meed-logo

line1 line2 line3
SIGN IN / REGISTER

Region records record monthly contract awards

22 November 2023

 

In October, the Middle East and North Africa recorded the largest-ever monthly value of contract awards since MEED began analysing regional contract awards in January 2014.

The $37bn of deals signed were driven by multibillion-dollar awards by regional heavyweights Saudi Arabia and the UAE, and followed on from the $25bn of awards in September – the second-largest monthly awards value so far in 2023.

UAE

The UAE recorded $21bn of deals signed, spurred by two contract awards by Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc) worth a total of $16.9bn in the gas sector. The engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contracts were awarded for work on the Hail and Ghasha offshore sour gas field development project. 

An $8.2bn deal was signed with a consortium of Abu Dhabi’s NMDC Energy, formerly National Petroleum Construction Company, and Italian contractor Saipem for the offshore EPC package. The scope of work broadly involves EPC of offshore facilities, including facilities on artificial islands and subsea pipelines.

Meanwhile, Italy-headquartered Tecnimont was awarded the $8.7bn onshore EPC contract. This involves the EPC of onshore facilities including carbon dioxide (CO2) and sulphur recovery and handling.

Other sectors are also poised for project activity in the coming years. MEED reports that the prospects for the rest of this year are promising for the UAE’s construction sector, with nearly $8bn of contracts at the bid evaluation stage and another $2bn at the main contract bid and prequalification stages. 

The UAE’s aviation sector is also set for growth, with plans being considered to restart the AED120bn ($33bn) expansion of Dubai’s Al-Maktoum International airport.

An expansion of Sharjah International airport is planned to increase its capacity from eight to 20 million passengers a year. Sharjah Civil Aviation Authority is expected to award the estimated AED2.5bn main construction works package by the end of this year.

Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia awarded the second-largest value of deals in October, with $13bn of awards. Saudi Power Procurement Company (SPPC) signed four deals, each worth $1.56bn, for the Qassim and Taiba independent power producer (IPP) projects. 

China’s Sepco 3 will undertake the EPC contract for the 1,800MW Qassim 1 IPP and 1,800MW Taiba 1 IPP projects. The firm partnered with a team of Saudi Electricity Company (SEC) and Acwa Power, which won the contracts to develop the two IPP contracts.

A team comprising the local Al-Jomaih Energy & Water, France’s EDF and the local Buhur for Investment won the contract to develop the 1,800MW Taiba 2 IPP and 1,800MW Qassim 2 IPP schemes.

Each project will be developed on a build-own-operate (BOO) basis and will be 100 per cent owned by the successful bidders.

Download the Middle East contracts awarded for October 2023

It is also confirmed that the kingdom is the sole bidder to host football’s 2034 World Cup, which will give the projects market a long-term pipeline of work. 

In addition, more firms have approached Jeddah Economic Company to take part in the tender for the contract to complete the world’s tallest tower, the 1,000-metre-plus-tall Jeddah Tower project in Saudi Arabia.

Egypt

In October, Egypt recorded $776m of deals signed, the biggest being a $640m contract awarded by the National Authority for Tunnels (NAT) to the local Orascom Construction for the civil works for the Cairo Metro line four package CP402.  

Kuwait

Kuwait awarded $714m of deals in October, led by a $540m contract awarded by Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) for constructing crude debottlenecking facilities for the SGC Metering 2 project for East Kuwait area two. 

Meanwhile, MEED reports that Kuwait’s Central Agency for Public Tenders (Capt) is preparing to tender five projects for KOC, which could have a total value of $3.5bn, according to industry sources.

Oman

Oman recorded $513m of deals signed in October, with the largest a $310m contract let by the Ministry of Culture, Sports & Youth to a joint venture of the local Saif Salim Issa al-Harrasi and Turkish Sembol Construction for the design-and-build of its cultural complex. The complex comprises three buildings located next to the Ministry of Labour to the south of the Sultan Qaboos Highway and opposite the Muscat International airport development.

Iraq

Iraq awarded $494m of contracts in October, with the biggest a $448m deal signed by the Ministry of Energy with the local Socar for the second phase of the 750MW Nassiriyah gas-fired power plant.

Meanwhile, MEED reports that the procurement process is understood to be under way for projects to convert solid waste to energy in Baghdad. According to local media reports, some 42 companies have expressed an interest or have been prequalified to bid for the contracts.

Related reads:
Qatar

Qatar recorded two awards worth a total of $154m in October, both let by the Public Works Authority (Ashghal) to the local Generic Engineering Technologies & Contracting for work at the Lusail Formula 1 and MotoGP race circuit.

Several companies are preparing to bid for the contract to develop Qatar’s Facility E independent water and power producer (IWPP) project. General Electricity & Water Corporation (Kahramaa) expects to receive proposals for the contract by 14 December.

Bahrain

Bahrain saw $98m of deals signed in October, the biggest of which was a $60m contract awarded by the Electricity & Water Authority (EWA) to South Korea’s Taihan Electric Wire Company for cable works at the 400kV Jasra Grid substation. 

Tunisia

Tunisia awarded $97m of deals in October. The largest was a $72m contract that Tunisia National Water Distribution Utility (Sonede) awarded to India’s Wabag for the Bejaoua water treatment plant.

Tunisia is also moving ahead with green hydrogen plans, with Germany’s Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) awarding a contract for a detailed pre-feasibility study of the country’s green hydrogen and derivatives initiative. 

Jordan

Jordan rounds off the list of countries to record contract awards in October, with $64m of deals signed. The biggest was a $40m contract signed by the Jordan Valley Authority and the Ministry of Water & Irrigation to expand pumped capacity from the King Abdullah Canal to the Wadi al-Arab dam.

Green hydrogen plans are also progressing in the country. MEED reports that a consortium of Ireland’s Amarenco and Switzerland-based H2 Global Energy has signed an agreement with the Ministry of Energy & Mineral Resources (MEMR) to develop a green hydrogen and ammonia production facility.

Jordan has also secured a $53m grant for the Aqaba-Amman water desalination and conveyance (AAWDC) project, the tender closing date for which has been extended to 4 December. 

For more up-to-date information on the region’s largest projects, go to MEED Projects, which tracks trillions of dollars-worth of schemes.

MEED Projects is a subscriber-only service that provides comprehensive, up-to-date and accurate project information. It monitors industry and business development opportunities through market data tailored to your needs.

Be the first to know about new projects; we provide the data so you can win the business. If you would like to see a demo of MEED Projects, or just want to find out more, register your details online or call +971 (0) 4 818 0200.

https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/11310120/main.gif
Sneha Abraham

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

Click here to register
Exclusive from Meed
Related Articles
  • 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:
    To see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click here
    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/19870032/main.jpg
    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.

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/19866218/main.jpg
    Yasir Iqbal
  • Kuwait halves drilling contractor pool

    22 September 2026

     

    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.

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/19863744/main3435.jpg
    Wil Crisp
  • Abu Dhabi expects 45% emissions cut as electricity demand rises

    21 September 2026

    Register for MEED’s 14-day trial access 

    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.

    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:
    To see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click here
    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/19849749/main.jpg
    Mark Dowdall
  • Seven bid for Bahrain highway upgrade

    21 September 2026

    Register for MEED’s 14-day trial access 

    Seven contractors have submitted bids for the next phase of the Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah Highway upgrade project.

    According to results published by the Bahrain Tender Board, the firms that have submitted bids include:

    • Nass Contracting Company
    • Haji Hassan Group
    • Almoayyed Contracting Group
    • Mohammed Abdulmohsen Al-Kharafi & Sons
    • Eastern Asphalt & Concrete Production
    • Cebarco Bahrain
    • Kingdom Asphalt

    The contract scope includes expansion works on 2 kilometres of the highway. It consists of a four-lane dual carriageway with service roads on both sides.

    The scope of works also includes excavation and backfill work, construction of stormwater drainage networks, a pumping station, installation of ducts for future utilities, upgraded street lighting, traffic signs and directional signage.

    The project aims to improve traffic capacity, reduce congestion and enhance safety along the transport corridor linking Manama with industrial zones.

    In April, MEED reported that Bahrain had approved a financing agreement framework to fund the construction of the next phase of the Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah Highway upgrade.

    In March last year, the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development and the Bahraini government signed a KD10m ($32.4m) loan agreement to fund the second phase of the project, which is expected to cost about $404m.

    This was followed in September 2025 by the appointment of US-based Parsons Corporation on a $1.5m contract to provide pre-contract engineering consultancy services for the project.

    According to data from regional project tracker MEED Projects, construction of the first phase was completed in 2020.

    A joint venture of local firm Nass Contracting and Kuwait’s KCC Engineering & Contracting undertook the main construction works.

    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:
    To see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click here
    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/19847073/main.png
    Yasir Iqbal