meed-logo

line1 line2 line3
SIGN IN / REGISTER

Legacy building at Diriyah

1 August 2024

It is impossible to talk about Saudi Arabia’s history without referencing Diriyah. Founded in 1446 in the Wadi Hanifa valley on the western outskirts of Riyadh, the historic town was the first capital of the Al-Saud dynasty and the launchpad for the kingdom’s unification campaign at the turn of the 20th century. In recognition, its central Turaif district was inscribed as a Unesco World Heritage site in 2010.

Today, the mud-brick settlement, built in the distinctive Najdi architectural style, has lent its name to one of the world’s most ambitious transformative developments. Sensitively conserving and building on its historical importance, it has created a unique cultural, educational, residential and tourism hub in the capital.

With an official budget of some $63bn, Diriyah is one of Saudi Arabia’s five official gigaprojects. It has held this label since early 2023, when responsibility for its development was handed to Diriyah Company, a project company formed as a Public Investment Fund (PIF) subsidiary a year earlier.

Covering an area of 14 square kilometres, Diriyah is targeting a population of 100,000 by its stated completion date of 2030. With more than 40 hotels, nine museums, 400 luxury boutiques, 100-plus restaurants and multiple educational institutions, it hopes to draw in more than 50 million annual visits.

Progress since ground was first broken four years ago has been rapid. As of May 2024, more than SR53bn ($14.1bn)-worth of construction contracts had been awarded. Today, visitors to the area can see hundreds of mobile cranes, plant and piling equipment rising over the boundary wall.

“We are in a good place,” says Mohammed Saad, Diriyah Company’s chief development officer. “We’ve finished our essential underground infrastructure and civil works, the super basement and all the tunnels that connect the basements together.”

But the real work has only just begun. Saad says a further SR30bn-35bn is scheduled to be awarded by the end of 2024, rising to SR40bn-45bn in 2025. By the end of this year, the public can expect to see substantial above-ground construction, particularly on the western side of the gigaproject, providing more tangible evidence of its advancement, which until now has been primarily below ground.

This is not to say that any vertical assets will be particularly tall. Because of the district's traditional low-rise nature, any building must be no higher than the historic structures. It should also emulate the Najdi style. For the same reason, most of the essential infrastructure, utilities and roads are hidden below ground.

Major project scopes

A significant step was made in early July when Diriyah Company awarded an estimated $2bn contract to a joint venture of El-Seif Engineering & Contracting and China State to build the North Cultural District. The deal, the largest let on the gigaproject to date, covers multiple assets, including hotels, the King Salman Foundation Library, King Salman University and the House of Saud Museum.

The work was originally planned as multiple construction packages until Diriyah Company took the commercial decision last year to bundle them into one contract. The decision to adopt super packages was driven by a dynamic market in which contractors have been almost overwhelmed with the volume of tenders from various gigaprojects and where cost inflation is taking hold.

“You will not get the attention of the big contractors if you offer small contracts,” Saad explains. By consolidating projects, contractors can focus their resources more effectively and efficiently and provide more competitive pricing.

“We have a hotel, we have an office building, we have a museum, and when we tendered them as one super package, there was a very solid response and interest from the big players because they could focus their resources and pricing and more efficiently engage their supply chains and subcontractors.”

The approach appears to be working. In late July, another estimated $2bn super package was awarded to a joint venture of local contractor Albawani and Qatar’s Urbacon to construct assets in the Wadi Safar district of the gigaproject. Featuring a mix of residential, residential farm plots, hotels, branded hotel villas, a golf course, an equestrian and polo club, and other leisure and entertainment facilities, including Aman, Chedi, Faena and Six Senses-branded hotels, Wadi Safar is positioned as the most upscale and exclusive development in Riyadh and indeed the kingdom as a whole.

The consolidated contract packages strategy reflects the supercharged nature of the Saudi projects market. With various clients, including the gigaprojects, all competing for a limited amount of contracting, material and labour resources, more innovative procurement strategies need to be adopted.

This is particularly critical for Diriyah and its enormous material requirements. For example, it has previously said that it will ultimately need some 350,000 doors, 1.5 million square metres of tiles, 1.2 million tonnes of rebar and 140,000 HVAC units.

Supply-side obstacles

Despite the progress, the project faces challenges related to contracting, engineering and material supply. The high demand for key materials, coupled with global supply chain disruptions, poses a significant conundrum. However, the delivery team has proactively secured and signed framework agreements with manufacturers to ensure a steady flow of required materials.

Transparent demand signalling is a core component of this. “We’ve analysed our material needs up to 2030 and prepared comprehensive requests for proposals for all key items,” says Saad. “We went out to the manufacturers and the supply chain in general to let them see the pipeline is tangible and secure. We are listening to vendors in order to speed things up and to lock down prices.”

Saad lists specific materials not naturally available in Saudi Arabia, such as finishing stones, as items that may be in short supply, in addition to some specialised MEP equipment that is only manufactured abroad. Overall, he is optimistic about the market’s ability to adapt. “The market will adjust itself,” he states. “Of course, there are challenges, but there are also opportunities for manufacturers to up their game.”

Likewise, contractors are being brought into discussions at earlier stages of contract planning. Diriyah is adopting strategies such as early contractor involvement in the design process to help better understand and manage construction risk. “We’re engaging with contractors and delivery partners as early as the concept design stages to get their feedback on the project’s constructability,” says Saad. “Later, these contractors can be invited to bid for the contract, which makes it easier for them and so they can be aware of any issues.”

Financial constraints

Another increasingly evident challenge is financing. As the gigaprojects programme steps up a gear, there have been growing strains on funding the huge costs associated with it, expenditure which in some cases is considerably higher than when first estimated during the initial master planning stages due to cost inflation and disruptions in the supply chain.

As with the other gigaprojects, Diriyah’s initial work has been fully funded by its PIF parent, but later phases will likely require other financing mechanisms. While some of this will come from the $100m in revenues it expects to make over the next year, the client company has been actively tapping into the capital markets, following in the footsteps of other gigaprojects such as Neom and Red Sea Global, which have concluded sizeable borrowing deals in the past two years.

This includes all options up to and including an initial public offering (IPO). The market consensus is that eventually all the PIF project company subsidiaries will go public when the time is right, and Diriyah is unlikely to be an exception.

For the same reason, the client is also exploring public-private partnerships (PPPs) to enable the private sector to take on some of the financial burden. For instance, City Cool Cooling Company recently won a $186m 25-year build-own-operate (BOO) concession to develop a 72,000-refrigeration-tonne district cooling plant. Future opportunities may include expansion of cooling capacity, other utilities and car parking operations.

“PPPs are a key component of our strategy,” says Saad. They provide a platform for private investors to participate in Diriyah's growth while leveraging the expertise and resources of the public sector. We realise we cannot build 10 million square metres alone. We need the private sector to participate and partner with us and give them an opportunity to be part of this journey.”

Another funding source will be off-plan property sales once its real estate offering comes to market. Based on the development plans, this is expected to be significant. With a mix of some 30,000 villas, apartments and townhouses, the ambition is to attract both local and expatriate residents, if or when the kingdom opens its property market to non-nationals.

Investment pathway

Eventually, third parties will also need to invest in the various real estate elements of the gigaproject. Diriyah Company, as a master developer, is actively seeking to attract other developers, family offices and financial institutions to develop land parcels for mixed-use, residential, hospitality, commercial, education and healthcare assets.

“We are already opening up to investors and meeting developers who are interested in partnering with us or buying land,” notes Saad. “It’s a good problem to have – there’s more interest than we can handle right now, which speaks volumes about the project's attractiveness.”

This is just as well. One criticism of the gigaprojects programme has been the shortfall in both local and international investment to date. A lack of understanding of what the gigaprojects are and will be, demand uncertainty, timeframe ambiguities and general market hesitancy have been identified as the stumbling blocks.

Diriyah is determined to change this situation. It is focusing on increasing public and investor awareness of the potential opportunity through initiatives such as its two-day Bashayer event last November, which showcased the masterplan and construction progress to selected key stakeholders. There has also been a push for greater transparency and publishing more specific details about the overall development to make it stand out from the crowded market.

The giant gigaproject is not being developed in isolation. Experience from successful developments worldwide highlights that connectivity and coordination with other government stakeholders are key. Diriyah is planned to be connected to an extension of Riyadh Metro’s Line 2 and a planned Line 7 linking it with King Khalid International airport and another gigaproject, Qiddiya. In total, four metro stations are planned for the development.

At the same time, talks are under way for Diriyah to be one of the main stations on the planned Q-Express high-speed rail link between the airport and Qiddiya, which will complement the metro network. For those arriving by car, there will be the opportunity to use the three-level, 1 million square-metre underground ‘super basement’ car park, which, with a capacity for 10,500 vehicles, will be the fifth-largest parking facility in the world, and by far the biggest in the region.

As Diriyah’s construction accelerates, it is already starting to define its identity more clearly. Building on the kingdom’s historical roots, it is set to create a new legacy for future generations.

https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/12260371/main.gif
Edward James

Register for MEED's guest program now to access this article.

Click here to register
Exclusive from Meed
Related Articles
  • Egypt’s Petrojet wins gas pipeline project worth $170m

    2 November 2026

     

    An onshore gas pipeline contract awarded to Egypt’s Petrojet has a value of $170m, according industry sources.

    The pipeline will connect to Egypt’s Damietta liquefied natural gas (LNG) export terminal and is part of a broader project to develop gas reserves in Cyprus and export the gas using infrastructure in Egypt.

    Recently, several contracts have been signed in relation to the project, which is being developed by Italian oil and gas company Eni.

    These include US-based Baker Hughes signing a contract for the design, procurement and construction of subsea production systems, including associated equipment and control systems.

    Italy's Dalmine will supply subsea gas export and monoethylene glycol pipelines, while US-listed TechnipFMC will design, procure and manufacture flexible gas production pipelines.

    In September, it was announced that US-headquartered McDermott will carry out offshore work for the project, including the transportation, installation and connection of subsea pipelines and equipment.

    In a statement released on 26 October, Eni said: “The development will leverage a fast-track approach based on regional integration and the use of existing infrastructure.

    “Gas produced from Cronos will be transported to Egypt, where it will be processed through existing facilities, including the Zohr infrastructure, before being liquefied at the Damietta LNG plant for export to international markets, primarily Europe.”

    Gas production is expected to come online in the first half of 2028.

    Since the US and Israel attacked Iran on 28 February, sparking a regional conflict, there has been increased interest in oil and gas assets in North African countries such as Egypt.

    The ongoing conflict has made exporting oil and gas through the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab El-Mandeb Strait more difficult due to attacks on shipping.

    Unlike many Middle East nations, Egypt, Algeria and Libya do not need to use these export routes and can continue to ship oil and gas without disruption.

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/21041454/main.jpg
    Wil Crisp
  • GCC projects market holds its nerve

    1 November 2026

     

    The war in the Gulf is now inflicting deep damage on the region’s economies. In its October World Economic Outlook, the IMF forecasts contraction in every GCC state except Oman in 2026. Saudi Arabia’s real GDP is projected to shrink by 3.3%, after 4.6% growth in 2025, and the UAE’s by 3.9%, after 6.2% growth.

    The IMF expects Kuwait’s economy to contract by 16.7%, Qatar’s by 15.6% and Bahrain’s by 11.3%, as energy and transport disruption cuts exports. Oman, with routes outside the Strait of Hormuz, is forecast to grow by 4.1%.

    The fund has cut its 2026 forecast for the Middle East and Central Asia by 2.2 percentage points since April, to a contraction of 0.3%, citing a longer closure of the strait than it had previously assumed. The revision for Saudi Arabia is 6.4 percentage points. The IMF now assumes the strait will reopen in March 2027, with a return to prewar conditions broadly by October 2027.

    There is little sign of an early end to hostilities. On 10 October, a Houthi-attributed strike on a passenger terminal at Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport killed 12 people and injured 309, according to Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation. Airport operations were suspended and several international airlines cancelled flights.

    Yet the region’s projects market is holding up far better than its economies. Data from MEED Projects shows that contract awards in 2026 have proved resilient, with clients across the GCC continuing to commit capital to new schemes.

    The GCC projects market has absorbed almost eight months of conflict better than its economies

    Resilient awards

    The UAE leads the regional market for a second consecutive year, with the value of contract awards 6.1% higher than in the same period of 2025. Oman and Kuwait are also running ahead of last year’s pace, despite the IMF’s forecast that Kuwait’s economy will contract by about a sixth.

    Saudi Arabia has awarded $68.8bn of contracts so far this year, 13% less than in the same period of 2025. Given that the kingdom has been the main target of the Houthi campaign, and was already revising its spending priorities before the conflict, the decline is modest.

    The comparison is against a high base. The past three years have seen unprecedented GCC capital expenditure, supported by higher oil prices, residential demand and national vision programmes. More than three quarters has been concentrated in Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

    The gap between economic output and project spending reflects the nature of the projects market. Governments and state-linked entities can sustain capital budgets through a downturn using reserves and borrowing. GDP contraction, by contrast, reflects lost oil and gas exports, tourism and trade.

    The UAE’s performance this year has been driven by the gas and transport sectors, which have recorded the strongest growth. Construction, the country’s largest sector, has declined as the real estate market has cooled.

    Abu Dhabi has been the standout performer. Contract awards in the capital are up 35% on the same period of last year, with growth across the construction, gas, oil and transport sectors.

    Public spending is a central reason for that resilience. Fitch Ratings expects Abu Dhabi’s spending to rise by 19% this year, equivalent to 3.7% of GDP, to support the non-oil economy. Data from the Central Bank of the UAE shows consolidated government capital expenditure rose to AED18.6bn ($5.1bn) in Q1 2026 from
    AED2bn in Q1 2025.

    Fitch expects UAE infrastructure and government-related entity capital spending to rise significantly in 2026 and 2027, both to strengthen resilience against future conflicts and stimulate the economy. Emirates have already accelerated tendering on several projects.

    Transport remains a priority. Plans include further sections of the national passenger rail network, a high-speed rail link between Dubai and Abu Dhabi, a light rail system in Abu Dhabi and the Dubai Metro Gold Line. The $35bn expansion of Al-Maktoum International airport in Dubai is moving towards delivery with the award of the first major construction packages.

    Economic headwinds

    Both the IMF and Fitch expect a strong rebound once the strait reopens. The IMF forecasts 2027 growth of 7.7% in the UAE, 7.9% in Saudi Arabia, 18.8% in Qatar and 17.1% in Kuwait. Fitch forecasts UAE non-oil growth of 6.1% next year. Paul Gamble, senior director at Fitch, cautioned that prolonged insecurity “will call into question logistical advantages” that underpin the UAE’s growth model.

    Beneath the headline award totals, there are warning signs. Regional contract awards performed well between March and June, but the value of work awarded in recent months has dropped sharply compared with the same months of 2025. According to MEED Projects, the main cause is a fall in the number of tenders being issued, particularly in real estate.

    The timing is significant. The strong period included the April ceasefire, when clients appear to have pressed ahead expecting a short conflict. Tendering slowed as hostilities resumed. In July, Iranian attacks reached Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Jordan and Oman, while Houthi escalation against Saudi Arabia began.

    The pattern suggests conflict fatigue may be setting in, with clients deferring projects amid a war with no clear end date. As tendering is a leading indicator, the impact on awards is likely to become more visible in coming months.

    In Saudi Arabia, monthly performance has been mixed as the market adjusts to revised spending priorities and the regional conflict. Most sectors are up on last year, with the exception of power and water, which has struggled in 2026, possibly as a result of overbuilding in the past three years. The kingdom’s gigaprojects have continued their retreat. Awards peaked at $31.7bn in 2023 and fell to $14.4bn in 2025. The total so far in 2026 is $9.4bn, most of it for work at Qiddiya, Diriyah and Rua Al-Madinah.

    The GCC has more than $3.4tn of known, planned and unawarded projects over the next 10 to 15 years

    Dubai slowdown

    The clearest signal of the conflict’s impact on the projects market comes from Dubai. The emirate’s market performed strongly until May. Since then, activity has been subdued, and contract awards for the year to date are 0.6% lower than in the same period of 2025.

    The main cause is a decline in residential contract awards. Data from Bayut and the Dubai Land Department shows a marked fall in the value of off-plan sales since late February, when the war began. Residential construction awards have fallen in step, with no sign of the time lag that would normally be expected.

    Third-quarter figures from Savills confirm the trend. Residential transactions fell 38% year on year to 34,500, and transaction value dropped 46% to AED70.8bn ($19.3bn) from AED132.2bn. The decline was concentrated in the off-plan segment, where value fell to AED45.7bn in Q3 from AED61.3bn in Q2, while ready-market value rose to AED25.1bn from AED21.3bn.

    Developers have sharply reduced new launches. Savills recorded about 5,000 units launched in Q3, taking the total for the year to date to about 50,000, roughly 64% below the same period of 2025. Fewer launches mean fewer construction contracts, which explains why residential awards have fallen so quickly. More than 525,000 units are scheduled for delivery between 2027 and 2030, which Fitch says could add pressure to a sector accounting for 8% of non-oil GDP if population growth weakens.

    Escaping Hormuz

    The conflict is also generating new project demand. Saudi Arabia is prioritising ports and transport infrastructure on the Red Sea coast, along with new pipelines to the Red Sea and to Oman. The UAE is developing ports and transport links to the east coast and Oman, and additional pipelines to Fujairah. Fitch anticipates new and expanded road, rail, pipeline and port infrastructure in Oman and Saudi Arabia as GCC states seek routes that bypass the strait.

    The IMF’s forecasts underline the value of those routes. It describes Saudi Arabia as “somewhat less affected” than its neighbours because of its more diversified export routes, while Oman is the only GCC state forecast to grow this year. Houthi strikes on Aramco facilities in Yanbu in September show that Red Sea infrastructure is not beyond reach, however. Defence spending is rising in both Saudi Arabia and the UAE, and repair and rehabilitation work will add to the pipeline once hostilities end.

    The long-term fundamentals remain strong: the GCC has more than $3.4tn of known, planned and unawarded projects over the next 10 to 15 years, about half of it in Saudi Arabia. Many of the kingdom’s priorities are tied to fixed dates, with Riyadh hosting the World Expo in 2030 and Saudi Arabia hosting the Fifa World Cup in 2034.

    The capacity to fund this pipeline depends on oil revenues. MEED’s assessment is that crude prices must remain above $70-$80 a barrel for spending levels to be maintained. With exports through Hormuz disrupted, the volume of oil Gulf producers can move to market matters as much as the price.

    The GCC projects market has absorbed almost eight months of conflict better than its economies. The question for the final quarter is whether the slowdown in tendering is a temporary pause or the start of a sustained retreat. If the IMF’s assumption of a March 2027 reopening of the strait holds, clients will be setting their 2027 budgets with a rebound in sight. If it slips, the resilience of contract awards will face a sterner test. 

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/21078685/main.gif
    Colin Foreman
  • Ashghal tenders Mekeines-Umm Bab link road

    30 October 2026

     

    Qatar’s Public Works Authority (Ashghal) has tendered a contract for the design and construction of the Mekeines to Umm Bab Link Road and associated infrastructure.

    The tender was issued on 29 October, with a bid submission deadline of 22 December.

    The scope comprises:

    • Highway works, including main carriageways, access roads, grade-separated ramps, junctions and tie-ins to existing networks
    • Dedicated non-motorised user facilities, footpaths and shared-use cycle paths
    • Structural installations, including camel underpasses, a QatarEnergy culvert and gateway monumentation
    • Extensive dry and wet utilities, encompassing Kahramaa potable water and electrical transmission networks, surface water drainage, street lighting and dedicated communication networks for Ooredoo, the Qatar National Broadband Network and the Qatar Armed Forces

    Under the scope of work, the appointed contractor will execute full design verification and turnkey construction under Ashghal’s standard Building and Engineering Design and Build General Conditions of Contract (2018 Edition) on a lump-sum basis. Engineering subconsultants must hold Grade 1 or International classification with the Ministry of Municipality across civil, architectural, mechanical and electrical engineering disciplines.

    The contract stipulates an execution period of 1,260 calendar days (3.5 years) from the commencement date, followed by a 400-day maintenance liability period. 

      The project is open to local and international contractors classified as Grade A in roads specialisation by Qatar’s Ministry of Finance (MoF).

      Foreign firms may participate independently or within a joint venture, provided the joint venture leader holds the requisite classification, by registering through the MoF e-procurement portal with attested equivalent certification from their home countries.

      The planned corridor is located within Al-Rayyan Municipality across Zones 82 to 84 in the Al-Sheehaniya area.

      At its eastern end, the link road begins about 40 kilometres southwest of central Doha, tying into the Salwa Road Interchange 42. At the western terminus, it connects to the roundabout adjacent to Umm Bab on the Abu Samra to Dukhan road (Route 39). 

      The link road serves as a critical logistics corridor connecting western settlements, residential districts and industrial installations, including concession areas operated by QatarEnergy.

      The western 7.5km of the alignment passes directly through the QatarEnergy District, where the corridor runs parallel to active oil and gas pipelines and includes a designated gateway monument.

      https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/21041383/main.gif
      Yasir Iqbal
    • Contractors prepare bids for Petro Rabigh bottom-of-the-barrel project

      30 October 2026

       

      Contractors are preparing proposals for Saudi Arabia’s Rabigh Refining & Petrochemical Company (Petro Rabigh) for a major project to increase output and improve the efficiency of its integrated refining and petrochemicals complex in Rabigh, on the kingdom’s Red Sea coast.

      Petro Rabigh’s downstream complex, which is majority-owned by Saudi Aramco, includes a topping refinery with a 340,000-barrel-a-day (b/d) crude-distillation unit, a 47,000 b/d hydrotreater, a 12 million-cubic-feet-a-day hydrogen plant, a 75,000 b/d naphtha Merox unit and a 60,000 b/d kerosene Merox unit. The complex also includes supporting utilities, product tankage and a marine terminal.

      The main objective of the bottom-of-the-barrel project is to convert low-value, high-sulphur fuel oil and heavy-residue streams – which account for about 20% to 22% of refinery output – into higher-value, cleaner products, including diesel and lighter distillates.

      Petro Rabigh aims to achieve residue-conversion capacity of about 64,000 to 75,000 b/d by adding integrated fuel-oil upgrading and diesel-treatment units.

      The company issued the main tender for engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) works earlier this year. Contractors have until 19 November to submit proposals, sources told MEED.

      The following companies are understood to be among those bidding for the project:

      • CTCI Corporation (Taiwan)
      • JGC Corporation (Japan)
      • Larsen & Toubro (India) / Technip Energies (France)
      • Tecnicas Reunidas (Spain)

      The overall scope of work on the project covers the construction of the following units:

      • A light-naphtha isomerisation unit
      • A deasphalting and dewaxing unit
      • An ebullated-bed processing unit
      • A sulphur block, comprising sulphur-recovery, acid-gas-removal, sour-water-stripping and sulphur-forming units
      • Sales-gas allocation facilities and associated pipeline works
      • Utilities outside battery limits
      • Auxiliary piping modifications
      • Utility and hydrocarbon tie-ins

      Petro Rabigh appointed Australia-headquartered Worley last year to carry out front-end engineering and design (feed) work for the bottom-of-the-barrel project.

      MEED also reported that Petro Rabigh appointed Worley to provide engineering and project-management consultancy (PMC) services for the project in the first quarter of this year.

      Under the contract, Worley will carry out engineering studies and PMC functions. It will also support the development of cost estimates, project-specific execution procedures and technical procedures in line with Saudi Aramco guidelines. The work covers both the design-basis scoping-paper stage and the subsequent feed stage.

      Petro Rabigh will draw on Worley’s expertise in design, procurement and processing technologies, including light-naphtha isomerisation; vacuum-residue processing through deasphalting and dewaxing; an ebullated-bed configuration integrated with the diesel-hydrotreating section; and unconverted-oil hydrotreatment.

      Worley recently confirmed its contract award from Petro Rabigh, saying it will deliver engineering, project management, procurement support and related consultancy services for projects across its client’s portfolio.

      The scope includes developing design-basis documents, conducting technical evaluations, preparing cost estimates, supporting feed tender packages and providing detailed engineering and execution-phase support as projects advance through development and delivery.

      The services will support the evaluation and development of potential new facilities and infrastructure across the complex, including process units, utilities, sulphur recovery facilities and associated infrastructure.

      “The work will help Petro Rabigh advance future projects aimed at enhancing the long-term value and performance of its refining and petrochemicals operations,” Worley said in a statement on 28 October.

      Separately, Petro Rabigh awarded US-based KBR a 10-year maintenance contract in February to support its polymer plants in Rabigh.

      KBR’s Technology Led Industrial Solutions business line will execute the operations and maintenance contract, sources told MEED. The business operates within the Houston-headquartered company’s Technology Solutions portfolio.

      In March 2024, Petro Rabigh also awarded KBR a similar five-year asset-condition-monitoring contract. Under that programme, KBR is providing predictive-maintenance services at Petro Rabigh’s main plant.

      https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/21032785/main.jpg
      Indrajit Sen
    • Contractors submit Riyadh Expo KSA pavilion bids

      30 October 2026

       

      Contractors submitted bids on 25 October for a contract to design and build the Saudi Arabia pavilion at the Expo 2030 Riyadh site.

      The facility will include exhibition halls, VIP and protocol areas, event and performance spaces, meeting rooms, food and retail outlets, and back-of-house facilities.

      The pavilion will host exhibitions, cultural and commercial showcases and official events throughout the six-month expo.

      External public realm works are also included.

      Expo 2030 Riyadh Company (ERC), tasked with delivering the Expo 2030 Riyadh venue, issued the main tender on 19 May, as MEED exclusively reported.

      Earlier this week, ERC appointed UK-based Mace as procurement advisory consultant for Expo 2030 Riyadh, supporting procurement activities across the programme.

      Under the appointment, Mace will provide procurement services and advise on the management and delivery of procurement activities, with the aim of supporting the expo’s wider programme objectives.

      Expo 2030 Riyadh will run from October 2030 to March 2031 with the theme Foresight for Tomorrow, with host authorities projecting approximately 42 million visits.

      The masterplan covers 6 square kilometres, making it one of the largest sites ever designated for a World Expo event.

      Situated north of the Saudi capital, the site is located near the future King Salman International airport and will provide direct access to Riyadh landmarks.

      The Public Investment Fund, Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth vehicle, launched Expo 2030 Riyadh Company – a wholly owned subsidiary – in June 2025 to build and operate facilities for Expo 2030.

      https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/21031590/main.jpg
      Yasir Iqbal