meed-logo

line1 line2 line3
SIGN IN / REGISTER

Read the April 2024 MEED Business Review

2 April 2024

Download / Subscribe / Guest programme

The Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region is facing a massive infrastructure gap that will require an estimated $2tn-$2.5tn in investment by 2050.

In the latest issue of MEED Business Review, we discover how investment, technology and governance must all come together if governments are to successfully address this shortfall.

We also look at the important role that sustainable construction practices will play as the region strives to tackle the infrastructure deficit, potentially cutting emissions from planned projects in the Gulf by as much as 60%. 

Meanwhile, this month's exclusive 18-page market report highlights Saudi Arabia, which is maintaining a laser focus on its Vision 2030 economic diversification strategy as it gears up for the delivery of its gigaprojects. Regional tensions such as the war in Gaza and the escalating conflict in the Red Sea are not distracting Riyadh from its upstream and downstream oil and gas projects, power and water sector spending and transport infrastructure development.

MEED's latest issue is also packed with insight and analysis. The team examines Egypt's plans for the $54bn of
financial assistance that Cairo has recently secured; considers the impact that Iran's $20bn project to boost production from the offshore South Pars gas field will have on the country’s energy security; and reveals the details of the new Vision 2030 strategy announced for the UAE's northern emirate of Ajman, which will guide the development of its projects for the rest of
this decade.

In this month's industry report on tourism, we see that tourist arrivals are on the rise in the GCC, with Dubai attracting 17.15 million international overnight visitors in 2023. A strong post-Covid recovery is under way in the travel sector across the region, and Saudi Arabia's efforts to boost its appeal as a tourism destination are reaping rewards: the kingdom welcomed more than 100 million visitors last year, achieving its 2030 goal seven years early. To support and build on this success, there is a pipeline of $54bn-worth of new hotel and resort projects planned for the Mena region and due for delivery by 2030.

The April issue also includes an interview with Ibrahim Waili of the Oman National Spatial Strategy, in which he discusses the sultanate's plans to build a year-round global mountain destination on Jebel Al Akhdar in the Hajar Mountains. We also talk to John van der Velden of Linde Engineering about the regional oil and gas sector’s increasing reliance on new technologies.

We hope our valued subscribers enjoy the April 2024 issue of MEED Business Review. 

 

Must-read sections in the April 2024 issue of MEED Business Review include:

> AGENDA: Bridging the infrastructure capacity gap; Cutting Gulf construction emissions

> CURRENT AFFAIRS: ​Cairo secures a cumulative $54bn in financing; The stakes are high for Iran’s planned gas projects 

INDUSTRY REPORT:
Regional travel and tourism trends 
> GCC becomes a top tourist destination

> Region heads for hotel boom

> INTERVIEWS: Oman plans year-round global mountain destination; Process technology adoption is poised for growth

> AJMAN 2030: Ajman launches 2030 vision

> INSIGHT: Pressure builds for region's green hydrogen projects; Red Sea crisis raises Saudi construction costs

> LEADERSHIP: Region must rethink talent acquisition

> SAUDI ARABIA MARKET REPORT:

> Riyadh maintains Vision 2030 focus
> Saudi Arabia seeks diversification amid regional tensions
> Saudi lenders gear up for corporate growth
> Aramco spending drawdown to jolt oil projects
> Master Gas System spending stimulates Saudi downstream sector
> Riyadh to sustain power spending
> Growth inevitable for the Saudi water sector
> Saudi gigaprojects propel construction sector
> Saudi Arabia’s transport sector offers prospects

> MEED COMMENTS: 
> Dubai reshuffles real estate when market is buoyant
> Red Sea crisis makes case for Saudi Landbridge
> Oman gives renewables a serious shot
> Saudi Arabia pivots to ESG-friendly tech

> GULF PROJECTS INDEX: UAE and Qatar drive projects growth

> FEBRUARY 2024 CONTRACTS: Region sees drop in project awards in February

> MARKET SNAPSHOT: Top airport projects

> OPINION: New shock treatment for Egypt’s economy

> BUSINESS OUTLOOK: Finance, oil and gas, construction, power and water contracts

To see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click here
https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/11640163/main.gif
MEED Editorial

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

Click here to register
Exclusive from Meed
Related Articles
  • Chinese firm wins Qiddiya Janadriyah cultural district hotels

    30 June 2026

     

    Beijing-headquartered China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC) has won a contract to deliver the Janadriyah cultural district at Qiddiya entertainment city on the outskirts of Riyadh.

    The contract was awarded by gigaproject developer Qiddiya Investment Company (QIC).

    The scope covers the construction of six structures, including a heritage building, a gateway hotel, a wadi hotel, a creative hub, a community centre and an open-air market.

    QIC tendered the contract in December last year, as MEED exclusively reported.

    The award is CSCEC’s second major win at Qiddiya in recent weeks.

    Earlier this week, MEED exclusively reported that QIC had awarded CSCEC a contract to build a new transport hub at Qiddiya entertainment city.

    The project is located within the resort core zone of the development.

    MEED understands the scope includes construction of a parking structure for up to 2,000 vehicles; a transport hub comprising a passenger flow system and ticketing and transit-related facilities; retail, food and beverage and hospitality facilities; mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) systems; and soft and hard landscaping works.

    QIC is accelerating plans to develop additional assets at Qiddiya City.

    Last week, MEED reported that QIC had invited contractors to prequalify for a contract to build an indoor sports arena within its Qiddiya entertainment city project.

    The multipurpose arena is designed to International Olympic Committee standards.

    It will be located in District 18, in the Uptown South area of Qiddiya.

    Once completed, the indoor arena will be capable of hosting a wide range of sports, cultural and entertainment events.

    The arena will feature numerous sports courts for basketball, handball, futsal, volleyball, tennis, boxing and gymnastics.

    It will have a seating capacity of 18,000 spectators.

    QIC’s other major projects include an e-sports arena, the National Tennis Centre, Prince Mohammed Bin Salman Stadium, a motorsports track, a racecourse, the Dragon Ball and Six Flags theme parks, and Aquarabia.

    QIC opened the Six Flags theme park to the public in December last year.

    The park covers 320,000 square metres and features 28 rides and attractions, including 10 thrill rides and 18 aimed at families and young children.

    The Qiddiya project is a key part of Riyadh’s strategy to boost leisure tourism in the kingdom.

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/17489285/main.jpg
    Yasir Iqbal
  • Aldar launches Yas Island community park project

    30 June 2026

    Abu Dhabi-based real estate developer Aldar, in partnership with the Abu Dhabi Department of Community Development (DCD), has announced the launch of Yas Community Park on Yas Island.

    A key feature of the park is Nabdh Yas, a community hub developed in collaboration with DCD.

    Once open, Nabdh Yas will serve as a central gathering space and host a range of community-led programmes.

    In a statement, Aldar said: “Nabdh Yas will be delivered on a public-private partnership (PPP) basis, marking the first time private sector investment has been directed towards this type of community infrastructure.

    “With DCD overseeing the hub’s development and long-term management, the initiative reflects Abu Dhabi’s focus on innovative approaches that generate lasting social value and enhance community wellbeing,” the statement added.

    A memorandum of understanding was signed between Aldar and DCD.

    The agreement establishes a framework to expand the Nabdh Community Hub model across Aldar developments in Abu Dhabi, Al-Ain and Al-Dhafra.

    Last month, Aldar announced its Q1 financial results, reporting a 20% year-on-year increase in net profit after tax to AED2.3bn ($626m).

    Aldar Development recorded a 14% year-on-year rise in revenue to $1.7bn, while earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (Ebitda) increased 23% to $599m.

    UAE revenue backlog rose to $17bn at the end of March from $16.6bn at the end of December, with an average duration of 29 months.

    The group attributed its performance to revenue from its development backlog and steady income from its investment properties.

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/17489270/main.jpeg
    Yasir Iqbal
  • Dubai sets August deadline for Airport Express metro bids

    30 June 2026

     

    Dubai’s Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) has given consultants until 10 August to submit proposals for a contract to study and design the Airport Express Line, which will extend from Dubai International airport (DXB) in the Al-Garhoud area to Al-Maktoum International Airport (DWC) in the Jebel Ali area.

    The previous deadline was 8 July.

    The proposed line will stretch about 55 kilometres and include five stations, providing passengers with facilities such as remote airline check-in, baggage drop-off and security screening.

    The RTA issued the tender in April, with an initial deadline of June, as MEED reported.

    The new line will run from the Red Line metro station at DXB through Al Jaddaf, along Al-Khail Road to a new station at Jumeirah Village Circle (JVC), before continuing to DWC.

    There will be two spur lines. The first will run from the new JVC station to Al-Fardan Exchange metro station at Emirates Golf Club, while the second will branch towards Business Bay, where another station will be built.

    The new line appears to follow a similar route to the Etihad Rail high-speed railway project, which is under construction and due to be completed by 2030.

    The Airport Express Line scheme is the latest metro project to be tendered by the RTA this year. Earlier this month, MEED exclusively reported that the RTA had issued the request for qualification notice for a contract to build the new Gold Line, as part of its expansion of the Dubai Metro network.

    Tendering activity is also ongoing for the Route 2020 extension, which will start from the Expo 2020 metro station and connect to DWC’s West Terminal.

    MEED exclusively reported in April that consultants had submitted bids for the project.

    The extension to the line will run for about 3km and will feature two stations.

    The existing Route 2020 metro link is a 15km-long line that branches off the Red Line at Jebel Ali metro station. The line comprises 11.8km of elevated tracks and 3.2km of tunnels, and has five elevated stations and two underground stations.

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/17489266/main.jpg
    Yasir Iqbal
  • Eni increases gas production in Libya

    30 June 2026

    The Italian oil and gas company Eni has announced the startup of offshore gas production enabled by the Sabratha compression project in Libya.

    The client on the project was Mellitah Oil & Gas (MOG), a joint venture of Eni and Libya’s state-owned National Oil Corporation (NOC).

    The Sabratha compression project was designed to increase gas output from the Bahr Essalam gas field, located approximately 100 kilometres off Libya’s coast.

    The scope of the project included the installation of a new 1,600-tonne compression module on the Sabratha platform, equipped with new compression trains, providing an overall compression capacity of about 440 million cubic feet a day.

    In a statement, Eni said: “The new module enables production under low-pressure conditions, offsetting the natural decline of the Bahr Essalam field and maximising gas recovery, ensuring increased volumes of gas of about 800 million cubic metres per year and associated condensate.

    “This additional production will play a critical role in sustaining national power generation, reinforcing Libya’s energy security, and supporting export to Italy via the Greenstream pipeline.”

    The company also said that the project strengthened the resilience of Libya’s gas infrastructure and represented “a tangible contribution to the stability and growth of the country’s energy sector”.

    MOG also has two other projects in Libya that are currently under execution.

    The first is the Bouri gas utilisation project, whose tie-in and commissioning activities are under way following the recent installation of the Bouri gas recovery module.

    The other project, known as ‘Structures A&E’, will develop two offshore gas fields.

    Eni has been present in Libya since 1959 and last year had average equity production in the country of approximately 162,000 barrels of oil equivalent a day.

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/17489032/main3444.jpg
    Wil Crisp
  • Jordan faces fresh round of challenges

    29 June 2026

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/17479483/main.gif
    MEED Editorial