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  Read the September 2026 MEED Business Review

  3 September 2026

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  Nuclear energy is becoming an increasingly important part of the GCC’s long-term power strategy, as governments seek to strengthen energy security, diversify generation and meet decarbonisation goals.

  Saudi Arabia’s civil nuclear cooperation deal with the US marks a major step forward for its plans to develop its first commercial nuclear power plant, while rising electricity demand across the region is creating further momentum.

  With the UAE already operating the Middle East’s first commercial nuclear power station, Saudi Arabia targeting up to 17GW by 2040 and Bahrain exploring small modular reactor technologies, our latest Agenda feature examines the growing role of nuclear energy in the GCC’s future power projects pipeline.

  September’s Market Focus turns to Kuwait, where the country’s oil-dependent economy has weathered unprecedented disruption, yet major investment and infrastructure deals point to resilience.

  This edition also includes a downstream industry report, exploring the accelerating investment in gas processing and associated infrastructure across Mena, the major projects driving spending, and the growing focus on NGL recovery, efficiency and higher-value gas products.

  In the latest issue, we speak to Emsteel chief commercial officer Michael Rion about the Abu Dhabi steelmaker’s plans to strengthen its position in domestic and international markets, including the launch of its ES600 steel rebar and the expansion of its long-standing partnership with Adnoc Group.

  We also examine the GCC’s accelerating tunnelling boom, as major metro, sewerage and road projects increasingly move underground. The feature explores the scale of investment, the contractors and technology driving the market, and the challenges facing the region as demand for tunnelling expertise and equipment grows.

  We hope our valued subscribers enjoy the September 2026 issue of MEED Business Review. 

  

   

  Must-read sections in the September 2026 issue of MEED Business Review include:

  > AGENDA: Gulf nuclear revival takes shape

  INDUSTRY REPORT: Downstream > Gas processing takes centre stage in Mena region

  > INTERVIEW: Emsteel persists with business productivity and efficiency

  > TUNNELS: The Gulf’s next construction boom is happening underground

  > KUWAIT MARKET FOCUS: 
  > COMMENT: Kuwait keeps dealmaking alive under fire
  > GOVERNMENT: Kuwait shows tentative signs of economic development
  > BANKING: Necessity is the mother of invention for Kuwaiti lenders
  > OIL & GAS: Regional war to have lasting impact on Kuwaiti oil sector
  > POWER & WATER: Kuwait utilities investment shifts towards water
  > CONSTRUCTION: Kuwait construction holds up despite regional strife
  > MARKET TALK: Kuwait stands resilient amid regional tensions
  > DATABANK: Kuwait’s economic gains are dented by conflict in 2026

  > MEED COMMENTS: 
  > Cash is king for Dubai construction
  > Aramco moves apace with Jafurah unconventional gas campaign
  > Neom’s next phase is crucial to green hydrogen pipeline
  > Oman opens door to direct power sales

  > GULF PROJECTS INDEX: Qatar leads gains as Gulf total holds

  > JUNE 2026 CONTRACTS: Middle East contract awards

  > ECONOMIC DATA: Data drives regional projects

  > OPINION: The history of false dawns

  > 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
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  Kuwait tenders two Al-Mutlaa City construction packages

  2 September 2026

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  Kuwait’s Public Authority for Housing Welfare (PAHW) has tendered two contracts covering the construction of public buildings across five districts at its Al-Mutlaa City residential project.

  The first tender covers construction in the N5 and N6 districts, while the second covers N1, N3 and N4.

  The tenders were issued on 30 August, with a bid submission deadline of 30 September.

  The project is a housing scheme located 38.3 kilometres northwest of the Kuwait metropolitan area.

  It covers approximately 104 square kilometres and is expected to house up to 400,000 people.

  The mixed-use development will include residential, social, commercial and light industrial areas.

  In March 2023, MEED reported that PAHW had appointed France-based Egis as a project management consultant for the Al-Mutlaa City development.

  Under the agreement, Egis is providing programme-level service management, construction logistics and interface management services.

  The scope of work also includes cost management, a digital programme management system and a project management information system for the scheme.

  Al-Mutlaa City is one of the largest housing infrastructure projects being developed by the government as part of Kuwait’s Vision 2035.

  UK analytics firm GlobalData expects Kuwait’s construction industry to grow at an average annual rate of 7.1% in 2025-28, supported by investment in renewable energy, transport and oil and gas projects, as well as spending under the New Kuwait 2035 National Development Plan.

  Under this strategy, the government plans to invest KD350m ($1.1bn) to develop several sports projects in the country.

  The residential construction sector is expected to register average annual growth of 3.8% in 2025-28, supported by the government’s plan to build 65,500 housing units by 2029 through five projects.

  ---

  MEED’s September 2026 report on Kuwait includes:

  > COMMENT: Kuwait keeps dealmaking alive under fire
  > GOVERNMENT: Kuwait shows tentative signs of economic development
  > BANKING: Necessity is the mother of invention for Kuwaiti lenders
  > OIL & GAS: Regional war to have lasting impact on Kuwaiti oil sector
  > POWER & WATER: Kuwait utilities investment shifts towards water
  > CONSTRUCTION: Kuwait construction holds up despite regional strife
  > MARKET TALK: Kuwait stands resilient amid regional tensions

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

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  Yasir Iqbal
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  Preferred bidders emerge for Zatca residential PPP

  2 September 2026

  

   

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  Saudi Arabia’s Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority (Zatca), through the National Centre for Privatisation and PPP (NCP), has selected preferred bidders to develop residential buildings at various land ports across the kingdom.

  The project covers developments across nine land ports, separated into two packages.

  Local firm Saudi Arabian Trading & Construction Company has been selected as the preferred bidder for the first package, which includes the Al-Batha, Salwa, Al-Raqi, Jadidat Arar, Al-Wadiah and Empty Quarter sites.

  Bahrain-headquartered Lamar Holding is the preferred bidder for the second package, which includes land ports at Al-Hadithah, Halat Ammar and Al-Durrah.

  The project will be implemented as a public-private partnership (PPP) on a design, build, finance, operate, maintain and transfer basis, with a contract duration of 23 years, including the construction period.

  The contract covers the construction and management of new residential buildings and associated facilities at the land ports, as well as the rehabilitation of existing facilities.

  The project is the latest scheme in the kingdom’s PPP pipeline. In January, Saudi Arabia launched a national privatisation strategy aimed at mobilising $64bn in private sector capital by 2030.

  Building on the privatisation programme first introduced in 2018, the strategy focuses on unlocking state-owned assets for private investment and privatising selected government services.

  In a statement, NCP said the strategy comprises 147 opportunities drawn from a broader pipeline of more than 500 projects across 18 sectors.

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  Yasir Iqbal
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  Egypt signs PPA for 1GW Ras Shokeir wind farm

  2 September 2026

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  A joint venture of the local Hassan Allam Utilities Energy and Infinity Power has signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) with Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company (EETC) for the development of the 1GW Ras Shokeir wind project in Egypt.

  The project is located in Egypt’s Red Sea Governorate, within the Gulf of Suez wind corridor. It will cover approximately 143 square kilometres.

  The PPA has a 25-year term. The project will supply electricity to Egypt’s national grid.

  Ras Shokeir is expected to generate enough electricity to power more than 1.2 million Egyptian homes. It is also expected to avoid more than 1.36 million tonnes of CO2 emissions annually.

  The PPA was signed by EETC chairperson Mona Rizk and Infinity Power co-founder and CEO Nayer Fouad, representing the Infinity Power-Hassan Allam consortium.

  The signing brings the project closer to development as Egypt seeks to expand its renewable energy capacity. Egypt has set a target for renewable energy to make up 42% of the electricity mix by 2030 and 65% by 2040.

  This includes the 500MW Amunet 2 wind project, which is being developed by UAE-headquartered Amea Power following the commissioning of the first Amunet wind project in June 2025.

  Hassan Allam Utilities Energy and Infinity Power are also developing Egypt’s $560m West Minya solar plant, which will combine 1,000MWac of solar photovoltaic capacity with a 600MWh battery energy storage system.

  In June, MEED reported that a joint venture of Hassan Allam Construction and India’s Sterling & Wilson Renewable Energy had won the engineering, procurement and construction contract for the project.

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  Mark Dowdall
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  NWC confirms $347m Saudi sewage treatment plant deal

  2 September 2026

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  Saudi Arabia’s National Water Company (NWC) has signed a contract worth more than SR1.3bn ($347m) with a Saudi-Chinese consortium to rehabilitate, operate and maintain nine sewage treatment plants (STPs).

  The 15-year contract covers plants located across the Hail, Qassim, Al-Jouf and Northern Borders provinces. The plants have a combined treatment design capacity of more than 337,000 cubic metres a day (cm/d).

  MEED exclusively reported in January that the consortium comprising China’s Jiangsu United Water Technology and Saudi-based Armada Holding had won the contract for the project.

  The contract is for the Northern Cluster Sewage Treatment Plants Package 10 (LTOM10) and includes an initial three-year period for rehabilitation and upgrade works, followed by long-term operation and maintenance.

  NWC said the contract was signed with a tariff of SR0.69 ($0.18) a cubic meter.

  As MEED understands, United Water will be responsible for design, financing, operation and part of the construction works. Saudi Arabia’s Armada Holding will handle construction, equipment import customs clearance and local business communications. UAE-registered Prosus Holding will act as the financial investor.

  LTOM packages

  The same consortium is also expected to sign a contract for Package 11 of the LTOM programme in the coming months.

  In April, MEED exclusively reported that the consortium won the contract for this project, which will have a combined capacity of about 440,000 cm/d.

  Bids for North Western B Cluster (LTOM12) remain under evaluation. The contract covers the construction and upgrade of seven STPs with a combined capacity of about 162,000 cm/d.

  NWC also tendered the Eastern A Cluster (LTOM14) package in April, covering the upgrade of six existing STPs with a capacity expansion of 30,000 cm/d at the Al-Jarodia STP.

  This will increase total treatment capacity from about 263,000 cm/d to approximately 293,000 cm/d, with an estimated cost of $180m.

  The bid submission deadline is 30 September.

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  Mark Dowdall