintenance.

  Bids are due on 2 October, a source close to the project told MEED.

  It is understood that Neom’s water utility Enowa issued the request for proposals earlier this year. The plant is designed to provide “interim wastewater treatment” capacity for Neom’s Oxagon Industrial Quarter as industrial development in the area progresses.

  Enowa has described the treatment systems as interim and de-mountable, allowing them to be installed and subsequently removed or relocated as requirements at Oxagon develop. The plant can be expanded to a maximum of 45,000 cm/d.

  The tender documents also state that Neom may consider export credit agency (ECA) financing for the project, with the strength of bidders’ ECA financing proposals forming part of the commercial evaluation.

  The project follows an earlier tender for the Oxagon Village Water Recycling Plant, which was cancelled despite contractors submitting bids in 2024.

  MEED reported at the time that Beijing-based PowerChina, the local Alfanar Company and Cairo-headquartered Orascom had submitted bids for the project. It is understood that these firms are also likely to participate in the latest tender.

  The earlier scheme included truck receiving facilities, pretreatment, biological treatment using food chain reactor technology, tertiary treatment, sludge handling and recycled-water storage.

  The latest procurement appears to represent a reworked approach to wastewater treatment at Oxagon Industrial Quarter, with the previous engineering, procurement and construction scheme replaced by an interim, modular and de-mountable facility.

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  Mark Dowdall
• 
  Saudi Arabia shuts East-West oil pipeline after drone strikes

  Administrator

  14 September 2026

  Saudi Arabia has temporarily closed its 1,200-kilometre East-West pipeline after it was targeted by multiple drones launched from Iraq, disrupting one of the kingdom’s most critical energy export routes and threatening global oil supplies already strained by conflict across the region.

  The Ministry of Energy said the pipeline, which connects the Abqaiq oil field in the east to the Red Sea port of Yanbu, was hit in the Riyadh and Medina regions on 12 September. Specialised teams have begun securing the facility and assessing damage. A Foreign Ministry statement said the attack resulted in injuries and “some damage that is currently being addressed”.

  The closure removes about 4 million barrels a day from the global market, representing 4% of world oil supply. The pipeline’s role has become increasingly critical since the US-Iran conflict forced a near-complete shutdown of flows through the Strait of Hormuz in March.

  Saudi Arabia has been using the East-West route to bypass the chokepoint, but the assault has left the kingdom dependent on substantially reduced Hormuz exports and Red Sea shipping routes now threatened by Iran-backed Houthi forces in Yemen.

  Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi’s office confirmed the drone strike on the East-West Pipeline originated in the Maysan province, which borders Iran. The government formally condemned the attack, announced an investigation into the Maysan operations command and dismissed its commander. No armed group has claimed responsibility, but security analysts attribute the strike to Iran-backed militias operating from Iraqi territory.

  Riyadh said it was not retaliating “at this stage”, choosing instead to support Iraqi efforts to prevent further strikes from its territory. 

  The attack comes amid wider regional upheaval. Houthi forces have rapidly advanced along Yemen’s coast, seizing the strategic Mokha port and the Zuqar Island in the southern Red Sea, moving closer to the Bab El-Mandab strait. Saudi authorities said the group simultaneously launched dozens of drones and missiles at the southern kingdom on 11 September, striking civilian and economic targets and injuring 73 people.

  Oil analysts and traders reported that Yanbu’s storage capacity, estimated at around 35 million barrels, now holds supplies sufficient for only five to seven days of exports without pipeline operations. Storage facilities at Egypt’s Ain Sokhna and Sidi Kerir ports have similar constraints. Repair timelines remain uncertain, with sources citing estimates ranging from days to five or six weeks.

  The dual disruption of both the pipeline and Red Sea shipping has compressed global energy supplies. Energy analysts warned that without pipeline repairs, oil prices could return to the $120-a-barrel peak reached earlier in the regional conflict.

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  Colin Foreman
• 
  WSP wins Dammam airport expansion design works

  Administrator

  14 September 2026

  WSP Middle East, the regional arm of Canadian engineering firm WSP, has won a design contract to expand King Fahd International airport in Dammam, Saudi Arabia.

  Dammam Airports Company (DACO) awarded the contract.

  The scope includes designing passenger terminal expansions, facility upgrades, and improvements to airport entrances and access roads.

  It also covers the development of baggage-handling systems, digital services and other associated infrastructure.

  The expansion works will be carried out in line with the airport’s approved masterplan, which targets serving more than 19 million passengers a year by 2030.

  The plan also aims to increase air cargo capacity to more than 600,000 tonnes a year and raise aircraft operational capacity to 77 movements per hour, supported by comprehensive expansions to infrastructure, runways and general aviation facilities.

  This contract forms part of DACO’s ongoing efforts to strengthen the airport ecosystem, enhance operational efficiency, and support the Aviation Programme and Saudi Vision 2030 objectives.

  King Fahd International airport is the kingdom’s third-largest airport by annual passenger traffic, behind Jeddah’s King Abdulaziz International and Riyadh’s King Khaled International.

  DACO was formed in July 2017 to manage, operate and develop King Fahd International airport in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province.

  It was established as part of the broader Saudi Vision 2030 privatisation and economic reform programme to corporatise the aviation sector, increase operational efficiency, upgrade infrastructure, and transition state-run airports into commercially viable, world-class regional aviation hubs.

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  Yasir Iqbal
• 
  Dubai seeks contractors for multibillion-dollar road scheme

  Administrator

  14 September 2026

  

   

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  Dubai’s Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) is seeking contractors to design and build a multibillion-dollar new road that will run parallel to Sheikh Zayed Road.

  MEED understands that the scope covers the construction of 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, with a submission deadline of 10 October.

  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 the existing at-grade lanes served local access.

  The plans ultimately progressed as 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.

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  Yasir Iqbal
• 
  Kuwait postpones contractor meeting for $3.3bn gas project

  Administrator

  14 September 2026

  

   

  State-owned Kuwait Gulf Oil Company (KGOC) has rescheduled a key meeting about the development of the planned onshore gas plant next to the Al-Zour refinery, according to industry sources.

  The project was tendered last month with an estimated budget of $3.3bn and a bid deadline of 29 December 2026.

  If it goes ahead as planned, the project is expected to be the country’s biggest oil and gas sector contract award in more than a decade.

  The meeting with contractors is now scheduled for 14 October 2026. Previously, it was scheduled to take place on 14 September.

  Sources said contractors have not been told why the meeting date was pushed back.

  While the date for the initial meeting with contractors has been postponed, the bid deadline of 29 December 2026 remains the same, according to industry sources.

  The proposed plant will have the capacity to process up to 632 million cubic feet a day of gas and 60,000 b/d a day of condensates from the Dorra offshore field, located in Gulf waters in the Saudi-Kuwait Neutral Zone.

  In February, MEED reported that at least seven companies had shown interest in participating in the tender.

  Contractors that sent representatives to previous meetings to discuss the project include:

  • Samsung E&A (South Korea)
  • Larsen & Toubro (India)
  • Tecnicas Reunidas (Spain)
  • Saipem (Italy)
  • Hyundai Engineering & Construction (South Korea)
  • Hyundai Engineering Company (South Korea)
  • JGC (Japan)

  The tender process is using a fast-track model, which means that Kuwait’s Central Agency for Public Tenders (Capt) will not be involved in the tender process.

  Capt typically reviews the technical and commercial evaluations of bids and verifies that the bidding process is competitive.

  It is understood that not requiring Capt to approve this tender is expected to speed up the tender process.

  Iran disputes ownership of the field, referring to it as Arash.

  Iran claims the field partially extends into Iranian territory and asserts that Tehran should be a stakeholder in its development.

  The Dorra field’s close proximity to Iran could make development difficult due to current security concerns.

  The offshore elements of the wider Dorra field development project are expected to be especially difficult to protect from attacks from Iran.

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  Wil Crisp