meed-logo

line1 line2 line3
SIGN IN / REGISTER

Acwa Power tightens grip on GCC water

26 January 2024

 

This report also includes: Mena water delivers exceptional growth

Time-bound sustainability objectives and improving economic conditions kept the GCC region’s water sector projects buoyant in 2023.

This coincided with the key milestones achieved by independent water producer (IWP) contracts awarded between 2020 and 2021, which reached either the commissioning or commercial operation stages in 2023 following two years of disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The UAE awarded three IWP contracts in 2023 and Saudi Arabia awarded one. This was a remarkable recovery considering that there was only one contract award in 2021 and none in 2022, barring the directly negotiated contract for the development of Shuaibah 3 in Saudi Arabia.

In contrast, there were no new awards for independent water and power producer (IWPP) projects – a model that worked successfully from the 1990s until the mid-2010s, when policies started to shift away from thermal desalination technologies and towards IWPs that rely on reverse osmosis technology for water treatment.


Source: MEED

IWP awards

The IWP contracts awarded in 2023 include Mirfa 2 and Shuweihat 4 in Abu Dhabi, Rabigh 4 in Saudi Arabia and Hassyan 1 in Dubai. The four IWP schemes have a total combined capacity of about 2.3 million cubic metres a day (cm/d).

The award of these contracts resulted in higher net and gross capacities for Saudi utility developer Acwa Power, France’s Engie and Spain-headquartered GS Inima, relative to the last MEED water developer ranking published in January 2023.

Acwa Power’s overall net capacity leapt by 20 per cent in 2023 to reach approximately 3.5 million cm/d. This resulted from its 40 per cent equity in Dubai’s Hassyan 1 IWP project, which has a capacity of over 818,000 cm/d; and its 45 per cent shareholding in the 600,000 cm/d Rabigh 4 IWP.

Engie likewise posted an impressive two-digit rise in terms of its net capacity, growing from 1.67 million cm/d to 1.87 million cm/d, thanks to its 40 per cent equity in the Mirfa 2 IWP project in Abu Dhabi.

The size of the two projects that Acwa Power won in 2023, however, meant it managed to further widen its lead over Engie and the other private water developers operating assets across the GCC states.

At 3.5 million cm/d, Acwa Power’s overall net capacity is equivalent to the total combined net capacity of the next five developers in the ranking: Malaysia’s Malakoff, Japan’s Marubeni and Sumitomo, and GS Inima, in addition to Engie.

The Saudi utility developer has also for the first time overtaken Engie in terms of gross water desalination capacity. As
of the end of 2023, its gross capacity crossed 7.7 million cm/d compared to Engie’s 7.0 cm/d.

In terms of ranking, GS Inima registered the most significant improvement among the top 10 private water developer companies, advancing three spots to rank fifth, having grown its net equity capacity nearly 50 per cent to reach close to 383,000 cm/d. This change takes into consideration that Kuwait’s Gulf Investment Corporation (GIC), which was included in the previous index, has been excluded this year due to its role as an investor rather than a developer of water desalination projects.

GS Inima will maintain a 60 per cent shareholding in Abu Dhabi’s Shuweihat 4 IWP scheme, which is expected to reach commercial operation by mid-2026.

Despite not having won any new contracts, Saudi Brothers Commercial Company and Abdulaziz al-Ajlan, both Riyadh-based, managed to land in the top 10 ranking of water developers this year, mainly due to the exclusion of both GIC and Water & Electricity Holding Company (Badeel), which is fully owned by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. 

Outlook

The next 12 months will likely be an active period for the water industry, particularly in Saudi Arabia.

This is mainly due to the target set by the kingdom’s Environment, Water & Agriculture Ministry to meet 92 per cent of Saudi Arabia’s water demand using desalinated water by 2030, to reduce reliance on ground and surface water.

Both Saudi Water Conversion Corporation, the world’s largest desalinator, which supplies 69 per cent of Saudi Arabia’s water, and Saudi Water Partnership Company (SWPC) will have to get “plants up and running as soon as possible to make this target”, says Robert Bryniak, CEO of Dubai-based Golden Sands Management Consulting.

Elsewhere – particularly in the UAE and, to a lesser extent, Oman – expiring contracted capacity and growing demand are expected to continue to drive the procurement of additional seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) capacity.

The past few years have seen several international and local developers and investors enter the GCC’s water desalination market.

“The water industry could benefit by having more engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractors and developers, but I do not see this holding back procurers in launching new projects,” says Bryniak. “Having said that, there is definitely room for the water industry to accommodate more developers and EPC contractors.”

Tariff trend

Tariffs, or the long-term levelised costs that offtakers pay for water that private developers produce, are expected to trend upwards in 2024. This is due to higher interest rates and inflationary pressures on materials and supplies.

“These considerations, coupled with a limited number of experienced EPC contractors with excess contracting capacity, suggest that it will be tough seeing lower tariffs this year,” Bryniak says.

“We expect this trend due to the expected higher costs,” says another water desalination expert based in the UAE.

“The tariff for the Hassyan 1 IWP was low, but I see that as an anomaly,” says Bryniak, referring to the $cents 36.5 a cubic metre ($c/cm) tariff that Acwa Power proposed last year to develop the Hassyan 1 IWP in Dubai.

The previous tariff bid for the project was about 30 per cent lower than that proposed by Acwa Power last year, and it is likely that the bidder “had tremendous pressure to maintain a relatively low tariff to secure the project”, says Bryniak.  

Future projects

SWPC issued the tender for the contract to develop the Jubail 4 and 6 IWP schemes on 1 January, and the tendering process is also under way for the Ras Mohaisen IWP. Both contracts are expected to be awarded before the end of this year.

In addition, SWPC has indicated that four more IWPs are expected to reach commercial operation by 2027, which implies that it could start seeking interest from developers for these projects in the next 12-24 months. 

Under the latest plan, the Ras al-Khair 2 and 4, Al-Rais 2 and Tabuk 1 IWP projects will have a combined total capacity of 1.7 million cm/d.

In the UAE, Acwa Power is understood to be the sole bidder for the 400,000 cm/d Hamriyah IWP in Sharjah. The contract could be awarded in the first half of 2024.

In Abu Dhabi, the tendering process is under way for two SWRO plants that will be developed under one contract. The Abu Dhabi Islands SWRO projects will each have a capacity of 227,000 cm/d.

Kuwait’s two IWPPs – Al-Zour North 2 & 3 and Al-Khiran 1 – and the Facility E IWPP in Qatar include water desalination units with capacities of 695,000 cm/d and 454,000 cm/d, respectively.

MEED understands that an option is open for the bidders to use membrane technology for the desalination units of these planned facilities.

Unstoppable

Acwa Power thus appears unstoppable given its plans to further consolidate its presence in the region’s water industry, and pursue new technologies and partnerships, as its CEO Marco Arcelli told MEED in July last year.

The company plans to work with Japanese membrane technology provider Toray Industries to explore energy-saving technologies for SWRO. It is also working with other suppliers located in the US, Japan and China, as well as with Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah University of Science & Technology to explore energy-efficient solutions for treating seawater.

The scale of the IWP projects Acwa Power has won between 2019 and 2023 enables it to outprice key competitors, or bid for projects deemed too risky by other developers.

The firm’s offer to develop Rabigh 4 for $c0.458/cm, for instance, was lower than what some of its competitors anticipated Acwa Power was capable of offering, although it lost Mirfa 2 to Engie a few months earlier.

As it is, Acwa Power won five of the 12 IWP contracts that were tendered and awarded in Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Oman during the past four years, equivalent to more than 56 per cent of the gross capacity awarded over that period.

Other developers should take note as they establish strategies to win more contracts in the future and potentially slow down Acwa Power's three-year sector dominance.

 Mena water delivers exceptional growth 

https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/11438915/main.gif
Jennifer Aguinaldo

Register for MEED's guest program now to access this article.

Click here to register
Exclusive from Meed
Related Articles
  • Ashghal tenders Mekeines-Umm Bab link road

    30 October 2026

     

    Qatar’s Public Works Authority (Ashghal) has tendered a contract for the design and construction of the Mekeines to Umm Bab Link Road and associated infrastructure.

    The tender was issued on 29 October, with a bid submission deadline of 22 December.

    The scope comprises:

    • Highway works, including main carriageways, access roads, grade-separated ramps, junctions and tie-ins to existing networks
    • Dedicated non-motorised user facilities, footpaths and shared-use cycle paths
    • Structural installations, including camel underpasses, a QatarEnergy culvert and gateway monumentation
    • Extensive dry and wet utilities, encompassing Kahramaa potable water and electrical transmission networks, surface water drainage, street lighting and dedicated communication networks for Ooredoo, the Qatar National Broadband Network and the Qatar Armed Forces

    Under the scope of work, the appointed contractor will execute full design verification and turnkey construction under Ashghal’s standard Building and Engineering Design and Build General Conditions of Contract (2018 Edition) on a lump-sum basis. Engineering subconsultants must hold Grade 1 or International classification with the Ministry of Municipality across civil, architectural, mechanical and electrical engineering disciplines.

    The contract stipulates an execution period of 1,260 calendar days (3.5 years) from the commencement date, followed by a 400-day maintenance liability period. 

      The project is open to local and international contractors classified as Grade A in roads specialisation by Qatar’s Ministry of Finance (MoF).

      Foreign firms may participate independently or within a joint venture, provided the joint venture leader holds the requisite classification, by registering through the MoF e-procurement portal with attested equivalent certification from their home countries.

      The planned corridor is located within Al-Rayyan Municipality across Zones 82 to 84 in the Al-Sheehaniya area.

      At its eastern end, the link road begins about 40 kilometres southwest of central Doha, tying into the Salwa Road Interchange 42. At the western terminus, it connects to the roundabout adjacent to Umm Bab on the Abu Samra to Dukhan road (Route 39). 

      The link road serves as a critical logistics corridor connecting western settlements, residential districts and industrial installations, including concession areas operated by QatarEnergy.

      The western 7.5km of the alignment passes directly through the QatarEnergy District, where the corridor runs parallel to active oil and gas pipelines and includes a designated gateway monument.

      https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/21041383/main.gif
      Yasir Iqbal
    • Contractors prepare bids for Petro Rabigh bottom-of-the-barrel project

      30 October 2026

       

      Contractors are preparing proposals for Saudi Arabia’s Rabigh Refining & Petrochemical Company (Petro Rabigh) for a major project to increase output and improve the efficiency of its integrated refining and petrochemicals complex in Rabigh, on the kingdom’s Red Sea coast.

      Petro Rabigh’s downstream complex, which is majority-owned by Saudi Aramco, includes a topping refinery with a 340,000-barrel-a-day (b/d) crude-distillation unit, a 47,000 b/d hydrotreater, a 12 million-cubic-feet-a-day hydrogen plant, a 75,000 b/d naphtha Merox unit and a 60,000 b/d kerosene Merox unit. The complex also includes supporting utilities, product tankage and a marine terminal.

      The main objective of the bottom-of-the-barrel project is to convert low-value, high-sulphur fuel oil and heavy-residue streams – which account for about 20% to 22% of refinery output – into higher-value, cleaner products, including diesel and lighter distillates.

      Petro Rabigh aims to achieve residue-conversion capacity of about 64,000 to 75,000 b/d by adding integrated fuel-oil upgrading and diesel-treatment units.

      The company issued the main tender for engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) works earlier this year. Contractors have until 19 November to submit proposals, sources told MEED.

      The following companies are understood to be among those bidding for the project:

      • CTCI Corporation (Taiwan)
      • JGC Corporation (Japan)
      • Larsen & Toubro (India) / Technip Energies (France)
      • Tecnicas Reunidas (Spain)

      The overall scope of work on the project covers the construction of the following units:

      • A light-naphtha isomerisation unit
      • A deasphalting and dewaxing unit
      • An ebullated-bed processing unit
      • A sulphur block, comprising sulphur-recovery, acid-gas-removal, sour-water-stripping and sulphur-forming units
      • Sales-gas allocation facilities and associated pipeline works
      • Utilities outside battery limits
      • Auxiliary piping modifications
      • Utility and hydrocarbon tie-ins

      Petro Rabigh appointed Australia-headquartered Worley last year to carry out front-end engineering and design (feed) work for the bottom-of-the-barrel project.

      MEED also reported that Petro Rabigh appointed Worley to provide engineering and project-management consultancy (PMC) services for the project in the first quarter of this year.

      Under the contract, Worley will carry out engineering studies and PMC functions. It will also support the development of cost estimates, project-specific execution procedures and technical procedures in line with Saudi Aramco guidelines. The work covers both the design-basis scoping-paper stage and the subsequent feed stage.

      Petro Rabigh will draw on Worley’s expertise in design, procurement and processing technologies, including light-naphtha isomerisation; vacuum-residue processing through deasphalting and dewaxing; an ebullated-bed configuration integrated with the diesel-hydrotreating section; and unconverted-oil hydrotreatment.

      Worley recently confirmed its contract award from Petro Rabigh, saying it will deliver engineering, project management, procurement support and related consultancy services for projects across its client’s portfolio.

      The scope includes developing design-basis documents, conducting technical evaluations, preparing cost estimates, supporting feed tender packages and providing detailed engineering and execution-phase support as projects advance through development and delivery.

      The services will support the evaluation and development of potential new facilities and infrastructure across the complex, including process units, utilities, sulphur recovery facilities and associated infrastructure.

      “The work will help Petro Rabigh advance future projects aimed at enhancing the long-term value and performance of its refining and petrochemicals operations,” Worley said in a statement on 28 October.

      Separately, Petro Rabigh awarded US-based KBR a 10-year maintenance contract in February to support its polymer plants in Rabigh.

      KBR’s Technology Led Industrial Solutions business line will execute the operations and maintenance contract, sources told MEED. The business operates within the Houston-headquartered company’s Technology Solutions portfolio.

      In March 2024, Petro Rabigh also awarded KBR a similar five-year asset-condition-monitoring contract. Under that programme, KBR is providing predictive-maintenance services at Petro Rabigh’s main plant.

      https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/21032785/main.jpg
      Indrajit Sen
    • Contractors submit Riyadh Expo KSA pavilion bids

      30 October 2026

       

      Contractors submitted bids on 25 October for a contract to design and build the Saudi Arabia pavilion at the Expo 2030 Riyadh site.

      The facility will include exhibition halls, VIP and protocol areas, event and performance spaces, meeting rooms, food and retail outlets, and back-of-house facilities.

      The pavilion will host exhibitions, cultural and commercial showcases and official events throughout the six-month expo.

      External public realm works are also included.

      Expo 2030 Riyadh Company (ERC), tasked with delivering the Expo 2030 Riyadh venue, issued the main tender on 19 May, as MEED exclusively reported.

      Earlier this week, ERC appointed UK-based Mace as procurement advisory consultant for Expo 2030 Riyadh, supporting procurement activities across the programme.

      Under the appointment, Mace will provide procurement services and advise on the management and delivery of procurement activities, with the aim of supporting the expo’s wider programme objectives.

      Expo 2030 Riyadh will run from October 2030 to March 2031 with the theme Foresight for Tomorrow, with host authorities projecting approximately 42 million visits.

      The masterplan covers 6 square kilometres, making it one of the largest sites ever designated for a World Expo event.

      Situated north of the Saudi capital, the site is located near the future King Salman International airport and will provide direct access to Riyadh landmarks.

      The Public Investment Fund, Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth vehicle, launched Expo 2030 Riyadh Company – a wholly owned subsidiary – in June 2025 to build and operate facilities for Expo 2030.

      https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/21031590/main.jpg
      Yasir Iqbal
    • Oman announces $790m industrial investment deals

      30 October 2026

      Oman’s Public Authority for Special Economic Zones and Free Zones has signed 28 investment agreements worth more than RO304m ($790m) for new projects and expansions across the country’s special economic zones, free zones and industrial cities.

      The agreements cover more than 2 million square metres (sq m) of land and span industrial manufacturing, food production, logistics, recycling and commercial activities.

      About $383.6m of the investment has been allocated to industrial cities operated by the Public Establishment for Industrial Estates (Madayn). Sohar Free Zone accounted for $152m, followed by the Special Economic Zone at Duqm (Sezad) with $143.1m, Salalah Free Zone with $85.6m and Khazaen Economic City with more than $27m.

      The projects are expected to support Oman’s efforts to diversify its economy, expand industrial production and attract private investment in line with Oman Vision 2040.

      Investment deals

      In Sohar Industrial City, Atlas Steel will invest more than $291.1m in a plant producing iron and steel products on a site of about 440,000 sq m.

      Fujian Mancheng Industries & Investment will invest $52m in a ceramics facility covering more than 241,000 sq m. Other investments in Madayn’s industrial cities include an $18.2m phosphate and nitrogen fertiliser plant planned by Gulf Company for Organic and Biological Fertilisers in Raysut, as well as projects involving structural metal products, paper and corrugated cardboard, and oil and gas equipment and services in Raysut, Ibri and Nizwa.

      In Sohar Free Zone, Sohar Automotive & Advanced Industries Company will invest $98.8m in an automobile assembly complex covering 317,000 sq m. The complex aims to attract vehicle manufacturers, automotive supply-chain companies and advanced-manufacturing businesses.

      Voltamp High Voltage Transformers has announced a $39m investment in a plant that will produce power and electrical-distribution transformers for regional and international markets.

      Lalan Middle East will invest a further $3.9m to expand its medical-device manufacturing facility.

      ALSO READ: Oman’s Madayn prepares $637m investment drive

      In Sezad, Al-Jazir Feed Plant will invest $104m in a shrimp-feed facility to support an integrated shrimp-farming project.

      In Salalah Free Zone, Al-Nawras Industries will invest $50m in a steel-structures manufacturing facility, while Integrated Gypsum Company will invest $20m in gypsum-products production. Marai Dhofar will invest $15.6m in the production of Italian cheeses and other dairy products.

      Projects in Khazaen Economic City include a plant by Aleemit International Services to manufacture electric-vehicle chargers and components, with an investment of more than $8.8m, and a $6.5m facility by Joger Modular Building Technologies to produce precast-concrete building components.

      Additional investments in Khazaen include construction materials, ready-mix concrete, industrial units, logistics facilities and warehouses.

      https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/21016368/main.jpg
      Indrajit Sen
    • Sabic swings back to profit in Q3 with $224m net income

      30 October 2026

      Register for MEED’s 14-day trial access 

      Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (Sabic) returned to profitability in the third quarter of the year, reporting adjusted net income of SR840m ($224m) as revenue and earnings improved from the previous quarter.

      The Saudi chemicals giant had posted an adjusted net loss of $100m in the second quarter.

      Revenue increased 14% on a quarter-on-quarter basis to $7.51bn, while adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (Ebitda) climbed 40% to $1.27bn. Adjusted Ebitda surged 434% to $578.67m.

      Sabic’s net debt stood at $808m as of 30 September compared with $728m as of 30 June.

      Adjusted earnings per share rose to SR0.28 ($0.07) from a loss of SR0.13 ($0.03).

      The recovery occurred despite persistent margin pressure across the global petrochemicals sector and heightened geopolitical risk in the Middle East.

      Additionally, Sabic said it achieved $949.33m of its broader portfolio optimisation programme target of $3bn by 2030 in positive recurring Ebitda impact from its transformation efforts.

      During the third quarter, Sabic received its Local Content Certificate for 2025 from the Local Content and Government Procurement Authority, recording a score exceeding 61% – an increase of more than nine percentage points over the prior evaluation period. The company attributed the increase to domestic procurement agreements, including a memorandum of understanding with Lenovo.

      Capital projects

      After several years of subdued project spending, Sabic is beginning to step up investment in new production capacity, with major projects reaching key milestones this year.

      In February, affiliate Petrokemya awarded China National Chemical Engineering Group Corporation the main engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract for a new ethylene oxide catalyst production facility. The 4,000-tonne-a-year (t/y) unit at Jubail Industrial City includes catalyst carrier washing, drying facilities and associated utilities.

      Major ammonia-urea complex

      In September, Sabic Agri-Nutrients awarded South Korea’s Samsung E&A a $3.465bn EPC contract for its seventh production complex in Jubail Industrial City (San VII).

      The project will have an annual capacity of approximately 1.2 million metric tonnes of conventional ammonia and 2.6 million tonnes of urea, integrated with a post-combustion carbon-capture unit.

      The Ministry of Energy approved feedstock allocation for the project in March. San VII will expand the company’s total urea capacity by 54%, from approximately 4.8 million t/y to 7.4 million t/y.

      The development reflects a shift in project scope. Originally conceived as San VI – a low-carbon facility designed to yield 1.2 million t/y of blue ammonia alongside specialised nutrients – the scheme was re-engineered as a conventional ammonia and urea plant using carbon-capture systems to manage emissions intensity.

      Construction is scheduled to begin in the fourth quarter of 2026. Commissioning is slated for the third quarter of 2030, with full commercial operation targeted before year-end 2030.

      Sabic Agri-Nutrients positions the project as central to its 2040 strategy to expand export market share and support international supply chains.

      Greenfield methanol plant

      San VII is not the only major project moving forward.

      Also in September, Sabic subsidiary Saudi Methanol Company (Ar-Razi) secured feedstock approval from the Ministry of Energy to build a 1.8 million t/y greenfield methanol plant in Jubail.

      The project aligns with Sabic’s focus on scale in core petrochemical chains and provides intermediate feedstock for expanding domestic downstream manufacturing.

      https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/21015944/main2510.jpg
      Indrajit Sen