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  Contractors take on more work in 2025

  30 April 2025

  

   

  Contractors in the region have increased their orderbooks in the past year as the GCC’s key construction markets – Saudi Arabia and the UAE – have continued to award major contracts. 

  In Saudi Arabia, the rate of growth has not matched that experienced in 2023-24, which suggests that the market is reaching saturation at time when client bodies are assessing their future spending plans.

  In the UAE, the value of projects that contractors are working on has increased significantly, which reflects the start of public works schemes such as the Dubai Metro, as well as the ongoing boom in real estate, which has allowed developers to start work on an array of new building projects.

  Top performers

  Based on data from regional projects tracker MEED Projects, the GCC’s most active contractor is Saudi Arabia’s Nesma & Partners, with $13.9bn of work at the execution stage. While it remains the top-ranked contractor, the total value of projects it has at the execution stage has dropped from the $15bn total it had in 2024.

  While Nesma & Partners remains the top-ranked contractor in 2025, the total value of projects it has at the execution stage has dropped

  In 2024, Nesma was ahead of the second-ranked contractor by $5bn – Italy’s Webuild had $10bn of projects under execution last year. This year, the contractor in second place, Beijing-based China State Construction Engineering Corporation, is just $300m behind Nesma with $13.5bn. China State has grown strongly over the past five years, as it has expanded its presence in Saudi Arabia significantly and is now the second-ranked contractor in the kingdom. 

  Turkiye’s Limak, which is in third position, is also close behind with $12.9bn of projects under execution. Limak has added the Dubai Metro Blue Line project to its existing work on Kuwait International airport.

  There are five other Saudi firms in the top 10, which reflects the kingdom’s status as the region’s largest construction market, and the ambition and scale of its infrastructure spending and gigaprojects programme. 

  The other Saudi contractors in the top 10 are Almabani in fourth place with $8.5bn of projects; Shibh Al-Jazira, which also has $8.5bn of projects, in fifth; and El-Seif Engineering Contracting in sixth with $8.3bn of projects under execution. 

  Al-Bawani then follows in eighth position with $7.3bn of projects, and Saudi Binladin Group rounds out the top 10 with $6.5bn of projects in 10th place.

  The other contractors in the top 10 are Abu Dhabi-headquartered Trojan General Contracting, which is in seventh place with $8bn of projects, and Dubai-based Alec, which has secured ninth place in the ranking with $6.8bn of work at the execution stage, spilt between its home market in the UAE and Saudi Arabia.

  Alec is reportedly considering an initial public offering, which is another sign of how well the construction sector is performing in 2025.

  Bahrain

  The top two contractors in Bahrain’s ranking in 2025 remain the same. China Machinery Engineering Corporation (CMEC) retains the top spot with $700m of work at the execution phase. The Chinese contractor’s work centres on building residential units at East Sitra for the Housing & Urban Planning Ministry. In July 2024, it signed a deal to build 1,269 houses for the third phase of the scheme.

  The third phase adds to the project’s second phase, which has 531 units and was handed over in early 2024. The first phase, which has 1,077 units, has also been handed over. The housing ministry signed a BD260m ($689.9m) deal with CMEC for the construction of more than 3,000 housing units at East Sitra in December 2019.

  Al-Hamad Building Contracting remains the second-ranked contractor. Its largest project is the longstanding Villamar residential complex at Bahrain Financial Harbour in Manama for Gulf Holding Company.

  Grnata joins the top 10 in third position. Its largest ongoing project is the Golden Gate Towers scheme in Manama for the Grnata Group, which involves the construction of two towers, one with 45 and the other with 53 storeys, that together will have a total of 746 apartments.

  Grnata edges out Nass Contracting, which was in third place in 2024. Nass drops down the ranking despite two high-profile contract awards. In May 2024, its joint venture with Nassir Hazza & Bros won a BD37.2m contract for the construction works on package three of the Busaiteen Link scheme for the Works Ministry.

  Nass also won a $45m contract in June 2024 for the expansion of the campus of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland-Medical University of Bahrain in the Al-Sayh area of Muharraq Governorate.

  Kuwait

  For the second year running, Turkiye’s Limak Holding has strengthened its position at the top of Kuwait’s ranking. The contractor has $6.1bn of construction work at the execution stage, according to MEED Projects. This is about $500m more than the $5.6bn it had in 2024.

  In October 2024, Limak was one of the contractors that secured work as part of more than KD400m ($1.3bn) of road maintenance works contracts that were awarded by the Public Works Ministry to 18 local and international companies.

  The road work adds to Limak’s ongoing works at Kuwait International airport. In 2023, it secured a contract for package three of the expansion of Terminal 2, which covers the construction of aircraft parking aprons, taxiways and service buildings.

  China Gezhouba Group Corporation is in second position. In March this year, it won two contracts worth over $557m from Kuwait’s Public Authority for Housing Welfare for the South Saad Al-Abdullah residential project in Al-Jahra Governorate.

  China Gezhouba Group Corporation’s rise to second place shifts Shapoorji Pallonji into third place. The Indian contractor is working on two healthcare projects and one education scheme in a joint venture with the local Al-Sager General Trading & Contracting, which is also working on $1.4bn of projects at the execution stage.

  Oman

  The local Galfar Engineering & Contracting topped Oman’s 2024 ranking with $900m of work at the execution stage. In 2025, there are seven contractors in Oman that have more than $900m of construction work under execution, which reflects an increased level of projects activity across the sultanate. 

  Galfar remains the top-ranked contractor in 2025 with $2.5bn of work at the execution phase. 

  Last year, as part of a consortium with Abu Dhabi-based National Projects Construction, National Infrastructure Construction Company and Tristar Engineering & Construction, it won an estimated $1.5bn design-and-build contract for the Hafeet Railway project connecting the sultanate with the UAE. It also won a $119.5m contract from the Transport, Communication & Information Technology Ministry for the dualisation of the road connecting the city of Nizwa and the nearby town of Izki.

  The overall uptick in projects activity in Oman has meant that the 10th-ranked contractor in 2025 has $500m of work at the execution stage compared to just $200m for the 10th-ranked contractor in 2024. 

  Qatar

  UCC Holding leads the Qatar ranking in 2025. The local firm was ranked the fifth most active contractor in 2024 with $1.2bn of projects at the execution stage. That total has increased to $1.3bn this year, and with the Qatar construction market remaining subdued after the Fifa World Cup in 2022, it is enough to take UCC to the top of the ranking. 

  The contractor’s main ongoing projects are part of the country’s public-private partnership schools scheme. Earlier this year, it signed an estimated $330m deal covering the design, build and maintenance of 14 schools in several areas of Qatar.

  UCC Holding also has two major road schemes under execution for the Public Works Authority (Ashghal). UCC is in a joint venture with Infraroad Trading & Contracting Company for both projects. 

  The first contract, valued at $170m, covers the construction of the roads and infrastructure works in Al-Mearad and southwest of Muaither. The other, valued at $150m, covers the construction of roads and infrastructure works in the Al-Kharaitiyat and Izghawa areas of Doha.

  UCC replaces Turkiye’s TAV Construction and the local Midmac Contracting Company, which jointly held the top ranking position in 2024 with $1.4bn of projects at the execution phase thanks to the terminal expansion programme at Hamad International airport. 

  The expansion, which has added 51,000 square metres of space to the airport, including eight new gates, opened in February this year.

  Saudi Arabia

  There was an expectation in 2024 that Saudi Arabia’s contractor ranking would be transformed in 2025 as development activity accelerated on projects across the kingdom. 

  While activity in the kingdom continues, the pace of awards has levelled off as the government and the Public Investment Fund (PIF) have begun to prioritise projects. This drive to rationalise the projects market can be seen in the contractor ranking for 2025. 

  Like last year, Nesma tops the list, with $13.9bn of work at the execution stage. This total is less than the $14.7bn of projects that the local contractor had in 2024. 

  China State Construction Engineering Company is in second with $9.3bn of projects under execution. The Beijing-based contractor has risen up the ranking from 10th place last year, when it had $3.9bn of projects under execution.

  The largest new contract that the firm has secured in the past year is a $3bn scheme to deliver 2,000 housing units for the National Housing Company at several locations in the kingdom. 

  China State is joined in the top 10 in 2025 by another Chinese contractor: China Harbour Engineering Corporation, which is in 10th place with $5.6bn of work. One of its recent wins was in June last year, when it secured an $800m contract in joint venture with Al-Ayuni Investment & Contracting for the construction works on the second southern ring road in Riyadh.

  China Harbour replaces Greece’s Archirodon, which has dropped out of the Saudi top 10 in 2025. The other contractors in the 2025 top 10 ranking remain from 2024. 

  UAE

  There is no change at the top of the UAE contractor ranking, as Abu Dhabi-based Trojan General Contracting once again leads in 2025. The firm has $7.2bn of projects under execution this year, compared to $6.2bn in 2024.

  There have been significant changes to the companies making up the rest of the ranking, however, and to the value of projects that contractors have under execution. This reflects a shift in the market in 2024, as government-backed infrastructure projects moved into construction. 

  In 2024, the second-ranked contractor was Abu Dhabi-based National Marine Dredging Company with $3.1bn of projects under execution – a total that would not even make the top 10 in 2025. This year, it is the fifth-ranked contractor, with $4.7bn-worth of projects.

  In 2025, the second-ranked contractor is Turkiye’s Mapa with $6bn of projects – thanks largely to a contract it secured in December 2024 for the Blue Line extension of Dubai Metro. Mapa is joined by China’s CRRC Corporation in third place and Turkiye’s Limak in fourth, which are also working on the Blue Line project. 

  Abu Dhabi-headquartered Arabian Construction Company is the sixth-ranked contractor with $4.5bn. The firm, which specialises in high-end building projects, returns to the top 10 amid reports that it is planning to list on the stock market with an initial public offering.

  The other contractors in the UAE’s top 10 listing are Beijing-based China State Construction Engineering Corporation, India’s Sobha, UK-headquartered Innovo and the local Alec. 

  Alec has dropped from fourth position in 2024 to 10th this year, despite increasing the value of projects under execution from $2.6bn to $3.3bn, which reflects how much contractors’ orderbooks have filled up over the past year.

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  Colin Foreman
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  Oman offers 300 square kilometres in hydrogen land auction

  30 April 2025

  Oman is offering interested green hydrogen and derivatives developers 300 square kilometers of land in Duqm under the third round of its hydrogen land block auction programme.

  Hydrogen Oman (Hydrom), the sultanate's green hydrogen projects orchestrator, launched the third round of auction at a virtual event on 30 April.

  Abdulaziz Said Al-Shidhani, Hydrom managing director, confirmed on the same day the availability of the request for qualification (RFQ) documents that interested bidders can download from the round three auction website.

  A land block of up to 300 square kilometers has been offered in Duqm, inviting proposals for projects covering a minimum of 100 square kilometers, Hydrom said.

  It added: "Bidders will have flexibility in defining their project footprint within the block, enabling tailored configurations that align with individual development strategies and market requirements."

  Hydrom expects to issue the request for proposals in June and receive final bids for the contracts by the end of January 2026.

  This timeline will provide "ample time for comprehensive project planning", said Al-Shidani.

  For this round, developers may also explore the sale of surplus renewable electricity to the national grid, subject to regulatory approvals, maximising project value and integration into Oman's wider energy transition framework, according to Hydrom.

  Hydrom aims to attract firms that fit the following profiles in its third round auction:

  • International, regional and local renewable developers
  • Financial partners
  • Engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) and hydrogen equipment providers (OEMs)
  • Strategic offtakers and investors
  • Infrastructure developers

  Hydrom has so far awarded several land blocks for green hydrogen projects since it started the auctions in 2023.

  Five projects in Duqm have been awarded to the following firms:

  • Amnah: A consortium comprised of Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, Blue Power Partners and Al Khadra, part of Oman’s Hind Bahwan Group. The project is expected to develop approximately 200 thousand tonnes a year (t/y) of green hydrogen from 4.5GW of installed renewable energy capacity for planned green steel plants located in Port of Duqm, within the Special Economic Zone at Duqm (Sezad) 
  • Green Energy Oman: A consortium comprised of Oman’s integrated Energy Company OQ, Shell Oman, Kuwait's state-backed energy investor EnerTech, Singapore-based InterContinental Energy and Golden Wellspring Wealth for Trading. This project will produce 150,000 t/y of green hydrogen from 4GW of installed renewables capacity 
  • BP Duqm Hydrogen: This project has an anticipated annual production of 150,000 t/y of green hydrogen from 3.5GW of installed renewables capacity for ammonia production and export.
  • HyDuqm (Hydrogen Duqm): A consortium comprised of South Korea's Posco and France's Engie, MESCAT Middle East, Samsung Engineering, Futuretech Energy Ventures, Korea East-West Power and Korea Southern Power. This project is expected to produce more than 200,000 t/y of green hydrogen by 2030, utilising over 5.2GW of combined wind and solar energy to produce and export ammonia
  • Hyport Coordination Company: A consortium consisting of OQ Alternative Energy, Belgium's Deme Concessions and BP Oman. This project will produce more than 50 t/y of green hydrogen by 2029 in its first phase

  The three land block projects that have been awarded in Salalah are:

  • Salalah H2:  A consortium comprised of OQ AE, Japan's Marubeni Corporation, UAE-based Dutco Overseas, and South Korea's Samsung C&T. One of the so-called legacy Initiatives that signed term sheets in March 2023, the project is set to produce over 1 million t/y of green ammonia, with an expected production of over 175,000 t/y of green hydrogen.
  • EDF, J Power, Yamnah: A consortium consisting of France's EDF Group, Japan's J-POWER and UK-based Yamna, which aims to produce approximately 178,000 t/y of green hydrogen by 2030, using approximately 4.5GW of wind and solar energy coupled with battery storage and approximately 2.5GW of electrolysers. 
  • Actis – Fortescue: The project will involve the construction of up to 4.5GW of wind and solar renewable energy resources that will power electrolysers with the potential to produce up to 200,000 t/y of green hydrogen per year. 

  Oman’s comprehensive energy transition efforts also include the development of a dedicated 2,000-kilometer hydrogen pipeline as well as the establishment of the world’s first liquid hydrogen export corridor linking Oman to the Netherlands and Germany and onwards to Europe.

   

   

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  Jennifer Aguinaldo
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  Jordan plans 500MW gas-fired power plant

  30 April 2025

  Jordan plans to procure a gas-fired power station that will likely have a design capacity of around 500MW.

  According to industry sources, the kingdom is seeking advisers for the project, which is likely to be developed using an independent power project (IPP) model.

  MEED understands that the client is the state-backed utility, National Electric Power Company (Nepco).

  One of the sources said, "There have been talks for some time now," but he is unsure if the government has taken a firm decision to start the procurement process for the new plant.

  However, another source said the advisers being sought will likely start preparing the project's request for proposals.

  Jordan has a total electricity generation installed capacity of about 7.1GW as of 2023, according to data published by the International Renewable Energy Agency (Irena).

  Solar and wind power plants account for over 30% of the total installed capacity, which is one of the highest, if not the highest, renewable energy installed capacity in the Middle East and North Africa region, compared to overall generation capacity.

  Work has been underway to enable the successful integration of renewable power to its electricity grid. 

  In February, the European Bank for Reconstruction & Development (EBRD) and the EU approved a €67.1m ($70.2m) financing package for Nepco.

  The financing package consists of a sovereign-guaranteed EBRD loan of up to $56.5m and an EU investment grant of up to €12.4m ($13m).

  These funds will finance the construction of a high-voltage electricity substation in northern Jordan, to improve the grid’s capacity and enable it to handle existing and new generation in the north of the country, said EBRD.

  According to MEED Projects data, there are roughly $ 3.3 bn worth of power projects that are under way and planned in Jordan, with generation plants accounting for 59% of the total.

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  Jennifer Aguinaldo
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  Sobha and UAQ Properties launch downtown project

  30 April 2025

  Dubai-based private real estate developer Sobha Realty has announced the start of its latest real estate project in the UAE emirate of Umm Al-Quwain.

  Sobha has signed a partnership agreement with Umm Al-Quwain Properties to develop the project jointly.

  The project, named Downtown Umm Al-Quwain, will span an area of about 25 million square feet (sq ft).

  According to an official statement, the masterplan includes an 11-kilometre coastline featuring 7km of natural beaches and parks.

  The mixed-use development will be divided into three zones: North Beach, Trade Centre and South Beach.

  These developments will offer residential units, commercial centres, office spaces, hotels and other associated facilities.

  The statement added that the project’s main feature is the Trade Centre, a 15 million sq ft free zone operating under an independent legal framework.

  The project is Sobha’s second major development in Umm Al-Quwain. In July last year, MEED reported that Sobha Realty and UAQ Properties had launched a mixed-use real estate project on Al-Siniya Island in Umm Al-Quwain.

  The Al-Siniya Island project will include a waterfront community, a golf course, a pavilion, event spaces and other facilities.

  GlobalData expects the UAE’s construction industry to expand by 4.2% in real terms in 2025 and register an average annual growth of 4% from 2026 to 2029, supported by investments in transport, oil and gas, energy and housing infrastructure projects.

  The residential construction sector is estimated to expand by 3.4% in real terms in 2025 and record a growth of 3.1% between 2026 and 2029, supported by public and private sector investments in the housing sector, amid an increase in real estate transactions owing to an improvement in demand.

  

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  MEED’s May 2025 report on the UAE includes:

  > COMMENT: UAE is poised to weather the storm
  > GOVERNMENT & ECONOMY: UAE looks to economic longevity
  > BANKING: UAE banks dig in for new era
  > UPSTREAM: Adnoc in cruise control with oil and gas targets
  > DOWNSTREAM: Abu Dhabi chemicals sector sees relentless growth
  > POWER: AI accelerates UAE power generation projects sector
  > CONSTRUCTION: Dubai construction continues to lead region
  > TRANSPORT: UAE accelerates its $60bn transport push
  > DATABANK: UAE growth prospects head north

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  Yasir Iqbal
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  Kuwait retenders Doha desalination package

  30 April 2025

  Kuwait’s Electricity, Water & Renewable Energy Ministry (MEWRE) has retendered a contract to design and build the planned second phase of a seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) plant in Doha.

  When it was first tendered, the Doha SWRO phase two project was expected to have a capacity of 60 million imperial gallons a day (MIGD).

  The tender closing date for the retendered contract is 27 May.

  The scope of work entails the supply, installation, operation and maintenance of phase two of the Doha SWRO plant, including alkalinisation equipment for produced water.

  The ministry cancelled the tender for the contract in June last year. 

  Contractors submitted bids for the contract in September 2022. At the time, the MEW did not disclose the engineering, procurement and contracting firms invited to bid for the contract.

  The MEW awarded South Korea’s Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction, now known as Doosan Enerbility, the $422m contract to build the 60MIGD Doha 1 SWRO in May 2016.

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  READ THE MAY 2025 MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – clck here to view PDF

  Gulf hunkers down as US tariffs let fly; Abu Dhabi looks to secure its long-term economic prosperity; Nesma stays on top as China State moves up in 2025 GCC contractor ranking

  Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the May 2025 edition of MEED Business Review includes:

  > AGENDA 1: GCC shelters from the trade wars > AGENDA 2: Gulf markets slide as US tariff shockwaves hit > AGENDA 3:  Lower oil prices raise Gulf’s fiscal pressure > SYRIA: Syria makes progress towards reunification > GCC CONTRACTORS: Contractors take on more work in 2025 > MINERALS: Saudi Arabia and Oman open up their minerals potential > INTERVIEW: CCED seeks growth in Oman’s hydrocarbons sector > INTERVIEW: Roshn outlines its procurement strategy > LEADERSHIP: Rethinking investments for a lower-carbon future > UAE REPORT: UAE is poised to weather the storm  > GULF PROJECTS INDEX: Gulf projects index inches upwards > CONTRACT AWARDS: Region records $70.3bn of deal signings in Q1 2025 > ECONOMIC DATA: Data drives regional projects > OPINION: Trump’s new world order

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

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  Jennifer Aguinaldo