meed-logo

line1 line2 line3
SIGN IN / REGISTER

Another bumper year for Mena projects

25 December 2024

 

The Middle East’s projects market in 2024 has been fuelled by the same heady cocktail of favourable oil prices, continued investment into oil and gas projects, government infrastructure spending, the energy transition, real estate investment and economic diversification that propelled the total value of awards in 2023 to record levels.

By the end of October 2024, there were $262bn of contract awards across the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region, according to regional projects tracker MEED Projects. By the end of the year, the 2024 total may top the $290bn recorded in 2023. 

While economic diversification is a priority for governments across the region, oil and gas remains a key sector for project awards. The three largest contract awards in 2024 were from the sector.

The top-ranked contract by value was a $20bn deal awarded to Iranian companies Petropars, Oil Industries Engineering & Construction, Khatam Al-Anbiya Construction Headquarters and Mapna Group for the South Pars gas field pressure-boosting project in Iran by Pars Oil & Gas Company.

Next was the $8bn deal won by China’s Hualu Engineering Technology Company for delivering the Al-Faw refinery in Iraq for Southern Refineries Company.

The third-largest award was a $5.5bn contract won by a joint venture of France’s Technip Energies, Japan’s JGC Corporation and the UAE’s NMDC Group for the Ruwais low-carbon liquefied natural gas terminal project by Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc).

These contract awards mean that the oil and gas sector accounted for 32% of the $262bn total that was recorded in the Mena region by the end of October 2024.

Breaking down the sector into oil and gas separately reveals a telling trend. Oil accounts for 12% of awards, while gas accounts for 20%. These numbers reflect the growing importance of gas as a transition fuel that is cleaner and more environmentally friendly than oil, but still provides the dependable energy that many renewable alternatives still do not offer. 

Strong performances

Construction is the second-largest sector after oil and gas, accounting for 23% of awards. Its significance has dropped in 2024 compared to 2023, when it accounted for 32% of contract awards. 

In terms of value, there were $68bn of contract awards in 2024 until the end of October. If the same pace is maintained during November and December, the 2024 total is expected to be about $81bn, which falls short of the 2023 total of $97bn. 

While the total value of contract awards may have dropped, there was the largest construction contract award on record in 2024 – a $4.7bn deal secured by Italian contractor WeBuild for the construction of three dams for the Trojena mountain resort at Saudi Arabia’s Neom gigaproject. 

The power sector accounted for 18% of the total awards during the period, the largest of which was the $5.3bn contract won by Saudi Arabia’s Alfanar Projects and China Electric Power Equipment & Technology Company for the 7,000MW Saudi Central, Western and Southern Regions high-voltage direct current overhead transmission lines project being developed by Saudi Electricity Company.

When analysed by country, Saudi Arabia and the UAE dominate the market, and together they account for over 60% of contract awards across the region in 2024 up to the end of October. 

As the region’s largest economy, it is unsurprising that Saudi Arabia accounts for the largest share, with 38.6%, followed by the UAE, which had 22%. The next most significant country was Iran, which came in a distant third with 8% of contract awards. 

The outsized contribution of Saudi Arabia and the UAE reflects the relative economic stability found in the GCC compared to other countries in the region that are grappling with the impact of conflict and other associated financial pressures. 

Looking beyond the contract awards numbers, the biggest project announcement in 2024 came in April, when Abu Dhabi investment vehicle ADQ released details of plans to invest $35bn in Egypt. The plans involve ADQ acquiring the development rights for Ras El-Hekma, a planned new city on Egypt’s northern Mediterranean coast, for $24bn. 

The development has been billed as having the potential to attract over $150bn in investment.

In October, ADQ appointed its subsidiary Modon Holding as the master developer for Ras El-Hekma. Modon will act as the master developer for the entire development, which covers more than 170 square kilometres (sq km). 

Modon will develop the first phase, which covers 50 sq km, and the remaining 120 sq km will delivered with private developers.

Key partners for delivering the project have already been found. For construction, Modon has signed a framework agreement with Egyptian firm Orascom Construction to serve as the primary contractor for the project’s first phase. 

Modon also signed a deal with Abu Dhabi National Energy Company (Taqa) for developing, financing and operating greenfield utility infrastructure projects, water desalination projects, electricity transmission and distribution projects and wastewater projects at the Ras El-Hekma development.

While economic diversification is a priority for governments across the region, oil and gas remains a key sector for project awards

Future prospects

Looking ahead, the performance of the projects market in 2025 will depend  on the favourable macroeconomic conditions remaining in the GCC, which if the other four members of the six-nation bloc are added, accounted for nearly 72% of the Mena region’s total contract awards during the first 10 months of 2024. 

The key metric to watch in 2025 will be the oil price. In mid-November, the price of Brent Crude was $72 a barrel, which is below what many in the region, including Saudi Arabia, require if they are to maintain their project spending plans. 

The outlook for oil prices is uncertain and after oil producers’ group Opec cut its global demand growth forecasts for both 2024 and 2025 for the fourth time, highlighting economic weakness in China, India and other regions, there are concerns prices will dip in 2025. 

The election of Donald Trump as US president adds to those concerns. He has promised to “drill, baby, drill”, and a sharp uptick in output from the US could cause oil prices to soften further.

Trump is also a protectionist and has said ‘tariff’ is his favourite word. Most of his new tariffs are expected to be aimed at China, which could mean that Chinese companies look to other markets that remain open to them, including the Middle East.

The appeal is clear to see. Chinese contractors already command a dominant position in the region – particularly in North Africa and Iraq – and Chinese companies will find great appeal in affluent markets such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE, which can offer large-scale project opportunities.

The other metric that will drive the projects market in 2025 is real estate. In the UAE, much of the ongoing development work is supported by the buoyant property market, particularly in Dubai, which has grown strongly throughout 2024. 

According to a report by data and analytics company Reidin, property sales in the UAE reached AED46.52bn ($12.7bn) in October 2024, marking a 55% year-on-year increase. Demand also remains robust, with 19,500 transactions recorded in October, reflecting a 72% rise compared to the same period in 2023. 

Looking ahead to 2025, Reidin says that the outlook remains optimistic as sustained demand, rising property values and steady inventory turnover are all expected to continue driving growth. 

While the forecast supports a positive outlook for construction in the UAE, those who have seen Dubai’s property market collapse before will be keenly watching the data in 2025.

https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/13024940/main.gif
Colin Foreman

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

Click here to register
Exclusive from Meed
Related Articles
  • Dubai property bubble risk rises as price growth stalls

    25 September 2026

    Register for MEED’s 14-day trial access 

    Dubai’s residential property market remains in elevated bubble-risk territory after a sharp slowdown in price growth, according to UBS.

    The emirate’s housing boom came to an abrupt halt at the onset of the regional conflict, the Swiss bank said in its Global Real Estate Bubble Index 2026 report. Inflation-adjusted house prices have fallen back to mid-2025 levels, after real growth of more than 10% in 2025.

    Dubai scored 1.16 on the index, up on last year, placing it fourth among the 23 cities covered. Only Zurich and Tokyo, at 1.69 and 1.54 respectively, are classed as high risk. Miami, Seoul, Geneva and Lisbon join Dubai in the elevated category, which covers scores between 1.0 and 1.5.

    Real prices in Dubai rose by 0.4% in the year to Q2 2026, while real rents fell by 4%. UBS said bubble risk remained elevated despite some easing since March.

    Ownership costs

    UBS said existing tenants were likely to take advantage of the pause in price growth and, in some cases, price concessions to buy homes. Despite elevated mortgage rates, Dubai remains one of the few markets where ownership is relatively attractive given the high cost of renting, according to the bank.

    A skilled service worker in Dubai needs about five years of average income to buy a 60-square-metre apartment near the city centre, compared with about 15 years in Hong Kong and 11 years in London. It takes 16 years of rent to pay for an equivalent apartment, one of the lowest ratios in the study. UBS attributed the low price-to-rent ratios in Dubai, Sao Paulo and the US cities surveyed to less regulated rental markets and higher interest rates, as well as elevated risk premiums in Dubai and Sao Paulo.

    The bank said uncertainty over whether the inflow of high-income earners would recover was weighing on the premium segment. It added that Dubai’s structural advantages, including its strategic location and its appeal as an international business hub, remained intact, and that an improvement in the geopolitical environment was likely to support a rapid recovery in market sentiment and price expectations.

    Supply is a further source of uncertainty. Some developments have stalled, and others may be delivered later than planned, although UBS said the market remained exposed to heightened volatility because of persistent concerns about structural oversupply.

    Global slowdown

    Across the cities analysed, real residential prices rose by an average of 0.5% in the year, down from 1.4% in mid-2025. Seoul recorded the strongest real growth, at 11%, while Toronto and Vancouver fell by about 10%.

    The report also points to Gulf capital supporting other markets. UBS said interest from Middle Eastern buyers could further lift prices in Geneva, and that investors from the Middle East, the US and Asia had supported London’s prime segment.

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/19987757/main.jpg
    Colin Foreman
  • UAE vehicle manufacturing push moves into production

    25 September 2026

     

    Register for MEED’s 14-day trial access 

    Chinese-linked carmaker Rox has begun vehicle production at Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi (Kezad). The start-up represents the most significant output so far from the UAE’s efforts to build an automotive manufacturing industry.

    The first three Rox Adamas vehicles, carrying the Made in the Emirates mark, came off the production line at the company’s new Abu Dhabi facility in early September. The 10,000-square-metre plant is expected to reach an initial capacity of 20,000 vehicles a year by 2027, rising to 300,000 vehicles a year by 2030.

    The facility can sub-assemble more than 80 types of vehicle components and also carries out complete vehicle assembly, calibration, rain and road testing, and final inspection. Rox moved its global headquarters to the UAE last year and plans to supply local and export markets.

    The project forms part of Rox’s partnership with the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (Adio) and is supported by the UAE Ministry of Industry & Advanced Technology. Kezad Group signed the lease agreement for the facility in May.

    Programme targets

    The Rox plant is the first major output of a state-led strategy that has gathered pace over the past 18 months. Adio launched its automotive programme at the Make it in the Emirates forum in May 2025, with the aim of creating a hub for vehicle manufacturing and assembly, research and development, restoration, auctions and luxury cars.

    The programme is projected to contribute AED100bn ($27.2bn) to Abu Dhabi’s GDP by 2045, attract more than AED8bn ($2.2bn) in foreign direct investment and create 7,000 skilled jobs. Adio has also introduced an automotive artificial intelligence curriculum with universities to develop Emirati talent in the sector.

    In October last year, Adio and AD Ports Group agreed to work with Netherlands-based Stellantis to develop the emirate’s automotive ecosystem. The memorandum of understanding covers expansion into Middle East and Africa markets, an ecosystem for autonomous taxi services, and research into next-generation mobility technologies.

    Under the agreement, Stellantis will explore investment opportunities in Abu Dhabi, while Adio and AD Ports Group will provide market intelligence and logistics support. The announcements did not include a commitment to build a production facility.

    Kezad already hosts smaller electric vehicle (EV) operations. In 2024, UAE-headquartered NWTN signed a lease for a Kezad facility with capacity to assemble 5,000-10,000 semi-knocked-down EVs a year, with plans to expand to 50,000 units in a second phase.

    Trading hub

    Dubai has focused on vehicle trade rather than manufacturing. In November last year, Dubai Municipality signed a partnership agreement with DP World’s Economic Zones division to establish and manage the Dubai Auto Market, a 22 million-square-foot complex with more than 1,500 showrooms that is designed to handle over 800,000 new and used vehicles a year.

    Enabling works are under way, carried out by local contractor Rad International Road Construction, with US-based Aecom serving as project consultant. Sheikh Maktoum Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, first deputy ruler of Dubai, said at the launch that the project would foster a cluster of light industries for vehicle assembly and trade.

    The market builds on an established base. Jebel Ali Free Zone hosts more than 940 automotive and spare-parts companies, including Ford, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Nissan and Volkswagen. In 2022, M Glory Group laid the foundation stone for a AED1.5bn ($408m) EV plant at Dubai Industrial City, with a planned capacity of 55,000 cars a year.

    Regional competition

    The UAE is not alone in pursuing automotive manufacturing. In Saudi Arabia, the Public Investment Fund (PIF) owns 70% of Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Middle East, which will roll out its first vehicle by Q4 2026 and targets annual production of 50,000 vehicles. Ceer, the kingdom’s first EV manufacturer, intends to roll its first vehicle off the production line in late 2026.

    Saudi Arabia’s National Industrial Strategy aims to attract three to four manufacturers capable of producing more than 300,000 vehicles a year within a single automotive cluster. In Qatar, JTA International Investment Holding said last month that it was working with the UK’s Watt Electric Vehicle Company to set up a factory.

    The two leading Gulf economies are taking different approaches. Saudi Arabia has relied on direct PIF shareholdings in manufacturers. In the UAE, investment offices, port groups and economic zone operators have led the effort, using land, logistics and incentives to attract privately owned carmakers.

    Scaling up is the next test. Rox’s plan to increase output fifteen-fold between 2027 and 2030 will show whether Abu Dhabi’s model can support volume manufacturing. Achieving it would give the UAE production capacity comparable to the level Saudi Arabia is targeting across its entire automotive cluster.

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/19986887/main.jpeg
    Colin Foreman
  • SAR prepares phosphate rail second section contract award

    25 September 2026

     

    Saudi Arabian Railways (SAR) is preparing to formally award another multibillion-riyal contract to double the tracks on the existing phosphate transport railway network connecting the Waad Al-Shamal mines to Ras Al-Khair in the kingdom’s Eastern Province.

    The contract covers construction works on the second section of the railway line, spanning more than 150 kilometres (km).

    The scope of work includes civil works, alignment modifications, track and loop construction, and associated infrastructure such as bridges and culverts, as well as enhancements to signalling and telecommunications systems.

    SAR floated the tender in February, and bids were submitted in April.

    SAR is making significant progress on its Phosphate 3 rail programme. Last month, MEED exclusively reported that SAR had awarded an estimated SR4bn-plus ($1.1bn) contract to add another track to the first section of the existing phosphate transport railway network.

    The contract was awarded to local firm Alomaier Trading & Contracting Company.

    The scope includes track doubling, alignment modifications, utility bridges, culvert widening and hydrological structures, as well as the conversion of the AZ1 siding into a mainline track. It also covers support works for signalling and telecommunications systems.

    The existing railway runs from the Waad Al-Shamal mines to Ras Al-Khair. The first-section works will cover about 100km, connecting the AZ1/Nariyah Yard to Ras Al-Khair.

    Switzerland-based engineering firm ARX is the project consultant.

    Formerly known as the North-South Railway, the North Train is a 1,550km freight line running from the phosphate and bauxite mines in the far north of the kingdom to the Al-Baithah junction. From there, it diverges into a line south to Riyadh and another line east to downstream fertiliser production and alumina refining facilities at Ras Al-Khair on the Gulf coast.

    Adding a second track and freight yards will significantly increase the network’s cargo-carrying capacity and support growth in industrial production. Project implementation is expected to take four years.

    State-owned SAR is also considering increasing the localisation of railway materials and equipment, including developing a cement sleeper manufacturing facility.

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/19983928/main.jpg
    Yasir Iqbal
  • Meraas awards $272m Nad Al-Sheba Gardens villas deal

    25 September 2026

    Dubai-based real estate developer Meraas Holding, part of Dubai Holding, has awarded a AED1bn ($272m) contract for the construction of the seventh phase of the Nad Al-Sheba Gardens community.

    The contract, which covers the delivery of 272 villas and townhouses, was awarded to local firm GCC Contracting.

    The scope of work includes 130 villas, 142 three-bedroom townhouses, and associated utilities and infrastructure.

    Construction has started, and the project is slated for completion in 2028.

    Last year, Meraas awarded a AED690m ($188m) contract for the construction of the fourth phase of the Nad Al-Sheba Gardens community in Dubai.

    Meraas awarded the contract to local firm Bhatia General Contracting.

    The scope of that contract covers the construction of 92 townhouses, 96 villas and two pool houses.

    In December last year, Meraas announced the eleventh and final phase of its Nad Al-Sheba Gardens residential community. This phase includes the development of 210 new villas and townhouses, as well as a school, located in the northwest corner of the development.

    According to UK analytics firm GlobalData, the UAE’s construction industry will register annual growth of 3.9% between 2025 and 2027, supported by investments in infrastructure, renewable energy, oil and gas, housing, industrial and tourism projects.

    The residential construction sector is expected to record an average annual growth rate of 2.7% between 2025 and 2028, supported by private investment in residential housing, along with government initiatives to meet rising demand.

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/19983032/main.png
    Yasir Iqbal
  • KBR opens new office in Libya

    25 September 2026

     

    US-based KBR has opened a local branch office in Libya as it seeks to expand operations in the country, according to industry sources.

    The local branch opening follows several significant contract wins in the country.

    In March, KBR announced that it had been awarded a contract by Zallaf Exploration, Production & Refining of Oil & Gas Company to provide project management and technical services for the South Refinery Project in Libya’s southern city of Ubari.

    Under the terms of the contract, KBR will provide contract management, project management and supporting technical services throughout the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) phases of the project, according to a company statement.

    The EPC work is expected to be executed over a 50-month period.

    In its statement, KBR said that the project was aligned with its “long-standing commitment to advancing vital oil and gas infrastructure in Libya”.

    KBR is currently re-evaluating the front-end engineering and design (feed) for the project to develop the J6 North Gialo field in Libya.

    In February this year, KBR officials said registration procedures to open a local branch were being finalised and that the company was seeking the necessary operating permits.

    KBR has previously provided engineering services for major national projects in Libya, but was forced to shut down its office in the country several times amid political instability and security issues.

    When the company was known as Brown & Root, it worked on the Great Man-Made River Project in Libya, which is widely recognised as the largest irrigation project in the world.

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/19981331/main.png
    Wil Crisp