Read the July 2024 MEED Business Review
28 June 2024
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The GCC aims to position itself as a global frontrunner in the data-driven artificial intelligence (AI) era.
There are clear examples of AI becoming a key part of government policy and significant investments are being made as the GCC takes advantage of abundant, cheap energy and capital vigour.
Traditional businesses in the Gulf are seizing AI’s potential, too. In March 2024, for example, Saudi Aramco introduced Aramco Metabrain, a generative AI model trained on data accumulated over the past 90 years. The private sector, meanwhile, also recognises AI's benefits.
With AI promising to be a $1tn market by 2030, MEED takes an in-depth look at the GCC's proactive stance in our latest issue of MEED Business Review. Read why investment, combined with forward-thinking government policy, will allow the GCC to make a statement with AI here.
This month's exclusive 20-page market report highlights the Levant, where Jordan, Lebanon and Syria are contending with challenges amid heightened geopolitical tensions.
MEED's latest issue is packed with insight and analysis. The team examines how the Gaza conflict is testing diplomatic ties between the UAE and Israel; assesses the ways in which the GCC is striving to boost foreign investment in real estate; looks at how healthy financials are driving business growth for Adnoc Drilling; and discovers that good preparation and planning are key to successfully delivering Saudi Arabia's pipeline of mega-events.
This month's issue also features coverage of MEED's 2024 Saudi Giga Projects Summit, which showcased the schemes that are driving the kingdom's ambitious Vision 2030 economic diversification strategy.
The July issue also includes an interview with Pierre Santoni, president of Europe, Middle East and Africa for Parsons Corporation, in which he discusses how ongoing infrastructure investment in the region continues to offer strong growth opportunities for the construction industry.
We hope our valued subscribers enjoy the July 2024 issue of MEED Business Review.

Must-read sections in the July 2024 issue of MEED Business Review include:
> AGENDA: Region plays high-stakes AI game; Data centres meet upbeat growth
> CURRENT AFFAIRS: Gaza conflict tests UAE–Israel ties
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INDUSTRY REPORT: |
> OIL & GAS: Healthy financials drive Adnoc Drilling business growth
> INTERVIEW: Ambitious projects rebrand engineering
> LEADERSHIP: Delivering Saudi Arabia’s pipeline of mega-events
> LEVANT MARKET REPORT:
JORDAN
> COMMENT: Jordan manages to maintain its balance
> GOVERNMENT: Jordan policymakers walk tightrope
> OIL & GAS: Jordan refinery project delay is major setback
> POWER & WATER: Jordan's utility sector buckles up
> CONSTRUCTION: Modernisation drives Jordan construction
LEBANON
> COMMENT: Lebanon’s economic fate is in limbo
> GOVERNMENT: Lebanon marks two years without government
> ECONOMY: Lebanon economic recovery postponed
SYRIA
> COMMENT: Syria’s reconstruction agenda stalls
> GOVERNMENT: Gaza conflict reignites violence in Syria
> ECONOMY: Regional diplomacy fails Syrian economy
> MEED COMMENTS:
> Kuwait sends a signal with refinery ceremony
> SLB’s Libyan crisis clouds outlook for oil sector
> Silicon plant boosts UAE industrial and net zero plans
> No time to lose in getting AI right
> GULF PROJECTS INDEX: Gulf projects market continues climb
> APRIL 2024 CONTRACTS: Contract awards value bounces back in May
> MARKET SNAPSHOT: Mena oil and gas industry trends
> OPINION: Italy at centre of new reduced Europe
> BUSINESS OUTLOOK: Finance, oil and gas, construction, power and water contracts
Exclusive from Meed
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Arada awards $408m W Residences Dubai Harbour contract23 February 2026
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Seven companies show interest in $3.3bn Kuwait gas project23 February 2026
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Egypt tenders 500MW solar IPP19 February 2026
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Local contractor wins $143m Jeddah sewage contracts19 February 2026
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Saudi Arabia prequalifies firms for gas transmission grids19 February 2026
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Related Articles
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Arada awards $408m W Residences Dubai Harbour contract23 February 2026
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Sharjah-based real estate developer Arada has awarded a AED1.5bn ($408m) contract for the main construction works on its W Residences project at Dubai Harbour.
The contract was awarded to the local Engineering Contracting Company.
The development comprises 490 branded residences across three towers.
The project's enabling works, including excavation and piling, have begun and are being carried out by another local firm, APCC Piling & Marine Contracting.
Arada has awarded APCC a separate AED51m ($14m) contract to undertake the enabling works.
The development will consist of residential, retail and leisure facilities and will be operated by US-based Marriott International.
Arada launched the project in October 2024, as MEED reported.
The latest contract award follows Arada's award of two contracts, worth AED2.7bn ($735m), for construction work on all four phases of the Masaar 2 residential community in the Rowdat district of Sharjah.
Arada awarded Sharjah-based Intermass Contracting a contract for the construction of phases one, three and four.
Abu Dhabi-based contractor Pivot Engineering & General Contracting won a contract to build the second phase of the project.
The overall scheme encompasses the construction of 1,997 residential units across all four phases.
Construction is expected to begin shortly, and the project is slated for completion by 2028.
Arada is the developer behind three masterplanned residential communities in Sharjah. The Aljada, Masaar and Nasma Residences communities are valued at a combined AED33bn.
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Seven companies show interest in $3.3bn Kuwait gas project23 February 2026

At least seven companies have shown interest in participating in the planned tender for a Kuwait Gulf Oil Company (KGOC) project to develop an onshore gas plant, 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.
Previous meetings with contractors took place at the offices of Technip Energies in Abu Dhabi.
Contractors that have sent representatives to the meetings include:
- Samsung E&A (South Korea)
- Larsen & Toubro (India)
- Tecnicas Reunidas (Spain)
- Saipem (Italy)
- Hyundai Engineering & Construction (South Korea)
- Hyundai Engineering Company (South Korea)
- JGC (Japan)
At the last meeting, contractors were told that the invitation to bid is currently scheduled to be issued at the end of March.
It was also confirmed that Kuwait’s Central Agency for Public Tenders (Capt) will not be involved in the tender process.
Capt is supposed to review technical and commercial evaluations of bids and verify that bidding is competitive.
It is understood that not requiring Capt to approve this tender will speed up the tender process.
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.
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.
The facility will be developed next to Kuwait’s Al-Zour refinery.
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Egypt tenders 500MW solar IPP19 February 2026
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Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company (EETC) has issued a request for qualifications for a 500MW solar photovoltaic (PV) independent power producer project in Egypt’s West of Nile area.
The bid submission deadline is 11 May.
The project is being supported by the European Bank for Reconstruction & Development and will be developed under a build-own-operate model.
Developers will be responsible for designing, financing, constructing, owning and operating the plant, with EETC acting as the offtaker for generated electricity.
US/India-based Synergy Consulting is acting as lead, financial and commercial advisor for this transaction.
The project forms part of Egypt’s strategy to strengthen long-term electricity supply and increase renewable generation capacity.
Egypt is targeting 42% renewable energy in its power mix by 2030. The country aims to raise this share to 65% by 2040.
EETC previously had plans to build a 200MW solar plant in a west Nile area but cancelled the tender for the project in 2020.
Egypt's power sector had its strongest year in over a decade last year, accounting for $4.2bn of total contract awards.
Despite dipping from the previous year, solar accounted for about $1bn of total awards.
In November, a consortium of local firms Hassan Allam Utilities and Infinity Power won contracts to develop two solar PV projects with a combined capacity of 1,200MW, supported by 720 megawatt-hours (MWh) of battery storage.
The UAE’s Amea Power and Japan’s Kyuden International Corporation also recently reached financial close on a $700m project comprising a 1,000MW solar plant and 600MWh battery system in Aswan.
The scheme is backed by a $570m debt package led by the International Finance Corporation and is expected to become Africa’s largest single-asset solar and storage facility when it enters operation later this year.
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Local contractor wins $143m Jeddah sewage contracts19 February 2026
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Saudi Arabia’s National Water Company (NWC) has awarded two sewage network contracts worth a combined SR536.3m ($143m) to local contractor Civil Works Company.
The projects will be implemented over 32 months from site handover and will serve northern Jeddah districts.
The first contract, valued at SR278.5m ($74.3m), covers incomplete main lines and secondary sewage networks serving parts of the Al-Bashair, Al-Asala and Al-Falah neighbourhoods.
The scope includes pipelines ranging from 200mm to 800mm in diameter with a total length of about 54.8 kilometres (km).
The package also includes sewage tunnels with diameters ranging from 600mm to 1,800mm and a total length of approximately 6.5km. Works will also serve the Taybah, Abhar Al-Shamaliyah and Al-Hamdaniyah districts.
The second contract is valued at SR257.8m ($68.8m). It covers the implementation of main lines and sub-networks to serve part of the Al-Hamdaniya neighbourhood.
The works include pipelines ranging from 200mm to 1,500mm in diameter with a total length of about 78.5km. The scope also includes horizontal drilling works for sewage tunnels with diameters from 1,200mm to 1,400mm and a total length of approximately 205 metres.
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Saudi Arabia prequalifies firms for gas transmission grids19 February 2026
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Saudi Arabia's Energy Ministry has prequalified companies to develop natural gas distribution networks in five industrial cities in the kingdom on a build-own-operate (BOO) basis.
The industrial zones earmarked are Al-Kharj Industrial City; Sudair City for Industry and Business; and the First, Second and Third Industrial Cities in Jeddah, the Energy Ministry said in a statement.
The contractors prequalified to bid for the natural gas transmission grids BOO scheme include eight standalone firms and seven consortiums:
- East Gas (Egypt)
- Natural Gas Distribution Company (Saudi Arabia)
- Egyptian Kuwaiti Advanced Operation and Maintenance (Saudi Arabia)
- Modern Gas (Egypt)
- Saab Energy Solutions (Saudi Arabia)
- Sergas Contracting (Saudi Arabia)
- Bharat Petroleum Corporation (India)
- UniGas Arabia (Saudi Arabia)
- Best Gas Carrier / Khazeen / Mubadra (Saudi Arabia)
- Al Sharif Contracting (Saudi Arabia) / Anton Oilfield Services Group (China) China Oil and Gas Group
- Hulul (owned by Saudi Arabia’s National Gas and Industrialization Company) /Al-Fanar Gas Group (UAE)
- Indraprastha Gas (India) / Masah Contracting (Saudi Arabia)
- Expertise Contracting / PGL Pipelines (UK)
- National Gas Company (Egypt) / Egypt Gas (Egypt)
- Taqa Arabia (Egypt) / Taqa Group (UAE)
The Energy Ministry has set a deadline of 23 April for these prequalified contractors to submit technical bids.
The ministry added in its statement that it has identified a total of 36 industrial cities in Saudi Arabia for gas infrastructure development.
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