Abu Dhabi receives Al-Nouf prequalifications
14 April 2025
State utility and offtaker Emirates Water & Electricity Company (Ewec) has received statements of qualifications (SoQs) for a contract to develop a new combined-cycle gas turbine (CCGT) power generation plant in Abu Dhabi.
The CCGT plant will be located at the Al-Nouf complex, 30 kilometres southwest of Abu Dhabi.
The Al-Nouf 1 independent power project (IPP) will have a net generation capacity of approximately 3.3GW.
MEED understands that Ewec has been discussing support for the prospective bidders in terms of the procurement process for the necessary gas turbines with original equipment manufacturers.
The project’s initial procurement timeline involves issuing the request for proposals (RFPs) before the end of March and submitting the bids by late August.
AI support fleet
The CCGT plant, initially reported as part of the Abu Dhabi fleet generation planned to support the UAE capital’s artificial intelligence (AI) strategy, is expected to reach commercial operations by June 2029.
The other generation projects supporting Abu Dhabi’s AI plans include the Dhafra open-cycle gas turbine (OCGT) project, which Abu Dhabi National Energy Company (Taqa) will own and operate, as well as the 5.2GW solar photovoltaic (PV) plus 19GWh battery energy storage system project, which Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar) will develop.
Major capacity buildout
Ewec is undertaking a substantial capacity buildout to support the emirate’s net-zero, energy diversification and AI strategies.
It received a single proposal for a contract to develop the Taweelah C IPP project in late February.
The Taweelah C IPP will have a generation capacity of up to 2,500MW and is expected to reach commercial operations in the third quarter of 2028.
Industry sources suggest that UAE-based Etihad Water & Electricity (Etihad WE) submitted the lone bid for the contract.
The Taweelah C IPP is the first gas-fired power plant project to be procured by Abu Dhabi since 2020, when Ewec awarded Japan’s Marubeni Corporation the contract to develop the Fujairah 3 IPP.
The bid evaluation process is under way for the Madinat Zayed open-cycle gas turbine IPP. The power plant is expected to begin commercial operations in Q3 2027. It will provide up to 1,500MW of backup generation, which can be operational “at very short notice”.
The tendering proceedings are under way for three renewable energy IPPs: the Al-Khazna and Al-Zarraf solar PV and Al-Sila wind facilities, and Abu Dhabi’s first independent battery energy storage system plant, Bess 1.
READ THE APRIL 2025 MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – clck here to view PDF
Regional construction heads underground; Riyadh reaps both diplomatic and economic success; Luxury GCC hospitality projects drive tourism
Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the April 2025 edition of MEED Business Review includes:
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> AGENDA 1: Traffic drives construction underground
> AGENDA 2: Muted public spending hinders global tunnelling
> TOURISM 1: Beaches and luxury drive regional tourism
> TOURISM 2: Region’s hotel projects pipeline balloons
> EDMOND DE ROTHSCHILD: Investing in Saudi Arabia’s infrastructure opportunities
> DATA CENTRES: GCC’s top five data centre projects
> SAUDI PPPs: Rise in PPPs reflects Saudi budgetary pragmatism
> SAUDI ARABIA REPORT: Riyadh enjoys buoyant fortunes
> GULF PROJECTS INDEX: Gulf index sees minor correction
> CONTRACT AWARDS: Project awards slump notably in February
> ECONOMIC DATA: Data drives regional projects
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Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the February 2026 edition of MEED Business Review includes:
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Elon Musk-backed firm signs Dubai Loop construction deal
4 February 2026
Dubai’s Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) has signed an agreement with Elon Musk-backed firm The Boring Company to begin construction of the Dubai Loop transportation system.
The agreement was signed on the sidelines of the World Governments Summit in Dubai on 3 February.
The first phase of the project comprises a 6.4-kilometre (km) route with four stations, linking the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) and Dubai Mall.
The stations will be located at DIFC 2, ICD Brookfield Place, Dubai Mall Zabeel Parking and Burj Khalifa.
The first phase is expected to cost about AED565m ($154m).
This phase is anticipated to be delivered within one year following the completion of design work and other preparations.
The tunnelling works are expected to begin in the second half of this year.
Next phase
The second phase of the project will connect the Dubai World Trade Centre and DIFC with Business Bay.
The tunnels will extend up to 22km and include 19 stations.
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Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the February 2026 edition of MEED Business Review includes:
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Aramco to finalise long-term agreements with engineering firms
4 February 2026
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Saudi Aramco is on course to finalise long-term agreements (LTAs) with prominent energy sector engineering firms, aiming to create a pool of consultants it can engage in future for project study- and design-related requirements.
The structure of this proposed pool of engineering consultants will be similar to Aramco’s existing general engineering services-plus (GES+) group, which provides project management and engineering services – including concept studies, pre-front-end engineering and design (pre-feed) and feed – to support Aramco’s capital programmes in Saudi Arabia across onshore greenfield and brownfield projects in gas, oil and new-energy infrastructure.
Aramco also maintains LTA pools with offshore and onshore engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractors, and the layout of the planned pool of engineering firms will be akin to those two bodies, sources told MEED.
According to sources, the following companies, among others, are understood to have submitted proposals to Aramco for the proposed LTA pool of engineering consultants:
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Aramco received proposals from these firms last year and has since held several rounds of “discussions and negotiations” with them, sources said. The Saudi energy giant is now believed to have agreed with the bidders the terms and other aspects on which the proposed LTA engineering pool is to be built, sources added.
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READ THE FEBRUARY 2026 MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – click here to view PDFSpending on oil and gas production surges; Doha’s efforts support extraordinary growth in 2026; Water sector regains momentum in 2025.
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Projects market goes back to basics
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Commentary
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EditorRead the February issue of MEED Business Review
The Middle East projects market is recalibrating. After years of ambitious project launches that aimed to transform economies, 2025 marked a turning point as the regional projects market declined.
According to regional projects tracker MEED Projects, the total value of contract awards in the GCC fell by almost a third in 2025 compared to 2024, as spending in Saudi Arabia halved due to challenges with the gigaprojectsThe slowdown in contract awards has forced a return to basics. With budgets under pressure, project spending is now being allocated more selectively. Projects with clear returns on investment, either financial or social, are the ones now moving into construction and towards completion.
Upstream oil and gas sits within the back-to-basics narrative. Despite decarbonisation targets and the energy transition, oil remains structurally necessary to the global economy, and Mena producers, with low extraction costs, are uniquely positioned to supply it.
The second pillar is gas – both a transition fuel and an enabler of diversification. Reflecting that shift, upstream gas and LNG projects have accounted for close to 60% of total upstream spending in the region since 2020, in a pattern that looks set to continue.
Both trends explain why upstream project spending has continued to rise this decade — reaching about $51.6bn in 2025, even as Brent has softened from its 2022 highs.
For contractors and suppliers, the opportunity is huge. MEED Projects is tracking roughly $120bn of upstream schemes that have moved beyond the study phase and are expected to be awarded this year.
In a market focused on return on investment, upstream continues to stand out as a prospect for 2026 and beyond.
READ THE FEBRUARY 2026 MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – click here to view PDFSpending on oil and gas production surges; Doha’s efforts support extraordinary growth in 2026; Water sector regains momentum in 2025.
Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the February 2026 edition of MEED Business Review includes:
> AGENDA: Mena upstream spending set to soar> INDUSTRY REPORT: MEED's GCC water developer ranking> INDUSTRY REPORT: Pipeline boom lifts Mena water awards> MARKET FOCUS: Qatar’s strategy falls into place> CURRENT AFFAIRS: Iran protests elevate regional uncertainty> CONTRACT AWARDS: Contract awards decline in 2025> LEADERSHIP: Tomorrow’s communities must heal us, not just house us> INTERVIEW: AtkinsRealis on building faster> LEADERSHIP: Energy security starts with rethinking wasteTo see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click herehttps://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/15558470/main.gif -
Qatar heads for a growth surge in 2026
3 February 2026
MEED’s February 2026 report on Qatar includes:
> COMMENT: Qatar’s strategy falls into place
> GVT & ECONOMY: Qatar enters 2026 with heady expectations
> BANKING: Qatar banks search for growth
> OIL & GAS: QatarEnergy achieves strategic oil and gas goals in 2025
> POWER & WATER: Dukhan solar award drives Qatar's utility sector
> CONSTRUCTION: Infrastructure investments underpin Qatar constructionTo see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click herehttps://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/15555212/main.gif