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• 
  Kuwait gas project construction expected to start this year

  31 July 2025

  

  Construction work on a key project forming part of Kuwait’s Jurassic gas fields development scheme is expected to begin this year.

  Engineering work is ongoing on the off-plot works package, which involves building infrastructure to link the Jurassic gas fields to production facilities, according to information obtained by MEED Projects.

  The contract was awarded to Kuwait-based Combined Group Contracting (CGC) in March this year, and construction is expected to start before 2026.

  The company submitted a price of KD19.2m ($62.6m) to win the contract.

  The project scope includes:

  • Laying pipelines
  • Installing machinery
  • Constructing processing units
  • Constructing a control building
  • Constructing a metering station
  • Installation of a 16-inch feed trunk line from Umm Niqa
  • Construction of associated facilities

  Uptick in oil projects

  Kuwait is in the middle of an upstream project push as it aims to produce 4 million barrels a day (b/d) of oil by 2035.

  On 10 May 2024, Kuwait’s Emir, Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, announced the indefinite suspension of parliament in a televised speech.

  Under Kuwaiti law, parliament can be suspended for a maximum of four years.

  Before the suspension of Kuwait’s parliament, the country suffered from very low levels of project awards for several years due to political gridlock and infighting between the cabinet and parliament.

  In the 14 months since the suspension of parliament, the total value of oil projects in the country has risen by nearly a third.

  The value of active projects – including those under construction and those in the planning phases—has increased from $14.3bn in May 2024 to $18.5bn as of July 2025.

  While project activity is gradually increasing, it remains far below the 2019 peak, when the total value of oil projects exceeded $65bn. Some stakeholders argue that Kuwait should be doing more to fast-track large projects in the sector.

  Although the value of projects in pre-construction phases has increased, the value of projects that are under construction in Kuwait’s oil sector has fallen by 12%, from $6bn to $5.3bn since May 2024.

  It remains unclear why the suspension of parliament last year has not led to a more significant uptick in oil project activity in Kuwait.

  While the gradual rise in the value of active contracts in the planning phase is seen as a positive sign, critics argue that after 14 months without a parliament to block decisions, more projects should have had contracts awarded and be under construction by now.

  

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  Wil Crisp
• 
  WEBINAR: Saudi Arabia projects market 2025

  31 July 2025

  Register now

  Date & Time: Tuesday 26 August 2025 | 11:00 AM GST

  Agenda:

  1. Performance of the Saudi Arabia projects market 2025 to date

  2. Latest gigaprojects update

  3. Overview of the main projects sectors including oil, gas, power and water and their recent activity levels including the ‘pause’ in spending

  4. Key projects to be awarded for the remainder of 2025

  5. Outlook and main drivers for 2026 and beyond

  6. Main opportunities and challenges

  7. Top clients and contractors

  8. Long-term outlook

  9. Q&A session answering your questions on the market

  Hosted by: Edward James, head of content and analysis at MEED

  A well-known and respected thought leader in Mena affairs, Edward James has been with MEED for more than 19 years, working as a researcher, consultant and content director. Today he heads up all content and research produced by the MEED group. His specific areas of expertise are construction, hydrocarbons, power and water, and the petrochemicals market. He is considered one of the world’s foremost experts on the Mena projects market. He is a regular guest commentator on Middle East issues for news channels such as the BBC, CNN and ABC News and is a regular speaker at events in the region. 

  Click here to register

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  MEED Editorial
• 
  Deadlines extended for Kuwait oil projects worth $2.5bn

  30 July 2025

  

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  Kuwait’s state-owned upstream operator Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) has extended bid deadlines for six vital oil projects, which are estimated to be worth a total of $2.5bn.

  The first contract, estimated to be worth KD292m ($951m), is focused on developing a separation facility in the NK SA/BA Area, close to Gathering Centre 23 (GC-23) and GC-24.

  The scope of the contract also includes a new injection facility at GC-31 and effluent water injection networks in north Kuwait. The project’s latest bid deadline has been set for 5 August.

  The second contract is to develop the planned Mutriba remote boosting facility in northwest Kuwait. It was originally tendered earlier this year with a bid submission deadline of 29 June. The deadline has now been extended to 17 August.

  The project has an estimated budget of about KD130m ($420m) and its scope includes:

  • Development of the Mutriba oil field
  • Installation of the degassing station
  • Installation of manifolds
  • Installation of condensate facilities
  • Installation of wellhead separation units
  • Installation of the pumping system
  • Installation of wellhead facilities
  • Installation of oil and gas treatment plants
  • Installation of a natural gas liquids plant
  • Installation of a water and gas injection plant
  • Construction of associated utilities and facilities

  The onshore Mutriba oil field is located in northwest Kuwait.

  In October 2024, KOC announced that it was preparing to tender a project management contract for a scheme to develop the field.

  At the time, it said four international companies had been invited to participate in the tender process. These were:

  • Schlumberger (US)
  • Halliburton (US)
  • Baker Hughes (US)
  • Weatherford International (US)

  KOC also said that the list of qualified companies could be extended before the invitation to bid was issued.

  The third project, estimated to be worth $100m, is for an effluent water injection network in north Kuwait. The bid deadline has been extended to 5 August.

  Effluent water injection or water flooding is a secondary hydrocarbons recovery technique where produced water is injected into a well’s formation under high pressure and temperature conditions to recover more of the oil initially in place.

  The fourth project is estimated to be worth around $100m and is focused on the construction of a new injection network in north Kuwait that will service the Sabriyah/Bahra (SA/BA) area. Its bid deadline has also been extended to 5 August.

  The fifth project that has had its deadline extended is focused on developing Jurassic Light Oil (JLO) export facilities and upgrading the existing export network.

  The main contract bid submission date for the project, which is understood to have a budget of KD175m ($569m), has been changed to 3 August.

  The project was originally tendered in November last year with a bid deadline of 1 December 2024. Other recent deadlines have included 15 July, 24 June, 27 May, 27 April and 6 April.

  In an announcement in April last year, KOC prequalified up to 15 contractors to bid for these projects:

  • CTCI (Taiwan)
  • Daewoo Engineering & Construction (South Korea)
  • Fluor (US)
  • Hyundai Engineering & Construction (South Korea)
  • Hyundai Engineering Company (South Korea)
  • Hyundai Heavy Industries (South Korea)
  • JGC Corporation (Japan)
  • Larsen & Toubro Energy Hydrocarbon (India)
  • NMDC Energy (UAE)
  • Petrofac (UK)
  • Saipem (Italy)
  • Samsung E&A (South Korea)
  • Sinopec Engineering Corporation (China)
  • Sinopec Luoyang Engineering Company (China)
  • Tecnicas Reunidas (Spain)

  In September 2024, KOC announced a second list of 13 prequalified contractors, with Hyundai Heavy Industries and NMDC Energy removed from the list.

  At the time, KOC said that companies not included on the list could file a complaint against their non-inclusion before the official invitation to bid on the project.

  It is unclear whether more prequalified companies have been added or removed from the list since September.

  The sixth project that has seen its bid deadline extended is focused on developing separation facilities at GC-25 and a water injection facility at GC-30.

  The contract is estimated to be worth KD104m ($338m). In the latest extension, the bid deadline has been set for 10 August.

  Kuwait is in the middle of an upstream projects push, in line with its goal of producing 4 million barrels a day of oil by 2035.

  

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  Wil Crisp
• 
  Arada awards $16m retail complex construction deal

  30 July 2025

  Sharjah-based real estate developer Arada has awarded a AED60m ($16m) contract to build the Masaar Central project in the Suyouh district of Sharjah.

  The contract was given to the local firm Intermass Engineering & Contracting.

  Masaar Central will serve as the retail hub at the centre of the Masaar project.

  Construction is expected to begin soon, with completion slated for 2026.

  Masaar Central will offer retail, dining, wellness and education facilities over an area of 53,000 square feet.

  In June last year, Arada awarded a AED830m ($226m) contract to Intermass Engineering & Contracting to build 597 units in the Saro cluster of the Masaar project.

  Intermass has previously completed the Sendian cluster, the first residential phase of Masaar, and is currently working on Robinia, Masaar’s third phase.

  Valued at AED8bn, the Masaar scheme includes 4,000 villas and townhouses across eight gated districts, featuring a nature-inspired masterplan with more than 50,000 trees.

  Arada’s new project launches reflect increased activity in the UAE real estate market, where projects worth over $323bn are in execution or planning stages.

  This aligns with a forecast from UK data analytics firm GlobalData, predicting that the UAE construction sector will grow by 4.2% in real terms in 2025, driven by infrastructure, energy, utilities and residential construction projects.

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

  Gulf heads into a new era of aviation; Maghreb’s resilience rises despite global pressures; GCC banks expand issuance amid demand

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

  > AGENDA 1: Middle East invests in giant airports > AGENDA 2: Broader region upgrades its airports > AGENDA 3: Global air travel shifts east > CURRENT AFFAIRS: Syria wrestles fragile security situation > GCC BANKS: Gulf banks navigate turbulent times > BANKING: Strategic planning enters a new era of volatility > CONSTRUCTION: Soudah Peaks outlines project construction plans > INTERVIEW: SETS leads Saudi heritage preservation charge > LEADERSHIP: From plastic leakage to leadership in the Gulf > MAGHREB MARKET FOCUS: Maghreb pushes for stability

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

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  Yasir Iqbal
• 
  Contract award nears for King Salman airport runway

  30 July 2025

  Related stories:

  > Middle East invests in giant airports
  > Broader region upgrades its airports
  > Global air travel shifts east

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  Register for MEED’s 14-day trial access 

  King Salman International Airport Development Company (KSIADC) has received best and final offers (bafos) for a design-and-build contract to develop the third runway at King Salman International airport (KSIA) in Riyadh.

  "Bafos were submitted earlier this month [in July] and the contract is expected to be finalised soon," a source close to the project told MEED.

  It is understood that the third and fourth runways will add to the two existing runways at Riyadh’s King Khalid International airport, which will eventually become part of KSIA.

  In February, MEED exclusively reported that firms had submitted prequalification documents on 18 January for a contract to develop the third runway and taxiways at KSIA.

  KSIADC, which is backed by Saudi sovereign wealth vehicle the Public Investment Fund, received interest from firms in December last year for the package.

  KSIADC previously prequalified firms for the main engineering, procurement and construction packages and early and enabling works, as well as other elements of the construction work. These included specialist systems and integration; materials and equipment; engineering and design; professional services; health, safety, security, environment and wellbeing services; modular installation and prefabrication; local content; and environmental, social and governance (ESG) and other services.

  The entire scheme is divided into eight assets:

  • Iconic Terminal
  • Terminal 6
  • Private aviation terminal 
  • Central runway and temporary apron
  • Hangars
  • Landside transport
  • Cargo buildings
  • Real estate

  In August last year, KSIADC appointed several architectural and design firms for the various elements of the project.

  KSIADC confirmed that it had signed up UK-based Foster + Partners to design the airport’s masterplan, including the terminals, six runways and a multi-asset real estate area.

  US-based engineering firm Jacobs will provide specialist consultancy services for the masterplan and the design of the new runways.

  The client also confirmed the appointment of UK-based engineering firm Mace for the delivery partner role on the project.

  The airspace design consultancy contract was awarded to local firm Nera.

  Mega airport project

  The project covers an area of about 57 square kilometres (sq km), allowing for six parallel runways. It will include the existing terminals at King Khalid International airport, as well as 12 sq km of airport support facilities, residential and recreational facilities, retail outlets and other logistics real estate.

  If the project is completed on time in 2030, it will become the world’s largest operating airport in terms of passenger capacity, according to UK analytics firm GlobalData.

  The airport aims to accommodate up to 120 million passengers by 2030 and 185 million by 2050. The goal for cargo is to process 3.5 million tonnes a year by 2050.

  Saudi Arabia plans to invest $100bn in its aviation sector. Riyadh’s Saudi Aviation Strategy, announced by the General Authority of Civil Aviation, aims to triple Saudi Arabia’s annual passenger traffic to 330 million travellers by 2030.

  It also aims to increase air cargo traffic to 4.5 million tonnes and raise the country’s total air connections to more than 250 destinations. 

  ---

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

  Gulf heads into a new era of aviation; Maghreb’s resilience rises despite global pressures; GCC banks expand issuance amid demand

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

  > AGENDA 1: Middle East invests in giant airports > AGENDA 2: Broader region upgrades its airports > AGENDA 3: Global air travel shifts east > CURRENT AFFAIRS: Syria wrestles fragile security situation > GCC BANKS: Gulf banks navigate turbulent times > BANKING: Strategic planning enters a new era of volatility > CONSTRUCTION: Soudah Peaks outlines project construction plans > INTERVIEW: SETS leads Saudi heritage preservation charge > LEADERSHIP: From plastic leakage to leadership in the Gulf > MAGHREB MARKET FOCUS: Maghreb pushes for stability

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

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  Yasir Iqbal