meed-logo

line1 line2 line3
SIGN IN / REGISTER

Companies confirm Saudi gigaproject slowdown

11 September 2024

 

Companies working on Saudi Arabia’s gigaprojects have expressed concerns about the pace of development in the kingdom despite increased levels of contract awards this year. 

The concerns demonstrate how Saudi Arabia’s gigaprojects programme and the marketing hype it has generated risks falling short of market expectations in spite of delivering solid progress with contract awards. 

Companies in Saudi Arabia have reported a noticeable slowdown in activity on the kingdom’s gigaprojects programme this year. 

During MEED’s webinar on Saudi Arabia’s projects market in late August, attendees were asked: “Have you seen a noticeable slowdown in activity on the gigaprojects programme this year?”. Of the 362 respondents, 72% reported a slowdown, 19% said that activity levels are roughly the same, and 10% reported an increase in activity. 

The poll results reflect a significant change in sentiment towards the Saudi market since the start of this year. In January, attendees of another MEED webinar on the Saudi projects market were asked if they anticipated more contract awards in 2024 than in 2023. Over 92% answered that they expected more awards in 2024, building on the record numbers registered in 2023, when there were $44.5bn of contract awards in the kingdom across all sectors. 

Since January, there have been reports on how the delivery of The Line at Neom will be phased, as well as rephasing exercises for other projects as budgets come under strain. These exercises followed comments from the Finance Ministry at the end of last year, which admitted that some projects will be slowed down as the government manages its finances more tightly.

The perceived slowdown in activity on the gigaprojects expressed in August is also reflected by data from regional projects tracker MEED Projects. During August this year, no contract awards were recorded on the kingdom’s five official gigaprojects: Diriyah, Neom, Qiddiya, Roshn and the projects being developed by Red Sea Global.

The total value of contracts awarded by the gigaproject developers in August 2023 was $587m, which suggests the performance in August this year was not just a result of a typical seasonal summer slowdown. 

The lack of contract awards for the gigaprojects in August bucks the otherwise positive trend for the year. By the end of August, there had been $14bn of contract awards in 2024 compared to $9bn during the same period in 2023, representing a 55% increase on last year. The total registered by the end of August this year is close to achieving the $15.8bn total registered for the full 12 months of 2023.

Major awards this year have included the $4.7bn contract to build dams at Trojena that was won by Italy’s WeBuild and a $2bn contract won by a joint venture of local firm Albawani and Qatari contractor Urbacon Trading & Contracting for the construction of assets in the Wadi Safar development of the Diriyah project in Riyadh. An estimated $1bn design-and-build contract was also secured by a joint venture of local firm El-Seif Engineering Contracting, Egyptian contractor Hassan Allam Construction and Beijing-headquartered China Harbour Engineering Company to deliver infrastructure and building works for Terminal 1 of the port at the Oxagon industrial city development in Neom.

Wider market

The broader Saudi projects market has followed a similar trajectory. By the end of August this year, there had been $72bn of contract awards compared to $44.5bn of contract awards during the same period of 2023. During August 2024, there were $14bn of contract awards, and if the market replicates this performance again, it will have already outperformed the $86bn total recorded for all of 2023. 

Major highlights include the National Housing Company (NHC) signing an agreement with Beijing-headquartered China Machinery Engineering Corporation (CMEC) to construct 20,000 housing units for projects being developed by NHC. Another major signing was the Royal Commission for Riyadh City (RCRC) awarding a SR4bn ($1bn) design-and-build contract to upgrade the Wadi Laban cable bridge to the joint venture of Turkish contracting firm IC Ictas and Riyadh-based Al-Rashid Trading & Contracting Company.

Outside of the construction sector, Saudi Aramco has awarded billions of dollars worth of contracts for major projects such as the third phase of the kingdom’s Master Gas System and the Fadhili gas plant. 

For some contractors, it is not the volume of work being awarded that is the main issue but rather the pace at which contracts are awarded.

“We were rushed to submit bids for a major project before the end of last year. There have been changes to the scope and clarifications, but ultimately, there is still no decision on a contract award,” says an international contractor working in Saudi Arabia. 

Payments are another perennial concern for companies working on projects in Saudi Arabia and the rest of the GCC. Despite the buoyant market conditions, most companies still say that getting paid on time is a problem. During the MEED webinar in August, attendees were asked if their companies were being paid on time for work on projects in the GCC. Of the 382 respondents, 64% said they were not being paid on time, while 36% said they were being paid on time. 

While contractors remain optimistic about the volume of work planned in Saudi Arabia, the slowdown in spending is forcing a shift in contractors’ bidding strategies.

“Saudi Arabia is booming,” says an international contractor working in the kingdom. “A lot of oil and gas projects are moving forward, but for the civil construction, we have noticed a slowdown and some challenges with cashflow. We expect this trend to continue, and to avoid these problems, we will focus our efforts on the revenue-generating projects.”

https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/12499188/main.gif
Colin Foreman

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

Click here to register
Exclusive from Meed
Related Articles
  • Taqa raises $750m to finance water projects

    30 July 2026

    Abu Dhabi National Energy Company (Taqa) has issued a $750m five-year blue bond to finance sustainable water and wastewater management projects.

    The company said the transaction is the largest blue bond issuance in the Europe, Middle East and Africa region. It is also the largest blue bond issued by an integrated power and water utility globally.

    Issuing the bond allows Taqa to raise money from investors specifically to support water-related environmental projects. These can include desalination, wastewater treatment, water recycling and reuse, and infrastructure that improves water efficiency.

    It is the first blue bond issued under Taqa’s Green and Blue Finance Framework, and follows another blue financing transaction in the UAE earlier this year.

    On 8 January, Dubai-based Emirates NBD bank announced the completion of a $1bn dual-tranche sustainable bond issuance, comprising a $300m blue tranche with a three-year tenor and a $700m green tranche with a five-year tenor.

    Emirates NBD said at the time that the $300m tranche was the largest blue bond issued in the UAE and GCC. The proceeds are intended to support marine conservation and sustainable water projects, while proceeds from the green tranche will finance green initiatives.

    Taqa launched its original Green Finance Framework in 2023 and updated it in 2026 to include blue financing instruments. The latest issuance takes its total green and blue labelled bond issuances to $2.6bn since 2023.

    The Taqa financing also comes as the company expands and modernises its water infrastructure. Taqa is targeting reverse-osmosis technology for 66% of its desalination capacity by 2030, up from about 40% in 2025.

    In June, Taqa awarded a contract for the construction of a 1-million-cubic-metre emergency lagoon in Abu Dhabi. The project will be developed in two phases.

    Phase one has a capacity of 500,000 cubic metres and is planned to be completed within 18 months of the contract award.

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

    Saudi Arabia builds for the global stage; Rising uncertainty creates fresh set of challenges in the Maghreb; Gulf banks remain robust in the face of geopolitical tensions.

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

    > MARKET FOCUS: Maghreb fortunes diverge
    To see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click here
    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/17845953/main.jpg
    Mark Dowdall
  • UAE renewables firm secures $375m in financing

    30 July 2026

    Positive Zero, the UAE-based renewable energy firm, has announced the successful closing of a financing facility of up to $375m.

    The long-term financing was arranged by Paris-headquartered Natixis Corporate & Investment Banking (Natixis CIB) and Saudi Arabia-based The Arab Energy Fund.

    Natixis CIB also acted as financial adviser, facility agent, security agent and green loan coordinator for the transaction.

    “The non-recourse financing is the first transaction of its kind in the region for a diversified portfolio of decentralised infrastructure assets, including distributed solar power generation, energy efficiency and clean mobility solutions,” Positive Zero said in a statement.

    “The financing will provide substantial long-term capital to support Positive Zero’s continued expansion in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman and Qatar, funding the growth of its distributed infrastructure portfolio, capital expenditure programme and strategic development initiatives,” the Dubai-based firm said.

    The new debt facility secured by Positive Zero builds on US-based BlackRock’s investment of up to $400m in the company in 2023, “further strengthening the company’s capital structure and supporting the next phase of its growth”.

    Positive Zero has the largest distributed solar capacity in the region with more than 500MW in operations and under construction, avoiding more than 450,000 metric tonnes a year of carbon emissions.

    The company has also saved over 100 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) in energy consumption across its client portfolio through its energy-efficiency solutions.

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

    Saudi Arabia builds for the global stage; Rising uncertainty creates fresh set of challenges in the Maghreb; Gulf banks remain robust in the face of geopolitical tensions.

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

    > MARKET FOCUS: Maghreb fortunes diverge
    To see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click here
    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/17845491/main3835.jpg
    Indrajit Sen
  • US-Saudi consortium to build $5bn refinery outside Strait of Hormuz

    30 July 2026

    Register for MEED’s 14-day trial access 

    A consortium of privately owned US and Saudi companies has announced an investment commitment of $5bn to build an integrated oil refining, storage and export facility outside the volatile Strait of Hormuz shipping lane.

    After three years of evaluating sites across the Gulf, the consortium has shortlisted three GCC locations beyond the Strait of Hormuz. Discussions have advanced over the past two years, with a preferred site expected to be selected by the end of 2026.

    The consortium, Mera Oil, comprises Fort Worth, Texas-based MWG Enterprises; the US-based Patel Family Office; and PWS, an associate company of Saudi Arabia’s AHQ Group.

    Mera Oil said it remains open to alternative proposals that meet its infrastructure, resilience and development requirements.

    The proposed project will feature a 200,000-barrel-a-day refinery, deepwater port connectivity, large-scale crude and refined-product storage, and marine export facilities.

    A pre-feasibility study covering refinery design, logistics, capital requirements and execution planning is at an advanced stage.

    Once a host jurisdiction is confirmed, the project will proceed to detailed site assessments and engineering design, with mechanical completion targeted for end-2029, followed by commissioning and the start of commercial operations.

    The consortium plans to focus on producing high-specification middle distillates, including ultra-low sulphur diesel and jet fuel, for selected international markets.

    The project is expected to occupy about 1,200-1,500 acres of port-connected industrial land and could create up to 3,000 direct jobs, and around 15,000 indirect and induced jobs, during construction and operations.

    Mera Oil is also progressing discussions with feedstock suppliers and expects financing to include sponsor equity, sovereign and institutional investment, project finance, export-credit support and sharia-compliant funding structures.

    “Designed as a route-resilient energy hub, the development aims to strengthen regional manufacturing, logistics, technical expertise and energy security,” Mera Oil said.

    The first phase of the planned investment will “incorporate energy-efficient refining technologies, emissions-control systems, and potential future capabilities including sustainable aviation fuel co-processing and carbon management.”

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

    Saudi Arabia builds for the global stage; Rising uncertainty creates fresh set of challenges in the Maghreb; Gulf banks remain robust in the face of geopolitical tensions.

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

    > MARKET FOCUS: Maghreb fortunes diverge
    To see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click here
    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/17843946/main.jpg
    Indrajit Sen
  • Local contractor to build nine Bahrain substations

    30 July 2026

     

    Bahrain’s Electricity & Water Authority (EWA) has awarded the local Al-Kooheji Electrical a contract to build nine 66kV substations across the kingdom, according to a source.

    The project is estimated to be worth $110m and is intended to support rising electricity demand from Bahrain’s domestic, commercial and industrial sectors.

    Four local contractors submitted commercial bids for the contract in January. The bidders were:

    • Nass Contracting ($28.4m)
    • Poullaides Construction Company ($31.7m)
    • Mohammed Jalal Contracting ($32.4m)
    • Al-Kooheji Electrical ($34m)

    The substations will be located at South Hidd Industrial, Mondelez, Alba Downstream Park, Muharraq North, Hamala West, Bani Jamra, Hoora, Maqabah East and West Riffa Club.

    The scope includes the construction of the nine substations and control rooms, as well as the installation of transformers, switchgear and feeders connecting the facilities to the grid.

    It also covers communication cabling, monitoring systems, safety and security systems, and associated civil and structural works.

    As MEED understands, the substations are scheduled to be commissioned in stages. Two are planned for 2026, followed by four in 2027 and the remaining three in 2028.

    Serbia’s Energoprojekt Entel was appointed as consultant for the project in April 2025. The consultant’s contract was valued at about $460,000.

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/17834380/main.jpg
    Mark Dowdall
  • CB&I’s newly acquired unit wins Abu Dhabi wells contract

    30 July 2026

    US-based Chicago Bridge & Iron (CB&I) has announced that its Asset Solutions business – acquired earlier this year from UK-headquartered contractor Petrofac – has won a hydrocarbon well services contract in Abu Dhabi.

    The contract was awarded by Cosmo E&P Albahriya, a wholly owned UAE-based subsidiary of Japan’s Cosmo Energy Holdings Company (Cosmo).

    Under the well engineering services contract, CB&I Asset Solutions will support drilling, engineering, planning and operational activities for offshore Block 4 in Abu Dhabi.

    Cosmo secured 100% exploration rights for offshore Block 4 – covering 4,865 square kilometres of Gulf waters northwest of Abu Dhabi city – in February 2021.

    The block was offered in Abu Dhabi’s second hydrocarbons block competitive bidding round, launched by Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc) in May 2019.

    “The award strengthens Asset Solutions’ position in the Middle East and solidifies new relationships with key regional operators. With shared goals of prioritising safe, stable and environmentally conscious production, CB&I’s UAE-based team will draw on its local and global experience of delivering innovative well engineering solutions,” the Texas-based CB&I said in a statement.

    ALSO READ: Abu Dhabi awards production licences for hydrocarbon blocks

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

    Saudi Arabia builds for the global stage; Rising uncertainty creates fresh set of challenges in the Maghreb; Gulf banks remain robust in the face of geopolitical tensions.

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

    > MARKET FOCUS: Maghreb fortunes diverge
    To see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click here
    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/17834142/main4710.jpg
    Indrajit Sen