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• 
  Qiddiya high-speed rail bidders get more time

  13 April 2026

  

   

  Saudi Arabia’s Royal Commission for Riyadh City, in collaboration with Qiddiya Investment Company (QIC) and the National Centre for Privatisation & PPP, has set a new deadline of 30 April for firms to submit prequalification statements for the public-private partnership (PPP) package of the Qiddiya high-speed rail project in Riyadh.

  The deadline for the engineering, procurement, construction and financing (EPCF) package remains unchanged at 16 April.

  The prequalification notice was issued on 19 January.

  The clients invited interested firms to a project briefing session on 23 February at Qiddiya Entertainment City.

  The Qiddiya high-speed rail project will connect King Salman International airport and the King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD) in Riyadh with Qiddiya City.

  Also known as Q-Express, the railway line will operate at speeds of up to 250 kilometres an hour, reaching Qiddiya in 30 minutes.

  The line is expected to be developed in two phases. The first phase will connect Qiddiya with KAFD and King Khalid International airport.

  The second phase will start from a development known as the North Pole and travel to the New Murabba development, King Salman Park, central Riyadh and Industrial City in the south of Riyadh. 

  In November last year, MEED reported that more than 145 local and international companies had expressed interest in developing the project.

  These included 68 contracting companies, 23 design and project management consultants, 16 investment firms, 12 rail operators, 10 rolling stock providers and 16 other services firms.

  In November 2023, MEED reported that French consultant Egis had been appointed as the technical adviser for the project.

  UK-based consultancy Ernst & Young is acting as the transaction adviser on the project. Ashurst is the legal adviser.

  Qiddiya is one of Saudi Arabia’s five official gigaprojects and covers a total area of 376 square kilometres (sq km), with 223 sq km of developed land. 

  

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  Yasir Iqbal
• 
  Jordan sets market briefing for Amman water PPP

  10 April 2026

  Jordan’s Ministry of Investment, through its Public-Private Partnership Unit (PPPU), has announced a public information session for the South Amman non-revenue water (NRW) reduction PPP project.

  The session will be held on 15 April and is being organised in collaboration with the Ministry of Water & Irrigation and Miyahuna, according to a notice published by the PPPU. 

  The project covers the southern and southeastern areas of Amman and aims to reduce water losses and improve the efficiency of the capital’s distribution network.

  According to the ministry, the scheme will serve about 1.4 million people across 17 zones and forms part of Jordan’s wider National Water Strategy. 

  The planned market briefing is intended to provide early detail on the project’s PPP structure, procurement pathway and performance-based contracting model.

  It is also expected to outline the project’s risk allocation and bankability framework to prospective investors, operators and infrastructure companies.

  The Ministry of Investment opened prequalification for the scheme in March.

  Qualified companies and consortiums have been invited to participate in a two-stage procurement process for the performance-based contract. 

  The project aims to reduce NRW levels to 25% by 2040, while modernising and expanding the existing network using smart technologies and advanced leak detection systems. 

  The original deadline was 23 April. That has since been extended to 12 May.

  Jordan is among the most water-scarce countries in the world, and losses from distribution networks are estimated to account for about 45% of water supplied.

  The country is also advancing its $6bn Aqaba-Amman water desalination and conveyance project that aims to meet about 40% of Jordan’s municipal water demand by 2040.

  As MEED recently reported, the project is nearing financial close. Once complete, it will supply about 300 million cubic metres of potable water a year from the Red Sea to Amman and other regions.

  

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  Mark Dowdall
• 
  OQ allows more time for natural gas liquids project proposals

  10 April 2026

  

   

  Omani state energy conglomerate OQ Group has allowed contractors more time to prepare proposals for a major project to build a natural gas liquids (NGL) facility in the sultanate.

  The planned NGL facility will extract condensates in Saih Nihayda in central Oman and transport those volumes to Duqm, located along the sultanate’s Arabian Sea coastline, for fractionation and export, OQ Group has said.

  OQ Group intends to deliver the project using a front-end engineering and design (feed)-to-engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) competition model.

  The state enterprise issued the main tender for the feed-to-EPC competition “earlier in March”, setting an initial deadline of 8 April for contractors to submit proposals, MEED previously reported. The deadline has now been extended to 6 May, according to sources.

  MEED previously reported that OQ had started the prequalification process for the feed-to-EPC contest for the planned NGL project in November last year, with contractors submitting responses by 15 December.

  The following contractors, among others, are understood to have been invited to participate in the feed-to-EPC contest for OQ’s planned NGL project, sources told MEED:

  • Chiyoda (Japan) / CTCI (Taiwan)
  • G S Engineering & Construction (South Korea)
  • Hyundai Engineering & Construction (South Korea) / KBR (US)
  • JGC Corporation (Japan)
  • Kent (UAE)
  • Petrofac (UK)
  • Saipem (Italy)
  • Samsung E&A (South Korea) / Larsen & Toubro Energy Hydrocarbon (India) / Wood (UAE)
  • Technip Energies (France)
  • Tecnicas Reunidas (Spain)
  • Tecnimont (Italy)

  The scope of work on the project covers the development, verification and integration of feed deliverables for the following facilities and systems:

  • NGL extraction facility – Saih Nihayda:
    • Verification and updating of the existing feed to enable dual-mode operation (ethane recovery and ethane rejection).
    • Identification and implementation of required process, equipment, utilities, and control system modifications.
       
  • NGL Pipeline – Saih Nihayda to Duqm:
    Feed for a new approximately 230km NGL transmission pipeline, including routing, hydraulics, stations, pigging facilities, metering, corrosion protection, leak detection, and safety systems.
     
  • Fractionation unit at Duqm:
    • Feed for a new fractionation facility to process ethane and propane + NGL and recover propane, butane, condensate, and provision for future ethane recovery.
    • Design accommodating licensed or open-art technology and future tie-in to a planned petrochemical project in Duqm.
       
  • Product pipelines, storage and export facilities at Duqm jetty:
    • Feed for product pipelines, cryogenic and atmospheric storage tanks, vapour recovery systems, marine loading arms, and export facilities.
    • Integration with existing port and refinery infrastructure, where feasible.
       
  • Supporting systems and studies:
    Utilities, offsites, flare systems, safety and environmental studies, cost estimates (class 2+10%), project schedules, constructability assessments, and EPC tender documentation.

  Natural gas liquids projects

  Gulf national oil companies have been allocating significant capital expenditure to building or expanding NGL production facilities.

  QatarEnergy, in September last year, awarded the main EPC contract for its project to add a fifth NGL train at its fractionation complex in Qatar’s Mesaieed Industrial City. The aim of the project, which is estimated to be worth $2.5bn, is to build a fifth NGL train (NGL-5) with the capacity to process up to 350 million cubic feet a day of rich associated gas from QatarEnergy’s offshore and onshore oil fields.

  The main EPC contract for the QatarEnergy NGL-5 project was won by a consortium of India’s Larsen & Toubro Energy Hydrocarbons Onshore and Greece-headquartered Consolidated Contractors Group.

  Separately, the gas processing business of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc Gas) has also selected the main contractor for a project to install a fifth NGL fractionation train at its Ruwais gas processing facility in Abu Dhabi.

  The fifth NGL fractionation train will have an output capacity of 22,000 tonnes a day, or about 8 million tonnes a year.

  The Ruwais NGL Train 5 project represents the second phase of Adnoc Gas’ ambitious Rich Gas Development (RGD) programme, and its budget value is estimated to be around $4bn, Peter Van Driel, Adnoc Gas’ chief financial officer, confirmed in February. The company expects to achieve final investment decision on the project within the first quarter of 2026, Van Driel said at the time.

  ALSO READ: PDO awards Oman gas plant expansion project

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  Indrajit Sen
• 
  Masdar’s move abroad will not be the last

  10 April 2026

  Commentary
  Mark Dowdall
  Power & water editor

  Masdar’s new joint-venture agreement with France’s TotalEnergies will not be the last time we see regional energy investors use strong balance sheets and domestic growth to build larger positions overseas.

  For Masdar in particular, the deal broadens its international exposure at a time when investors are asking questions about the Middle East’s geopolitical risk.

  By combining portfolios, the two companies start with 3GW of operational capacity and another 6GW in advanced development.

  The deal covers nine Asian countries, reflecting a prudent strategy that spreads capital across markets with different risk profiles and growth trajectories.

  In Kazakhstan, which already includes 2.6GW of assets under development, there is clear logic behind this move.

  The country is expected to see a significant increase in renewable generation over the next decade, supported by strong wind resources and the availability of large land areas for utility-scale developments.

  There is also a practical advantage in partnering with TotalEnergies, which already has project delivery experience and an established presence in several of these markets.

  The US-Iran ceasefire announced on 8 April has brought some respite to energy infrastructure stakeholders in the region.

  For investors and developers, however, the long-term uncertainty remains. Until there is clear evidence of regime change, the removal of sanctions or lasting peace in the region, the outlook will be less clear.

  With uncertainty one of the biggest killers of investor confidence, many will now be looking at this agreement and thinking whether they should also follow suit.

  ---

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

  Economic shock threatens long-term outlook; Riyadh adjusts to fiscal and geopolitical risk; GCC contractor ranking reflects gigaprojects slowdown.

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

  > AGENDA: Gulf economies under fire > GCC CONTRACTOR RANKING: Construction guard undergoes a shift > MARKET FOCUS: Risk accelerates Saudi spending shift > LEGAL: Redefining the region’s arbitration landscape > QATAR LNG: Qatar’s new $8bn investment heats up global LNG race > INTERVIEW: Leyla Abdimomunova, National Development Division, PIF > LEADERSHIP: Shaping the future of passenger rail in the Middle East

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

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  Mark Dowdall
• 
  Turkish firm launches Mecca villas project

  10 April 2026

  Register for MEED’s 14-day trial access 

  Turkish real estate investment firm Emlak Konut has announced the launch of Hayat Makkah, its first development in Saudi Arabia.

  The project is part of the National Housing Company’s (NHC) wider Mecca Gate masterplan.

  According to the company, Hayat Makkah will feature 1,014 villas, with home sizes ranging from 150 to 5,000 square metres.

  NHC and Emlak Konut signed an investment agreement worth over SR1bn ($266m) in November last year to develop the project.

  The agreement was signed on the sidelines of the Cityscape Global 2025 event in Riyadh.

  Ertan Keles, chairman of Emlak Konut, said the firm is in talks with stakeholders about launching a second project, while a third development is also being lined up in Jeddah.

  GlobalData expects the Saudi Arabian construction industry to grow by 3.6% in real terms in 2026, supported by an increase in foreign direct investment (FDI) and investments in the housing and manufacturing sectors.

  The residential construction sector is expected to grow by 3.8% in real terms in 2026 and register an average annual growth rate of 4.7% between 2027 and 2030, supported by the country’s aim – under Saudi Vision 2030 – to increase homeownership from 65.4% in 2024 to 70% by 2030, including by building 600,000 homes by 2030.

  According to the General Authority for Statistics, Saudi Arabia attracted a net FDI inflow of SR72.3bn ($19.3bn) in the first nine months of 2025, an increase of 32.7% year-on-year (YoY) compared to the same period in 2024.

  Similarly, the total value of real estate loans from banks grew by 11.5% YoY in 2025, preceded by an annual growth of 13.3% in 2024, according to the Saudi Central Bank (Sama).

  ---

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

  Economic shock threatens long-term outlook; Riyadh adjusts to fiscal and geopolitical risk; GCC contractor ranking reflects gigaprojects slowdown.

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

  > AGENDA: Gulf economies under fire > GCC CONTRACTOR RANKING: Construction guard undergoes a shift > MARKET FOCUS: Risk accelerates Saudi spending shift > LEGAL: Redefining the region’s arbitration landscape > QATAR LNG: Qatar’s new $8bn investment heats up global LNG race > INTERVIEW: Leyla Abdimomunova, National Development Division, PIF > LEADERSHIP: Shaping the future of passenger rail in the Middle East

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

   

  

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  Yasir Iqbal