Related Articles

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  AD Ports to potentially operate Kuwait’s Shuaiba port

  16 December 2025

  Abu Dhabi Ports Group (AD Ports) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Kuwait Ports Authority (KPA) to explore developing and operating the container terminal at Kuwait’s Shuaiba port under a concession agreement.

  Established in the 1960s, Shuaiba is Kuwait’s oldest port. It covers 2.2 million square metres (sq m) and has 20 berths. According to KPA’s website, the container terminal has a storage area of 318,000 sq m.

  Located about 60km south of Kuwait City, the port handles commercial cargo, heavy equipment, raw materials and chemicals used across multiple industries.

  KPA said the MoU is a preliminary first step towards a concession contract, subject to completion of the required studies.

  Under the agreement, AD Ports will prepare the technical, environmental and financial studies needed for the project, including infrastructure requirements.

  For its part, KPA will designate the project site at Shuaiba port and collaborate with AD Ports to complete the required studies. It will also facilitate obtaining all necessary licences and approvals from the relevant Kuwaiti authorities.

  The proposed partnership is strategically significant for Abu Dhabi Ports Group, as it would extend its footprint in a major Gulf market and strengthen its regional network of ports and logistics assets.

  AD Ports’ presence at Shuaiba would position the group along key Gulf trade lanes and support its broader strategy of building end-to-end maritime and logistics corridors by linking port operations with shipping, industrial zones and supply chain services.

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  READ THE DECEMBER 2025 MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – click here to view PDF

  Prospects widen as Middle East rail projects are delivered; India’s L&T storms up MEED’s EPC contractor ranking; Manama balances growth with fiscal challenges

  Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the December 2025 edition of MEED Business Review includes:

  > AGENDA 1: Regional rail construction surges ahead > AGENDA 2:  Middle East becomes a hub as rail networks mature > INDUSTRY REPORT 1: Larsen & Toubro climbs EPC contractor ranking > INDUSTRY REPORT 2: Chinese firms expand oil and gas presence > LIBYA: Oil companies ramp up activity in Libya > CONSTRUCTION: Aramco Stadium races towards completion > RENEWABLES: UAE moves ahead with $6bn solar and storage project > INTERVIEW: Engie pivots towards renewables projects > BAHRAIN MARKET FOCUS: Manama pursues reform amid strain

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

  https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/15254300/main4910.jpg

  Yasir Iqbal
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  DP World launches new UAE-Iraq sea route

  16 December 2025

  UAE-based port operator DP World has launched a new 36-hour maritime service linking Dubai’s Mina Rashid with Iraq’s Umm Qasr Port.

  The new service, called DP World Express, offers a faster option than overland trucking, with a capacity to carry up to 145 accompanied trailers per sailing.

  The service was inaugurated at Mina Rashid, and a dedicated RoRo vessel was assigned to the route.

  The vessel was recently upgraded at Drydocks World and is scheduled to begin operations in December 2025.

  DP World Express will transport non-containerised, full-trailer units with drivers on board, delivering a direct, secure, door-to-door solution between the UAE and Iraq. The service will also support onward movement to neighbouring countries, improving reliability while reducing cross-border delays and administrative complexity.

  The new route responds to demand for quicker, more controlled trailer movements by lowering handling needs and simplifying planning across key trading sectors.

  This corridor strengthens access to Iraq’s main commercial centres and enhances connectivity to Jordan and Syria via established inland routes, supporting regional trade growth. On the return leg, the vessel will carry Iraqi export cargo to the UAE, helping expand two-way trade and improving efficiency across regional supply chains.

  The service further develops DP World’s integrated logistics offering by expanding direct maritime connectivity for non-containerised cargo. It is also expected to support sustainability goals by reducing CO2 emissions compared with alternative transport and logistics options.

  The launch event was attended by senior officials from the UAE and Iraq, including Muzaffar Mustafa Al-Jubouri, Iraqi ambassador to the UAE, and Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, group chairman and CEO of DP World, among others.

  DP World is a global provider of end-to-end supply chain and logistics solutions, specialising in port operations, economic zones, maritime services and digital trade platforms. The company operates more than 60 marine and inland terminals in over 30 countries, handling around 88 million twenty-foot equivalent units of containerised cargo annually.

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  READ THE DECEMBER 2025 MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – click here to view PDF

  Prospects widen as Middle East rail projects are delivered; India’s L&T storms up MEED’s EPC contractor ranking; Manama balances growth with fiscal challenges

  Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the December 2025 edition of MEED Business Review includes:

  > AGENDA 1: Regional rail construction surges ahead > AGENDA 2:  Middle East becomes a hub as rail networks mature > INDUSTRY REPORT 1: Larsen & Toubro climbs EPC contractor ranking > INDUSTRY REPORT 2: Chinese firms expand oil and gas presence > LIBYA: Oil companies ramp up activity in Libya > CONSTRUCTION: Aramco Stadium races towards completion > RENEWABLES: UAE moves ahead with $6bn solar and storage project > INTERVIEW: Engie pivots towards renewables projects > BAHRAIN MARKET FOCUS: Manama pursues reform amid strain

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

  https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/15251327/main.JPG

  Yasir Iqbal
• 
  Local firm wins key road intersection deal in Dubai

  16 December 2025

  

   

  Dubai-based firm DBB Contracting has won a contract from Dubai’s Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) for the development of the Sheikh Zayed Bin Hamdan Al-Nahyan Street intersection with Al-Awir Road and Al-Manama Street.

  The scope includes the construction of 2.3 kilometres (km) of bridges, lane expansion, and the provision of entrances and exits serving the surrounding areas.

  The project will increase the street’s capacity from 5,200 vehicles to 14,400 vehicles per hour in each direction.

  It will reduce travel time from 20 minutes to five minutes.

  The project will serve areas with a combined population of over 600,000 residents and visitors.

  The mobilisation works are ongoing. The project is slated for completion by 2028.

  #RTA has awarded the contract for the development of Sheikh Zayed bin Hamdan Al Nahyan Street Intersection with Al Awir Road and Al Manama Street. The project includes the construction of 2,300 metres of bridges, the expansion of lanes, and the provision of entrances and exits… pic.twitter.com/UVK65UwHBe

  — RTA (@rta_dubai) December 14, 2025

  Planning for growth

  In March 2021, the government launched the Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan. Its launch referenced studies indicating that the emirate’s population will reach 5.8 million by 2040, up from 3.3 million in 2020. The daytime population is set to increase from 4.5 million in 2020 to 7.8 million in 2040.

  In December 2022, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, approved the 20-Minute City Policy as part of the second phase of the Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan. 

  In addition to the road projects, the RTA’s Dubai Metro Blue Line extension forms part of Dubai’s plans to improve residents’ quality of life by cutting journey times, as outlined in the policy.

  The policy aims to ensure that residents can meet 80% of their daily needs within a 20-minute walk or bike ride. This goal will be achieved by developing integrated service centres with all necessary facilities and by increasing population density around mass transit stations.

  https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/15251261/main.jpg

  Yasir Iqbal
• 
  Spetco completes clarification process for Kuwait oil contract

  16 December 2025

  

   

  Local contractor Spetco International has completed the clarification process with state-owned upstream operator Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) for a contract to develop the planned Mutriba remote boosting facility in Kuwait.

  In October, Ahmadi-based Spetco submitted the lowest bid for the contract, valued at KD88.2m ($288.7m).

  KOC tendered the project earlier this year and set a bid submission deadline of 29 June. The deadline was extended several times before three Kuwait-based companies submitted bids.

  The full list of the bids submitted was:

  • Spetco International – KD88,209,236 ($288.7m)
  • Combined Group Contracting – KD123,000,000 ($402.5m)
  • Alghanim International General Trading & Contracting – KD129,450,000 ($423.7m)

  One source said: “The large price gap between the lowest bid and the other bids that were submitted meant that KOC sought to revalidate the quote form Spetco and ensure that the company was conforming to the tender requirements and specifications.”

  The project uses the build-own-operate-transfer (BOOT) contract model.

  The project’s scope includes:

  • Development of the Mutriba oil field
  • Installation of the degassing station
  • Installation of manifolds
  • Installation of condensate facilities
  • Installation of wellhead separation units
  • Installation of the pumping system
  • Installation of wellhead facilities
  • Installation of oil and gas treatment plants
  • Installation of a natural gas liquids plant
  • Installation of a water and gas injection plant
  • Construction of associated utilities and facilities

  The onshore Mutriba oil field is located in northwest Kuwait and is being developed as part of Kuwait’s broader strategy to expand its upstream capacity.

  Commercial output from Mutriba officially began on 15 June this year, after several wells were connected to KOC’s production facilities.

  The field, in a previously undeveloped part of Kuwait, covers more than 230 square kilometres and lies outside the area of fields already operated by KOC.

  In September, Kuwait’s Oil Minister Tareq Al‑Roumi said that the country’s oil production capacity had reached 3.2 million barrels a day (b/d), its highest level in more than 10 years.

  Despite the higher capacity, Kuwait says it will continue to abide by Opec+ agreements and will produce 2.559 million b/d.

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  READ THE DECEMBER 2025 MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – click here to view PDF

  Prospects widen as Middle East rail projects are delivered; India’s L&T storms up MEED’s EPC contractor ranking; Manama balances growth with fiscal challenges

  Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the December 2025 edition of MEED Business Review includes:

  > AGENDA 1: Regional rail construction surges ahead > AGENDA 2:  Middle East becomes a hub as rail networks mature > INDUSTRY REPORT 1: Larsen & Toubro climbs EPC contractor ranking > INDUSTRY REPORT 2: Chinese firms expand oil and gas presence > LIBYA: Oil companies ramp up activity in Libya > CONSTRUCTION: Aramco Stadium races towards completion > RENEWABLES: UAE moves ahead with $6bn solar and storage project > INTERVIEW: Engie pivots towards renewables projects > BAHRAIN MARKET FOCUS: Manama pursues reform amid strain

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

  https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/15249101/main0844.png

  Wil Crisp
• 
  Kuwait awards oil pipeline contract

  16 December 2025

  State-owned upstream operator Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) has awarded a contract to East Ahmadi-based Mechanical Engineering & Contracting Company (MECC) to build an oil pipeline network.

  The project scope includes installing group manifolds and trunk lines in North Kuwait, according to a statement from Kuwait’s Central Agency for Public Tenders (CAPT).

  The contract was awarded on 8 December and has a value of KD34.7m ($113.1m).

  MECC outbid three other companies, who were:

  • Combined Group Contracting Company – KD35.4m
  • Sayed Hamid Behbehani & Sons Company – KD39.8m
  • Heavy Engineering Industries & Shipbuilding Company (Heisco) – KD40.1m

  The project will install infrastructure to transport liquids from oil wells to gathering centers 29, 30m and 31.

  Kuwait is set to record its highest total annual value for oil, gas and chemicals contract awards since 2017, according to data from regional project tracker MEED Projects.

  Earlier in December, MEED reported that 19 contracts totalling $1.9bn had been awarded so far in 2025.

  This is more than four times the value of contract awards in the same sectors last year, when they totalled just $436m.

  It is also above the $1.7bn peak recorded in 2021, but it remains far lower than the values of contract awards seen in 2014-17, when several large-scale, multibillion-dollar projects were awarded in the country.

  The surge in the value of contract awards has come after Kuwait’s emir indefinitely dissolved parliament and suspended some of the country’s constitutional articles in May 2024.

  Prior to the suspension of parliament, Kuwait experienced very low levels of project awards for several years amid political gridlock and infighting between the cabinet and parliament.

  This meant that important project decisions could not be made, which was seen as a major obstacle to the progress of strategic oil projects.

  

  https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/15249103/main.png

  Wil Crisp