Related Articles

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  Bahrain opens bids for first solar IPP project

  13 March 2026

  Two companies have made offers for a contract to develop Bahrain’s first solar photovoltaic (PV) independent power project (IPP).

  Bahrain’s Electricity & Water Authority (EWA) opened bids for the Bilaj Al-Jazayer solar IPP project on 12 March.

  The bidders include Saudi Arabia’s Acwa, formerly Acwa Power, and UAE-headquartered Yellow Door Energy.

  The 150 MWac Bilaj Al-Jazayer solar IPP project will be Bahrain’s first grid-connected solar PV power plant developed under a public-private partnership (PPP) framework on a build-own-operate basis. It will be delivered as a long-term concession and is intended to come online by 2027.

  The proposed site covers more than 1 square kilometre, with the private sector responsible for end-to-end development, including financing, design, construction and operation.

  Last August, EWA held a market consultation event during which it outlined plans for the country’s first solar PV IPP. The main contract was then tendered in October.

  EWA said Yellow Door Energy’s proposal was “accepted with conditions”, but did not disclose further details.

  The local KPMG Fakhro is the financial consultant, the US’ WSP Parsons Brinckerhoff is the technical consultant, and the UK’s Trowers & Hamlins is the legal consultant.

  Bahrain’s clean energy targets, as set by its national plans, include 20% renewables by 2035, and net-zero emissions by 2060.

  

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  Mark Dowdall
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  DP World sees Red Sea port volumes rising as Hormuz shuts

  13 March 2026

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  Dubai-based ports operator DP World is preparing for higher throughput at its Red Sea terminals as the Iran conflict approaches its second week, CEO Yuvraj Narayan said on Thursday.

  With the Strait of Hormuz effectively closed and tanker attacks escalating, shipping movements into Gulf ports have fallen.

  The disruption began after US and Israeli strikes on Iran, rattling energy and freight markets and cutting access through what is widely seen as the world’s most critical oil corridor.

  Since most major Gulf ports rely on the narrow Strait of Hormuz, the shutdown is weighing on regional trade flows.

  Narayan said Jebel Ali, DP World’s main hub in Dubai, has not suffered any infrastructure damage and is operating normally, but inbound vessel arrivals are down. Some cargo is still moving through terminals on the eastern side of the strait, he added.

  Ports in the UAE that sit outside Hormuz have limited headroom to absorb the shortfall. Khorfakkan can handle about 5 million 20-foot equivalent units (TEUs) and Fujairah under 1 million TEUs, which Narayan indicated would not be enough to offset lost volume from Jebel Ali or Abu Dhabi’s Khalifa Port.

  Jebel Ali alone processed 15.6 million TEUs last year, out of DP World’s 56.1 million TEUs globally.

  DP World is rolling out rerouting options and other operational measures to keep supply chains moving. Narayan said the company’s Red Sea assets, such as Jeddah in Saudi Arabia and Sokhna in Egypt, are likely to see increased traffic, though he did not quantify the additional volumes or specify cargo types.

  He cautioned that logistical and security risks remain elevated.

  Earlier this week, DP World announced record financial results for 2025, with revenue up 22% to $24.4bn and adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (Ebitda) up 18% to $6.4bn, delivering a 26.3% margin, as MEED reported.

  DP World said that this performance was driven by strong momentum across its ports and terminals and logistics business.

  The group’s gross throughput rose 5.8% to 93.4 million TEUs.

  Profit for the year increased 32.2% to $1.96bn, and operating cash flow grew 14% to $6.3bn.

  Return on capital employed increased to 9.9% in 2025, up from 8.9% in 2024, reflecting stronger earnings despite ongoing geopolitical and trade uncertainty.

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  Yasir Iqbal
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  Frontrunner emerges for Saudi sewage treatment project

  13 March 2026

  

   

  A consortium led by China’s Jiangsu United Water Technology has emerged as the frontrunner for a contract to build and upgrade two sewage treatment plants in Saudi Arabia, according to sources.

  The contract covers the North Western A Cluster Sewage Treatment Plants Package 11 (LTOM11), part of the next phase of National Water Company’s (NWC) long-term operations and maintenance (LTOM) sewage treatment programme.

  The consortium comprising United Water, Prosus Energy (UAE) and Armada Holding (Saudi Arabia) offered “the lowest tariff” for the project, sources told MEED.

  It is understood that Turkey’s Kuzu has made the next-lowest bid.

  The development, estimated to cost about $211m, will have a combined capacity of about 440,000 cubic metres a day (cm/d).

  In February, MEED exclusively reported that six bidders were competing for the contract.

  The other companies that have submitted proposals include:

  • Alkhorayef Water & Power Technologies (Saudi Arabia)
  • Civil Works Company (Saudi Arabia)
  • VA Tech Wabag (India)
  • Aguas de Valencia (Spain)

  LTOM11, also known as the North Western A Cluster, forms part of the second phase of NWC’s rehabilitation of sewage treatment plants programme.

  The scheme is being procured on an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) basis with a long-term operations component.

  The main contract was tendered last year, with an award initially expected by the end of 2025.

  It is now understood that NWC is preparing to offer the main contract in the second quarter.

  As previously reported, Saudi Arabia’s NWC is also evaluating five bids for package 12 of its long-term operations and maintenance (LTOM12) sewage treatment programme.

  Known as the North Western B Cluster, LTOM12 forms part of the second phase of NWC’s rehabilitation of sewage treatment plants programme.

  In January, the same United Water-led consortium won the main contract for the Northern Cluster Sewage Treatment Plants Package 10 (LTOM10).

  That project includes the rehabilitation and operation of nine sewage treatment plants located across the Hail, Qassim, Al-Jouf and Northern Borders provinces

  NWC is also preparing to tender a contract for the construction of 10 sewage treatment plants as part of package 14 of the programme.

  The final details of the Eastern A Cluster (LTOM14) package are being finalised, with a tender likely to be issued in March or April, sources told MEED.

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

  Riyadh urges private sector to take greater role; Chemical players look to spend rationally; Economic uptick lends confidence to Cairo’s reforms.

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

  > AGENDA: Saudi Arabia’s private sector picks up the baton > RAMADAN: Data disproves the Ramadan slowdown story > INDUSTRY REPORT: Chemicals producers look to cut spending > INDUSTRY REPORT: Global petrochemical project capex set to rise until 2030 > MARKET FOCUS: Egypt’s crisis mode gives way to cautious revival > LEADERSHIP: Delivering Saudi Arabia’s next phase of rail growth > POWER: Lessons learnt from a power plant decommissioning > INTERVIEW: Abu Dhabi’s Enersol charts acquisitions path > INTERVIEW: Lina Noureddin, CEO of Lamar Holding, on the evolving PPP landscape > INTERVIEW: Contract award marks Metito’s return to municipal projects

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

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  Mark Dowdall
• 
  Medina tenders Sikkah Al-Hadid PPP project

  13 March 2026

  Saudi entities including Al-Madinah Regional Municipality, in collaboration with the Ministry of Municipalities & Housing and the National Centre for Privatisation & PPP (NCP), have floated a request for proposal (RFP) notice for the development of the Sikkah Al-Hadid project.

  The project will be procured through build-own-operate-transfer contracts with a 50-year duration, using a public-private partnership (PPP) model.

  The deadline for bid submission is 23 June.

  The project will be located to the west of Medina on an 84,657-square-metre (sq m) site. 

  It includes a four-storey medical centre with a capacity of up to 200 beds and a shopping mall offering retail, food and beverage, and other entertainment facilities.

  In January last year, NCP asked firms to express their interest and prequalify for a contract to develop two mixed-use developments in Medina, which included the Sikkah Al-Hadid project and the Dhul Hulaifah project.

  The Dhul Hulaifah project will be built on a 30,112 sq m site located six kilometres from the Prophet’s Mosque. 

  The development will consist of a four-star hotel integrated with retail and healthcare facilities.

  MEED previously reported that Saudi Arabia had announced a P&PPP pipeline comprising 200 projects across 16 sectors.

  This pipeline aims to attract local and international investors and ensure their readiness to participate in the schemes tendered to the market.

  The initiative comes as the kingdom strives to increase the attractiveness of its economy and raise the private sector’s contribution to GDP.

  

  https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/15968021/main.jpg

  Yasir Iqbal
• 
  Fuel storage facility attacked in Bahrain

  13 March 2026

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  Fuel storage tanks at a facility on Bahrain’s Muharraq Island were targeted in an attack attributed to Iran, according to a statement from Bahrain’s Interior Ministry.

  The ministry put out an alert for people in surrounding neighbourhoods “to remain in their homes, close windows and ventilation openings, as a precautionary measure against possible exposure to smoke”.

  Videos of the incident, which took place on 12 March, showed a large fire emitting black smoke. The fire was later extinguished by teams of firefighters.

  Bahrain’s international airport is also located on Muharraq Island.

  Iran has been firing missiles at a range of targets in nearby countries since it was attacked by the US and Israel on 28 February.

  On 11 March, a similar attack on fuel storage tanks in Oman led to the closure of some terminals at the port of Salalah.

  Footage recorded by vessel crews at the port, which is the largest in the country, showed explosions and a large fire.

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  Wil Crisp