Related Articles

• 
  Alghanim submits lowest offer for Kuwait oil refinery project

  15 May 2026

  Kuwait’s Alghanim International General Trading & Contracting has submitted the lowest bid for a contract to upgrade the country’s Mina Al-Ahmadi (MAA) refinery.

  The client is state-owned downstream operator Kuwait National Petroleum Company (KNPC). The project scope covers upgrades to water transmission and storage infrastructure at the refinery.

  The contract will be delivered under an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) model. The tender was issued in October 2025 with an initial bid deadline of 4 January 2026, which was later extended several times. The most recent rescheduling moved the deadline from 19 April to 10 May.

  Alghanim submitted a bid of KD37.0m ($120m), significantly lower than the other two bidders, both Kuwait-based: Heavy Engineering Industries & Shipbuilding Company (Heisco) at KD60.6m ($197m) and Gulf Spic General Trading & Contracting at KD63.9m ($207m).

  The project is expected to take two years to complete and will expand water storage capacity at the facility by extending existing tanks or constructing new ones. The contractor will also develop associated infrastructure and upgrade systems that transport desalinated water to the refinery, including pipelines and related equipment.

  In its 2024-25 annual report, KNPC said the project will help meet water demand for the facility’s refining and gas production units.

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  Wil Crisp
• 
  Civil and piping work starts on Iraq field development

  15 May 2026

  

   

  Civil works and piping work have started for the project to develop a second central processing facility (CPF) at Iraq’s Ratawi oil and gas field, according to industry sources.

  The project is part of the $27bn Gas Growth Integrated Project (GGIP), which is being developed by TotalEnergies along with its partners Basra Oil Company (BOC) and Qatar Energy.

  Phase one of the GGIP is expected to be worth about $10bn.

  Work is progressing on the project despite logistical problems related to the regional conflict that broke out after the US and Israel attacked Iran on 28 February.

  While early works are ongoing, equipment needed for later stages of the project is being delayed as it was due to be transported to the project site using ships that would have travelled through the Strait of Hormuz.

  Shipping through the Strait is still severely disrupted due to the regional conflict.

  In September, Turkiye’s Enka signed a contract to develop the second CPF at Iraq’s Ratawi field as part of the second phase of the field’s development.

  Enka did not give a value for the contract, but it is believed to be worth more than $1bn.

  In November, US-based KBR was selected by Enka to provide detailed design services for the project.

  Enka’s contract covers the engineering, procurement, supply, construction and commissioning of the CPF for the project known as the Associated Gas Upstream Project Phase 2 (AGUP2).

  The aim of the AGUP2 project is to process oil and associated gas from the Ratawi oil field to increase production capacity to 210,000 barrels a day of oil and 154 million standard cubic feet a day of gas.

  GGIP masterplan

  The GGIP programme is being led by TotalEnergies, the operator, which holds a 45% stake.

  Basra Oil Company and QatarEnergy hold 30% and 25% stakes, respectively. The consortium formalised the investment agreement with the Iraqi government in September 2021.

  The four projects that comprise the GGIP are:

  • The Common Seawater Supply Project (CSSP)
  • The Ratawi gas processing complex
  • A 1GW solar power project for Iraq’s electricity ministry
  • A field development project at Ratawi, known as the Associated Gas Upstream Project (AGUP)

  The CSSP is designed to support oil production in Iraq’s southern oil and gas fields – mainly Zubair, Rumaila, Majnoon, West Qurna and Ratawi – by delivering treated seawater for injection, a method used to boost crude recovery rates and improve long-term reservoir performance.

  China Petroleum Engineering & Construction Corporation (CPECC) won a $1.61bn contract in May to execute EPC work for the gas processing complex at the Ratawi field development.

  CPECC’s project team based in its Dubai office is performing detailed engineering work on the project.

  In August last year, TotalEnergies awarded China Energy Engineering International Group the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract for the 1GW solar project at the Ratawi field. A month later, QatarEnergy signed an agreement with TotalEnergies to acquire a 50% interest in the project.

  The 1GW Ratawi solar scheme will be developed in phases, with each phase coming online between 2025 and 2027. It will have the capacity to provide electricity to about 350,000 homes in Iraq’s Basra region.

  The project, consisting of 2 million bifacial solar panels mounted on single-axis trackers, will include the design, procurement, construction and commissioning of the photovoltaic power station site and 132kV booster station.

  Separately, in June, TotalEnergies awarded China Petroleum Pipeline Engineering an EPC contract worth $294m to build a pipeline as part of a package known as the Ratawi Gas Midstream Pipeline.

  Also, TotalEnergies awarded UK-based consultant Wood Group a pair of engineering framework agreements in April, worth a combined $11m, under the GGIP scheme.

  The agreements have a three-year term under which Wood will support TotalEnergies in advancing the AGUP.

  One of the aims of the AGUP is to debottleneck and upgrade existing facilities to increase production capacity to 120,000 b/d of oil on completion of the first phase, according to a statement by Wood.

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  READ THE MAY 2026 MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – click here to view PDF

  Global energy sector forced to recalibrate; Conflict hits debt issuance and listings activity; UAE’s non-oil sector faces unclear recovery period amid disruption.

  Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the May 2026 edition of MEED Business Review includes:

  > AGENDA: War in the Middle East recalibrates global energy markets > REGIONAL LNG: War undermines business case for Middle East LNG > CAPITAL MARKETS: Damage avoidance frames debt issuance > IPOs: Regional IPO market dries up amid war  > MARKET FOCUS: Conflict tests UAE diversification > INTERVIEW: Desalination holds steady amid tensions, says Veolia CEO > LEGAL: Force majeure will not cure pre-existing construction industry breaches > BANKS:  GCC banks to feel the strain despite strong buffers > PIF STRATEGY: Public Investment Fund approves 2026-30 strategy

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

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  Wil Crisp
• 
  Abu Dhabi selects Yas Island site for $1.7bn Sphere venue

  14 May 2026

  Abu Dhabi’s Department of Culture & Tourism (DCT Abu Dhabi) and US-based Sphere Entertainment have selected Yas Island as the location for the $1.7bn Sphere Abu Dhabi project.

  The venue will be built on a plot between Yas Mall and SeaWorld Abu Dhabi, close to Yas Island’s theme parks and attractions. Construction is expected to be completed by the end of 2029. Dubai-listed Alec is understood to be the selected contractor and has been working on the project’s pre-construction phase.

  The project will be the first Sphere venue outside the US. It is expected to echo the scale of Sphere Las Vegas, with a capacity of up to 20,000 depending on configuration.

  DCT Abu Dhabi said it will coordinate enabling and infrastructure works with Abu Dhabi entities, including the Department of Municipalities & Transport and its Integrated Transport Centre, the Department of Energy, Taqa, Etihad Rail and Aldar. The scope includes road enhancements, site access and site-wide infrastructure integrated with surrounding Yas Island assets.

  Sphere Abu Dhabi is the latest addition to Abu Dhabi’s integrated tourism and destination-development pipeline on Yas Island, alongside major attractions and the Disney theme park resort that was announced in 2025.

  DCT and Sphere Entertainment finalised an agreement last year related to the construction, development and operation of the Sphere entertainment venue in Abu Dhabi. According to the agreement, Sphere Entertainment granted DCT the exclusive rights to build and operate the Sphere Abu Dhabi entertainment venue.

  

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  Colin Foreman
• 
  Consortiums prepare bids for Al-Khairan phase one IWPP

  14 May 2026

  

   

  Two developer consortiums are finalising bids for the first phase of Kuwait’s Al-Khairan independent water and power producer (IWPP) project, the deadline for which has been extended to 1 June.

  The facility will have a capacity of 1,800MW and 150,000 cubic metres a day of desalinated water. It will be located in Al-Khairan, adjacent to the Al-Zour South thermal plant. 

  The project is expected to run on Low Sulphur Fuel Oil (LSFO) as the primary fuel and to accommodate crude oil, gas oil, and natural gas as backup fuels. Later phases will further expand capacity.

  The main contract was tendered last September. Three consortiums and two individual companies were previously prequalified to participate, with the following groups currently preparing offers:

  • Abu Dhabi National Energy Company (Taqa) / A H Al-Sagar & Brothers (Saudi Arabia) 
  • Acwa (Saudi Arabia) / Gulf Investment Corporation (Kuwait)

  The two individual companies, Sumitomo Corporation (Japan) and Nebras Power (Qatar), are now “unlikely” to submit a bid, according to a source close to the project.

  It is also understood that the third consortium of China Power, Malakoff International (Malaysia) and Abdul Aziz Al-Ajlan Sons (Saudi Arabia) is no longer bidding for the contract.

  The project is being procured by the Kuwait Authority for Partnership Projects (Kapp) and the Ministry of Electricity, Water & Renewable Energy (MEWRE).

  The Al-Khairan IWPP project is part of Kuwait’s long-term plan to expand power and water production capacity through public-private partnerships (PPPs).

  The winning bidder will sign a set of PPP agreements covering financing, design, construction, operation and transfer of the project.

  The energy conversion and water purchase agreement is expected to cover a 25-year supply period.

  Upcoming awards

  Kuwait is also preparing to offer a contract to develop zone one of the third phase of the Al-Dibdibah power and Al-Shagaya renewable energy project.

  In January, three consortiums submitted bids for a contract to develop Kuwait’s first utility-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) plant.

  The Al-Dibdibah power and Al-Shagaya renewable energy phase three, zone one independent power project (IPP) will have a total power-generating capacity of 1,100MW.

  MEED understands that the preferred bidder announcement will happen after the bid closes for zone two of the third phase of the Al-Dibdibah power and Al-Shagaya renewable energy project.

  The PPP authority is procuring the 500MW solar photovoltaic IPP in partnership with the ministry.

  The bid deadline for this project was recently extended to 31 May.

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  Mark Dowdall
• 
  Bidders compete for new Dubai Metro line project

  14 May 2026

  

   

  Register for MEED’s 14-day trial access 

  Dubai’s Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) has held a pre-bid meeting for the Dubai Metro Airport Express Line with consultants understood to be competing for work on the project.

  It is understood that the RTA has requested firms to form joint ventures for the project. The firms that attended the meeting include:

  • Aecom (US)
  • Arup (UK)
  • ARX (Switzerland)
  • AtkinsRealis (Canada)
  • DB (Germany)
  • Egis (France)
  • Jacobs (US)
  • Mott Macdonald (UK)
  • Parsons (US)
  • Sener (Spain)
  • Surbana Jurong (Singapore)
  • Systra (France)
  • WSP (Canada)

  The consultancy contract covers the study and design of the Airport Express Line, which will extend from the Al-Garhoud area of the city to Al-Maktoum International airport (DWC) in the Jebel Ali area. The proposed line will stretch about 55 kilometres (km) and include five stations, providing passengers with facilities such as remote airline check-in, baggage drop-off and security screening.

  Consultants have been allowed until June to submit their proposals.

  The new line will run from the Red Line metro station at Dubai International airport through Al-Jaddaf, along Al-Khail Road to a new station at Jumeirah Village Circle (JVC) before continuing on to DWC.

  There will be two spur lines. The first will run from the new JVC station to the Al-Fardan Exchange metro station at Emirates Golf Club, while the second will branch out towards Business Bay, where another station will be built.

  The new line appears to follow a similar route to the Etihad Rail high-speed railway project, which is now under construction and due to be completed by 2030.

  Route 2020 extension

  The Airport Express Line scheme is the latest metro project to be tendered by the RTA this year. Tendering activity is already ongoing for the Route 2020 extension, which will start from the Expo 2020 metro station and connect to DWC’s West Terminal.

  In April, MEED exclusively reported that consultants had submitted bids for the project.

  The extension to the line will run for about 3km and will feature two stations.

  The existing Route 2020 metro link is a 15km-long line that branches off the Red Line at Jebel Ali metro station. The line comprises 11.8km of elevated tracks and 3.2km of tunnels, and has five elevated stations and two underground stations.

  The RTA awarded the AED10.6bn ($2.9bn) design-and-build contract for the project to a consortium of Spain’s Acciona, Turkiye’s Gulermak and France’s Alstom in 2016.

  Gold Line

  Dubai’s plans for its metro network do not stop with connecting the extension of the Route 2020 metro line to DWC. There are long-term plans for further extensions.

  In October last year, MEED exclusively reported that the RTA had selected US-based engineering firm Aecom to provide consultancy services for the upcoming Dubai Metro Gold Line project, also known as Metro Line 4.

  The Gold Line will start at Al-Ghubaiba in Bur Dubai. It will run parallel to – and alleviate pressure on – the existing Red Line, before heading inland to Business Bay, Meydan, Global Village and residential developments in Dubailand.

  The existing network includes the Red and Green lines of the Dubai Metro and the Dubai Tram, which connects Al-Sufouh and Dubai Marina to the metro network. The last rail project to start operations in Dubai was the Red Line extension that opened for Expo 2020.

  There are also existing and planned rail lines connecting Dubai to other emirates that are being developed and operated by Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Rail. These include passenger and freight services, as well as a high-speed rail connection.

  Blue Line

  In December 2024, the RTA awarded a AED20.5bn main contract for the Dubai Metro Blue Line project to a consortium of Turkish firms Limak Holding and Mapa Group and the Hong Kong office of China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation.

  The Blue Line consists of 14 stations, including three interchange stations at Jaddaf, Rashidiya and International City 1, as well as a station in Dubai Creek Harbour.

  By 2040, the number of daily passengers on the Blue Line is projected to reach 320,000. It will be the first Dubai Metro line to cross Dubai Creek, doing so on a 1,300-metre viaduct.

  > Be recognised among the best in the industry at the MEED Projects Awards 2026 …

  

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  Colin Foreman