Iraq pushes to bring export pipeline back online
16 March 2026
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Iraq is pushing to bring the country’s main northern export route from the north of the country back online, according to a statement from Amer Khalil Ahmed, the general manager of Iraq’s state-owned North Oil Company.
He has released a video of himself inspecting a pumping station that is part of the larger oil export system to take crude to the Port of Ceyhan via the Iraq-Turkiye Pipeline (ITP).
The video was released with a statement saying that North Oil Company was “accelerating” the process to restart crude exports via the pipeline.
The ITP, which reopened on 27 September last year, was closed again during the days that followed the attack by the US and Israel on Iran on 28 February.
Exports via the pipeline fell to zero after production from the region dropped dramatically due to multiple oil fields that feed the pipeline closing amid safety concerns.
It is not known whether there are other technical reasons why the pipeline is not operational.
On 15 March, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) rejected accusations by Federal Iraq’s Ministry of Oil that the northern region was obstructing the resumption of oil exports through the ITP.
The MNR said oil and gas fields, refineries and energy infrastructure in the Kurdistan Region had been repeatedly targeted by “outlaw factions”, forcing a complete halt in production and leaving no crude available for export.
The ministry also accused Baghdad of failing to deter the attacks and claimed that some of the groups responsible receive funding and weapons from Iraq’s federal authorities.
Iraq’s oil and gas sector has been hit hard by the ongoing conflict that started on 28 February.
Iraqi oil production has collapsed, and the refining sector has also been severely impacted.
On 14 March, a drone strike triggered a fire at the Lanaz refinery in the city of Erbil in northern Iraq, forcing authorities to suspend operations at the facility.
Videos circulating online showed a large fire and thick black smoke rising from the site.
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Neom cancels The Line tunnels contracts
16 March 2026
Register for MEED’s 14-day trial access
Neom has cancelled the contracts related to the construction of the tunnel sections of The Line in northwest Saudi Arabia.
In a stock exchange announcement filed on 13 March, South Korean contractor Hyundai E&C said that Neom cancelled its contract on 29 December last year.
Hyundai E&C was executing the drill-and-blast section of The Line’s tunnels in a joint venture with Greece’s Archirodon and South Korean counterpart Samsung C&T.
The firm said its share of the joint venture was about 35%, amounting to $483m.
Neom awarded contracts for constructing the mountain tunnel sections of The Line in June 2022.
The drill-and-blast works were split into four packages, with two contracting teams winning two packages each.
The other joint-venture team comprised Spain’s FCC, the local Shibh Al-Jazira Contracting Company (Sajco) and Beijing-based China State Construction Engineering Corporation.
The tunnels formed part of the infrastructure backbone of Neom’s 170-kilometre The Line development, launched in January 2021.
What began as Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman’s defining symbol of a post-oil Saudi Arabia unravelled with quiet finality over roughly two years. By April 2024, planners were reportedly being forced to cut the initial phase to just 2.4km by 2030.
By July last year, with the sovereign wealth fund facing tightening liquidity, the kingdom was reported to have conducted a “strategic review” to determine whether The Line was feasible – a process described as a “recalibration” of Vision 2030.
Resources are now being directed to projects essential for the Fifa World Cup 2034, Expo 2030, and critical housing, healthcare and education targets.
According to media reports, the government has pivoted towards repositioning what remains of Neom as an industrial and data centre hub, leveraging the Red Sea coastline’s access to seawater cooling for artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure.
READ THE MARCH 2026 MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – click here to view PDFRiyadh urges private sector to take greater role; Chemical players look to spend rationally; Economic uptick lends confidence to Cairo’s reforms.
Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the March 2026 edition of MEED Business Review includes:
> RAMADAN: Data disproves the Ramadan slowdown story> INDUSTRY REPORT: Chemicals producers look to cut spending> INDUSTRY REPORT: Global petrochemical project capex set to rise until 2030> MARKET FOCUS: Egypt’s crisis mode gives way to cautious revival> LEADERSHIP: Delivering Saudi Arabia’s next phase of rail growth> INTERVIEW: Abu Dhabi’s Enersol charts acquisitions pathTo see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click herehttps://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/15995688/main.gif -
Bidders get more time for Riyadh East sewage treatment plant
16 March 2026
State water offtaker Sharakat, formerly Saudi Water Partnership Company (SWPC), has extended the bid submission deadline for the Riyadh East independent sewage treatment plant (ISTP).
The new deadline is 30 June. The original deadline was 2 April.
The project will be developed under a build‑own‑operate‑transfer (BOOT) model with a 25‑year concession term.
The plant will have a treatment capacity of 200,000 cubic metres a day (cm/d) in its first phase, expanding to 500,000 cm/d in the second phase.
It includes the development of a treated sewage effluent transmission pipeline, forming part of the kingdom’s wider programme to expand wastewater treatment capacity through public-private partnerships.
The request for proposals (RFP) was issued last October.
In 2024, Sharakat prequalified 53 companies that could bid for the Riyadh East ISTP, part of seven planned ISTP projects it said it would procure between 2024 and 2026
WSP is the technical adviser and KPMG Middle East is the lead and financial adviser on the project.
The targeted commercial operation date for the facility is 2029.
ISTP plans
Sharakat’s current ISTP portfolio includes 10 large plants that are operational, under construction or under tendering, with a combined initial treatment capacity of 1.79 million cm/d.
These projects include North Taif, Jeddah Airport, West Dammam, Madinah 3, Buraydah 2, Tabuk 2, Al-Haer, Arana, Hadda and Riyadh East.
In December, two consortiums were selected for contracts to develop and operate the Hadda and Arana ISTP projects in Mecca province.
That same month, Sharakat prequalified 63 developers for upcoming ISTP projects under a revised prequalification process.
According to Sharakat’s newly released seven-year statement, it has identified six additional large ISTPs in the development pipeline.
These include:
- Kharj (75,000 cm/d)
- Abu Arish (50,000)
- Hafar Al-Batin (100,000)
- Riyadh North (TBD)
- Najran South (50,000)
- Khamis Mushait (50,000)
The company is also pursuing a nationwide small sewage treatment plant programme covering about 139 smaller ISTPs grouped into seven clusters.
These are designed to add roughly 521,450 cm/d of additional treatment capacity across the kingdom.
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Modon launches Tara Park on Abu Dhabi’s Reem Island
16 March 2026
Abu Dhabi-based Modon Holding has launched the Tara Park residential project in the Reem Island area.
The project comprises two residential towers with a total of 340 residential units.
The development includes a 527-metre jogging track.
The latest project launch follows Modon Holding’s launch of the Bashayer residential waterfront community on Hudayriyat Island.
The project will comprise 157 four- and five-bedroom villas centred around a clubhouse with a rooftop infinity pool, and 330 one- to four-bedroom apartments across two low-rise buildings.
The development comprises a 3.5-kilometre waterfront promenade and a park.
In October last year, Modon Holding launched the Maysan residential development on Abu Dhabi’s Reem Island.
This development covers an area of about 600,000 square metres.
Maysan is being developed in several phases. The project’s first phase involves developing two districts: Mayar and Thoraya.
The first district, Mayar, consists of 132 mansions. The four-storey mansions will be located within a gated community featuring a central park and walking trails.
The second district, Thoraya, features 184 townhouses. It will include gardens, play areas, a gym and other associated facilities.
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Jordan begins prequalification for Amman water project
16 March 2026
Jordan’s Ministry of Investment has issued a request for qualifications (RFQ) for a non-revenue water (NRW) reduction project in the southern and southeastern areas of Amman.
The project will be delivered under a public-private partnership (PPP) model using a design, build, finance, operate and maintain structure. It aims to reduce water losses and improve the efficiency of water distribution networks in the targeted areas.
The initiative is being led by the Ministry of Investment through its PPP unit in collaboration with the Ministry of Water & Irrigation, the Water Authority of Jordan and Miyahuna.
The procurement is expected to attract international water operators, engineering contractors and infrastructure investors with experience in NRW reduction programmes.
The bid submission deadline is 23 April.
Jordan has prioritised reducing NRW as part of efforts to improve the efficiency of its water sector. The country is among the most water-scarce in the world, and losses from distribution networks are estimated to account for about 45% of water supplied.
NRW reduction programmes typically involve measures such as network rehabilitation, leak detection, pressure management and improved metering to reduce physical and commercial losses across water systems.
Jordan is also advancing its $6bn Aqaba-Amman water desalination and conveyance project that aims to meet about 40% of Jordan’s municipal water demand by 2040.
As MEED recently reported, the project is nearing financial close. Once complete, it will supply about 300 million cubic metres of potable water a year from the Red Sea to Amman and other regions.
In February, the Water Authority of Jordan signed a four-year performance-based management contract with France’s Veolia to support water and wastewater services in the country’s northern governorates.
Under the contract, Veolia will provide operations, maintenance and management services to Yarmouk Water Company, the public utility responsible for water supply and wastewater services in the region.
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Saudi Arabia allows Hail airport bidders more time
16 March 2026
Saudi Arabia’s Cluster2 Company, which operates under the state-owned Matarat Holding, has extended the bid deadline to 29 March for a contract to expand Hail airport.
The notice was issued in early January. The previous deadline was 1 March.
The scope of work covers the upgrade and expansion of the terminal infrastructure, including departures and arrivals areas, enhanced baggage handling facilities and other associated works.
The terminal expansion works include the south expansion, which encompasses the construction of a new building covering 5,600 square metres. This building will connect to the existing terminal from the southern side.
The expansion will increase the airport’s capacity to about 1.7 million passengers a year by 2030.
Cluster2 Company operates and manages 22 airports in Saudi Arabia, both domestic and international. It was established in 2022 as part of Matarat Holding to modernise and improve airport operations and the passenger experience.
Cluster2 Company aims to improve service quality, safety and operational efficiency while supporting traffic growth and local economic development. Through standardised processes, technology adoption and infrastructure upgrades, the company contributes to Matarat’s broader goals of enhancing connectivity, enabling tourism and business travel, and aligning airport performance with Saudi Vision 2030.
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