meed-logo

line1 line2 line3
SIGN IN / REGISTER

Gaza conflict puts region on edge again

26 December 2023

 

For much of 2023, the defining narrative for the Middle East was one of reconciliation. From Iran and Saudi Arabia agreeing to rekindle diplomatic relations under a China-brokered deal in March, and Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad being welcomed to an Arab League summit in Riyadh in May, leaders favoured diplomacy over division. 

Not all wounds healed, but even in Yemen an unofficial truce between Houthi rebels and Saudi-backed forces largely held throughout the year.

The Hamas assault on Israel on 7 October and Israel’s response dramatically altered the picture, although whether it will lead to lasting regional change remains to be seen.

Prior to the fighting, few minds in the region were focused on the Palestinian issue, with far more attention being paid to developing commercial and security ties. Saudi Arabia was widely thought to be edging closer to normalisation with Israel, with Israeli ministers starting to visit the kingdom regularly. 

Israel’s Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi was in Riyadh on 1 October for a conference. Tourism Minister Haim Katz visited for a World Tourism Organisation event a week earlier.

Such trips are now off the agenda, with Riyadh focused on leading the Islamic world in condemning Israel. On 11 November, it hosted a joint summit of the Arab League and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. Among the attendees was Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi – the first visit by an Iranian president to Saudi Arabia since 2012. Raisi used the occasion to invite Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman al-Saud to visit Tehran, a sign that the pre-war trend for reconciliatory diplomacy has not entirely disappeared. 

The Gaza conflict has been particularly difficult to navigate for Abraham Accord signatories Bahrain, Morocco and the UAE. Bahrain suspended economic ties with Israel, but there has been no sign from any of the three of wanting to break off relations altogether.

“How far the war goes will determine how the relationship [with Israel] develops,” said one analyst. 

Some other diplomatic gains are also being made against the backdrop of the war. Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani travelled to Manama on 17 November as part of an energetic diplomatic push to bring the Israeli/Palestinian war to an end.

Sheikh Mohammed held talks with Prime Minister and Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifa, and they agreed to revive long-abandoned plans to build a ‘friendship bridge’ between the countries.

Navigating the multi-polar world will remain a key challenge for Gulf powers in the year ahead

Another trend evident in recent years has also continued – namely the efforts by some Gulf powers to dilute their ties with Western allies and build stronger links with China, Russia and others.

A clear sign of this came in August when the UAE and Saudi Arabia were invited to join the Brics grouping of major non-Western economies. They are set to formally join in January.

But in an indication of their desire to maintain links with all sides, Saudi Arabia and the UAE then signed up to the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (Imec) initiative at the G20 summit in New Delhi, India, in mid-September. 

Navigating the increasingly multi-polar world will remain a key challenge for Gulf powers in the year ahead.

Imminent peril

In other parts of the region, the situation holds more immediate peril. In Egypt, the economy is in a parlous state, with President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi relying on Gulf allies to prop up an economy facing over $29bn of debt repayments in 2024. 

Neighbouring Libya remains divided between rival administrations with their own regional allies. Turkiye and Qatar have supported the Tripoli-based government of Prime Minister Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah, while Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the UAE back General Khalifa Haftar and his Libyan National Army in the east. 

In Sudan, the UAE-backed Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have been fighting President General Abdel-Fattah Burhan’s Sudanese Armed Forces in a vicious civil war since April. Peace talks in Riyadh in late September failed to deliver a ceasefire, and the UAE has been implicated in the delivery of weapons to the RSF.

Tunisia is quieter, but the economy is in a delicate state and the lurch towards authoritarian dictatorship under President Kais Saied is making observers nervous.

Tensions between Algeria and Morocco are also problematic. The two countries have long been at odds over Western Sahara, but relations have become more strained in recent years, with Algiers severing diplomatic ties in 2021. Algerian coast guards killed two Moroccans in August 2023 when they strayed into Algerian waters on their jet skis – an incident that could have readily escalated. 

In Iraq, political disagreements came to the fore in November when the Supreme Court removed parliamentary speaker Mohammed al-Halbousi – the country’s most powerful Sunni politician – from office. Iran-backed Iraqi militias have also been flexing their muscle since the Gaza war, launching dozens of attacks on US forces in the country.

Other Iraqi court rulings have also caused disquiet, particularly a September decision by the Constitutional Court to annul a bilateral treaty on sharing the Khor Abdullah waterway with Kuwait. 

Iran meanwhile weathered the protests that erupted in the wake of Marsa Amini’s death in September 2022. Tehran’s emerging challenge is in managing the response of its regional allies to the Gaza conflict. The actions of its other allies
in the region – including the Houthis in Yemen and Hezbollah in Lebanon – could set the tone for the whole region in the year ahead.

Image: Smoke rises after Israeli air strikes on the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on 10 October 2023

https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/11342772/main.gif
Dominic Dudley

Register for MEED's guest program now to access this article.

Click here to register
Exclusive from Meed
Related Articles
  • Riyadh sets December deadline for Prince Mishaal Road

    20 November 2025

     

    The Royal Commission for Riyadh City (RCRC) has allowed contractors until 3 December to submit bids for a contract to develop Prince Mishaal Bin Abdulaziz Road Axis-Taif Road in Riyadh.

    The previous deadline was 19 November.

    The scope of work covers general road improvement works, including street upgrades, drainage works, relocation of existing utilities, dry and wet utilities, and other associated infrastructure. RCRC is investing in improving the road network in and around the kingdom's capital.

    Earlier in November, MEED reported that RCRC had begun post-tender clarifications with bidders for a contract covering upgrade works on Najm Al-Din Al-Ayoubi Road in Riyadh.

    The scope of work covers general road improvement works, including upgrades to three bridges at Al-Zahabi Road, Abdulrahman Adakhel Road and Atia Al-Saady Road.

    In February, RCRC announced plans to develop eight road projects in Riyadh at an estimated cost of more than SR8bn ($2bn).

    The projects form part of the second group in the Riyadh Ring Roads and Main Axes development programme.

    The schemes include:

    • The northern part of the Prince Turki Bin Abdulaziz Al-Awwal Road development project, with a length of more than 6 kilometres (km). The scope includes the development of two main intersections, the construction of three bridges and a tunnel.
    • The middle section of the Al-Thumama Road Axis development project. The scheme will cover about 10km and includes the development of five main intersections and the construction of 11 bridges and five tunnels.
    • The Imam Abdullah Bin Saud Road development project, which will stretch about 9km and includes the development of four main intersections, the construction of three bridges and two tunnels.
    • The Dirab Road development project, which will cover 9km and includes the development of two main intersections and the construction of nine bridges.
    • The Imam Muslim Road development project, which stretches 12km and includes the development of four main intersections and the construction of four bridges. The project will serve as the future extension of the Prince Turki Bin Abdulaziz Al-Awwal Road Axis to the south.
    • The road network development project surrounding King Abdullah Financial Centre, with a length of 20km. This includes the development of three main intersections and the construction of 19 bridges.
    • The construction of a bridge at the intersection of King Salman Road in the east with Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq Road in the north.
    • The first package of engineering modifications for crowded sites in Riyadh, encompassing improvements to alleviate traffic congestion during peak times.

    In August last year, RCRC confirmed it had awarded four contracts worth SR13bn ($3.46bn) as part of the first phase of the programme to develop the city’s road network.

    RCRC said the first phase will develop the axis of the main and ring roads to improve traffic movement in the city.

    Other major projects by RCRC include Riyadh Metro, Riyadh Art, Sports Boulevard, King Salman International Park and the Green Riyadh project.

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/15123861/main.jpg
    Yasir Iqbal
  • Riyadh advances with rail link prequalifications

    20 November 2025

     

    Saudi Arabia Railways (SAR) is expected to begin the second stage of the prequalification process for a contract covering the construction of a new railway line, known as the Riyadh Rail Link, which will run from the north to the south of Riyadh.

    MEED understands that the consortiums need to propose self-funded financing arrangements for the project as part of the new round of prequalifications.

    Contractors submitted their initial prequalification documents earlier this month.

    The scope of work includes constructing a 35-kilometre-long double-track railway line connecting SAR’s North-South Railway to the Eastern Railway network.

    The contract also covers the procurement, construction and installation of associated infrastructure such as viaducts, civil works, utility installations, signalling systems and other related works.

    The project is expected to form a key component of the Saudi Landbridge railway.

    The Saudi Landbridge is an estimated $7bn project comprising more than 1,500km of new track. Its core component is a 900km new railway between Riyadh and Jeddah, which will provide direct freight access to the capital from King Abdullah Port on the Red Sea.

    Other key sections include upgrades to the existing Riyadh-Dammam line and a link between King Abdullah Port and Yanbu.

    The start of tendering activity for the Riyadh Rail Link project makes the construction of the Saudi Landbridge more likely. 

    The project is one of the kingdom’s most anticipated infrastructure programmes. Plans to develop it were first announced in 2004, but the project was put on hold in 2010 before being revived a year later.

    Key stumbling blocks were rights-of-way issues, route alignment and its high cost.

    In December 2023, MEED reported that a team of US-based Hill International, Italy’s Italferr and Spain’s Sener had been awarded the contract to provide project management services for the programme.

    If it proceeds, the Landbridge will be one of the largest railway projects ever undertaken in the Middle East – and among the biggest globally.

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/15123411/main.jpg
    Yasir Iqbal
  • Local contractor bids low for $629m Kuwait oil project

    20 November 2025

    Kuwait-based Mechanical Engineering & Contracting Company (MECC) has submitted the lowest bid on a contract to develop oil and gas facilities at the Sabriya and Bahra oil fields.

    The scope of the project is focused on developing a water separation facility next to Gathering Centre 23 (GC-23) and GC-24.

    It also includes developing an injection facility at GC-31.

    The full list of bidders for the project is:

    • Mechanical Engineering & Contracting Company (MECC) – KD193m ($629m)
    • Spetco – KD229m
    • Alghanim International – KD239m

    The tender was issued on 15 December 2024, with an initial bid submission deadline of 16 March 2025.

    The bid deadline was extended more than 10 times before prices were submitted.

    The client on the project is state-owned upstream operator Kuwait Oil Company (KOC).

    The scope of the project includes:

    • Installation of a high-integrity pressure protection system
    • Installation of chemical injection systems
    • Installation of effluent water transfer pumps
    • Installation of a low-pressure (LP) gas pipeline from the new LP gas knockout drum (KOD) to existing LP separator gas crude accumulator (inside GC-23 & 24)
    • Installation of interconnecting piping, instrumentation, electrical and civil works
    • Installation of a new oil recovery system with pumps, flowmeter and analyser
    • Installation of the substation and its equipment/systems
    • Installation of tie-ins for process and utilities from/to existing GC-30 to new injection facility
    • Installation of sludge collection, treatment and disposal system
    • Associated facilities

    Kuwait is trying to boost project activity in its upstream sector.

    The country’s national oil company, Kuwait Petroleum Corporation, aims to increase oil production capacity to 4 million barrels a day (b/d) by 2035.

    In August, Kuwait announced that it was producing 3.2 million b/d.

    Earlier this month, KOC said it was planning to spend KD1.2bn ($3.92bn) on its exploration drilling programme through 2030.

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/15120909/main.png
    Wil Crisp
  • Oman’s Marafiq retenders Duqm desalination plant

    20 November 2025

    Register for MEED’s 14-day trial access 

    Oman-based Central Utilities Company (Marafiq) has reissued the main contract tender for its planned seawater reverse osmosis (RO) desalination plant in Duqm.

    The revised submission deadline is 25 November.

    The project has an estimated budget of $100m and will supply industrial water and support wastewater services in the Duqm Special Economic Zone.

    The scheme involves building a seawater RO plant, an intake system, pre-treatment facilities, pumping stations, metering stations, pipelines and associated infrastructure.

    Marafiq is developing the project in its capacity as the authorised utilities provider for the Duqm Special Economic Zone.

    The company intends to develop a plant with a capacity of 45 million litres a day to serve industrial customers, including a planned hot-briquetted iron (HBI) facility proposed by an international steel manufacturer at Duqm Port. 

    Spain’s Cobra Group and Oman’s Global Chemicals & Maintenance System were previously prequalified to bid for the engineering, procurement and construction contract.

    The main contract was initially tendered in December 2024, with the bid submission deadline in February. 

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/15116821/main.jpg
    Mark Dowdall
  • Wood Group wins Iraq oil contract

    20 November 2025

    Register for MEED’s 14-day trial access 

    Aberdeen-based Wood Group has won a contract to deliver project management and engineering services for PetroChina at the West Qurna-1 oil field in southern Iraq, according to a statement from the company.

    Under the terms of the contract, Wood will manage engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) projects at the field. 

    Located approximately 50 kilometres northwest of Basra, West Qurna-1 holds more than 20 billion barrels of recoverable reserves.

    Ellis Renforth, Wood’s president of operations for the Europe, Africa and Middle East region, said: “This contract award deepens our decade-long partnership at West Qurna-1 and reflects the continued trust placed in Wood to deliver complex energy solutions in Iraq. 

    “We’re proud to combine our global expertise with a strong local workforce to help support Iraq’s energy ambitions.”

    The contract will be delivered by nearly 200 Wood employees based in Iraq and the UAE, the company said.

    On 17 November, in a vote, 88% of Wood Group’s shareholders backed the company’s takeover by Dubai-based Sidara.

    The vote came after months of delay, while Wood struggled to agree its accounts with its auditor.

    The company’s accounts were eventually published on 30 October, showing a pre-tax loss of more than £2bn and evidence that the auditor was still not satisfied with the figures going back several years.

    Wood Group accepted a $292m conditional takeover bid from Sidara in August.

    As of February, Wood Group employed 35,000 people across about 60 countries, many in consulting and engineering roles.

    In the Middle East, the company has project contracts in Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, where it has opened its third office in Sharjah.

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/15122155/main.png
    Wil Crisp