Meed | Iraq leads non-GCC project finance activity

Iraq leads non-GCC project finance activity

28 October 2025

This package also includes: Region sees evolving project finance demand

Iraq’s first airport public-private partnership (PPP) project is making steady progress, with bids submitted for the contract to redevelop the country’s main aviation hub, Baghdad International airport.

The project, which could cost up to $600m, involves rehabilitating, expanding, financing, operating and maintaining the airport and increasing its capacity to around 15 million passengers a year. It is emblematic of Iraq’s growing position in the PPP market in the wider Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region outside of the GCC, where the country now outpaces the likes of Egypt and Morocco.

Iraq’s Transport Ministry and General Company for Airport & Air Navigation Services released a tender for the airport project in July. In early October, bids were submitted for the scheme by three international consortiums.

The bidders were a UK/Turkish group of ERG International, Terminal Yapi and ERG Insaat; a Luxembourg/Iraq pairing of Corporacion America Airports and Amwaj International; and a larger consortium of five companies drawn from Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Ireland, made up of Asyad Holding, Top International Engineering Corporation, Lamar Holding, YDA Insaat and Dublin Airport Authority.

The International Finance Corporation (IFC), part of the World Bank Group, signed an agreement with the Iraqi government in September 2023 to be the lead transaction adviser on the project – in what was its first PPP mandate in Iraq.

Prominent sectors and frameworks

Transport is one of the key sectors for project finance outside of the busy markets of the GCC, with $69bn-worth of schemes planned or under way across the 11 other countries of the region, according to regional project tracker MEED Projects.

The only sector that sees more activity is power, with $120bn-worth of projects in total. Between them, the wider region’s power and transport sectors account for more than half of the total market of $332bn of projects and more than 60% of the schemes by number.

A few other areas have also been seeing significant amounts of activity, including the oil and gas sector with $57bn; chemicals projects, valued at $39bn; and construction, at $33bn. Most schemes are still in the planning rather than the execution phase, however, with around $118bn-worth of projects currently being built, or 36% of the total.

In geographic terms, Iraq is the most active market, with $117bn-worth of project finance schemes in the works. It is followed by Egypt with $79bn, Morocco with $39bn and Iran with $38bn.

Almost all countries have developed a project finance market of some description, although in the war-ravaged countries of Syria, Libya and Yemen the amount of activity is very limited.

By far the most popular model for project finance deals in the region is build-operate- transfer (BOT) contracts, which account for $182bn-worth of all project finance activity under way or planned, equivalent to 55% of the total.

BOT contracts are particularly prevalent in the power sector, with $65bn of deals, but they are also the most popular option in the chemicals, construction, transport and water sectors. In the oil sector, there is a slight preference for build-own-operate-transfer (BOOT) models over BOT contracts, although the latter are also widely used.

Project finance trends

There has been something of a slowdown in PPP activity in 2025 across the Mena region, excluding the GCC states – at least in valuation terms.

There was a particularly strong market performance in 2024, when more than $39bn-worth of schemes using project finance were awarded.

In contrast, $19.2bn-worth of awards are expected to have been made by the end of December this year – down on 2024, but still well ahead of the figures for the years prior to that.

By other measures, activity is picking up, however. In 2025, the number of PPP contract awards is expected to rise to 32 by the end of the year. This compares to 18 contracts in 2024, which was itself twice as many as the year before.

Seven of the awards in 2025 are worth $1bn or more, for projects in Egypt, Iraq, Jordan and Morocco.

The largest is the $3.5bn Aqaba-Amman Water Desalination and Conveyance project, the main contract for which was awarded to a joint venture of Orascom Construction and Vinci in January. It is due to be completed by 2029.

In the same market, the $1bn Al-Shidiya to Aqaba phosphate railway line is due to be awarded in December by National Infrastructure Construction Company, a subsidiary of the UAE’s Etihad Rail.

The Iraqi projects include the $2bn, 1GW solar independent power project (IPP) in Najaf that is being developed by Saudi Arabia’s Acwa Power; and the $1.5bn first phase of the Najaf-Karbala metro, which has yet to be awarded.

Egypt’s leading PPP project this year is the $1.5bn, 1.1GW Suez wind farm IPP, which was awarded in January to Power China. Further west, two large renewable power plants are the biggest PPP contracts in Morocco, with phases two and three of the Noor Midelt solar complex. Each phase comprises a 400MW solar power plant and a battery energy storage system, and each is valued at an estimated $1bn, with Acwa Power undertaking both projects.

None of these are on the scale of the largest PPP projects awarded last year, however, which was led by the $14bn Southern Refineries Company’s Al-Faw Investment Refinery project in Iraq.

Indeed, the six largest projects awarded in the non-GCC markets last year were all in Iraq. The country’s reliable tendering of clearly bankable projects as it steadily rebuild its infrastructure after decades of violence and economic stagnation is a success story to watch – and for many countries, one to emulate.

Region sees evolving project finance demand

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Dominic Dudley

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Jedco maps next phase of Jeddah airport expansion
22 September 2026

Jeddah Airports Company (Jedco) has outlined plans for the next phase of expansion at King Abdulaziz International airport (KAIA) in Jeddah.

The programme comprises six upcoming contractor packages spanning airside works, terminal upgrades and utilities as Jedco advances its long-term expansion plans.

The opportunities include airfield rehabilitation; a five-year construction framework covering multiple workstreams and facility types; a Terminal 3A (T3A) package; Terminal 1 (T1) optimisation; a fuel farm; and Concourse C works.

The packages cover terminal buildings and ancillary facilities, runways, taxiways and aprons, hangars, fuel systems, airside facilities, supporting infrastructure and utility networks.

Tendering and award activity will be staggered over the next two years. Airfield rehabilitation is targeted for Q3 2026. The construction framework is scheduled for Q4 2026 and will run for five years.

The T3A package is planned for Q1 2027 and will be delivered under an early contractor involvement contract. Local contractors are encouraged to bid as part of a joint venture with an experienced international partner.

T1 optimisation is planned for Q4 2027, the fuel farm for Q2 2027, and Concourse C – currently the latest of the six milestones – for Q2 2028.

The new packages add detail to Jedco’s wider expansion plans disclosed in 2023, when it was reported that the company would invest SR115bn ($31bn) to increase KAIA’s capacity to 114 million passengers a year, with an overall completion target of 2031.

Jedco has recently awarded several significant contracts linked to the airport’s upgrade programme.

In November 2024, a joint venture of local Algihaz Contracting and Turkey’s TAV was awarded a contract to rehabilitate the South Terminal to serve Umrah and Hajj pilgrims, with Singapore’s Surbana Jurong acting as consultant.

Earlier that year, Jedco also awarded France’s Alstom a contract to increase the capacity of the Innovia automated people mover at Terminal 1, including new cars and upgrades to signalling, communications and controls.

Surbana Jurong is expected to play a leading role in future KAIA expansion plans and is currently providing technical advisory and project management consultancy for more than 100 capital projects for Jedco, valued at over SR6bn ($1.6bn).

These upgrades are expected to boost KAIA’s annual capacity in line with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 and National Aviation Strategy, enhancing the experience for domestic travellers and millions of Hajj and Umrah pilgrims.

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Yasir Iqbal

Contractor wins $105m Medina university hospital deal

22 September 2026

Riyadh-based construction firm Al-Mansouria General Contracting Company has been awarded a SR396m ($105.6m) contract to complete the remaining construction works on the Taiba University Hospital project in Medina.

The contract scope includes structural completion, remaining civil works, mechanical, electrical and plumbing installations, specialised clinical fit-outs and medical gas infrastructure to bring the long-stalled facility into operation.

Located on King Khalid Road along Medina’s Third Ring Road, the teaching hospital will have a capacity of 563 beds.

The contract duration is three years, with delivery targeted for late 2029.

The latest award follows a prolonged procurement cycle that began more than a decade ago as part of a public budget drive to expand Saudi Arabia’s higher education infrastructure.

The project’s first phase was initially signed in December 2011 with local firm Al-Muhaidib Contracting under a SR500m ($133.3m) contract.

Groundbreaking for the eight-storey complex took place in July 2013. The project covers a gross floor area of more than 200,000 square metres.

Progress stalled shortly thereafter due to reported structural delays and the reallocation of public capital budgets across the kingdom’s social infrastructure pipeline.

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

Nuclear power ambitions gather pace; Kuwait keeps dealmaking alive despite war; Region invests in raising gas processing capacity.

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

> AGENDA: Gulf nuclear revival takes shape

> MARKET FOCUS: Kuwait keeps dealmaking alive under fire

> INDUSTRY REPORT: 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

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

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Oman tenders Thumrait Industrial City infrastructure
22 September 2026

Oman’s Public Establishment for Industrial Estates (Madayn) has tendered an estimated RO15m ($39m) contract to develop infrastructure for Thumrait Industrial City.

The tender was issued on 14 September, with bids due by 12 November.

The scope covers site-wide utilities and services, including an internal road network, stormwater channels and culverts. It also includes installing sewerage and water networks, along with landscaping works.

In addition, Madayn intends to build plug-and-play industrial units and a facilities building.

The first phase of the development will cover about 120,000 square metres (sq m).

Thumrait Industrial City is located in Oman’s Dhofar Governorate and spans an area of more than four million sq m.

The project location is close to concession blocks, quarry sites and the Najd agricultural areas. It is positioned to attract industrial investments in sectors such as mining and minerals processing (including gypsum and cement), food production, and a range of light and general manufacturing activities.

In March, Madayn said it is preparing to invest more than RO245m ($637m) to upgrade and expand infrastructure across its industrial cities between 2026 and 2030, as part of efforts to attract new investment and advance economic diversification.

According to media reports, Madayn chief executive Dawood Bin Salim Al-Hadabi said the programme is part of an expanded, phased plan aligned with Oman Vision 2040 and the authority’s long-term Madayn 2040 strategy.

The objective is to deepen Oman’s industrial base and spread growth across the sultanate’s governorates.

Madayn said the pipeline comprises about 90 strategic projects to improve industrial-city infrastructure, extend serviced land and increase the overall ease of doing business for investors.

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Yasir Iqbal
Kuwait halves drilling contractor pool
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State-owned upstream operator Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) has reduced the number of approved contractors for onshore drilling and shallow-well maintenance from 51 to 24.

Firms that are no longer qualified include major contractors such as Italy’s Saipem, Oklahoma-based Helmerich & Payne and Houston-based Patterson-UTI Energy.

The latest list still includes a wide range of Kuwaiti, regional and international companies, according to the latest update on its electronic system, published on 21 September 2026.

The full list of contractors that are now qualified to participate in tenders is:
- Burgan Company for Well Drilling, Trading & Maintenance (Kuwait)
- Kuwait Drilling Company (Kuwait)
- Sun Drilling Kuwait (Kuwait)
- TDL Kuwait for Oil Rigs & Natural Gas Extraction Activities, Services and Facilities (Kuwait)
- United Precision Drilling (Kuwait)
- Abraj Energy Services (Oman)
- Adnoc Drilling Company (UAE)
- Arabian Drilling Company (Saudi Arabia)
- Anton Oilfield Services (China)
- China Oilfield Services (China)
- Egyptian Drilling Company (Egypt)
- CNPC Bohai Drilling Engineering Company (China)
- Great Wall Drilling Company (China)
- John Energy (India)
- Kerui Oilfield Service (China)
- KCA Deutag Drilling (Germany)
- Mohammed Al-Barwani Petroleum Services (Oman)
- Nabors Drilling International (US)
- National Drilling & Services Company (Oman)
- Sea & Land Drilling Contractors (Oman)
- Sinopec International Petroleum Service Corporation (China)
- Karamay Jianye Energy (China)
- Modern Drilling Company (Egypt)
- Grey Wolf Drilling International (US)
An earlier list, which was published on 11 February, included 51 qualified companies.

The reduction in qualified drilling contractors follows KOC’s notice on 27 April this year, informing existing qualified contractors that they would need to reapply.
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Wil Crisp

Abu Dhabi expects 45% emissions cut as electricity demand rises

21 September 2026

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Abu Dhabi-based Emirates Water & Electricity Company (Ewec) expects carbon emissions from power and water production to fall by more than 45% by 2035 as the UAE expands renewable energy and reverse osmosis (RO) desalination.

The state offtaker's latest long-term system planning forecasts emissions will decline from about 42 million tonnes in 2019 to approximately 23 million tonnes in 2035.

The reduction is expected despite annual electricity demand that is forecast to rise by about 70% in 2026-33.

Ewec said the expansion of renewable energy and the shift towards RO desalination will be the principal drivers of the reduction.

The company plans to increase Abu Dhabi's solar capacity to 14GW by 2030 and more than 35GW by 2035. This will be supported by up to 15GW of battery storage capacity.

According to regional project tracker MEED Projects, Ewec has over $16bn-worth of power and water projects in the execution stage as part of its long-term procurement programme to increase renewable energy and low-carbon water production capacity.

This includes a 5.2GW Abu Dhabi solar and battery energy storage system (bess) round-the-clock renewable energy project, as well as three 1.5GW solar photovoltaic independent power projects (IPP): Al-Ajban, Al-Khazna and Al-Zarraf.

It also comprises the 1GW Al-Dhafra open-cycle gas turbine power plant, the 2.5GW Taweelah C combined-cycle gas turbine (CCGT) plant and a separate 400MW bess IPP.

As previously reported, it is expected that the developer's agreement for the 3.3GW Al-Nouf 1 CCGT IPP will be signed by the end of the year, while contractors are preparing to submit bids for a separate 2.6GW power plant project in Ajman.

The expansion of solar and battery storage is expected to reduce the system's reliance on gas-fired generation. However, gas-fired generation will continue to provide flexibility to support the system and balance intermittent renewable power output, according to Ewec.

The offtaker also expects RO desalination to account for more than 95% of total water production by 2035, with the procurement programme supporting the Abu Dhabi Department of Energy's Clean Energy Strategic Target 2035 for electricity production and the UAE Net Zero by 2050 Strategy.