Monthly briefing: 14 key developments in the region
21 November 2022
By MEED staff
> Lukewarm Cop27 ends
> UAE and US sign $100bn energy programme
> BlackRock looks to invest in projects with PIF
> Riyadh signs construction deals during Seoul visit
> Middle East outpaces global economic growth
> Riyadh Grade A office occupancy hits 98 per cent
> Dubai developer plans world's tallest residential building
> Saudi Arabia launches national automaker
> Alba reaches Block 4 financial close
> Partners award contracts for $8.5bn US chemicals project
> Investors launch Sohar industrial projects
> Aramco and IBM plan Riyadh innovation hub
COP27
Egypt climate conference ends with agreement on payout
Negotiators from nearly 200 countries at the 2022 UN climate summit Cop27, which took place in Egypt on 6-18 November, have agreed to set up a loss and damage fund aimed at helping vulnerable countries to cope with climate disasters. They also agreed that global greenhouse gas emissions need to be cut nearly in half by 2030.
The agreement also reaffirmed the goal of keeping global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. However, a deal to phase out the use of fossil fuels, and not just coal, could not be agreed upon after a number of nations, including China and Saudi Arabia, blocked the proposal. Read more
The Middle East was thrust firmly onto the global stage on 20 November when football’s 2022 World Cup kicked off in Qatar
Region pitches to be global sporting hub
OIL
Opec and non-Opec partners cut 2 million b/d of production
Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest crude oil exporter, has started to cut its exports as Opec+ begins to reduce its overall target production by 2 million barrels a day (b/d).
Saudi Arabia had cut its crude oil exports by more than 400,000 b/d by the third week of November, while exports from Opec could be on course to drop by 1 million b/d.
In October, Opec+ announced it would slash its collective target by 2 million b/d from November. Although the actual reduction is expected to be about 1.1 million b/d, it is still the biggest cut since the record reduction announced in April 2020, when oil demand plunged at the start of the pandemic.
UAE-US DEAL
UAE and US sign $100bn clean energy partnership
The UAE and the US have signed a partnership that aims to catalyse $100bn in financing and other support, in addition to deploying 100GW of clean energy in the US, UAE and emerging economies around the world by 2035. They also reaffirmed their commitment to climate action, in line with their 2050 net-zero goals.
The two countries plan to stimulate private and public sector support in four areas: clean energy innovation, financing, deployment and supply chains; carbon and methane management; advanced reactors; and industrial and transport decarbonisation. Read more
PIF-BLACKROCK PARTNERSHIP
PIF and BlackRock agree to explore infrastructure projects
Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) has signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding with US asset manager BlackRock to jointly explore infrastructure projects in the Middle East, with a majority of the investment activity focused on Saudi Arabia.
The target projects are in several sectors, including energy, power, utilities, water, environment, transportation, telecommunications and social infrastructure.
BlackRock will look to build a dedicated infrastructure investment team in Riyadh to cover the Middle East region.
In a statement, the PIF said that the aim is to leverage positive Saudi and regional market dynamics to deliver sustainable long-term returns.
The sovereign wealth fund added that the two entities plan to work together to attract regional and international investors to participate in investment projects, and boost foreign direct investment into Saudi Arabia.
This will add value to the Saudi economy and the wider market while facilitating knowledge and skills transfer. Read more
ECONOMIC OUTLOOK
IMF predicts economic growth for the Middle East in 2022
The real GDP of oil exporting countries in the Middle East is projected to grow at 5.2 per cent in 2022, up from 4.5 per cent in 2021, according to the Washington-based IMF.
Growth is projected to slow to 3.5 per cent in 2023 as Opec+ production wanes, oil prices ease and global demand slows.
Crude producers are projected to accrue a cumulative oil windfall of about $1tn in 2022−26, which the IMF said oil-exporting countries like Saudi Arabia and the UAE could use to continue to invest in projects that support future economic growth. Read more
SAUDI-KOREA PROJECTS
Deals worth $30bn signed during royal visit to Seoul
Agreements totalling an estimated $30bn were signed during Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman al-Saud’s visit to Seoul, South Korea on 17 November.
The biggest deal was a commitment from Saudi Aramco to invest $7bn in building an integrated refinery and petrochemicals complex in South Korea through its local affiliate S-Oil.
The new plant will have capacity to produce 3.2 million tonnes a year of petrochemicals.
Five South Korean companies – Korea Electric Power Corporation (Kepco), Korea Southern Power Company, Korea National Oil Corporation, Posco Holdings and Samsung C&T Corporation – have also signed agreements with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund to build and operate a green hydrogen and green ammonia production facility in Saudi Arabia. Read more
RIYADH REAL ESTATE
Riyadh Grade A office occupancy hits 98 per cent
Occupancy levels for prime office space in Riyadh have risen by four percentage points to 98 per cent according to a report by property consultancy Knight Frank.
Average lease rates for prime office space have increased by 18 per cent over the past 12 months to about SR1,775 ($473) a square foot. The company said there is unprecedented demand for Grade A office space.
“As the kingdom’s economic transformation plan unfolds, business activity is rising at an extraordinary pace. Seventy firms have now committed to relocating their regional headquarters to Riyadh, including Aldeham Education Group and French rolling stock manufacturer Alstom,” Knight Frank said. Read more
UAE
Dubai developer plans world’s tallest residential building
Local real estate developer Binghatti and jewellery brand Jacob & Co have announced plans to build the world’s tallest residential structure in Dubai’s Business Bay district.
Known as Burj Binghatti Jacob & Co Residences, the tower will comprise more than 100 storeys and will offer two- and three-bedroom apartments. Amenities in the building will include an infinity pool, a spa and a gymnasium.
Companies recently moved onsite in Business Bay to work on a 116-storey tower for Binghatti. The contractor is Granada Europe Construction. The consultant is Silver Stone Engineering Consultants. Read more
ELECTRIC VEHICLES
Saudi Arabia launches electric vehicle manufacturer
Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman al-Saud has announced the launch of Ceer, the first Saudi electric vehicle brand. Ceer is the first Saudi automotive brand to produce electric vehicles in Saudi Arabia.
The company is a joint venture of Saudi sovereign wealth entity the Public Investment Fund and Taiwan-based Hon Hai Precision Industry Company, which trades as Foxconn internationally.
Foxconn will license component technology from BMW for use in the vehicle development process, with the first vehicles – sedans and sports utility vehicles – expected to be available in 2025.
Foxconn will develop the electrical architecture of the vehicles, which will feature infotainment, connectivity and autonomous driving technologies.
Ceer is expected to attract over $150m in foreign direct investment and create up to 30,000 direct and indirect jobs. Read more
Further reading
Alba agrees Block 4 financing
Aluminium Bahrain (Alba) has reached financial close on the 681MW combined-cycle gas turbine plant that comprises Block 4 of the smelter’s Power Station 5. China Export & Credit Insurance Corporation (Sinosure) will provide a $225m facility.
Contracts awarded for US plant
QatarEnergy and Chevron Phillips Chemical Company have reached final investment decision on the Golden Triangle Polymers Plant, an $8.5bn integrated polymers facility in the US. The plant will include the biggest ethylene cracker in the world with a capacity of 2.1 million tonnes a year.
Investors launch Sohar projects
Investors have launched two non-oil industrial projects in Sohar Freezone in Oman. The sultanate’s first petroleum coke calcining facility will be built at a total investment of about $155.9m, while a titanium dioxide production facility will be established at a cost of $112m.
Aramco plans innovation hub
Saudi Aramco and US technology company IBM plan to establish an innovation hub in Riyadh. The hub will support tech-driven economic growth in Saudi Arabia with the help of emerging technologies in hybrid cloud, artificial intelligence and quantum computing.
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Exclusive from Meed
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Masdar signs renewables deals in Montenegro28 July 2026
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Contractor wins Emaar Oasis The Address villas deal28 July 2026
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Masdar signs renewables deals in Montenegro
28 July 2026
Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar) and Montenegro’s state power utility Elektroprivreda Crne Gore (EPCG) have signed agreements to advance renewable energy projects in Montenegro.
The agreements cover the joint development of two solar projects with a combined capacity of 150MW.
The companies have also signed a framework agreement to explore the development of more than 400MW of pumped hydro energy storage projects.
The projects will be the first to be progressed through a 50:50 joint venture planned by Masdar and EPCG.
The two companies signed a joint venture agreement in April as part of a wider 2GW renewable energy partnership in Montenegro.
The latest agreements were signed in the presence of Sultan Al-Jaber, UAE minister of industry and advanced technology and chairman of Masdar, and Admir Sahmanovic, Montenegro’s minister of energy and mining.
Masdar has an existing presence in Montenegro through its investment in the 72MW Krnovo wind farm.
European expansion
The developer has been accelerating foreign investment plans in 2026. As part of its European expansion plans, it signed an agreement with Spanish energy firm Repsol in June to acquire a 49.99% stake in a local renewable energy portfolio.
The deal valued the portfolio at €849m ($982m).
The portfolio comprises 705MW of operational capacity, including 13 wind farms with a combined capacity of 402MW and six solar photovoltaic solar parks with a total capacity of 303MW.
All the assets entered operation in 2025 and the first quarter of 2026. The portfolio also includes a pipeline of future wind, solar and battery storage projects with a combined capacity of more than 565MW.
Growth in Asia
In April, Masdar signed a binding agreement with France’s TotalEnergies to establish a $2.2bn joint venture to develop, build and operate renewable energy projects across Asia.
The combined business will have 3GW of operational capacity and 6GW of projects in advanced development, targeted for commissioning by 2030.
In June, Masdar broke ground on a 1GW wind farm in Kazakhstan’s Zhambyl region, marking the company’s first renewable energy project in the country.
The $1.4bn development is one of the largest integrated wind and battery energy storage projects in Central Asia. It will combine a 1GW wind farm with a 600 MWh battery energy storage system.
Masdar is targeting a global renewable energy portfolio of 100GW by 2030. It recently reached 65GW, two-thirds of the way to that target.
The company plans to deploy an additional $30bn-$35bn in equity and project finance by 2030, adding an average of 10GW of new capacity each year.
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Geopolitics tests Dubai property with hotels hardest hit
28 July 2026
Dubai’s residential market cooled sharply in the second quarter of 2026, and the hospitality sector recorded its steepest downturn in years, according to US-based real estate research firm CBRE’s latest UAE market review. Office and industrial real estate, however, continued to defy a weaker macroeconomic backdrop, the report said.
The figures, published on 28 July, mark a turning point for a residential sector that has driven much of Dubai’s post-pandemic growth story.
Transaction volumes fell 29% year-on-year to just under 37,000 sales in the second quarter, down from more than 51,000 in the same period last year.
Total transaction values dropped even further, to AED88bn ($24bn) from close to AED154bn ($42bn) in the second quarter of 2025.
Rents have moved into negative territory faster than prices. While sales values were still up 1.9% year-on-year, average residential rents fell 2.6% annually and 6.2% quarter-on-quarter.
About 18,000 new units were completed in the first half of the year, adding to supply just as demand and transaction activity were softening.
The contrast with Abu Dhabi is stark. The capital’s residential values rose 21.6% year-on-year, powered by 24.4% growth in apartment prices, while rents climbed a further 3.6%.
Sales values reached AED32bn ($8.7bn), up 150% on the same quarter last year, with transaction volumes up around 80%.
Off-plan sales accounted for roughly 83% of deals and 85% of value, underscoring investor appetite for new launches even as Dubai’s own off-plan pipeline slows.
Hospitality bears the brunt
The hospitality sector recorded the most pronounced downturn of any asset class tracked in the review. Regional geopolitical disruption weighed heavily on international travel demand and airline operations through the first half of the year, with UAE-wide hotel occupancy down 27.7 percentage points year-on-year to June and revenue per available room (RevPAR) down 31.8%, according to CoStar data cited in the report.
Dubai absorbed the sharpest declines, reflecting its greater reliance on international visitor flows, while Abu Dhabi held up comparatively better on the strength of domestic demand and events-led tourism.
Operators have responded with staycation packages, domestic tourism campaigns and refurbishment programmes aimed at protecting market positioning ahead of an anticipated recovery in international arrivals.
Office and industrial hold strong
Away from housing and hotels, the picture is markedly different. Dubai office rents rose 13% year-on-year, with prime rents up 16% and occupancy at about 94%, as demand concentrated in DIFC, Tecom and DMCC continues to outpace the delivery of new Grade A stock.
Abu Dhabi’s office market performed even more strongly, with rents up nearly 16% and occupancy at 96%, driven by ADGM-based financial services firms including hedge funds.
With less than 300,000 square metres (sq m) of new office space due between 2026 and 2027, both emirates face a supply squeeze that is likely to sustain rental growth into next year.
Retail occupancy remained resilient at about 98% in Dubai and 95% in Abu Dhabi despite softer tourism flows and shifting consumer spending, with Dubai rents up around 3% year-on-year.
A new wave of retail supply is in the pipeline, led by Al-Khail Avenue in Dubai and the first phase of Saadiyat Grove in Abu Dhabi.
Industrial and logistics stand out
Underpinned by government-led localisation programmes, the UAE industrial exports reached AED262bn ($71bn) in 2025, with Operation300bn and Make it in the Emirates (MIITE) continuing to draw manufacturing and logistics investment.
Abu Dhabi secured AED48.5bn ($13.2bn) in commitments through MIITE alongside new logistics agreements at Kezad. At the same time, Dubai recorded strong rental growth across Dubai Industrial City, Dubai Investments Park and National Industries Park.
CBRE now forecasts a marginal UAE GDP contraction of 0.04% for 2026, reflecting disruption to trade, tourism and aviation, though it expects a strong rebound in 2027 as regional conditions normalise.
READ THE JULY 2026 MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – click here to view PDFStress test for Gulf aviation; Mixed performance as country outlooks diverge in the Levant; GCC tourism sector pivots from crisis to recovery mode.
Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the July 2026 edition of MEED Business Review includes:
> AIRPORTS: Dubai and Riyadh reaffirm airport ambitions> INDUSTRY REPORT: Dubai eyes tourism sector recovery> DATA CENTRES: Big Tech falls short on data centre promise> LEADERSHIP: Aramco’s citizen developers accelerate digital changeTo see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click herehttps://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/17792437/main.jpg -
Kuwait extends deadlines for power infrastructure packages
28 July 2026
Kuwait’s Public Authority for Housing Welfare (PAHW) has extended the bid submission deadline for two tenders covering power transmission works at the South Saad Al-Abdullah residential development.
The first tender covers the supply, installation and maintenance of 10 main 132/11kV transformer substations for the third phase of the development.
The bid deadline has been extended to 19 August. The original deadline was 5 August.
The second tender covers the supply, installation and maintenance of 10 main 132/11kV transformer substations for the fourth phase of the project.
The bid deadline for this project has also been moved to 19 August.
Both projects were initially tendered in May. As reported by MEED, PAHW previously issued addendums for both substation tenders, revising the qualification requirements for bidders.
According to the revised requirements, contractors must be approved by Kuwait’s Ministry of Electricity, Water & Renewable Energy and have experience supplying and installing at least 10 132kV substations in Kuwait.
The addendums also introduced requirements related to transformer and gas-insulated switchgear manufacturing approvals, as well as operational performance records for installed equipment
Sabah Al-Ahmad residential city
Meanwhile, bids were submitted on 16 July for two 132kV underground cable tenders for the South Sabah Al-Ahmad residential development.
PAHW had tendered the contracts in May.
The first cable tender covers the supply, extension and maintenance of 132kV underground cables feeding eight main transformer substations serving the N1, N6 and N11 districts in the project’s fourth phase.
According to sources, Egytech Cables, a subsidiary of Egypt’s Elsewedy Electric, was the lowest bidder with an offer of $42.37m.
The other bidders include:
- TBEA Shandong Luneng Taishan Cable (China, $44.06m)
- Riyadh Cables (Saudi Arabia, $44.57m)
- The Contractor General Trading & Contracting (Kuwait, $46.26)
The second cable tender covers the supply, extension and maintenance of 132kV underground cables linked to substations serving the N5, N6, N8 and N10 districts in the project’s third phase.
Egytech Cables submitted the lowest offer of $39.95m. TBEA Shandong Luneng Taishan Cable submitted a bid of $41.89m along with Riyadh Cables ($42.05m) and The Contractor General Trading & Contracting ($44.97m).
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Ashghal tenders northern Smaisma infrastructure consultancy
28 July 2026
Qatar’s Public Works Authority (Ashghal) has issued a tender for consultancy services related to infrastructure development in the northern Smaisma area.
The tender was issued on 19 July, with a bid submission deadline of 8 September.
The scope covers construction supervision consultancy services for package seven (A and B).
According to local media reports, the scope of package seven A includes the airstrip road, the coastal road and connections to the existing Al-Khor Expressway, spanning an area of about 18.5 kilometres.
Ashghal floated the main contract tender for this package in March, as MEED reported.
The contract duration is four years from the start of construction.
Package seven B includes foul sewer infrastructure, drainage networks and road development works spanning more than 1.3km.
The latest tender follows Ashghal’s announcement of contract awards for 12 new projects, with a total value exceeding QR4.5bn ($1.2bn).
According to a notice published on its website, these include six building projects, most notably the redevelopment of Hamad General Hospital, with a contract value of about QR1.1bn ($301m).
Other projects awarded include the construction of a post office building in Al-Thumama; renovation works at the Qatar Racing & Equestrian Club and the Qatar Equestrian Federation; and the implementation of Phase 4 of the Al-Uqda Equestrian Complex development.
In the roads and infrastructure sector, four projects have been awarded, led by packages one and two of the road and infrastructure development works in Izghawa and Al-Thumaid.
The awards also include a landscaping project and an air-conditioned walkway at Qatar University, as part of broader public-facilities improvement initiatives.
UK analytics firm GlobalData forecasts that Qatar’s construction industry will expand by 4.3% in 2026, supported by investments in renewable energy and transportation infrastructure.
Meanwhile, the Planning & Statistics Authority reports that Qatar’s construction value-added grew by 6.6% year on year in the first half of 2025.
GlobalData also expects the industry to grow at an average annual rate of 4.6% in 2027-29, supported by investment in construction, energy and infrastructure projects.
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Contractor wins Emaar Oasis The Address villas deal
28 July 2026
Dubai-based Dutco Construction has won a contract to build the third phase of Emaar’s Address Villas Tierra at The Oasis development.
The contract was awarded by Dubai-based real estate developer Emaar Properties.
The scope comprises the construction of 199 Address-branded four-, five- and six-bedroom villas.
Local firm Mirage is the project consultant. Barajeel Engineering Consultants is the architect of record.
Site preparatory works are under way, and the project is slated for completion in 2028.
Dutco is already active at The Oasis. In April last year, Emaar Properties appointed Dutco Construction for the main works on the Mirage package of The Oasis development.
The Mirage package involves the construction of about 202 residential villas and is expected to be completed by the end of 2027.
Local firm X Architects is the project consultant, and Kristina Zanic is the sub-consultant.
Emaar announced The Oasis project in June 2023. The estimated $20bn development will comprise 7,000 residential units, including mansions and villas.
The overall development will cover more than 9.4 million square metres. The developer has said that more than 25% of the land will be dedicated to lakes, canals, parks, jogging tracks, green spaces and other amenities.
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