meed-logo

line1 line2 line3
SIGN IN / REGISTER

Completing infrastructure ahead of time

10 December 2024

 

In late December 2023, Bahrain opened the Al-Fateh Highway project to traffic five months ahead of schedule. The highway connects key areas in Bahrain, including Manama, Mina Salman, Sitra, Muharraq, Bahrain Bay and Juffair, and opening the scheme promptly has significantly improved traffic in one of the most congested areas of the country.

“The secret to success was implementing the project in stages, combined with excellent traffic management,” says Minister of Works Ibrahim Bin Hassan Al-Hawaj. 

The successful completion of the Al-Fateh Highway project comes at an important time for Bahrain, as it continues to upgrade its road network. 

“The lessons we learned from Al-Fateh Highway are being utilised on other projects. We are working on the Muharraq Ring Road project, and that is also going to be open for traffic well ahead of time,” says Al-Hawaj.

Like Al-Fateh Highway, the Muharraq Ring Road project connects key commercial and residential areas in Bahrain, including North Muharraq, Diyar Al-Muharraq and Dilmunia.

Multifaceted approach

These projects are part of Bahrain’s comprehensive approach to alleviating road traffic.

“In 2016, we launched a study that identified projects that could help ease congestion. It proposed a multifaceted approach that covers many things, including public transport and an intelligent transport system, which introduces automation,” explains Al-Hawaj. 

“We have not implemented everything in the study, but we are working through it gradually with the Traffic Council, headed by his excellency the minister of interior, and including the Ministry of Works, Ministry of Transportation and Ministry of Housing & Urban Planning. We have regular meetings to identify challenges and then put forward suitable projects to solve them,” says Al-Hawaj. 

The Ministry of Works is responsible for maintaining, improving and expanding the road network. Its projects are split into four categories. 

The first two categories are the major projects. The first is building new roads, while the second is improving the existing road network, either by widening roads or upgrading intersections. 

Then there are the other two categories. These are maintaining the existing road network – which is a challenging task with existing traffic – and a fourth category that is known as ‘quick wins’. These small, tactical-level projects can be completed quickly to ease specific traffic black spots. 

“We have about 60 projects under implementation, valued at BD172m ($456.2m), and among these are 14 strategic projects that amount to BD117m,” says Al-Hawaj.

Upcoming schemes

The pipeline of projects under execution will soon be expanded with the addition of a fourth crossing connecting Busaiteen with Bahrain Bay. The Bahrain Tender Board opened prices for the contract to build the signature bridge crossing in late November. 

“The fourth crossing project is going to start in 2025,” says Al-Hawaj.

Looking further ahead, more road contracts will be awarded. “There are more than BD200m of future projects approved, and they will go to tender in the coming two years,” says Al-Hawaj.

There are more than BD200m of future projects approved, and they will go to tender in the coming two years

One of the roads that suffers from high traffic volumes is Sheikh Jaber Ahmed Al-Sabah Highway, from Umm Al-Hassam to the Alba intersection. 

“This is our biggest project in the future. There will be four lanes in each direction, and all the intersections will be free-flowing traffic either by underpass or flyovers. We will get rid of all the traffic lights,” says Al-Hawaj. 

The project will move into the construction phase next year with preparation works. 

“One of the main lessons from the Al-Fateh Highway project is to free the construction zone from any services before construction starts. It will take some time to redirect the existing utilities, and then we will immediately go into construction,” says Al-Hawaj.

Another upcoming major scheme is the Bahrain Northern Link Road (BNLR) project that will run along the northern coast of Manama from the Bahrain Bay area in the east to Madinat Salman in the west. Initial estimates suggest that the scheme, which will have sections onshore and offshore, could cost BD500m to deliver. 

Together with the fourth crossing project and the Northern Muharraq Ring Road, the BNLR scheme will create a new road corridor along the northern edge of Bahrain. 

Unlike other road projects in Bahrain, the BNLR will be delivered as a public-private partnership project. Dar Al-Handasah was selected for the project’s feasibility study in 2022. 

Away from roads, another major area of responsibility for the Ministry of Works is sanitation. At present, 86% of premises in Bahrain are connected to the sanitation network and sewage treatment plants (STPs), and there are plans to connect the remaining 14%.

STP capacity is also increasing. The capacity of Bahrain’s largest plant at Tubli is being doubled, and there is an expansion under way for the STP at Muharraq. The Sitra STP is also being upgraded, using technology from UK company Bluewater, which allows for capacity to increase without adding to the footprint of the site. 

A greenfield project is also planned. “We have a new plant coming soon at Khalifa City,” says Al-Hawaj. 

“We are finalising the drawings, and a tender is expected to be issued in the first quarter of 2025. We will start with 20,000 cubic metres a day, but the ultimate capacity will be 40,000 cubic metres a day.” 

https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/13100800/main.gif
Colin Foreman

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

Click here to register
Exclusive from Meed
Related Articles
  • Local firm submits $515m lowest bid for Kuwait water project

    28 July 2026

    Kuwait’s Combined Group Contracting has announced it has submitted the lowest bid for a contract to develop a major treated water system in the country’s southern region.

    The contractor submitted a price of KD159.96m ($515m) for the scheme, according to a company disclosure dated 27 July.

    The project covers the development, construction, completion, operation and maintenance of a treated water system in southern Kuwait.

    Kuwait’s Ministry of Public Works (MPW) is the client for the project. MPW issued the tender on 22 March and bids were submitted on 26 July.

    The scope includes infrastructure to collect and transmit treated sewage effluent in southern Kuwait. This covers pipelines, pumping stations, storage reservoirs and distribution infrastructure, as well as associated mechanical, electrical, instrumentation and control systems.

    The scheme is intended to support Kuwait’s food security system. The contract has a duration of 1,825 days, equivalent to about five years. Combined Group said it has not yet received an official notice of award.

    MPW issued a similar tender in March covering the construction of a treated water system in northern Kuwait. Bids for this tender were also submitted on 26 July.

    Separately, Kuwait’s Public Authority for Housing Welfare (PAHW) has extended the bid submission deadlines for two tenders covering power transmission works at the South Saad Al-Abdullah residential development, as exclusively reported by MEED.

    The first tender covers the supply, installation and maintenance of 10 main 132/11kV transformer substations for the third phase of the development. 

    The second tender covers the supply, installation and maintenance of 10 main 132/11kV transformer substations for the fourth phase of the project. 

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/17794219/main.jpg
    Mark Dowdall
  • Masdar signs renewables deals in Montenegro

    28 July 2026

    Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar) and Montenegro’s state power utility Elektroprivreda Crne Gore (EPCG) have signed agreements to advance renewable energy projects in Montenegro.

    The agreements cover the joint development of two solar projects with a combined capacity of 150MW.

    The companies have also signed a framework agreement to explore the development of more than 400MW of pumped hydro energy storage projects.

    The projects will be the first to be progressed through a 50:50 joint venture planned by Masdar and EPCG.

    The two companies signed a joint venture agreement in April as part of a wider 2GW renewable energy partnership in Montenegro.

    The latest agreements were signed in the presence of Sultan Al-Jaber, UAE minister of industry and advanced technology and chairman of Masdar, and Admir Sahmanovic, Montenegro’s minister of energy and mining.

    Masdar has an existing presence in Montenegro through its investment in the 72MW Krnovo wind farm.

    European expansion

    The developer has been accelerating foreign investment plans in 2026. As part of its European expansion plans, it signed an agreement with Spanish energy firm Repsol in June to acquire a 49.99% stake in a local renewable energy portfolio.

    The deal valued the portfolio at €849m ($982m).

    The portfolio comprises 705MW of operational capacity, including 13 wind farms with a combined capacity of 402MW and six solar photovoltaic solar parks with a total capacity of 303MW.

    All the assets entered operation in 2025 and the first quarter of 2026. The portfolio also includes a pipeline of future wind, solar and battery storage projects with a combined capacity of more than 565MW.

    Growth in Asia

    In April, Masdar signed a binding agreement with France’s TotalEnergies to establish a $2.2bn joint venture to develop, build and operate renewable energy projects across Asia.

    The combined business will have 3GW of operational capacity and 6GW of projects in advanced development, targeted for commissioning by 2030.

    In June, Masdar broke ground on a 1GW wind farm in Kazakhstan’s Zhambyl region, marking the company’s first renewable energy project in the country. 

    The $1.4bn development is one of the largest integrated wind and battery energy storage projects in Central Asia. It will combine a 1GW wind farm with a 600 MWh battery energy storage system.

    Masdar is targeting a global renewable energy portfolio of 100GW by 2030. It recently reached 65GW, two-thirds of the way to that target.

    The company plans to deploy an additional $30bn-$35bn in equity and project finance by 2030, adding an average of 10GW of new capacity each year.

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/17792896/main.jpg
    Mark Dowdall
  • Geopolitics tests Dubai property with hotels hardest hit

    28 July 2026

    Dubai’s residential market cooled sharply in the second quarter of 2026, and the hospitality sector recorded its steepest downturn in years, according to US-based real estate research firm CBRE’s latest UAE market review. Office and industrial real estate, however, continued to defy a weaker macroeconomic backdrop, the report said.

    The figures, published on 28 July, mark a turning point for a residential sector that has driven much of Dubai’s post-pandemic growth story.

    Transaction volumes fell 29% year-on-year to just under 37,000 sales in the second quarter, down from more than 51,000 in the same period last year.

    Total transaction values dropped even further, to AED88bn ($24bn) from close to AED154bn ($42bn) in the second quarter of 2025.

    Rents have moved into negative territory faster than prices. While sales values were still up 1.9% year-on-year, average residential rents fell 2.6% annually and 6.2% quarter-on-quarter.

    About 18,000 new units were completed in the first half of the year, adding to supply just as demand and transaction activity were softening.

    The contrast with Abu Dhabi is stark. The capital’s residential values rose 21.6% year-on-year, powered by 24.4% growth in apartment prices, while rents climbed a further 3.6%.

    Sales values reached AED32bn ($8.7bn), up 150% on the same quarter last year, with transaction volumes up around 80%.

    Off-plan sales accounted for roughly 83% of deals and 85% of value, underscoring investor appetite for new launches even as Dubai’s own off-plan pipeline slows.

    Hospitality bears the brunt

    The hospitality sector recorded the most pronounced downturn of any asset class tracked in the review. Regional geopolitical disruption weighed heavily on international travel demand and airline operations through the first half of the year, with UAE-wide hotel occupancy down 27.7 percentage points year-on-year to June and revenue per available room (RevPAR) down 31.8%, according to CoStar data cited in the report.

    Dubai absorbed the sharpest declines, reflecting its greater reliance on international visitor flows, while Abu Dhabi held up comparatively better on the strength of domestic demand and events-led tourism.

    Operators have responded with staycation packages, domestic tourism campaigns and refurbishment programmes aimed at protecting market positioning ahead of an anticipated recovery in international arrivals.

    Office and industrial hold strong

    Away from housing and hotels, the picture is markedly different. Dubai office rents rose 13% year-on-year, with prime rents up 16% and occupancy at about 94%, as demand concentrated in DIFC, Tecom and DMCC continues to outpace the delivery of new Grade A stock.

    Abu Dhabi’s office market performed even more strongly, with rents up nearly 16% and occupancy at 96%, driven by ADGM-based financial services firms including hedge funds.

    With less than 300,000 square metres (sq m) of new office space due between 2026 and 2027, both emirates face a supply squeeze that is likely to sustain rental growth into next year.

    Retail occupancy remained resilient at about 98% in Dubai and 95% in Abu Dhabi despite softer tourism flows and shifting consumer spending, with Dubai rents up around 3% year-on-year.

    A new wave of retail supply is in the pipeline, led by Al-Khail Avenue in Dubai and the first phase of Saadiyat Grove in Abu Dhabi.

    Industrial and logistics stand out

    Underpinned by government-led localisation programmes, the UAE industrial exports reached AED262bn ($71bn) in 2025, with Operation300bn and Make it in the Emirates (MIITE) continuing to draw manufacturing and logistics investment.

    Abu Dhabi secured AED48.5bn ($13.2bn) in commitments through MIITE alongside new logistics agreements at Kezad. At the same time, Dubai recorded strong rental growth across Dubai Industrial City, Dubai Investments Park and National Industries Park.

    CBRE now forecasts a marginal UAE GDP contraction of 0.04% for 2026, reflecting disruption to trade, tourism and aviation, though it expects a strong rebound in 2027 as regional conditions normalise.

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

    Stress test for Gulf aviation; Mixed performance as country outlooks diverge in the Levant; GCC tourism sector pivots from crisis to recovery mode.

    Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the July 2026 edition of MEED Business Review includes:
    To see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click here
    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/17792437/main.jpg
    Yasir Iqbal
  • Kuwait extends deadlines for power infrastructure packages

    28 July 2026

    Kuwait’s Public Authority for Housing Welfare (PAHW) has extended the bid submission deadline for two tenders covering power transmission works at the South Saad Al-Abdullah residential development.

    The first tender covers the supply, installation and maintenance of 10 main 132/11kV transformer substations for the third phase of the development. 

    The bid deadline has been extended to 19 August. The original deadline was 5 August.

    The second tender covers the supply, installation and maintenance of 10 main 132/11kV transformer substations for the fourth phase of the project. 

    The bid deadline for this project has also been moved to 19 August.

    Both projects were initially tendered in May. As reported by MEED, PAHW previously issued addendums for both substation tenders, revising the qualification requirements for bidders.

    According to the revised requirements, contractors must be approved by Kuwait’s Ministry of Electricity, Water & Renewable Energy and have experience supplying and installing at least 10 132kV substations in Kuwait.

    The addendums also introduced requirements related to transformer and gas-insulated switchgear manufacturing approvals, as well as operational performance records for installed equipment

    Sabah Al-Ahmad residential city

    Meanwhile, bids were submitted on 16 July for two 132kV underground cable tenders for the South Sabah Al-Ahmad residential development.

    PAHW had tendered the contracts in May.

    The first cable tender covers the supply, extension and maintenance of 132kV underground cables feeding eight main transformer substations serving the N1, N6 and N11 districts in the project’s fourth phase. 

    According to sources, Egytech Cables, a subsidiary of Egypt’s Elsewedy Electric, was the lowest bidder with an offer of $42.37m.

    The other bidders include:

    • TBEA Shandong Luneng Taishan Cable (China, $44.06m)
    • Riyadh Cables (Saudi Arabia, $44.57m)
    • The Contractor General Trading & Contracting (Kuwait, $46.26)

    The second cable tender covers the supply, extension and maintenance of 132kV underground cables linked to substations serving the N5, N6, N8 and N10 districts in the project’s third phase. 

    Egytech Cables submitted the lowest offer of $39.95m. TBEA Shandong Luneng Taishan Cable submitted a bid of $41.89m along with Riyadh Cables ($42.05m) and The Contractor General Trading & Contracting ($44.97m).

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/17786669/main.jpg
    Mark Dowdall
  • Ashghal tenders northern Smaisma infrastructure consultancy

    28 July 2026

     

    Qatar’s Public Works Authority (Ashghal) has issued a tender for consultancy services related to infrastructure development in the northern Smaisma area.

    The tender was issued on 19 July, with a bid submission deadline of 8 September.

    The scope covers construction supervision consultancy services for package seven (A and B).

    According to local media reports, the scope of package seven A includes the airstrip road, the coastal road and connections to the existing Al-Khor Expressway, spanning an area of about 18.5 kilometres.

    Ashghal floated the main contract tender for this package in March, as MEED reported.

    The contract duration is four years from the start of construction.

    Package seven B includes foul sewer infrastructure, drainage networks and road development works spanning more than 1.3km.

    The latest tender follows Ashghal’s announcement of contract awards for 12 new projects, with a total value exceeding QR4.5bn ($1.2bn).

    According to a notice published on its website, these include six building projects, most notably the redevelopment of Hamad General Hospital, with a contract value of about QR1.1bn ($301m).

    Other projects awarded include the construction of a post office building in Al-Thumama; renovation works at the Qatar Racing & Equestrian Club and the Qatar Equestrian Federation; and the implementation of Phase 4 of the Al-Uqda Equestrian Complex development.

    In the roads and infrastructure sector, four projects have been awarded, led by packages one and two of the road and infrastructure development works in Izghawa and Al-Thumaid.

    The awards also include a landscaping project and an air-conditioned walkway at Qatar University, as part of broader public-facilities improvement initiatives.

    UK analytics firm GlobalData forecasts that Qatar’s construction industry will expand by 4.3% in 2026, supported by investments in renewable energy and transportation infrastructure.

    Meanwhile, the Planning & Statistics Authority reports that Qatar’s construction value-added grew by 6.6% year on year in the first half of 2025.

    GlobalData also expects the industry to grow at an average annual rate of 4.6% in 2027-29, supported by investment in construction, energy and infrastructure projects.

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/17791590/main.gif
    Yasir Iqbal