Developers to submit Dubai 1.8GW solar bids

5 June 2023

State utility Dubai Electricity & Water Authority (Dewa) has extended until 7 June the tender closing date for the contract to develop the 1,800MW sixth phase of Dubai's Mohammed bin Rashid Solar Park project.

Dewa issued the request for proposals for the solar photovoltaic (PV) independent power producer (IPP) contract in December and initially expected to receive bids by the end of May.

Abu Dhabi-based Masdar, Saudi utility Acwa Power and France's EDF are among those qualified to bid for the contract, as MEED previously reported.  

The state utility briefed bidders about the project in March.

The sixth package of the MBR Solar Park project is expected to be commissioned in phases between 2024 and 2026.

Dewa's transaction advisory team on the project includes UK-headquartered Ernst & Young (EY) as financial adviser and  Norway's DNV and UK-headquartered DLA Piper as technical and legal advisers, respectively.

MBR solar park

A total of 2,327MW of clean energy capacity, derived from solar PV and concentrated solar power plant (CSP) facilities at MBR Solar Park, is now operational.

This takes renewable energy's share of the state utility’s overall capacity of 14,817MW to 15.7 per cent.

MBR Solar Park project’s phases and construction statuses are as follows:

  • 13MW solar PV phase one: completed in 2013
  • 200MW solar PV phase two: commissioned in 2017
  • 800MW solar PV phase three: commissioned in 2020
  • 950MW hybrid CSP/solar PV phase four: first 217MW from the solar PV panels and 200MW from CSP using parabolic basins are connected to the Dewa electricity grid as of January, the rest is under construction 
  • 900MW solar PV phase five: 800MW operational, 100MW under construction

The complex's fourth phase features the word’s tallest solar power tower at 262.4 metres. On its completion, the project will have the largest thermal storage capacity in the world of 15 hours, allowing for energy availability around the clock, according to Dewa managing director and CEO Saeed Mohammed Al-Tayer

The solar park’s planned total production capacity of 5,000MW will require investments valued at $13.6bn when complete in 2030.

RELATED READ: GCC’s top renewable energy clients

Energy demand in Dubai reached 53,180 gigawatt-hours (GWh) in 2022, up 5.5 per cent compared to 50,401 GWh in 2021, Dewa said earlier this year.

This growth is half of what was achieved in 2021, at 10 per cent, which marked the emirate's resurgence from the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Al-Tayer said his agency will continue to contribute to developing an infrastructure that is among “the most efficient worldwide”, in line with Dubai’s economic agenda.

The Dubai Economic Agenda 2033 (D33) aims to double the size of Dubai’s economy over the next decade and consolidate its position among the top three global cities.

The Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 and the Dubai Net Zero Carbon Emissions Strategy 2050 aim to provide 100 per cent of Dubai’s total power production capacity from clean energy sources by 2050.

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Jennifer Aguinaldo
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    13 June 2025

     

    There is cause for optimism in Jordan’s construction and infrastructure sectors after the government took steps to implement its Economic Modernisation Vision (EMV) 2023-25.

    The EMV – Amman’s flagship vehicle for its reform proposition – aims to increase average real income per capita by 3% a year, create 1 million jobs and more than double the country’s GDP over 10 years. The programme calls for the private sector to take the lead, accounting for 73% of the total $58.8bn of required investment.

    For the vision to be realised, a large pipeline of public-private partnership (PPP) schemes is needed, covering areas such as water desalination, school construction, clean energy, green hydrogen, transport improvement and road construction.

    Earlier this year, the PPP unit at Jordan’s Ministry of Investment announced that it is targeting seven key PPP projects in 2025.

    Construction projects

    One of the primary components of the PPP initiative is the scheme to build 17 schools under a PPP model. Being overseen by the Ministry of Education, the scheme will be developed using a design, build, finance, operate, maintain and transfer model and will be undertaken in several phases across the country.

    The UAE-backed Marsa Zayed mixed-use project in Aqaba is the other large-scale construction scheme that has made a head start this year and is expected to provide opportunities in the short term. In February this year, Abu Dhabi’s AD Ports Group selected Dubai-based real estate developer Mag Group to lead the first phase of the project, which is called Riviera Heights.

    The scheme will be developed as a beachfront resort and residential community on the Red Sea coast in Aqaba and will cover an area of 3.2 million square metres. The first phase comprises four residential towers, a marina with 1,260 residential and 117 retail units, a hotel and hotel apartments with a beach club, an old souq marketplace with 50 retail shops, a yacht club and a visitors’ centre. It also includes the restoration of Aqaba’s minaret.

    The other major project progressing in Jordan is the second phase of the Abdali mixed-use project in Amman. In May, the client announced that it had started the infrastructure work for the second phase, paving the way for the project to move forward. 

    The second phase is expected to include constructing a multi-use conference centre that can accommodate 25,000 people, as well as two towers housing hotels, residential apartments, commercial centres and advanced medical facilities.

    Infrastructure improvements

    Jordan is also developing some major infrastructure schemes in the country, most on a PPP basis. The most prominent is the construction of a phosphate railway line, which is being developed by the UAE’s Etihad Rail.

    The detailed study on the railway alignment and requirements for handling potash and phosphate is expected to be completed by the end of this year, followed by the main contract tenders early next year.

    In September last year, Etihad Rail announced that it had signed a memorandum of understanding worth $2.3bn with Jordan’s Transport Ministry and local companies to develop the project on a build, operate and maintain basis.

    The other significant project out in the market is the new silica terminal in Aqaba. In May, Jordan’s Aqaba Development Corporation set 25 May as the deadline for firms to express interest in developing the project. 

    The project will be developed on a build, operate and transfer (BOT) basis with a 20-year concession period.

    For airports, a key move came in February, when Jordan extended Airport International Group’s BOT concession of Queen Alia International airport until 2039. The agreement is a crucial step in securing long-term investments in the airport’s infrastructure, expansion and operations.

    Some of the key projects that will be undertaken to boost the airport’s passenger capacity to 18 million annually include installing nine security gates, upgrading the water supply, enhancing security checkpoints, developing a solar farm and conducting studies for runway rehabilitation.

    Another major project that is currently in the market is the construction of a light rail between Amman and Zarqa, which will extend to Queen Alia International airport. 

    In July last year, Jordan’s Hejaz Railway Corporation issued a tender to conduct a feasibility study for the project. The rail line will have a length of about 65 kilometres and the capacity to transport 40,000-50,000 passengers daily.

    Other infrastructure PPP schemes that Jordan says it is negotiating this year include the development of the 15.82km-long King Abdullah II Road, the 14.7km-long Amman-Ajloun toll road, the rehabilitation and toll operation of the first segment of the 42km Amman Development Corridor, a bus rapid transit project and the King Hussein bridge land border crossing terminal project.

    On the back of these schemes, the short-term outlook for Jordan’s construction infrastructure market will be buoyed by a confluence of positive opportunities that promise to invigorate what have been largely dormant construction and infrastructure sectors in the past decade. 

    With the government’s commitment to large-scale infrastructure and construction projects, there is a renewed sense of optimism among investors and stakeholders. The anticipated influx of foreign direct investment, coupled with strategic partnerships in public-private ventures, is set to create a ripple effect that will stimulate job creation and enhance Jordan’s economy.


    MEED’s July 2025 report on Jordan also includes

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  • African Development Bank backs Egypt solar scheme

    13 June 2025

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    The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) has approved a financing package worth up to $184.1m to support the development of the Obelisk solar photovoltaic (PV) project in Egypt’s Qena Governorate.

    The power project is the largest solar power plant in Africa and comprises a 1GW solar plant, along with a 200 megawatt-hour (MWh) battery energy storage system.

    The total estimated investment in the project will be more than $590m.

    The financing package includes $125.5m from AfDB’s ordinary resources, in addition to concessional funding of $20m from the Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa and $18.6m from the Canada-African Development Bank Climate Fund.

    An additional $20m is provided by the Clean Technology Fund under Climate Investment Funds, complemented by further investments from development finance institutions.

    The Obelisk project will encompass design, construction, operation and maintenance of a PV facility.

    The project has been granted a Golden Licence through Egypt’s Nexus of Water, Food and Energy (NWFE) platform due to its importance in addressing energy shortages and advancing the country’s energy transition efforts.

    Egypt’s Minister of Planning, Economic Development and International Cooperation Rania Al-Mashat stated: “The Obelisk solar project is another important milestone for Egypt under the energy pillar of the NWFE programme, which has, since its launch in November 2022 at Cop27 in Sharm El-Sheikh, delivered 4.2GW of privately financed renewable energy investments, worth about $4bn, with the support of partners such as the Africa Development Bank.

    “The goal of NWFE’s energy pillar is to add 10GW of renewable energy capacity with investments of approximately $10bn and phase out 5GW of fossil fuel power generation by 2030.”

    The Obelisk project will be fully operational in Q3 2026 and is expected to produce 2,772GW of electricity annually. In early May, MEED reported that Norwegian renewable energy firm Scatec had commenced construction on the first phase of its 1.1GW Obelisk solar and 100MW/200MWh battery energy storage project.

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    Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company will purchase all generated power from the project under a 25-year agreement.

    African Development Bank power, energy, climate and green growth vice-president Kevin Kariuki stated: “Obelisk is another landmark development under NWFE that leverages on Egypt’s and the African Development Bank’s leadership as well as commitment to harnessing the country’s renewable energy to enhance the resilience of the country’s energy supply to meet its fast-growing energy demand sustainably.

    “This project also contributes to Egypt’s ambition of producing 42% of its power generation capacity from renewable energy sources by 2030 while spurring economic growth and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.”

    In January 2025, the Mission 300 programme, an initiative launched by the World Bank and the AfDB, secured $8bn in funding pledges.

    The programme aims to supply electricity to 300 million people across Africa by 2030.


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    13 June 2025

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    The local UCC Holding, in partnership with the Public Works Authority (Ashghal), has commenced the printing phase of the 3D Printed Schools Project.

    The initiative involves building two public schools, each spanning 20,000 square metres.

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    A joint venture of local contractors Travaux Generaux de Construction de Casablanca (TGCC) and Societe Generale des Travaux du Maroc (SGTM) has been awarded the $320m contract for the next stage of construction works for the Grand Stade Hassan II stadium, which will serve as one of the venues for the 2030 Fifa World Cup tournament.

    The two contractors submitted the only offer ahead of the tender deadline on 10 June.

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