Meed | Manama jumpstarts utility sector

Manama jumpstarts utility sector

4 November 2024

On 21 October, Bahrain’s Electricity & Water Authority (EWA) held a market-sounding event in Manama to gauge investor interest in its two upcoming utility public-private partnership (PPP) schemes, the Sitra independent water and power project (IWPP) and the Al-Hidd independent water project (IWP).

The event did not disappoint, attracting 60 representatives from regional and international utility developers and contracting firms such as France’s Engie, Japan’s Mitsui and Saudi Arabia’s Acwa Power, among others. The EWA is expected to launch the prequalification process for both projects imminently.

The Sitra IWPP replaces the previously planned Al-Dur 3, which was in the early planning phases following the completion in 2021 of Al-Dur 2.

The planned Sitra IWPP is a combined-cycle gas turbine (CCGT) plant, which is expected to have a production capacity of about 1,200MW of electricity. The project's seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) desalination unit will have a production capacity of 30 million imperial gallons a day (MIGD) of potable water. It is expected to reach commercial operations in 2029.

The Al-Hidd IWP is Bahrain’s first independent, standalone SWRO plant. It is expected to have a production capacity of about 60MIGD of potable water and be completed in 2028.

The imminent launch of the two projects boosts Bahrain’s lean projects pipeline, which has experienced muted growth in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic and the completion of the Al-Dur 2 IWPP, which delivered 1,500MW of gas-fired generation capacity and 227,000 cubic metres a day (cm/d) of desalination capacity.

MEED understands that both the Sitra and Al-Hidd plants are being procured to cater for a combination of demand growth and some replacement capacity with more efficient and sustainable technology.

Commenting on the Al-Hidd IWP, Robert Bryniak, CEO of Dubai-based Golden Sands Management (Marketing) Consulting, says that it will be interesting to see what the tariff comes in at for a desalination plant of its size, and how many bids are received.

“Traditionally, Bahrain has done combined power and water plants, but given the inroads reverse osmosis (RO) technology has made over the years, it does make sense to plan them as separate plants,” says Bryniak. “Capacity-wise, the Al-Hidd IWP can be considered a mid-size plant in the region these days, although at around 270,000 cm/d, this is a large RO plant for Bahrain.”

A different set of factors will be at play for the Sidra IWPP, however.

For one, it is likely to be the last IWPP for Bahrain, which aims to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2060.

According to a source familiar with utility projects in the country, the EWA is planning for future capacity to be sourced from renewables despite Bahrain's space and land constraints, which have hampered the execution of at least one solar photovoltaic (PV) independent power project (IPP) in the past.

The source says that Bahrain could also consider other options to decarbonise its electricity systems, such as by developing offshore wind or importing clean energy – Bahrain, after all, has consistently secured electricity from the GCC grid – to supplement its available capacity and meet future demand.

Solar PV projects

The EWA awarded its first utility-scale solar PV IPP to a team comprising Acwa Power and Mitsui in 2019. However, the 100MW Askar solar PV was subsequently put on hold, with the utility issuing a new design-and-build tender for a similar-sized project in February this year.

China's TBEA Xinjiang Sunoasis Company is the sole bidder for the contract, offering to build the 90MW-100MW solar PV farm for BD27.6m ($73.4m).

In 2018, Bahrain's Electricity & Water Affairs Ministry awarded Deft Contractors a contract to build, own, operate and maintain grid-tied solar PV power panels with a minimum capacity of 72MW in Sakhir in the south of the country.

The power plant will be located at several premises, including at Bahrain International Circuit, the University of Bahrain, Bahrain International Exhibition & Convention Centre and Al-Dana Amphitheatre.

The solar panels are to be built on the rooftops, car park shades, electric vehicle (EV) charging stations and grounds of these organisations’ facilities, a measure that directly addresses the country’s space and land constraints.

The 20-year power-purchase agreement for the project was signed in August last year, at which time Electricity & Water Affairs Minister Yasser Bin Ebrahim Humaidan said that project is in line with Bahrain’s broader vision to adopt a circular carbon economy, with the aim of bringing carbon emissions to net zero by 2060.

Water and waste

Bahrain’s Works, Municipalities Affairs & Urban Planning Ministry is the other client for the island-state's power and water infrastructure-related projects.

It launched the prequalification process in 2022 for a project to develop an integrated waste PPP project, which is understood to include a waste-to energy (WTE) plant.

The WTE plant’s intended outputs are electricity, fed into the national grid through a power-purchase agreement; incinerator bottom ash and flue gas; and recyclable materials

However, no further developments on the project have been forthcoming since early 2023, when the ministry prequalified several consortiums to bid for the contract.

The construction of new power and water desalination plants in Bahrain will likely require the building of new power stations. Nine such schemes are in the planning stage, according to data from regional projects tracker MEED Projects.

As of November, bids are under evaluation for a contract to build two water distribution stations, one in Al-Hunayniyah and the other in South Saar. The bidders for the estimated $100m contract include the local Mohammed Abdulmohsin Al-Kharafi & Sons, Ahmed Mansoor Al-Aali and Panorama Contracting, as well as the UAE-based Tecton Engineering.

The scope covers the construction of two ground storage tanks, each with a capacity of 10 million gallons; two pump stations; and elevated storage reservoirs, in addition to the distributions stations.

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Jennifer Aguinaldo

Exclusive from Meed

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Oman tenders Thumrait Industrial City infrastructure
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Kuwait halves drilling contractor pool
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Jedco maps next phase of Jeddah airport expansion
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Jeddah Airports Company (Jedco) has outlined plans for the next phase of expansion at King Abdulaziz International airport (KAIA) in Jeddah.

The programme comprises six upcoming contractor packages spanning airside works, terminal upgrades and utilities as Jedco advances its long-term expansion plans.

The opportunities include airfield rehabilitation; a five-year construction framework covering multiple workstreams and facility types; a Terminal 3A (T3A) package; Terminal 1 (T1) optimisation; a fuel farm; and Concourse C works.

The packages cover terminal buildings and ancillary facilities, runways, taxiways and aprons, hangars, fuel systems, airside facilities, supporting infrastructure and utility networks.

Tendering and award activity will be staggered over the next two years. Airfield rehabilitation is targeted for Q3 2026. The construction framework is scheduled for Q4 2026 and will run for five years.

The T3A package is planned for Q1 2027 and will be delivered under an early contractor involvement contract. Local contractors are encouraged to bid as part of a joint venture with an experienced international partner.

T1 optimisation is planned for Q4 2027, the fuel farm for Q2 2027, and Concourse C – currently the latest of the six milestones – for Q2 2028.

The new packages add detail to Jedco’s wider expansion plans disclosed in 2023, when it was reported that the company would invest SR115bn ($31bn) to increase KAIA’s capacity to 114 million passengers a year, with an overall completion target of 2031.

Jedco has recently awarded several significant contracts linked to the airport’s upgrade programme.

In November 2024, a joint venture of local Algihaz Contracting and Turkey’s TAV was awarded a contract to rehabilitate the South Terminal to serve Umrah and Hajj pilgrims, with Singapore’s Surbana Jurong acting as consultant.

Earlier that year, Jedco also awarded France’s Alstom a contract to increase the capacity of the Innovia automated people mover at Terminal 1, including new cars and upgrades to signalling, communications and controls.

Surbana Jurong is expected to play a leading role in future KAIA expansion plans and is currently providing technical advisory and project management consultancy for more than 100 capital projects for Jedco, valued at over SR6bn ($1.6bn).

These upgrades are expected to boost KAIA’s annual capacity in line with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 and National Aviation Strategy, enhancing the experience for domestic travellers and millions of Hajj and Umrah pilgrims.

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Yasir Iqbal

Contractor wins $105m Medina university hospital deal

22 September 2026

Riyadh-based construction firm Al-Mansouria General Contracting Company has been awarded a SR396m ($105.6m) contract to complete the remaining construction works on the Taiba University Hospital project in Medina.

The contract scope includes structural completion, remaining civil works, mechanical, electrical and plumbing installations, specialised clinical fit-outs and medical gas infrastructure to bring the long-stalled facility into operation.

Located on King Khalid Road along Medina’s Third Ring Road, the teaching hospital will have a capacity of 563 beds.

The contract duration is three years, with delivery targeted for late 2029.

The latest award follows a prolonged procurement cycle that began more than a decade ago as part of a public budget drive to expand Saudi Arabia’s higher education infrastructure.

The project’s first phase was initially signed in December 2011 with local firm Al-Muhaidib Contracting under a SR500m ($133.3m) contract.

Groundbreaking for the eight-storey complex took place in July 2013. The project covers a gross floor area of more than 200,000 square metres.

Progress stalled shortly thereafter due to reported structural delays and the reallocation of public capital budgets across the kingdom’s social infrastructure pipeline.

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

Nuclear power ambitions gather pace; Kuwait keeps dealmaking alive despite war; Region invests in raising gas processing capacity.

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

> AGENDA: Gulf nuclear revival takes shape

> MARKET FOCUS: Kuwait keeps dealmaking alive under fire

> INDUSTRY REPORT: Gas processing takes centre stage in Mena region

> INTERVIEW: Emsteel persists with business productivity and efficiency

> TUNNELS: The Gulf’s next construction boom is happening underground

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

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Yasir Iqbal

Oman tenders Thumrait Industrial City infrastructure
22 September 2026

Oman’s Public Establishment for Industrial Estates (Madayn) has tendered an estimated RO15m ($39m) contract to develop infrastructure for Thumrait Industrial City.

The tender was issued on 14 September, with bids due by 12 November.

The scope covers site-wide utilities and services, including an internal road network, stormwater channels and culverts. It also includes installing sewerage and water networks, along with landscaping works.

In addition, Madayn intends to build plug-and-play industrial units and a facilities building.

The first phase of the development will cover about 120,000 square metres (sq m).

Thumrait Industrial City is located in Oman’s Dhofar Governorate and spans an area of more than four million sq m.

The project location is close to concession blocks, quarry sites and the Najd agricultural areas. It is positioned to attract industrial investments in sectors such as mining and minerals processing (including gypsum and cement), food production, and a range of light and general manufacturing activities.

In March, Madayn said it is preparing to invest more than RO245m ($637m) to upgrade and expand infrastructure across its industrial cities between 2026 and 2030, as part of efforts to attract new investment and advance economic diversification.

According to media reports, Madayn chief executive Dawood Bin Salim Al-Hadabi said the programme is part of an expanded, phased plan aligned with Oman Vision 2040 and the authority’s long-term Madayn 2040 strategy.

The objective is to deepen Oman’s industrial base and spread growth across the sultanate’s governorates.

Madayn said the pipeline comprises about 90 strategic projects to improve industrial-city infrastructure, extend serviced land and increase the overall ease of doing business for investors.

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Yasir Iqbal
Kuwait halves drilling contractor pool
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State-owned upstream operator Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) has reduced the number of approved contractors for onshore drilling and shallow-well maintenance from 51 to 24.

Firms that are no longer qualified include major contractors such as Italy’s Saipem, Oklahoma-based Helmerich & Payne and Houston-based Patterson-UTI Energy.

The latest list still includes a wide range of Kuwaiti, regional and international companies, according to the latest update on its electronic system, published on 21 September 2026.

The full list of contractors that are now qualified to participate in tenders is:
- Burgan Company for Well Drilling, Trading & Maintenance (Kuwait)
- Kuwait Drilling Company (Kuwait)
- Sun Drilling Kuwait (Kuwait)
- TDL Kuwait for Oil Rigs & Natural Gas Extraction Activities, Services and Facilities (Kuwait)
- United Precision Drilling (Kuwait)
- Abraj Energy Services (Oman)
- Adnoc Drilling Company (UAE)
- Arabian Drilling Company (Saudi Arabia)
- Anton Oilfield Services (China)
- China Oilfield Services (China)
- Egyptian Drilling Company (Egypt)
- CNPC Bohai Drilling Engineering Company (China)
- Great Wall Drilling Company (China)
- John Energy (India)
- Kerui Oilfield Service (China)
- KCA Deutag Drilling (Germany)
- Mohammed Al-Barwani Petroleum Services (Oman)
- Nabors Drilling International (US)
- National Drilling & Services Company (Oman)
- Sea & Land Drilling Contractors (Oman)
- Sinopec International Petroleum Service Corporation (China)
- Karamay Jianye Energy (China)
- Modern Drilling Company (Egypt)
- Grey Wolf Drilling International (US)
An earlier list, which was published on 11 February, included 51 qualified companies.

The reduction in qualified drilling contractors follows KOC’s notice on 27 April this year, informing existing qualified contractors that they would need to reapply.
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Wil Crisp

Abu Dhabi expects 45% emissions cut as electricity demand rises

21 September 2026

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Abu Dhabi-based Emirates Water & Electricity Company (Ewec) expects carbon emissions from power and water production to fall by more than 45% by 2035 as the UAE expands renewable energy and reverse osmosis (RO) desalination.

The state offtaker's latest long-term system planning forecasts emissions will decline from about 42 million tonnes in 2019 to approximately 23 million tonnes in 2035.

The reduction is expected despite annual electricity demand that is forecast to rise by about 70% in 2026-33.

Ewec said the expansion of renewable energy and the shift towards RO desalination will be the principal drivers of the reduction.

The company plans to increase Abu Dhabi's solar capacity to 14GW by 2030 and more than 35GW by 2035. This will be supported by up to 15GW of battery storage capacity.

According to regional project tracker MEED Projects, Ewec has over $16bn-worth of power and water projects in the execution stage as part of its long-term procurement programme to increase renewable energy and low-carbon water production capacity.

This includes a 5.2GW Abu Dhabi solar and battery energy storage system (bess) round-the-clock renewable energy project, as well as three 1.5GW solar photovoltaic independent power projects (IPP): Al-Ajban, Al-Khazna and Al-Zarraf.

It also comprises the 1GW Al-Dhafra open-cycle gas turbine power plant, the 2.5GW Taweelah C combined-cycle gas turbine (CCGT) plant and a separate 400MW bess IPP.

As previously reported, it is expected that the developer's agreement for the 3.3GW Al-Nouf 1 CCGT IPP will be signed by the end of the year, while contractors are preparing to submit bids for a separate 2.6GW power plant project in Ajman.

The expansion of solar and battery storage is expected to reduce the system's reliance on gas-fired generation. However, gas-fired generation will continue to provide flexibility to support the system and balance intermittent renewable power output, according to Ewec.

The offtaker also expects RO desalination to account for more than 95% of total water production by 2035, with the procurement programme supporting the Abu Dhabi Department of Energy's Clean Energy Strategic Target 2035 for electricity production and the UAE Net Zero by 2050 Strategy.