MEED’s 2023 top 10 GCC contractors
28 March 2023
> Improved outlook for the Gulf region’s construction market is not reflected in the 2023 contractor ranking
> Nesma & Partners retains its position as the most active GCC contractor, but its total value of work this year is down 22 per cent on 2022
> Part two of this report, Top 10 GCC contractors by country, can be accessed here
The GCC’s construction market is back. After enduring half a decade of low oil prices and capital spending cuts, the region is back with a new generation of ambitious projects that are attracting global attention.
Dubai may have led previous boom periods with its palm-shaped islands and record-breaking towers, but this time it is Saudi Arabia that is taking the lead with 170-kilometre-long mirrored structures, 400-metre-cubed buildings and, if the plans are approved, a 2-kilometre-tall tower that will be more than twice the height of the current world’s tallest building, Dubai’s Burj Khalifa.
As the hype builds, the excitement is yet to be reflected in MEED’s contractor ranking for 2023.
Using data from regional projects tracker MEED Projects, the region’s most active contractor, based on contracts under execution, is Nesma & Partners. While the Saudi firm has retained its position as the most active contractor, its total value of work in 2023 is $5.3bn, down 22 per cent on the $6.8bn of work under execution that it topped the ranking with in 2022.
Further falls
Last year’s second-ranked contractor has fallen even further. Saudi Binladin Group was working on $6.5bn of projects at the execution stage in 2022. In 2023, this has dropped to $4bn, and as the firm’s work on the expansion of the Grand Mosque in Mecca is completed, it may not figure in the ranking in the future.
Last year’s third-ranked contractor has also slid down the rankings. In 2022, India’s Shapoorji Pallonji was working on $5.6bn of projects at the execution stage. This year it is working on $2.9bn.
Altogether five of the top 10 contractors in the GCC this year have less work than they did last year. If an average of the top 10 is taken, then the number in 2023 has fallen 18 per cent to $3.6bn from $4.4bn last year.
The five firms that have grown their totals are newcomers to the top 10 this year, the highest-ranked of which is Turkiye’s Limak.
The contractor’s main project in the GCC is the new terminal building at Kuwait International airport, and a Turkish firm’s presence at number two may be a sign of things to come. After settling political differences with Saudi Arabia and the UAE in 2022, Turkish companies are expected to play a key role in delivering Saudi Arabia’s growing roster of major projects.
Riyadh, like Neom, will be an important market for contractors over the coming decade
The other newcomers to the top 10 are three Saudi firms, Alfanar, Almabani and Saudi Baytur; and China Harbour Engineering Construction.
Alfanar’s position in the ranking is mostly due to the contract it won to deliver and operate five clusters of community villages on a public-private partnership basis at Neom. That project shows the scale of the Neom schemes that are moving into construction and signals that firms working on the development will perform well in future rankings.
Almabani has been able to secure major contracts on projects in its domestic market. The most recent is the estimated $1.9bn contract that it won this year to deliver the Zone 6 infrastructure works for the Sports Boulevard project that is being developed by the Royal Commission of Riyadh City.
Riyadh, like Neom, will be an important market for contractors over the coming decade. The city has plans to double in size and major projects that have been launched so far include King Salman airport, New Murraba, Dirriyah Gate, Prince Mohammed bin Salman Nonprofit City, Sports Boulevard, King Salman Park and Qiddiya Entertainment City.
China Harbour has built its orderbook with project wins in Saudi Arabia and the UAE and is now the second Chinese firm in the top 10.
The final newcomer is Saudi Arabian Baytur. While it has historical Turkish links, it has been operating as a wholly-Saudi-owned company since 2016.
A significant trend in the GCC ranking is the meagre showing from western contractors
Ranking departures
The five companies that have left the top 10 this year are Qatar’s Urbacon Trading & Contracting Company, Saudi Arabia’s ABV Rock, Kuwait’s Sayed Hamid Behbehani & Sons, Beijing-based China Railway Construction Company and Kuwait’s Mohammed Abdulmohsin al-Kharafi & Sons.
Urbacon’s departure may be short-lived. The firm has experienced a sharp decline in the total value of its projects at the execution stage this year following the completion of projects in the domestic Qatari market ahead of last year’s World Cup.
As construction activity remains slow in Qatar the firm has begun expanding overseas and this year has secured significant orders from Saudi Entertainment Ventures (Seven) for the construction of entertainment centres in Saudi Arabia.
China Railway’s departure may also be temporary. It has completed work on the UAE’s federal Etihad Rail network, which resulted in it dropping out of the top 10 this year. It may return if it is able to secure work on the raft of regional rail projects that are moving towards the construction phase.
One other significant trend in the GCC ranking is the meagre showing from western contractors. The only western firm in the top 10 this year is Italy’s Webuild, which has $4.5bn of work at the execution stage.
With most western contractors continuing to exercise caution when approached to bid on projects in the GCC, it is unlikely that this trend will change in the near future.
Looking ahead to next year’s ranking, Nesma will be a strong contender for the top spot again. In February, the Public Investment Fund (PIF) confirmed that it has invested $1.3bn in four local construction companies to support the handling of projects in the kingdom.
Nesma was one of the firms that the PIF acquired shares in, along with AlBawani Holding Company, Almabani General Contractors Company and El-Seif Engineering Contracting Company.
The PIF said the investment will allow the firms to scale up their capacity, adopt advanced technologies and improve local supply chains.
At a time when many contractors in the region are still struggling with financial issues, these companies will now be well placed to play a leading role in the rapidly growing Saudi market. As major contract awards are secured over the next year, these firms will likely also be leading the ranking in 2024.
Top 10 GCC contractors by country
MEED's April 2023 special report on Saudi Arabia includes:
> ECONOMY: Riyadh steps up the Vision 2030 tempo
> CONSTRUCTION: Saudi construction project ramp-up accelerates
> UPSTREAM: Aramco slated to escalate upstream spending
> DOWNSTREAM: Petchems ambitions define Saudi downstream
> POWER: Saudi Arabia reinvigorates power sector
> WATER: Saudi water begins next growth phase
> BANKING: Saudi banks bid to keep ahead of the pack
Register for MEED's guest program now to access this article.
Exclusive from Meed
-
Consultant wins Jeddah metro design22 May 2026
-
-
-
Eni makes oil and gas discovery in Egypt22 May 2026
-
All of this is only 1% of what MEED.com has to offer
Subscribe now and unlock all the 153,671 articles on MEED.com
- All the latest news, data, and market intelligence across MENA at your fingerprints
- First-hand updates and inside information on projects, clients and competitors that matter to you
- 20 years' archive of information, data, and news for you to access at your convenience
- Strategize to succeed and minimise risks with timely analysis of current and future market trends
Related Articles
-
Consultant wins Jeddah metro design
22 May 2026
French engineering firm Egis has been appointed to undertake the preliminary design consultancy for the Jeddah Metro Blue Line project.
The project client, Jeddah Development Authority, issued the tender in early January, when MEED exclusively reported that Saudi Arabia had restarted plans to build the Jeddah Metro.
Engineering consulting firms submitted bids in April, as MEED reported.
The Blue Line will run from King Abdulaziz International airport and connect to the Haramain high-speed railway station.
The line will be 35 kilometres (km) long and will include 15 stations.
Project history
Plans for the Jeddah Metro were first publicly floated in the early 2010s and were formally packaged into a wider Jeddah public transport programme around 2013-14.
In 2014, French engineering firm Systra was appointed to complete preliminary engineering for the Jeddah Metro, as MEED reported at the time.
In the same year, US-based engineering firm Aecom was awarded a SR276m ($74m) contract to provide pre-programme management consultancy services.
Under its 18-month contract, Aecom was expected to provide staff to support preliminary planning and design work for various phases of the metro project.
This was followed by the appointment of UK-based architectural firm Foster + Partners in 2015 to design the metro stations.
The project then stalled as government spending priorities were reset and major capital programmes were reviewed following the fall in oil prices in 2015, with the metro’s scope, cost and delivery model coming under reassessment.
Early concept designs envisaged a multi-line network integrated with buses and, later, other city-wide mobility upgrades.
Route details
According to Jeddah Transport Company’s website, the scheme comprises 81 stations and 197 trains serving more than 161km. The network will have four lines:
- Orange Line: a 44.8km line running along Al-Madinah Road and Old Makkah Road, with 29 stops including one at Obhur Bridge
- Blue Line: a 35km line running from King Abdulaziz International airport to the Haramain high-speed railway station, with 15 stations
- Green Line: a 17km line running through the city centre, from the downtown area to the Haramain railway station, with nine stops
- Red Line: A 59.7km line running from King Abdullah Stadium north to Old Makkah Street through King Abdulaziz Road and King Abdullah Road, with 25 stops
> Be recognised among the best in the industry at the MEED Projects Awards 2026 …
https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/16949416/main.jpg -
Egypt signs gas deal with QatarEnergy and Exxon Mobil
22 May 2026
Egypt’s Ministry of Petroleum & Mineral Resources has signed a preliminary gas agreement with state-owned QatarEnergy and US-based Exxon Mobil.
The memorandum of understanding (MoU) focuses on cooperation in the development of natural gas discoveries in Cyprus.
The plan involves transporting gas from offshore discoveries in Cypriot waters to Egypt via pipelines.
In a statement, Egypt’s Ministry of Petroleum & Mineral Resources said that the deal would strengthen the North African country’s status as a regional hub for natural gas trading.
The agreement was witnessed by Egypt’s Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouli.
It was signed by Muhammad Al-Bajouri, from the legal affairs department of the Ministry of Petroleum & Minerals, and Kanan Nariman, vice-president for the development of liquefied natural gas (LNG) at Exxon Mobil.
It was also signed by Ali Immunae, director of international exploration and production at QatarEnergy.
Commenting on the MoU signing, Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, the minister of state for energy affairs, and president and chief executive of QatarEnergy, said: “This MoU represents an important step in advancing regional energy cooperation across the Eastern Mediterranean through unlocking the long-term commercial potential of natural gas resources across that region.”
Egypt’s Ministry of Petroleum & Mineral Resources said the agreement paved the way for QatarEnergy and Exxon to take advantage of existing Egyptian infrastructure in the gas sector, especially the country’s existing LNG export terminals.
Under the terms of the agreement, a study will be conducted to analyse the feasibility of linking the gas discoveries in Cyprus to Egypt’s gas facilities.
The signatories will also establish a commercial framework aimed at achieving “the maximum possible benefit from natural gas resources in both Egypt and Cyprus”.
Egypt’s Minister of Oil and Gas Karim Badawi said the ministry has been working with ExxonMobil to explore cooperation on the development of gas discoveries in Cyprus.
He said the partnership with Egypt would help QatarEnergy and Exxon reduce the cost of developing the discoveries while allowing Egypt to achieve an economic return.
READ THE MAY 2026 MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – click here to view PDFGlobal energy sector forced to recalibrate; Conflict hits debt issuance and listings activity; UAE’s non-oil sector faces unclear recovery period amid disruption.
Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the May 2026 edition of MEED Business Review includes:
> REGIONAL LNG: War undermines business case for Middle East LNG> CAPITAL MARKETS: Damage avoidance frames debt issuance> MARKET FOCUS: Conflict tests UAE diversificationTo see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click herehttps://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/16944918/main.jpg -
Kuwait’s Heisco working on active projects worth $3.5bn
22 May 2026
Kuwait’s Heavy Engineering Industries & Shipbuilding Company (Heisco) is in a strong position to weather challenges in the country’s project market, with active projects worth $3.5bn, according to documents seen by MEED.
The company also has active maintenance and service contracts that are worth $843m.
Heisco’s projects span the oil, gas, power, water, construction, transport and industrial sectors.
The company’s biggest active project contract is the $576m project to upgrade Kuwait’s Doha West power station.
This contract was awarded to Heisco by Kuwait’s Ministry of Electricity, Water & Renewable Energy (MEW) in July 2024.
The company’s second-biggest active project is focused on the construction of crude oil pipelines and associated works in North Kuwait.
This $565m contract was awarded to Heisco by Kuwait’s state-owned upstream operator Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) in February this year.
Other major project contracts include a $442m MEW contract for the rehabilitation of the Az-Zour South power and water distillation station and a $223m KOC contract for the construction of flowlines and associated works in the West Kuwait Area.
Heisco’s biggest active maintenance contract is worth $295m and is focused on providing mechanical maintenance services at Kuwait’s Mina Abdullah Refinery.
This contract was awarded by the state-owned downstream operator Kuwait National Petroleum Company (KNPC) in July 2023 and it officially started in September that year.
The contract is currently due to conclude in November 2028.
Heisco’s second-biggest active maintenance contract is worth $95m and was awarded by Wafra Joint Operations (WJO) for work in the Divided Zone, which is shared by Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.
WJO’s onshore operations cover an area of about 5,000 square kilometres in the Divided Zone.
Saudi Arabian Chevron and Kuwait Gulf Oil Company are equal shareholders in WJO.
Six major fields have been discovered in the WJO area to date: Wafra, South Fuwaris, South Umm-Gudair, Humma, Arq and North Wafra.
Heisco’s Wafra maintenance contract was awarded in October last year and officially started in November the same year.
The contract is expected to conclude in May 2031 and its scope is focused on the maintenance of tanks and vessels as well as the provision of welding services.
Market headwinds
Kuwait’s oil and gas sector has been severely impacted by the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, through which all of its crude exports are normally shipped.
The country recorded zero crude oil exports in April for the first time since the end of the Gulf War in 1991, according to shipping monitor TankerTrackers.com.
While the closure of the Strait of Hormuz is expected to have a significant impact on Kuwait’s project sector for some time, Heisco’s strong project pipeline is likely to help it weather the challenging economic environment.
READ THE MAY 2026 MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – click here to view PDFGlobal energy sector forced to recalibrate; Conflict hits debt issuance and listings activity; UAE’s non-oil sector faces unclear recovery period amid disruption.
Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the May 2026 edition of MEED Business Review includes:
> REGIONAL LNG: War undermines business case for Middle East LNG> CAPITAL MARKETS: Damage avoidance frames debt issuance> MARKET FOCUS: Conflict tests UAE diversificationTo see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click herehttps://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/16792105/main.png -
Eni makes oil and gas discovery in Egypt
22 May 2026
A joint venture of Italy’s Eni and state-owned Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation (EGPC) has made a major oil and gas discovery in Egypt’s Western Desert region.
The partnership, known as Agiba Petroleum Company, made the discovery with an exploratory well drilled in the Bustan South block.
Initial estimates indicate the presence of approximately 330 billion cubic feet of gas and 10 million barrels of condensate and crude oil.
Together, this is a total of 70 million barrels of oil equivalent (boe), making the discovery Agiba Petroleum Company’s biggest in 15 years.
The new discovery is located only 10 kilometres from existing facilities and infrastructure, which should enable rapid development and connection to production.
The well revealed several sandstone and limestone reservoirs, according to a statement from Egypt’s Ministry of Petroleum & Mineral Resources.
The ministry said: “This new discovery reflects the success of the Ministry of Petroleum & Mineral Resources’ efforts and the incentives it offered to partners to intensify exploration activities in areas adjacent to existing fields.
“This facilitates new discoveries near existing infrastructure and production facilities without the need for new infrastructure development.
“This contributes to reducing the cost of producing a barrel, accelerating the integration of discoveries into the production map, and encouraging partners to implement the latest data collection and analysis technologies to increase the chances of successful exploration.”
Egypt is seeing increased interest in its oil and gas resources due to disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, which have significantly reduced oil and gas exports from the GCC and Iraq.
READ THE MAY 2026 MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – click here to view PDFGlobal energy sector forced to recalibrate; Conflict hits debt issuance and listings activity; UAE’s non-oil sector faces unclear recovery period amid disruption.
Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the May 2026 edition of MEED Business Review includes:
> REGIONAL LNG: War undermines business case for Middle East LNG> CAPITAL MARKETS: Damage avoidance frames debt issuance> MARKET FOCUS: Conflict tests UAE diversificationTo see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click herehttps://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/16944815/main.jpg -
King Salman airport selects three contractors for apron ECI
21 May 2026
Saudi Arabia’s King Salman International Airport Development Company (KSIADC) has selected three groups to deliver the Terminal 6 apron, taxiways and other airfield infrastructure at King Salman International airport (KSIA) in Riyadh.
KSIADC, which is backed by Saudi sovereign wealth vehicle the Public Investment Fund, will initially deliver the project on an early contractor involvement (ECI) basis.
The selected groups are:
- Nesma & Partners / Limak / Samsung C&T / Alayuni Investment & Contracting (local/Turkiye/South Korea/local)
- Shibh Al-Jazira Contracting Company / Top International Engineering Corporation (local/China)
- Al-Rashid Trading & Contracting Company / IC Ictas (local/Turkiye)
The ECI process requires selected contractors to submit methodologies for the project and a design proposal. One team will then be selected for the construction.
MEED understands that the total package could be worth upto $800m.
In March, MEED exclusively reported that KSIADC had selected three groups for the construction of Terminal 6 at KSIA in Riyadh.
In November last year, MEED exclusively reported that KSIADC was targeting mid-2026 to award the contract for the construction of Terminal 6.
MEED reported in May 2025 that US firm Bechtel Corporation had been appointed as the delivery partner for the terminals at KSIA.
According to local media reports, KSIADC’s acting CEO, Marco Mejia, said the project developer had completed the project’s masterplan.
The reports added that Terminal 6 will boost the airport’s capacity by 40 million passengers.
The project is expected to be delivered before the start of Expo 2030 Riyadh.
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 pushTo see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click herehttps://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/16937556/main.jpg