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• 
  Kuwait awards oil contract to Baker Hughes

  18 August 2026

  Kuwait’s state-owned upstream operator Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) has awarded a multi-year contract to the Houston-based oil services company Baker Hughes, according to a statement from the US company.

  The contract is focused on accelerating technology innovation in the country’s upstream energy sector, the statement said.

  Baker Hughes did not disclose the contract value.

  It said that the deal positioned Baker Hughes as a key technology collaborator in the Ahmadi Innovation Valley (AIV), KOC’s flagship initiative aimed at establishing an in-country research and innovation hub to address its strategic oil and gas development priorities.

  Under the terms of the agreement, Baker Hughes and KOC will focus on developing and deploying technology solutions that optimise production as well as addressing other issues.

  Baker Hughes said it is planning to use its portfolio of digital and artificial intelligence (AI) automation solutions as part of the deal.

  These solutions are designed to help operators increase recovery from existing wells, lower operating costs, reduce water production and minimise power consumption, it said.

  Baker Hughes chairman and CEO Lorenzo Simonelli said: “Baker Hughes is committed to deeply understanding KOC’s development aspirations and providing the solutions needed to help achieve them.

  “Working together, we aim to deliver tailored technology solutions at scale that improve production performance and efficiency, supporting KOC’s goals to maximise value from their assets.”

  As part of the agreement, Baker Hughes will build a dedicated research and technology development centre in the AIV to deliver technology solutions and build local expertise.

  Kuwait’s oil and gas sector is currently in crisis due to the regional war that started after the US and Israel attacked Iran on 28 February.

  The war has severely disrupted exports through the Strait of Hormuz, which Kuwait relies on in order to ship crude exports.

  Shaikh Nawaf Saud Al-Sabah, deputy chairman and CEO of Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC), the country’s state energy conglomerate, has described the current crisis as the biggest oil crisis the country has faced since Iraq’s 1990 invasion.

  Kuwait relies on the oil and gas sector for more than 90% of government revenues.

  Despite the dramatic reduction in crude exports, Kuwait’s state-owned oil companies continue to tender some projects.

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  Wil Crisp
• 
  Contractors announce awards for $8.2bn Adnoc Gas projects

  18 August 2026

  China-based Wison Engineering and Italian contractor Tecnimont have announced that they have won engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contracts from Adnoc Gas for the second and third phases of the Rich Gas Development (RGD) programme in Abu Dhabi, respectively.

  Adnoc Gas, the gas processing subsidiary of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc Group), recently announced that it had reached a final investment decision (FID) on RGD phases 2 and 3 earlier this year, with a total project investment of $8.2bn. The FID for the two projects forms part of its previously committed capital expenditure (capex) budget of $28bn for the 2026-30 period.

  The second and third phases of the RGD programme relate to constructing a new gas processing train at the Habshan complex and a natural gas liquids (NGL) fractionation train at the Ruwais gas processing facility, respectively.

  MEED reported in March that Adnoc Gas had selected the main EPC contractors for both the Habshan 7 gas processing train and the Ruwais NGL Train 5 projects.

  Adnoc Gas officially announced the award of the EPC contracts as part of its Q2 2026 financial results, saying it had awarded Wison Engineering a $3.9bn contract for RGD phase 2, while Tecnimont was selected for the $4.3bn phase 3 contract.

  Wison Engineering said the EPC contract for RGD phase 2 is the largest in its history. The total value of the contract is $4.04bn, the Hong Kong-listed company said, adding that the scope of work includes gas pipelines; separation and condensate stabilisation units; acid gas removal units; and the core deep NGL recovery units – critical process facilities in addition to a 220kV switch station.

  Phase 2 will add a new natural gas processing train at the Habshan facility, “expanding Adnoc Gas’ natural gas processing capacity, enhancing operational flexibility, and supporting the UAE’s expanding downstream and petrochemical sectors”, Adnoc Gas said.

  Tecnimont’s parent, Maire, said its scope of work on the RGD phase 3 project includes EPC activities for the fifth NGL fractionation unit, which will separate the various hydrocarbon components, together with treatment and sweetening systems designed to remove impurities and ensure product quality.

  The scope also includes a regeneration gas treatment unit, a propane refrigeration system, ancillary systems and storage facilities. Once completed in 2030, the plant will have an output capacity of 23,000 tonnes a day (t/d), or about 8 million tonnes a year, Milan-headquartered Maire said.

  Phase 3 will add a new NGL fractionation train at Ruwais, “increasing the recovery of higher-value liquids from rich natural gas for export [and] strengthening Adnoc Gas’ global customer portfolio”, Adnoc Gas said in a statement on 10 August.

  Adnoc Gas also reiterated its $5bn capex for the first phase of the RGD scheme, which is under construction. The company awarded $5bn of engineering, procurement and construction management (EPCM) contracts in three tranches for phase 1 of the RGD in June last year, marking the company’s largest-ever capital investment.

  Across all three phases, Adnoc Gas has made a total investment of $13.2bn in the RGD programme.

  “We continued investing through the cycle and advancing megaprojects that will define the next phase of Adnoc Gas’ growth, expanding our processing capacity and product volumes,” the company’s CEO, Fatema Al-Nuaimi, said.

  “Together with Ruwais LNG and our wider portfolio of strategic projects, we are executing one of the industry’s most ambitious gas growth programmes,” she said.

  Al-Nuaimi added: “These investments support our upgraded target of 60% [earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation] Ebitda growth by 2030, which was previously 40%. Delivering that ambition will see us invest approximately $28bn between 2026 and 2030.

  “We’re able to make these investments because we’re in a strong financial position. What matters here is this: we are reaffirming our dividend policy; we fund this growth programme and we deliver returns to shareholders. That is not an either/or,” she said.

  Second-quarter financial results

  Adnoc Gas detailed its capex plan at a media roundtable to discuss its financial results for the second quarter of the year (Q2 2026).

  The company achieved net income of $665m in Q2 2026 – above the upper end of the $400m-$600m guidance range provided in the first quarter – “reflecting strong operational performance in a challenging operating environment. This was supported by resilient margins in the domestic gas business”.

  Supported by its cash flow from operations, the company’s board has approved a quarterly dividend of $940m, payable in September, in line with its commitment to deliver annual dividend growth of 5% through 2030.

  Adnoc Gas remains the largest dividend payer on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX), where it listed in March 2023.

  Additionally, the company said: “Continued disruption to maritime movements through the Strait of Hormuz affected product liftings during the second quarter. Through proactive inventory, logistics and supply-chain management, Adnoc Gas worked closely with customers and partners to mitigate the impact of these disruptions, manage temporary constraints and fulfil commitments wherever possible.”

  For Q3 2026, Adnoc Gas said it expects profit in the range of $600m to $800m, “based on the assumption that maritime routes through the Strait of Hormuz continue to be disrupted”.

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  Indrajit Sen
• 
  Firms submit Mid Island Parkway prequalifications

  18 August 2026

  

   

  Abu Dhabi’s Modon Infrastructure has received expressions of interest and prequalification statements for the next phase of Abu Dhabi’s Mid Island Parkway Project (MIPP), which will be developed as a public-private partnership.

  Modon Infrastructure will act as the lead developer and will hold a majority equity stake in the project company. It will award contracts for engineering, procurement and construction; operations and maintenance; and project advisory services.

  Phase two of the MIPP involves constructing about 11 kilometres (km) of highways, comprising a mix of three-, four- and five-lane sections. The highways will connect the Um-Yifeenah, Al-Jubail, Al-Sammaliyyah and Sas Al-Nakhl islands to Khalifa City and the E10 road.

  The scope also includes the construction of three interchanges – E20, E10 and Dumbbell – on Al-Sammaliyyah Island.

  The project includes several major structures, including the E20 interchange, which will feature cast-in-place box-girder and void-slab bridges, and the E10 interchange, which will feature cast-in-place box-girder bridges. It also includes I-girder bridges between Raha Beach West and Sas Al-Nakhl Island, as well as a causeway at Sas Al-Nakhl Island.

  Further elements include a cast-in-place balanced cantilever bridge between Sas Al-Nakhl Island and Al-Sammaliyyah Island; a tunnel between Al-Sammaliyyah Island and Bilrimaid Island; and a cut-and-cover tunnel on Bilrimaid Island. Another tunnel will connect Bilrimaid Island to Um-Yifeenah Island.

  Abu Dhabi awarded three packages for phase one of the MIPP in 2024. The contract for Package 1A was awarded to a joint venture of Turkish contractor Dogus Construction and UAE firm Gulf Contractors. Package 1B was awarded to a joint venture of Yas Projects (Alpha Dhabi Holding) and China Railway International Group. Beijing-headquartered China Harbour Engineering Company and the UAE’s Agility Engineering & Contracting Company won the contract for Package 1C.

  Phase one starts at the existing Saadiyat Interchange, connecting the E12 to the MIPP, and ends at the recently constructed Um-Yifeenah Highway.

  It comprises a dual main road with a total length of 8km, including four traffic lanes in each direction, two interchanges, a tunnel and associated infrastructure works.

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

  Saudi Arabia builds for the global stage; Rising uncertainty creates fresh set of challenges in the Maghreb; Gulf banks remain robust in the face of geopolitical tensions.

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

  > AGENDA: Expo 2030 Riyadh construction gathers pace > WORLD CUP: What the 2026 World Cup means for Saudi Arabia 2034 > MARKET FOCUS: Maghreb fortunes diverge > INDUSTRY REPORT: GCC banks prove resilient amid turmoil > LEADERSHIP: Private capital and the GCC infrastructure inflection > PORTS: Geopolitical risk shapes $513bn of global ports projects > INTERVIEW: Developers look beyond standalone solar

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

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  Yasir Iqbal
• 
  Adnoc selects contractors for new LNG project in the UAE

  18 August 2026

  

   

  Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc) has selected contractors for a design competition it is overseeing for a major project to build a new liquefied natural gas (LNG) export facility along the UAE’s eastern coast.

  The proposed onshore LNG liquefaction facility – whose precise location Adnoc has yet to reveal – will have a nameplate output capacity of 4 million tonnes a year (t/y) and will mainly serve export purposes, MEED reported in June. The facility will receive sales-gas-quality feedstock via pipelines from Adnoc’s gas processing facilities in Abu Dhabi and will export LNG via a loading jetty.

  MEED previously reported on Adnoc’s intention to execute work on the project through a design competition or front-end engineering and design (feed)-to-engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contest.

  Under this model, the project operator selects contractors to carry out feed work. The operator then awards the EPC contract to the contractor with the most competitive feed proposal, while compensating the other contestants for their work.

  The Abu Dhabi energy giant has selected the following three entities to undertake feed work on the planned onshore LNG liquefaction facility, according to sources:

  • Saipem (Italy) / Larsen & Toubro Energy Hydrocarbon (India)
  • Technip Energies (France) / JGC Corporation (Japan)
  • Tecnimont (Italy)

  Adnoc issued draft letters of award to the selected contractors between 11 and 12 August, the sources added.

  In addition to the contractors picked by Adnoc, MEED previously reported that the following contractors were shortlisted for the feed-to-EPC contest:

  • McDermott (US)
  • Samsung E&A (South Korea)
  • Wison (China)

  MEED reported that Adnoc issued the expression of interest (EoI) document for the planned LNG facility project on 2 June, with contractors submitting responses by 5 June.

  Given the strategic importance of the project, Adnoc is understood to be fast-tracking the tendering exercise, issuing the main tender for the feed-to-EPC contest within days of the EoI submission. The company sought proposals from participating contractors by 1 July, sources said.

  In its EoI document, Adnoc said it intends to award the main EPC contract in the third quarter of this year.

  Adnoc has yet to specify where it plans to build the LNG complex, stating only in the EoI document that it will be located at a coastal site in the UAE.

  MEED understands Adnoc may be considering a site near one of the UAE’s eastern port facilities in the emirate of Fujairah. The blockade of the Strait of Hormuz in recent months has increased interest in prioritising exports and maritime trade through ports on the Gulf of Oman.

  The scope of work on the planned LNG facility covers the following units:

  LNG facilities:

  • An onshore LNG liquefaction facility in a coastal location, with a nominal output capacity of 4 million t/y;
  • Process units necessary to bring sales feed to a liquefaction-quality feed gas (i.e. carbon dioxide removal, dehydration, mercury removal and total sulphur reduction);
  • Common facilities including inlet receiving facilities, refrigerant storage and flares;
  • Utilities to support the facility, allowing it to be self-sufficient, including but not limited to local power generation and any necessary tie-ins;
  • LNG export facilities, including a jetty and berth;
  • Structures including control buildings, amenities, a laboratory, a warehouse, workshops and administration buildings, to fully support the plant operation.

  LNG storage facilities:

  • LNG storage tanks, handling of boil-off gases (BOG) and potentially a BOG reliquefaction unit to facilitate major shutdown operations for bidders opting to compete with a single liquefaction train option.

  Feed gas supply:

  • Supplying and installing an additional identical gas compressor to be located at an existing compression station near Adnoc Gas’ Habshan complex in Abu Dhabi, to provide additional capacity in an existing gas pipeline system;
  • A new feed gas pipeline, approximately 160 kilometres long, to route sales gas quality feed gas from an existing pipeline network to the LNG facility.

  Modifications to upstream facilities (alternative scope):

  • Installation of sulphur removal beds in Habshan to bring feed gas to required LNG quality at the upstream gas conditioning facility, rather than at the LNG facility. This may be selected by bidders to avoid additional investment for processing the regeneration gas.

  Construction facilities:

  • Temporary construction facilities, laydown area and material offloading facility, to support EPC execution requirements;
  • Construction labour accommodation camp.

  Adnoc LNG output capacity

  Adnoc has an LNG liquefaction capacity of 6 million t/y, which is set to more than double to 15 million t/y when its under-construction LNG terminal complex in Abu Dhabi’s Ruwais enters operations in 2028.

  The upcoming LNG export terminal in Ruwais will have the capacity to produce about 9.6 million t/y of LNG from two processing trains, each with a capacity of 4.8 million t/y.

  Adnoc awarded the full EPC contract and reached the final investment decision for the Ruwais LNG terminal project in June 2024. A consortium of France’s Technip Energies, Japan-based JGC Corporation and Abu Dhabi-owned NMDC Energy – a subsidiary of NMDC Group – was awarded the $5.5bn EPC contract. In March of that year, Adnoc issued a limited notice to proceed to the consortium of contractors led by Technip Energies for early EPC works on the Ruwais LNG terminal project.

  The complex will feature process units, storage tanks and an export jetty for loading cargoes and LNG bunkering, as well as utilities, flare handling systems and associated buildings.

  The planned LNG facility will run on electric-powered rotary equipment and compressors instead of gas-fired units. Adnoc awarded a $400m contract in October 2023 to US-based Baker Hughes for the supply of all-electric compression systems for the project. The LNG trains will run on energy-efficient Baker Hughes technology, including compressors driven by 75MW electric motors.

  Adnoc has also signed agreements with international energy companies to divest a total stake of 40% in the Ruwais LNG project. UK energy producer BP, Mitsui & Co, Shell and French energy producer TotalEnergies will each hold 10% stakes in the Ruwais LNG terminal project, with Adnoc retaining the majority 60% stake in the facility.

  Adnoc Group subsidiary Adnoc Gas will acquire its parent company’s 60% stake in the Ruwais LNG facility at cost in the second half of 2028, when first production from the complex is due.

  To date, Adnoc has secured offtake agreements totalling 8 million t/y, representing approximately 90% of the Ruwais LNG project’s output capacity.

  Photo for illustration only

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  Indrajit Sen
• 
  Saudi Arabia extends bid deadline for Round 7 solar projects

  18 August 2026

  

   

  Saudi Arabia’s principal buyer, Saudi Power Procurement Company (SPPC), has extended the deadline for developers bidding for four solar projects under the seventh round of the National Renewable Energy Programme (NREP).

  Round seven of the NREP comprises solar photovoltaic (PV) and wind independent power producer (IPP) projects with a combined capacity of 5,300MW. The renewables programme is being led and supervised by the Ministry of Energy.

  The four solar PV projects comprise:

  • 1,400MW Tabjal 2 solar PV IPP (Tabrijal, Al-Jouf province)
  • 600MW Mawqqaq solar PV IPP (Mawqqaq, Hail province)
  • 600MW Tathleeth solar PV IPP (Tathleeth, Aseer province)
  • 500MW South Al-Ula solar PV IPP (Al-Ula, Medina province)

  The projects were tendered in January, with submissions previously expected by 30 August. The new deadline is 13 September.

  The programme also includes the 1,300MW Bilgah and 900MW Shagra wind IPPs. The bid submission deadline for these projects is 14 September.

  As previously reported by MEED, procurement for the seventh round of the NREP opened in August 2025 when SPPC issued a request for qualification. 

  In January, MEED reported that 16 developers qualified to bid as both managing and technical members for the four solar PV projects. A further six companies qualified to bid as a managing member only.

  For the wind IPPs, SPPC qualified 13 developers in the managing and technical members category, and a further six companies in the managing member category only. The request for proposals for both wind and solar IPPs was issued that same month. 

  The renewable energy programme aims to supply 50% of the kingdom’s electricity from renewable energy by 2030.

  Earlier rounds under the NREP have already put in place large capacities. Last October, SPPC awarded contracts to develop and operate five renewable energy projects under round six of the NREP.

  These comprise four solar PV IPP projects and one wind IPP project with a total combined capacity of 4,500MW.

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  Mark Dowdall