Dubai construction needs major project launches
25 April 2023
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Growing demand for property in Dubai combined with a resilient economy have brought winds of optimism to the emirate’s real estate market. At the same time, the government’s handling of Covid-19 and recent measures to improve the business environment have strengthened Dubai’s position as a safe haven.
Over the past year, there has been record demand for premium properties in the emirate, mostly driven by wealthy international buyers from markets such as Russia, India and Europe.
According to a recent report by Luxhabitat Sotheby’s International Realty, Dubai’s super-prime residential market enjoyed a strong start to 2023, with a 24.9 per cent increase in prices per square foot compared with the previous quarter.
The upswing has resulted in developers launching a number of new schemes. Projects announced in recent months include Al-Habtoor Group’s estimated AED9.5bn three residential developments; Shamal Holding’s Baccarat Hotel & Residences in Downtown DubaiDamac Bay by Cavalli.
In Jumeriah Lake Towers, Dubai Multicommodities Centre in partnership with Ellington Properties has launched the AED1.2bn high-rise mixed-use Upper House project, while in Meyan MAG Property Development is developing the AED3bn Keturah Reserve residential scheme.
New masterplans have been conceived too, including the estimated $5.4bn mixed-use Dubai South project announced by Azizi Developments in January 2023.
Dubai is also returning to what it is known for: eye-catching, iconic projects. Later this year, a joint venture of Dubai World Trade Centre and the UK’s Candy Capital is expected to announce a three-tower project billed as a super-prime real estate development in Dubai’s One Central commercial district. The UK firm is known for London’s One Hyde Park, one of the wealthiest property residences in the world.
Slow recovery
Yet a closer look at the number of awarded contracts in the construction and transport sector reveals that the market is still playing catch-up, despite the growing hype.
The value of contracts awarded increased only slightly from $6.8bn in 2021 to $8.42bn in 2022, according to data from regional projects tracker MEED Projects. This is still far off the pre-pandemic level of $13.6bn in 2019. It is also only a fraction of the value of awards in 2016 and 2017, when signed contracts totalled $24.68bn and $26.14bn, respectively.
The backdrop to the weaker value of recent awards is the dearth of major construction contract awards as the government cut spending on major infrastructure projects. This has led to the market being driven mainly by private real estate developers launching smaller projects.
A few exceptions stand out, including the $260m contract awarded in January to China State Construction Engineering Corporation to construct Damac’s Cavalli Casa tower. Moreover, there are clear signs that the trend is changing.
In addition to these projects, there are several other large-scale projects in the works, such as the estimated $1.2bn Waldorf Astoria Hotel by Al-Habtoor Group and Nakheel’s revived Palm Jebel Ali project, for which $4.6bn in funding was secured in November 2022.
The Palm Jebel Ali is about three times larger than the Palm Jumeirah, and will significantly increase the amount of waterfront land available for development in Dubai.
The soon-to-be awarded MGM Resort, Bellagio and Aria Hotels development by local developer Wasl is estimated at $500m. The three hotel resorts will be constructed on a man-made island off the coast in the Umm Suqueim area. The scheme is expected to feature 1,400 hotel rooms and apartments, in addition to retail, food and beverage and entertainment options.
Transport awards
It is hoped that the award of major infrastructure contracts may also restart this year, with the upcoming extension to the Dubai Metro network. After being put on hold, the scheme moved to the design stage in 2022.
The Blue Line project involves constructing more than 20 kilometres of new lines, about half of which are underground, in order to extend the existing Red and Green lines.
Dubai is also considering plans to restart the emirate’s largest construction project, the AED120bn ($33bn) expansion of Al-Maktoum International airport.
The expansion was officially launched in 2014. It involves building the biggest airport in the world by 2050, with the capacity to handle 255 million passengers a year. An initial phase, which was due to be completed in 2030, will take the capacity to 130 million a year.
Tendering for work on the project stalled with the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic in early 2020.
The margins became negative in the sector, and we cannot compete with the local companies or the government-backed Chinese corporations
International contractor
Contractor sentiment
The sector’s incomplete recovery from the pandemic is confirmed by the net value of contract awards, calculated by subtracting the value of completed work from the value of awarded work.
Since 2018, the value of awarded contracts has been smaller than the amount of completed work, meaning contractors have fewer upcoming jobs.
Under these circumstances, companies that specialise in major construction projects are looking to other markets.
“The UAE market is too calm. There is not enough work for us,” a local contractor tells MEED. “We are looking to expand our activity to Saudi Arabia. The work is there now.”
Some international companies, having faced long payment delays or financial losses, have left the region. “The margins became negative in the sector, and we cannot compete with the local companies or the government-backed Chinese corporations,” said one international contractor.
As it stands, there are over $42bn of projects in the bid, design and study stages in Dubai, according to MEED Projects.
If major projects, such as the Al-Maktoum airport expansion, move into construction, they will provide a major boost for Dubai’s construction and transport industry.
This month's special report on the UAE includes:
> GOVERNMENT: Abu Dhabi strengthens its position at home
> ECONOMY: UAE economy steers clear of global woes
> BANKING: UAE lenders chart a route to growth
> UPSTREAM: Strategic Adnoc projects register notable progress
> DOWNSTREAM: Gas takes centre stage in Adnoc downstream expansion
> POWER: UAE power sector shapes up ahead of Cop28
> WATER: UAE begins massive reverse osmosis buildup
> CONSTRUCTION: Dubai construction needs major project launches
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Dubai awards $272m Al-Maktoum airport runway deal
9 May 2025
Dubai Aviation Engineering Projects (DAEP) has awarded a AED1bn ($272m) deal to local firm Binladin Contracting Group to construct the second runway as part of the expansion of Dubai’s Al-Maktoum International airport.
MEED understands that the contract was finalised in Q1 of this year, and the construction works have started.
The airport, which will cover an area of 70 square kilometres south of Dubai, will have five parallel runways, five terminal buildings and 400 aircraft gates.
It will be five times the size of the existing Dubai International airport and have the world’s largest passenger handling capacity of 260 million passengers a year. For cargo, it will have the capacity to handle 12 million tonnes a year.
The construction works on the first phase of the project are expected to be completed by 2032.
Dubai approved the updated designs and timelines for its largest construction project in April last year.
The government of Dubai said that the plan is for all operations from Dubai International airport to be transferred to Al-Maktoum International airport within 10 years.
The government statement added that the project will create housing demand for 1 million people around the airport.
In September last year, MEED exclusively reported that a team comprising Austria’s Coop Himmelb(l)au and Lebanon’s Dar Al-Handasah had been confirmed as the lead master planning and design consultants on the expansion of Dubai’s Al-Maktoum International airport.
Project history
The expansion of Al-Maktoum International airport is a long-standing project. Also known as Dubai World Central (DWC), it was officially launched in 2014 with a different design from the one approved in April 2024. Back then, it involved building the biggest airport in the world by 2050, with the capacity to handle 255 million passengers a year.
An initial phase, due to be completed in 2030, involved increasing the airport’s capacity to 130 million passengers a year. The development was to cover an area of 56 square kilometres.
Progress on the project slipped as the region grappled with the impact of lower oil prices and Dubai focused on developing the Expo 2020 site. Tendering for work on the project then stalled with the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic in early 2020.
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Siemens Energy signs preliminary 14GW Iraq pact
9 May 2025
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Germany’s Siemens Energy and Iraq’s Electricity Ministry have signed a preliminary agreement to add 14GW of electricity generation capacity to Iraq’s grid.
The firms also signed two long-term service contracts for the Dibis and Al-Mussaib gas-fired power plants.
The contract for the Dibis power plant covers two generating units with a combined capacity of 340MW.
The five-year maintenance contract for the Al-Mussaib power station includes rehabilitating units with a capacity of 750MW and an additional 150MW, along with support for safe operations and performance optimisation.
The announcement was made following a meeting between Siemens Energy CEO Christian Bruch and Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Al-Sudani, local media reported.
The deals were signed a few weeks after US-headquartered GE Vernova signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Iraqi government to establish 24GW of combined-cycle gas turbine (CCGT) power plants in the country.
In late April, Iraq and Siemens Energy also announced breaking ground on a project to build a new CCGT power generation plant in Nasiriyah in Iraq’s southern Dhi Qar governorate.
The project is part of a $1.68bn development package that Al-Sudani recently launched.
In addition to the CCGT plant, the other projects include the Nasiriyah Integrated Medical City, a 700-bed hospital complex and infrastructure works in the Suq Al-Shuyukh district.
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Abu Dhabi hopes bigger is better with Disney theme park
8 May 2025
Commentary
Colin Foreman
EditorEver since Aldar Properties first launched the Yas Island project with its Yas Marina Circuit for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in 2006, Abu Dhabi has been steadily adding theme parks to the island’s roster of attractions. First, there was the Ferrari theme park, then came a water park, a Warner Bros theme park and, most recently, SeaWorld.
The theory with theme park development is bigger is better.
A destination needs a series of parks to create a critical mass to attract visitors who can stay and enjoy multiple parks in one visit. The example always cited is Florida, which is home to many of the world’s largest theme parks, including Disney World.
The theory gained particular traction in the region when Dubai Parks and Resorts opened. The company, which was public until it was acquired by Meraas in 2021, reported significant losses as it struggled to attract enough visitors.
Although it opened with Legoland, Legoland Waterpark, Motiongate and Bollywood theme parks, insiders said that the problem with the development was that it did not have enough attractions to turn it into a successful theme park destination.
The financial performance of theme parks on Yas Island has not been publicly disclosed. While it is accepted that they have been more successful than their counterparts in Dubai, some say that the island still does not have the critical mass required to establish itself as a global destination for theme park visitors.
Miral has developed a series of theme parks and other entertainment-related attractions on Yas Island
Enter Disney
Disney changes that. It is the largest brand in the theme park space and will be a major attraction, but with limited information released on the project so far, it is difficult to fully gauge how significant the project will be.
The official release said that the project will be developed and operated by Abu Dhabi developer Miral, adding that Disney’s in-house design and engineering unit, Walt Disney Imagineering, will lead creative design and operational oversight to provide a world-class experience. It did not give any details on the ownership of the project.
In Hong Kong, for example, a company, Hong Kong International Theme Parks, was established as a joint venture, with the Government of Hong Kong holding 57% and The Walt Disney Company holding 43%.
In Japan, the structure is different. The Tokyo Disney Resort is owned and operated by Oriental Land, and the company pays licences and royalties to The Walt Disney Company.
In interviews following the launch announcement, Miral CEO Mohamed Abdalla Al-Zaabi confirmed the arrangement will be like Tokyo.
Waterfront location
The official release for the Abu Dhabi launch also said that the project is on Yas Island, which only has limited areas of land to develop. The release also said that the land is waterfront, and imagery in the launch video shows the Abu Dhabi skyline in the background, suggesting the land is on the northern waterfront of Yas Island.
There is a substantial tract of undeveloped land on the north shore of the island, which measures about 2 square kilometres (sq km). This is larger than the site that Hong Kong Disneyland occupies, and much smaller than Disney World in Florida, which spans an area of 111 sq km – nearly five times the size of the whole of Yas Island and nearly double the size of Abu Dhabi Island.
The hope is that Yas Island will become a leading global theme park destination and attract large numbers of visitors wanting a holiday with multiple theme park visits
Exclusivity clause
Another area of interest will be whether Abu Dhabi has an exclusivity agreement with Disney for the region. No exclusivity was mentioned at the launch, but in Hong Kong, the issue became contentious when Disney announced plans to build a park shortly after Disneyland Hong Kong opened. Local politicians criticised the Hong Kong government for not including an exclusivity clause in its deal with Disney.
Tourism gateway
Like Hong Kong, Abu Dhabi is a smaller economy sitting next to a larger regional player. With Saudi Arabia’s ambitious Vision 2030 strategy and its existing roster of theme park developments at Qiddiya, which includes a Six Flags, a water park and a Dragon Ball Z theme park, developers in Riyadh would likely be keen to have a Disney theme park, too.
For now, with Disney on board in Abu Dhabi, the hope is that Yas Island will become a leading global theme park destination and attract large numbers of visitors wanting a holiday with multiple theme park visits.
The potential is certainly there. During the project launch, Disney highlighted that the UAE is located within a four-hour flight of one-third of the world’s population, making it a significant gateway for tourism. It is also home to the largest global airline hub in the world, with 120 million passengers travelling through Abu Dhabi and Dubai each year.
If that potential is realised, then the bigger is better theory will be proved right. If the park’s performance disappoints, then it will suggest the region is not such a great destination for theme parks after all.
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Firms bag $850m Qatar substation contracts
8 May 2025
Four local and international firms have won contracts for the construction of seven high-voltage substations in Qatar.
State-backed Qatar General Electricity & Water Corporation (Kahramaa) signed the contracts, which have a total combined value of approximately QR3.1bn ($850m), with the following firms:
- Elsewedy Cables Qatar Company (local/Egypt)
- Voltage Engineering (local)
- Best/Betas Consortium (Turkey)
- Taihan Cable & Solution (South Korea)
Kahramaa said the projects aim to “meet electrical network demand in light of the country's fast-growing …urban development”.
The contracts include the provision and installation of underground cables and overhead lines extending around 212 kilometres to connect these substations.
Qatari companies won the largest share, equivalent to 58.4% or QR1.8bn, of the total contract value.
This reflects “our great confidence in the capabilities of the local private sector and its pivotal role in achieving our development vision and achieving Qatar National Vision 2030”, said Kahramaa president Abdulla Bin Ali Al-Theyab.
Qatar Minister of State for Energy Affairs, Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, and senior executives from Kahramaa and the contracting firms signed the deals at a ceremony held in Doha.
Al-Kaabi said the projects will help “ensure our networks' continued and sustainable ability to accommodate the unprecedented growth of the power sector and meet the increasing electricity demand”.
Kahramaa said the contractors will undertake the construction of electrical substations and the connection of cables and overhead lines, as well as the development of some existing substations to increase their capacity.
Qatar has been ramping up its power generation capacity in recent years.
Qatar's Emir, Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani, inaugurated the Ras Laffan and Mesaieed solar photovoltaic (PV) power plants on 28 April.
The two plants have a combined capacity of 875MW and will more than double Qatar’s solar energy production to 1,675MW.
In February, Qatar Electricity & Water Company (QEWC) and Kahramaa signed a power-purchase agreement for a 511MW peak electricity generation plant at Ras Abu Fontas, which will have a total cost of approximately QR1.6bn. The peak power plant is scheduled to become operational by January 2027.
A consortium led by South Korea's Doosan Enerbility, and that includes Beijing-headquartered PowerChina, will undertake the Ras Abu Fontas peak power plant's engineering, procurement and construction contract, with Germany's Siemens Energy supplying the plant's gas turbines.
Photo credit: Kahramaa
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OQ to take interest in Oman renewable projects
8 May 2025
OQ Alternative Energy (OQAE), part of Oman’s state-backed energy group OQ, will be taking shares in Oman’s renewable energy independent power projects (IPP), starting with the Ibri 3 solar scheme.
“The direction seems to be for OQ Alternative Energy to own up to 25% shares in the upcoming solar and wind IPP projects in the sultanate,” says a source familiar with the plans.
Before this development, private developers and investors owned the total shares in such projects, similar to the existing structure in Saudi Arabia.
With this policy change, Oman will now be more closely aligned with the existing project structure in the UAE, where either Abu Dhabi National Energy Company (Taqa), Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar) or the state utility, Dubai Electricity & Water Authority (Dewa), owns stakes in these projects.
However, OQAE’s planned 25% ownership share will be slightly lower than the typical 40% to 60% shares that Taqa, Masdar or Dewa owns in the UAE’s renewable energy IPP projects.
Currently, OQAE owns a 51% share in three renewable energy projects being developed in partnership with France’s TotalEnergies for the state-backed firm, Petroleum Development Oman (PDO).
The Riyah-1 and Riyah-2 wind power plants will be located in the Amin and West Nimr fields in southern Oman, while the North Solar project will be situated in northern Oman.
Each plant will have a capacity of 100MW, Total Energies announced in December.
PDO will purchase the electricity from the plants through long-term power-purchase agreements with the developer team, whose 49% shares are owned by TotalEnergies.
OQAE is also part of Hyport Coordination Company, a consortium comprising Belgium’s Deme Concessions and BP Oman. The consortium plans to develop a green hydrogen project in Duqm that can produce more than 50 tonnes a year of green hydrogen in its first phase by 2029.
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