Iraq refinery project given regional approval
9 October 2026
Plans to establish a 70,000-barrel-a-day (b/d) refinery in the Iraqi town of Qayyarah have been approved by the Nineveh Provincial Council, which has called for the project to be referred to Iraq’s Council of Ministers. The council also recommended that Duhok-based Karband Company, an industrial manufacturer of asphalt products and lubricating oils, be involved in the project.
The council’s vote follows a meeting held in September between Iraq’s Oil Ministry and Angola’s Sonangol on potentially jointly developing the Qayyarah refinery.
The planned refinery would allow more of the crude produced in Qayyarah to be processed locally, increasing supplies of petroleum products and reducing the need to transport locally produced crude south for export via the Strait of Hormuz.
Iraq awarded the Qayyarah oil field to Sonangol in its second licensing round in 2009, with an initial target of around 120,000 b/d.
A new upstream expansion phase began in January 2025, when Sonangol contracted the Iraqi Drilling Company to drill 10 wells, with an option for three additional appraisal wells.
An existing refinery in Qayyarah, built in 1955, has a capacity of 20,000 b/d.
Progress on the new facility has stalled in recent years, with little movement since 2021, when Iraq signed a memorandum of understanding with Sweden’s SEAB and Turkiye’s Limak on developing the refinery.
Previously, Iraq’s Oil Ministry said the project would include modern units and complex refining technology to produce products meeting Euro 5 standards
The scope of the project is expected to include:
- Processing units
- Storage tanks
- Distillation units
- Associated facilities
The project was first announced in 2018 and has encountered several delays due to funding problems.
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Industry and logistics drive development at Neom; Saudi Arabia’s investment priorities realign amid conflict; MEED’s 2026 power developer ranking.
Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the October 2026 edition of MEED Business Review includes:
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> AGENDA: Oxagon takes centre stage at Neom
> MARKET FOCUS: Saudi projects hold steady
> INDUSTRY REPORT: MEED’s 2026 GCC power developer ranking
> LEADERSHIP: The future city does not need to hang above the ground
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Dubai picks contractor for Al-Maktoum airport terminal
9 October 2026
Dubai Aviation Engineering Projects (DAEP) has selected a contractor for an estimated AED10bn ($2.7bn) substructure package for the West Terminal, as part of the first phase of the $35bn expansion of Al-Maktoum International airport.
A joint venture of Beijing-headquartered China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) and Abu Dhabi-based Tristar Engineering & Construction will execute the contract.
According to a description on DAEP’s website, the expanded airport’s West Terminal will be a seven-level facility spanning 800,000 square metres, with annual capacity for 45 million passengers.
The terminal will be the second of three planned terminals at Al-Maktoum International airport. It will connect to the airside via a 14-station automated people-mover (APM) system.
In July, MEED exclusively reported that DAEP had awarded an estimated $1.5bn contract to a joint venture of Japan’s Mitsubishi Corporation and Indian contractor Larsen & Toubro for the APM system.
The APM will run beneath the apron and terminal areas, using multiple tracks to transport passengers between terminals and concourses. Four underground stations are planned in the first phase, while the full airport development is expected to include 14 stations.
The latest awards form part of a wider programme of contracts recently signed by DAEP, covering enabling works, the second runway, initial structural foundations for passenger terminals and concourse substructures.
Upcoming awards
In June 2026, DAEP said it will award construction contracts worth over AED55bn ($15bn) for Al-Maktoum International airport by the end of the year.
At the time, DAEP said the planned awards included substructure works for the West Terminal, the fourth aircraft concourse and the baggage-handling system. The programme also included superstructure works for the West Terminal and the first, second and third aircraft concourses.
The packages are expected to include long-span structural frameworks for buildings covering about 1.5 million square metres, infrastructure works for the southern airfield area, and power-generation and district-cooling plants supporting the construction programme.
DAEP also plans to award façade and roofing packages in 2026.
The Dubai Government approved updated designs and timelines for its largest construction project in April 2024. In September 2024, MEED exclusively reported that a team comprising Austria’s Coop Himmelb(l)au and Lebanon’s Dar Al-Handasah had been confirmed as lead masterplanning and design consultants for the Al-Maktoum International airport expansion.
Construction of the airport is planned in three phases. Once complete, the airport will cover 70 square kilometres south of Dubai and include five parallel runways and 430 aircraft gates.
It will be five times the size of Dubai International airport and is planned to have a passenger-handling capacity of 260 million passengers a year – the largest in the world. For cargo, it is planned to have the capacity to handle 12 million tonnes a year.
READ THE OCTOBER 2026 MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – click here to view PDFIndustry and logistics drive development at Neom; Saudi Arabia’s investment priorities realign amid conflict; MEED’s 2026 power developer ranking.
Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the October 2026 edition of MEED Business Review includes:
> AGENDA: Oxagon takes centre stage at Neom> MARKET FOCUS: Saudi projects hold steady> INDUSTRY REPORT: MEED’s 2026 GCC power developer ranking> LEADERSHIP: The future city does not need to hang above the groundTo see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click herehttps://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/20417755/main.jpg -
Nakheel awards Dubai Islands marine works contract
9 October 2026
Dubai-based developer Nakheel, part of Dubai Holding Real Estate, has awarded local firm Mar Marine & Building Contracting a contract for marine and beach works on Island B at Dubai Islands.
The scope includes constructing breakwaters, removing existing rock revetments and forming a new 320-metre beach near the Bay Villas development.
The contractor will also refurbish existing beach areas and undertake remedial works along approximately 3 kilometres of the island’s western shoreline.
The works are scheduled for completion in the fourth quarter of 2027.
The package supports the Bay Villas project, which comprises 636 villas and townhouses on Island B. Nakheel awarded Fibrex Contracting an AED2.6bn ($708m) construction contract for the residential development in August 2025.
The marine works award follows Nakheel’s AED527m primary infrastructure and utilities contract for Island B, which was awarded to Al-Nasr Contracting Company in April 2026.
In September, Nakheel awarded a main construction contract worth more than AED800m ($218m) for phases one and three of Bay Grove Residences at Dubai Islands. The contract was awarded to local firm Metac General Contracting Company.
The contract covers the construction of 537 apartments, comprising one- to four-bedroom units, across seven residential buildings. Phase one includes 296 units in four buildings, while phase three comprises 241 units across three buildings.
READ THE OCTOBER 2026 MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – click here to view PDFIndustry and logistics drive development at Neom; Saudi Arabia’s investment priorities realign amid conflict; MEED’s 2026 power developer ranking.
Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the October 2026 edition of MEED Business Review includes:
> AGENDA: Oxagon takes centre stage at Neom> MARKET FOCUS: Saudi projects hold steady> INDUSTRY REPORT: MEED’s 2026 GCC power developer ranking> LEADERSHIP: The future city does not need to hang above the groundTo see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click herehttps://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/20418469/main.jpg -
Oil exploration work ongoing in Iraq’s Block 7
9 October 2026
Oil and gas exploration is ongoing across Iraq’s Block 7, which spans the central and southern governorates of Diwaniyah, Babil, Najaf, Wasit and Muthanna.
The work includes seismic activities, according to industry sources. The sources added that stakeholders have not yet made a final decision on plans for full-field development in the area.
China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) won the exploration, development and production contract for Iraq’s Block 7 in May 2024.
Block 7 was one of 10 blocks in Iraq that were won by Chinese companies as part of the country’s sixth licensing round.
Erbil-based KAR Group was the only non-Chinese firm to secure acreage.
On 19 May, Osama Hussein, director general of Iraq’s state-owned Oil Exploration Company (OEC), visited Block 7 and met the Fourth Seismic Crew of the Field Operations Division in Diwaniyah Governorate to review progress on the seismic survey.
In a subsequent statement, OEC said the crew began operations on 5 May 2026 under a 180-day work programme.
Block 7 covers 6,300 square kilometres within the Mesopotamian tectonic zone, located near existing petroleum infrastructure and established oil discoveries. The block was first offered during Iraq’s fourth licensing round in 2012, where it failed to attract bids.
READ THE OCTOBER 2026 MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – click here to view PDFIndustry and logistics drive development at Neom; Saudi Arabia’s investment priorities realign amid conflict; MEED’s 2026 power developer ranking.
Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the October 2026 edition of MEED Business Review includes:
> AGENDA: Oxagon takes centre stage at Neom> MARKET FOCUS: Saudi projects hold steady> INDUSTRY REPORT: MEED’s 2026 GCC power developer ranking> LEADERSHIP: The future city does not need to hang above the groundTo see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click herehttps://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/20411257/main.png -
Contractors prepare bids for more Qiddiya infrastructure
8 October 2026
Saudi gigaproject developer Qiddiya Investment Company (QIC) has tendered a design-and-build contract covering infrastructure works at District 0 in Qiddiya City.
The scope includes the design, supply, construction, testing, commissioning and defects liability period for Road I in District 17, Road Q in District 19 and the District 18 Ring Road.
In total, the package covers approximately 17.4 kilometres of roads, including 1.4km of bridge structures.
Contractors have until 14 October to submit proposals.
Beirut-headquartered Dar Al-Handasah is the lead design consultant for districts 17 and 19, with a remit that also includes potable water and recycled water storage tanks and pumping stations.
US-based Jacobs is the lead design consultant for the District 18 Ring Road.
The tender is the third infrastructure package for Qiddiya’s District 0. The first two packages, tendered in March, remain under procurement, as MEED exclusively reported.
MEED understands that bid evaluation for these packages is in its final stages and that awards are expected shortly.
QIC is also advancing plans to develop additional assets at Qiddiya City.
Last month, MEED exclusively reported that QIC had awarded an estimated $500m-$600m contract to build an e-games arena, known as the Fortress Arena.
The scope of work includes the construction of an auditorium with a capacity of about 5,100 seats, as well as commercial areas, hospitality facilities and other associated infrastructure.
The Fortress Arena is one of several major projects within the wider Qiddiya development.
Other projects include the Dragon Ball theme park, Prince Mohammed Bin Salman Stadium, a horse-racing venue, a performing arts centre, the Speed Park, the National Tennis Centre, Six Flags Qiddiya City and Aquarabia water park.
The project is a key part of Riyadh’s strategy to boost leisure tourism in the kingdom. According to UK analytics firm GlobalData, leisure tourism in Saudi Arabia has grown significantly in recent years.
MEED’s October 2026 report on Saudi Arabia includes:
> COMMENT: Saudi projects hold steady
> GOVERNMENT: Riyadh looks to reset its regional defence outlook
> ECONOMY: Conflict bolsters case for Saudi economic diversification
> BANKING: Saudi lenders readjust to lower lending and deposit climate
> UPSTREAM: Aramco upstream spending gathers pace
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> POWER: Saudi Arabia’s power award activity slows
> WATER: Saudi water sector hits sharp slowdown
> CONSTRUCTION: Saudi construction defies the headwinds
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> DATABANK: Saudi data indicates project spending shiftTo see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click herehttps://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/20384978/main.jpg -
Chinese contractors begin Jordan rail construction8 October 2026
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Beijing-headquartered firms China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) and China First Highway Engineering Company (CFHEC) have started construction work on the Aqaba-Al-Shidiyeh-Maan Railway project in Jordan.
The 403-kilometre rail network is divided into six packages. CCECC is executing packages one to four, while CFHEC is undertaking packages five and six.
The scope of work covers constructing railway tracks, about 55 bridges, six tunnels and related structures.
The project aims to link Aqaba with key mining and production sites and the Maan logistics zone, establishing an integrated system for transporting bulk cargo and containers between ports, production centres and inland logistics facilities.
The network is expected to carry around 16 million tonnes of phosphate and potash each year from production sites to Aqaba’s ports.
In April 2025, a French-Swiss joint venture of Egis and Arx was awarded the project’s design consultancy contract.
The estimated $2.5bn project is being developed by the Jordan-UAE Railway Company, which is jointly owned by Abu Dhabi’s L’imad Holding and Jordanian entities including the Jordan Phosphate Mines Company, the Government Investments Management Company, the Social Security Investment Fund and the Arab Potash Company.
Jordanian and UAE officials attended a groundbreaking ceremony held earlier this week to mark the formal start of construction work.
READ THE OCTOBER 2026 MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – click here to view PDFIndustry and logistics drive development at Neom; Saudi Arabia’s investment priorities realign amid conflict; MEED’s 2026 power developer ranking.
Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the October 2026 edition of MEED Business Review includes:
> AGENDA: Oxagon takes centre stage at Neom> MARKET FOCUS: Saudi projects hold steady> INDUSTRY REPORT: MEED’s 2026 GCC power developer ranking> LEADERSHIP: The future city does not need to hang above the groundTo see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click herehttps://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/20371915/main.jpg