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  Syria signs deal with Acwa Power for 2.5GW renewables

  4 September 2025

  Syria’s Ministry of Energy and Acwa Power have signed a joint development agreement (JDA) to study and develop about 2.5GW of renewable energy capacity in Syria.

  The deal covers solar, wind, energy storage and a proposed national technical training centre.

  Under the agreement, Acwa Power will work with the ministry to identify suitable sites for approximately 1GW of photovoltaic capacity and 1.5GW of wind capacity.

  The company will also evaluate potential grid-scale storage solutions to enhance system reliability and flexibility.

  The JDA establishes a framework to conduct detailed technical and commercial studies on existing power plants and the national grid. It will also assess, develop and implement a pipeline of power projects in Syria.

  The agreement was signed at the Ministry of Energy headquarters in Damascus, in the presence of Mohammad Al-Bashir, minister of energy, Mohammad Abunayyan, founder and chairman of Acwa Power, and representatives from the Saudi Ministry of Energy.

  The JDA between the Ministry of Energy and Acwa Power comes amid a flurry of deals aimed at rebuilding Syria’s energy sector.

  In May, the ministry signed a $7bn memorandum of understanding (MoU) with a Qatar-led consortium to develop 5GW of gas and solar capacity, including four combined-cycle gas turbine plants and a 1GW solar project, which is expected to double the country’s power output.

  Syria also recently awarded a contract for a 100MW solar plant in Hama to a Syrian-Turkish consortium, further signalling the government’s push to restore electricity supply through renewable energy.

  Meanwhile, the easing of Western sanctions has facilitated energy sector investment, exemplified by Syria’s first crude oil shipment in 14 years and recent MoUs with Saudi and Gulf-based companies to rehabilitate oil and power infrastructure.

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  READ THE SEPTEMBER 2025 MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – click here to view PDF

  Doha’s Olympic bid; Kuwait’s progress on crucial reforms reinforces sentiment; Downstream petrochemicals investments take centre stage

  Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the September 2025 edition of MEED Business Review includes:

  > OLYMPICS: Qatar banks on infrastructure for Olympic bid > QATAR TOURISM: Olympics bid aims to extend tourism gains > CURRENT AFFAIRS: Syria charts post-war reconstruction course > INDUSTRY REPORT: Regional chemicals spending set to soar > DOWNSTREAM: Adnoc set to become a chemicals major > SAUDI STADIUMS: Stadiums become main event for Saudi construction > CONSTRUCTION: Middle East to be a growth leader for global construction > LEADERSHIP: Dubai’s sea-air logistics model powers resilient trade > LEGAL: Dubai's new law aims to reshape construction > KUWAIT MARKET FOCUS: Kuwait’s political hiatus brings opportunity

  To see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click here

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  Mark Dowdall
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  Saudi Arabia issues tenders for two major water pipelines

  4 September 2025

  

   

  Saudi Arabia’s Water Transmission Company (WTCO) has opened bidding for the construction of the Jubail-Buraidah water transmission system.

  The greenfield project comprises approximately 348 kilometres of pipeline. It will have a transmission capacity of 840,650 cubic metres a day (cm/d) and will supply water from the Ashmasiah reservoirs to cities and towns across Al-Qassim Province.

  WTCO has also issued a second tender for the construction of the Ras Mohaisen-Baha Mecca water transmission system. The greenfield project will involve approximately 325km of pipeline.

  It will have a transmission capacity of 542,000 cm/d. The system will deliver water from Ras Mohaisen to the Adham and Aradhiyah regions.

  Engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractors are invited to submit technical and financial bids. The bidding deadline for both projects is 2 December 2025.

  The Jubail-Buraidah project, scheduled to begin construction in 2027, is large by WTCO standards. The company’s second phase of the Khobar-Hofuf system, completed in 2024, was 140km in length, with a capacity exceeding 530,000 cm/d.

  Saudi Arabia also has even larger independent water transmission pipeline (IWTP) initiatives under way. One such project, also linking Jubail and Buraidah, spans 587km and carries 650,000 cm/d.

  In June, the local Mutlaq Al-Ghowairi Contracting Company (MGC) secured the EPC contract for this project.

  It will have a total cost of SR8.5bn ($2.2bn).

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  READ THE SEPTEMBER 2025 MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – click here to view PDF

  Doha’s Olympic bid; Kuwait’s progress on crucial reforms reinforces sentiment; Downstream petrochemicals investments take centre stage

  Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the September 2025 edition of MEED Business Review includes:

  > OLYMPICS: Qatar banks on infrastructure for Olympic bid > QATAR TOURISM: Olympics bid aims to extend tourism gains > CURRENT AFFAIRS: Syria charts post-war reconstruction course > INDUSTRY REPORT: Regional chemicals spending set to soar > DOWNSTREAM: Adnoc set to become a chemicals major > SAUDI STADIUMS: Stadiums become main event for Saudi construction > CONSTRUCTION: Middle East to be a growth leader for global construction > LEADERSHIP: Dubai’s sea-air logistics model powers resilient trade > LEGAL: Dubai's new law aims to reshape construction > KUWAIT MARKET FOCUS: Kuwait’s political hiatus brings opportunity

  To see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click here

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  Mark Dowdall
• 
  Khazna secures $2.6bn for UAE data centre projects

  3 September 2025

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  Abu Dhabi-based Khazna Data Centres has secured a $2.62bn financing facility with Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank and First Abu Dhabi Bank to fund its ongoing UAE and regional data centre projects.

  The tenor of the facility is up to 10 years.

  The financing will support the development of two new data centres in Abu Dhabi, one in Dubai and the region’s first artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled data centre in Ajman.

  Khazna currently operates facilities representing a 73% share of the UAE data centre market.

  The expansion of hyperscale and AI-enabled data centres has direct implications for the power sector, as these facilities require substantial electricity supply and advanced cooling infrastructure.

  Analysts say this trend may drive new power generation projects, grid upgrades and investment in energy-efficient technologies, while creating opportunities for renewable-backed or low-carbon power solutions.

  According to Mordor Intelligence, the Middle East and North Africa’s total data centre capacity is expected to double over the next five years. Khazna plans to accelerate delivery using modular construction, a method that reduces costs, environmental impact and construction time.

  In April, Khazna confirmed it had broken ground on two new data centre facilities – AUH4 in Mafraq and AUH8 in Masdar City, both in Abu Dhabi.

  The two facilities will provide a combined 60MW of capacity and are due for completion in December 2026 and August 2026, respectively.

  Construction works on the AI-enabled 100MW QAJ1 data centre in Ajman continue to progress, with the facility’s initial project phase due to be completed in December 2026.

  The planned Tier 3 data centre project will cover an area of ​​100,000 square metres and will include 20 data halls, each with a capacity of 5MW.

  Khazna Data Centres is also undertaking the construction of a data centre in Dubai Production City, as part of an expansion plan to have a total of 200MW.

  The $408m project is in the bid evaluation stage, with the main contract yet to be awarded.

  

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  Mark Dowdall
• 
  Saudi Arabia seeks firms for Riyadh rail link project

  3 September 2025

  

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  Saudi Arabia Railways (SAR) has invited contractors to express interest in a package involving the construction of a 35-kilometre railway line through Riyadh.

  The project will connect Saudi Arabia’s North-South railway network with its Eastern railway network.

  It is expected to become a key component of the Saudi Landbridge railway.

  The Saudi Landbridge is an estimated $7bn project comprising more than 1,500km of new track. Its core component is a 900km new railway between Riyadh and Jeddah, which will provide direct freight access to the capital from King Abdullah Port on the Red Sea.

  Other key sections include upgrades to the existing Riyadh-Dammam line, a bypass around the capital, and a link between King Abdullah Port and Yanbu.

  The Saudi Landbridge is one of the kingdom’s most anticipated infrastructure programmes. Plans to develop it were first announced in 2004, but the project was put on hold in 2010 before being revived a year later.

  Key stumbling blocks were rights-of-way issues, route alignment and its high cost.

  In December 2023, MEED reported that a team of US-based Hill International, Italy’s Italferr and Spain’s Sener had been awarded the contract to provide project management services for the programme.

  If it proceeds, the Landbridge will be one of the largest railway projects ever undertaken in the Middle East – and among the biggest globally.

  Based on typical design timelines, construction tenders are likely to be ready by mid-2026, although financing arrangements will need to be finalised before the project can move to the next stage.

  

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  Yasir Iqbal
• 
  Read the September 2025 MEED Business Review

  3 September 2025

  Download / Subscribe / 14-day trial access

  Doha announced in late July that it will bid to host the 2036 Olympic Games. For Qatar, the world’s biggest multi-sport event offers another chance to redefine its economy after the 2022 Fifa World Cup.

  MEED’s September issue Agenda section takes an in-depth look at Doha’s Olympics bid – which, if successful, will make the Qatari capital the first city in the Middle East and North Africa to host the games, reinforcing its position as a global hub for major sporting events.

  With its infrastructure largely in place and a proven track record of hosting international events, Qatar is well-positioned from a logistical standpoint. Time will tell if Doha will be able to extend the country’s World Cup experience into more lasting and sustainable tourism gains. 

  This month’s market focus covers Kuwait, where parliamentary suspension has delivered key reforms, but broader challenges for the country now loom.

  MEED’s latest issue also includes a report on the Middle East and North Africa's downstream industry, with state energy producers and private players poised to increase and diversify chemicals production. 

  This issue is bursting with analysis. The team examines Syria’s plans for post-war reconstruction; looks at how sports stadiums are now the main event for Saudi construction; and discovers why the Middle East is set to be a growth leader for global construction. 

  Also in the September issue, Abdulla Bin Damithan, CEO and managing director of DP World GCC, outlines how Dubai’s sea-air logistics model is helping to power resilient trade. Meanwhile, in this month’s legal column, we learn how a new law will reshape Dubai construction.

  We hope our valued subscribers enjoy the September 2025 issue of MEED Business Review. 

  

   

  Must-read sections in the September 2025 issue of MEED Business Review include:

  > AGENDA: 
  > Qatar banks on infrastructure for Olympic bid
  > Olympics bid aims to extend tourism gains

  > CURRENT AFFAIRS:
  > Syria charts post-war reconstruction course

  INDUSTRY REPORT: Downstream > Regional chemicals spending set to soar > Adnoc set to become a chemicals major

  > SAUDI STADIUMS: Stadiums become main event for Saudi construction

  > CONSTRUCTION: Middle East to be a growth leader for global construction

  > LEADERSHIP: Dubai’s sea-air logistics model powers resilient trade

  > LEGAL: Dubai's new law aims to reshape construction

  > KUWAIT MARKET REPORT: 
  > GOVERNMENT: Kuwait looks to capitalise on consolidation of power
  > ECONOMY: Kuwait aims for investment to revive economy
  > BANKING: Change is coming for Kuwait’s banks
  > OIL & GAS: Kuwaiti oil activity rising after parliament suspension
  > POWER & WATER: Signs of project progress for Kuwait's power and water sector
  > CONSTRUCTION: Momentum builds in Kuwait construction

  > MEED COMMENTS: 
  > Riyadh Metro Line 2 is a bellwether for Saudi construction
  > Investment secured by Aramco for Jafurah is critical
  > PV expansion depends on more robust storage
  > Syria's new deals do not guarantee a safe rebuild

  > GULF PROJECTS INDEX: Gulf projects market expands

  > JULY 2025 CONTRACTS: Awards activity picks up to 2024 levels

  > ECONOMIC DATA: Data drives regional projects

  > OPINION: Saudi Arabia’s new season of fruitfulness

  > BUSINESS OUTLOOK: Finance, oil and gas, construction, power and water contracts

  To see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click here

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  MEED Editorial