meed-logo

line1 line2 line3
SIGN IN / REGISTER

Maghreb rail sector heads for boom

5 July 2024

 

The Maghreb region is headed for a potential surge in railway scheme development, with upcoming projects worth tens of billions of dollars in pre-execution and set to swell the $7.6bn of rail schemes currently at the execution stage, according to regional projects tracker MEED Projects.

There are $18.5bn-worth of rail projects in prequalification or bid in Algeria and Morocco right now, led by an $11.2bn expansion of Morocco’s high-speed railway network.

Building on a $2.4bn stretch of high-speed rail between Tangier and Casablanca that was delivered in 2018, the expansion plans include a further $4.5bn-worth of line development between Kenitra and Marrakech and a $5.6bn line across the more mountainous terrain from Marrakech to Agadir.

Morocco’s rail prospects are also being boosted by the revival of the Spain-Morocco tunnel project.

In June 2023, the Spanish government revived plans for a Morocco-to-Spain undersea rail link project after allocating about $2.5m for a renewed design study. The project was first launched in 2003 but was put on hold after the 2008 financial crisis. It has undergone several rounds of feasibility studies but remains in the study stage after nearly two decades of funding-linked delays.

The plans involve a double-rail track with an additional service line stretching 38.5 kilometres (km) from Tarifa in Spain to Tangier in Morocco. The technically challenging scheme involves a 28km section running under the Mediterranean Sea at a maximum depth of 475 metres below sea level.

This is significantly deeper than the comparable Channel Tunnel between the UK and France, which at its deepest lies only 75 metres below the seabed and 115 metres below sea level.

In Algeria, there is meanwhile upwards of $5bn-worth of work in prequalification as part of the National Railway Programme being pursued by the country’s rail authority Anesrif, including a multibillion-dollar planned rail line to connect Oran on the northwest coast to the Algeria-Mali border.

There is also a significant volume of work in the design and study phases, including a $10bn electrification scheme announced by Algeria and due for prequalification in 2025 and award in early 2026 – a clear sign that Algiers is committed to delivering a modern public transport network.

Other planned rail modernisation and expansion schemes in the region include the Mohammadia-Mascara railway line in Algeria, the extension of Rabat-Sale light rail in Morocco and the extension of the Sfax light rail in Tunisia.

Ongoing projects

In terms of projects already under execution, the rail activity in the region is currently being led almost entirely by $7.4bn-worth of work Algeria. Many of the existing rail projects are long-standing ones, however, with the average duration of ongoing projects exceeding four-and-a-half years.

The value of new project awards in the rail sector in recent years has been subdued. In the past two years, there have been just $1.2bn of rail awards across the four countries of the Maghreb region.

The largest ongoing projects in Algeria are the Oued Tlelat-Akid Abbes railway line upgrade, the Tlemcen-Akid Abbes railway and the Tebessa-Ain M'lila railway line – the combined value of which is about $3.5bn.

In April, Anesrif also restarted the Relizane-Tiaret-Tissemsilt component of its $1.9bn East-West rail network expansion after a pause of several years and a change of contractors.

The contract with the previous group of contractors, which included Spain’s Fomento de Construcciones y Contratas (FCC) and local company Groupe ETRHB Haddad, was terminated.

In June, the client awarded a new $231m contract for lots one and two of the project to a consortium of local contractors, including EPTP Alger, GCB, Infrafer and Societe Algerienne des Ponts et Travaux d’Art.

Lot one includes works on the Relizane, Tiaret, Tissemsilt and Saida/Tiaret sections, spanning 10km. The remaining works are expected to be completed in 10 months. Lot two includes works on the Tiaret and Tissemsilt section, covering 63.5km, and will be due within 20 months.

Another major rail project under way in Algeria is the project to connect the Gara Djebilet iron ore mine in Western Algeria’s Tindouf province with the national rail network at Bechar.

In January, Algeria selected a team of Beijing-headquartered China Railway Construction Corporation and local contractor Cosider Travaux Publics for a contract to build a 575km railway line. The precise value of the project is unknown, but it could be worth $900m-$1.2bn.

In Tunisia, railway projects worth over $227m are in the execution phase. The biggest railway schemes under way include lots one and five of the country’s Rapid Rail Network. Morocco and Libya do not have any major railway schemes under execution, according to MEED Projects.

In general, with few significant projects awarded in the past two years, construction companies and rail sector suppliers will be eagerly awaiting the upcoming opportunities in the region.

If even a modest share of the large volume of work planned in Algeria and Morocco comes to fruition, contractors in the rail sector in the region could experience a boom.

https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/12031529/main.gif
Yasir Iqbal

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

Click here to register
Exclusive from Meed
Related Articles
  • Ora Developers adds land bank to its Bayn masterplan

    17 April 2026

    Egyptian firm Ora Developers has signed a land acquisition agreement with Abu Dhabi-based developer Modon Holding to acquire an additional 4.8 million square metres (sq m) of land in the Ghantoot area between Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

    Ora Developers said that the land acquisition will increase the existing Bayn masterplan from 4.8 million sq m to 9.6 million sq m.

    The firm added that the total investment in the masterplan upon completion is expected to reach AED30bn ($8bn).

    In January, Ora Developers appointed six engineering consultancies to lead the development of the first phase of its Bayn residential community project.

    The developer appointed UK-based firm Mace to lead the overall project management.

    Canadian firm WSP will serve as the masterplan, infrastructure, landscape and water bodies design consultant, as reported by MEED in May last year.

    Another US firm, Aecom, will provide construction supervision services.

    Hong Kong’s 10 Design is the project’s architectural concept design consultant.

    Local firm Dewan Architects & Engineers is the project’s design consultant and architect of record.

    The UK’s Currie & Brown is the cost consultant.

    The first phase will offer 805 villas and townhouses, and the project is expected to be completed in 2028.

    The project will also include a neighbourhood park, sports facilities, a water park, a five-star hotel and a shopping mall.

    In December last year, Abu Dhabi government-owned contractor NMDC Group won a AED142m ($39m) contract from Ora Developers.

    The contract scope covers the execution of enabling works on the Bayn masterplan.

    The main construction works on the project's first phase are expected to begin in the second quarter of this year.

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/16439214/main.jpg
    Yasir Iqbal
  • SAR extends deadline for Riyadh section of Saudi Landbridge

    16 April 2026

     

    Saudi Arabia Railways (SAR) has set a deadline of 29 April for a design-and-build contract for the construction of a new railway line, the Riyadh Rail Link, which will run from north to south Riyadh.

    The tender was issued on 29 January. The previous bid submission deadline was 29 March.

    The scope of work includes constructing a 35-kilometre-long double-track railway line connecting SAR’s North-South railway to the Eastern railway network.

    The contract also covers the procurement, construction and installation of associated infrastructure such as viaducts, civil works, utility installations, signalling systems and other related works.

    The project is expected to form a key component of the Saudi Landbridge railway.

    In January, SAR said it will deliver the Saudi Landbridge project through a “new mechanism” by 2034, after failing to reach an agreement with a Chinese consortium for the construction of the project, as MEED reported.

    In an interview with local media, SAR CEO Bashar Bin Khalid Al-Malik said the consortium failed to meet local content requirements and that the project will now be delivered in several phases under a different procurement model.

    The project has been under negotiation between Saudi Arabia and China-backed investors keen to develop it through a public-private partnership.

    Al-Malik said that the project cost is about SR100bn ($26.6bn).

    It comprises more than 1,500 kilometres (km) of new track. The core component is a 900km new railway between Riyadh and Jeddah, which will provide direct freight access to the capital from King Abdullah Port on the Red Sea.

    Other key sections include upgrading the existing Riyadh-Dammam line, a bypass around the capital called the Riyadh Link, and a link between King Abdullah Port and Yanbu.

    The Saudi Landbridge is one of the kingdom’s most anticipated project programmes. Plans to develop it were first announced in 2004, but put on hold in 2010 before being revived a year later. Key stumbling blocks were rights-of-way issues, route alignment and its high cost.

    MEED’s April 2026 report on Saudi Arabia includes:

    > COMMENT: Risk accelerates Saudi spending shift
    > GVT &: ECONOMY: Riyadh navigates a changed landscape
    > BANKING: Testing times for Saudi banks
    > UPSTREAM: Offshore oil and gas projects to dominate Aramco capex in 2026
    > DOWNSTREAM: Saudi downstream projects market enters lean period
    > POWER: Wind power gathers pace in Saudi Arabia
    > WATER: Sharakat plan signals next phase of Saudi water expansion
    > CONSTRUCTION: Saudi construction enters a period of strategic readjustment
    > TRANSPORT: Rail expansion powers Saudi Arabia’s infrastructure push

    To see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click here
    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/16418597/main.gif
    Yasir Iqbal
  • Public Investment Fund backs Neom

    16 April 2026

    Commentary
    Colin Foreman
    Editor

    Register for MEED’s 14-day trial access 

    Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) has backed Neom by including it as one of six strategic ecosystems in its newly approved 2026-30 strategy.

    The future of the $500bn gigaproject had been thrown into doubt following the postponement of the 2029 Asian Winter Games at the Trojena mountain resort, the cancellation of construction contracts – such as the $5bn deal with Italian contractor Webuild for dam works at Trojena – and the slowdown of development at The Line, where tunnelling contracts were cancelled and staff left the project.

    The backing comes as Neom’s operational focus appears to be evolving in response to shifting regional dynamics and global economic conditions. For example, on 15 April Neom posted on its official X account about a new Europe-Egypt-Neom-GCC corridor, describing it as a faster route for time-sensitive goods. It said the corridor combines trucking and ferry services to move goods quickly into the Gulf, adding that importers from several European markets are already using it to reach the UAE, Kuwait, Iraq, Oman and beyond.

    Powered by Pan Marine, DFDS and regional RoPax services, the initiative is positioned as a way to add flexibility and resilience to regional supply chains. This emphasis on logistics and immediate trade utility suggests a shift away from the more speculative architectural announcements that characterised Neom’s early years, towards activity more directly tied to current market realities.

    PIF’s broader 2026-30 strategy places heavy emphasis on “delivering competitive domestic ecosystems to connect sectors, unlock the full potential of strategic assets, maximise long-term returns and continue to drive the economic transformation of Saudi Arabia”.

    The inclusion of Neom as a standalone ecosystem within the Vision Portfolio suggests that while the project remains part of the kingdom’s Vision 2030 goals, it will be subject to the fund's focus on working with the private sector.

    That means the long-term success of Neom will increasingly depend on its ability to attract external investment and function as a viable economic hub rather than just a state-funded construction site.

    MEED’s April 2026 report on Saudi Arabia includes:

    > COMMENT: Risk accelerates Saudi spending shift
    > GVT &: ECONOMY: Riyadh navigates a changed landscape
    > BANKING: Testing times for Saudi banks
    > UPSTREAM: Offshore oil and gas projects to dominate Aramco capex in 2026
    > DOWNSTREAM: Saudi downstream projects market enters lean period
    > POWER: Wind power gathers pace in Saudi Arabia
    > WATER: Sharakat plan signals next phase of Saudi water expansion
    > CONSTRUCTION: Saudi construction enters a period of strategic readjustment
    > TRANSPORT: Rail expansion powers Saudi Arabia’s infrastructure push

    To see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click here
    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/16417262/main.jpeg
    Colin Foreman
  • Kuwait gas project worth $3.3bn put on hold

    16 April 2026

     

    State-owned Kuwait Gulf Oil Company’s (KGOC’s) planned tender for the development of an onshore gas plant next to the Al-Zour refinery has been put on hold due to uncertainty created by the US and Israel’s war with Iran, according to industry sources.

    The project budget is estimated to be $3.3bn, and the last meeting with contractors to discuss the project took place in Kuwait on 10 February.

    Previously, it was expected to be tendered in late March, but the tendering process was delayed due to the regional conflict and disruption to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

    One source said: “This tender is now effectively on hold while KGOC waits for increased stability in the region before it invites companies to bid for the contract.”

    Under current plans, the plant will have the capacity to process up to 632 million cubic feet a day of gas and 88.9 million barrels a day of condensates from the Dorra offshore field, located in Gulf waters in the Saudi-Kuwait Neutral Zone.

    Ownership of the field is disputed by Iran, which refers to the field as Arash.

    Iran claims the field partially extends into Iranian territory and asserts that Tehran should be a stakeholder in its development.

    It is believed that the Dorra field’s close proximity to Iran will make development difficult due to the current security environment.

    The offshore elements of the project are expected to be especially difficult to protect from attacks from Iran.

    In July last year, MEED reported that KGOC had initiated the project by launching an early engagement process with contractors for the main engineering, procurement and construction tender.

    France-based Technip Energies completed the contract for the front-end engineering and design.

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

    Economic shock threatens long-term outlook; Riyadh adjusts to fiscal and geopolitical risk; GCC contractor ranking reflects gigaprojects slowdown.

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

    > GCC CONTRACTOR RANKING: Construction guard undergoes a shift
    To see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click here
    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/16413221/main.png
    Wil Crisp
  • Iraq pushes to revive oil pipeline through Saudi Arabia

    16 April 2026

    Iraq is pushing to revive an oil pipeline that passes through Saudi Arabia, allowing it to diversify export routes.

    Saheb Bazoun, a spokesman for Iraq’s Oil Ministry, said the pipeline would help to insulate Iraq from any future blockades of the Strait of Hormuz, which has been largely closed since 28 February.

    The original pipeline through Saudi Arabia has not been used for more than 30 years and would need work to be done in order to bring it online.

    It is 1,568km long, extending from the city of Zubair in Iraq to the Saudi port of Yanbu on the Red Sea.

    The pipeline was built in two phases during the 1980s. The first phase stretches between Zubair and Khurais, while the second extends to Yanbu. The pipeline’s operating capacity reached over 1.6 million barrels a day (b/d).

    Following the Gulf War, the pipeline was shut down in August 1990. It has remained out of operation for decades, despite Iraq’s several attempts to restart it.

    The original pipeline project cost over $2.6bn, including storage tanks and loading terminals.

    In the wake of the US and Israel attacking Iran on 28 February, global markets have lost 11 million barrels a day (b/d) of oil supply due to the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

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

    Economic shock threatens long-term outlook; Riyadh adjusts to fiscal and geopolitical risk; GCC contractor ranking reflects gigaprojects slowdown.

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

    > GCC CONTRACTOR RANKING: Construction guard undergoes a shift
    To see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click here
    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/16413290/main.jpg
    Wil Crisp