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.
Register for MEED's guest program now to access this article.
Exclusive from Meed
-
Consultant wins Jeddah metro design22 May 2026
-
-
-
Eni makes oil and gas discovery in Egypt22 May 2026
-
All of this is only 1% of what MEED.com has to offer
Subscribe now and unlock all the 153,671 articles on MEED.com
- All the latest news, data, and market intelligence across MENA at your fingerprints
- First-hand updates and inside information on projects, clients and competitors that matter to you
- 20 years' archive of information, data, and news for you to access at your convenience
- Strategize to succeed and minimise risks with timely analysis of current and future market trends
Related Articles
-
Consultant wins Jeddah metro design
22 May 2026
French engineering firm Egis has been appointed to undertake the preliminary design consultancy for the Jeddah Metro Blue Line project.
The project client, Jeddah Development Authority, issued the tender in early January, when MEED exclusively reported that Saudi Arabia had restarted plans to build the Jeddah Metro.
Engineering consulting firms submitted bids in April, as MEED reported.
The Blue Line will run from King Abdulaziz International airport and connect to the Haramain high-speed railway station.
The line will be 35 kilometres (km) long and will include 15 stations.
Project history
Plans for the Jeddah Metro were first publicly floated in the early 2010s and were formally packaged into a wider Jeddah public transport programme around 2013-14.
In 2014, French engineering firm Systra was appointed to complete preliminary engineering for the Jeddah Metro, as MEED reported at the time.
In the same year, US-based engineering firm Aecom was awarded a SR276m ($74m) contract to provide pre-programme management consultancy services.
Under its 18-month contract, Aecom was expected to provide staff to support preliminary planning and design work for various phases of the metro project.
This was followed by the appointment of UK-based architectural firm Foster + Partners in 2015 to design the metro stations.
The project then stalled as government spending priorities were reset and major capital programmes were reviewed following the fall in oil prices in 2015, with the metro’s scope, cost and delivery model coming under reassessment.
Early concept designs envisaged a multi-line network integrated with buses and, later, other city-wide mobility upgrades.
Route details
According to Jeddah Transport Company’s website, the scheme comprises 81 stations and 197 trains serving more than 161km. The network will have four lines:
- Orange Line: a 44.8km line running along Al-Madinah Road and Old Makkah Road, with 29 stops including one at Obhur Bridge
- Blue Line: a 35km line running from King Abdulaziz International airport to the Haramain high-speed railway station, with 15 stations
- Green Line: a 17km line running through the city centre, from the downtown area to the Haramain railway station, with nine stops
- Red Line: A 59.7km line running from King Abdullah Stadium north to Old Makkah Street through King Abdulaziz Road and King Abdullah Road, with 25 stops
> Be recognised among the best in the industry at the MEED Projects Awards 2026 …
https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/16949416/main.jpg -
Egypt signs gas deal with QatarEnergy and Exxon Mobil
22 May 2026
Egypt’s Ministry of Petroleum & Mineral Resources has signed a preliminary gas agreement with state-owned QatarEnergy and US-based Exxon Mobil.
The memorandum of understanding (MoU) focuses on cooperation in the development of natural gas discoveries in Cyprus.
The plan involves transporting gas from offshore discoveries in Cypriot waters to Egypt via pipelines.
In a statement, Egypt’s Ministry of Petroleum & Mineral Resources said that the deal would strengthen the North African country’s status as a regional hub for natural gas trading.
The agreement was witnessed by Egypt’s Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouli.
It was signed by Muhammad Al-Bajouri, from the legal affairs department of the Ministry of Petroleum & Minerals, and Kanan Nariman, vice-president for the development of liquefied natural gas (LNG) at Exxon Mobil.
It was also signed by Ali Immunae, director of international exploration and production at QatarEnergy.
Commenting on the MoU signing, Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, the minister of state for energy affairs, and president and chief executive of QatarEnergy, said: “This MoU represents an important step in advancing regional energy cooperation across the Eastern Mediterranean through unlocking the long-term commercial potential of natural gas resources across that region.”
Egypt’s Ministry of Petroleum & Mineral Resources said the agreement paved the way for QatarEnergy and Exxon to take advantage of existing Egyptian infrastructure in the gas sector, especially the country’s existing LNG export terminals.
Under the terms of the agreement, a study will be conducted to analyse the feasibility of linking the gas discoveries in Cyprus to Egypt’s gas facilities.
The signatories will also establish a commercial framework aimed at achieving “the maximum possible benefit from natural gas resources in both Egypt and Cyprus”.
Egypt’s Minister of Oil and Gas Karim Badawi said the ministry has been working with ExxonMobil to explore cooperation on the development of gas discoveries in Cyprus.
He said the partnership with Egypt would help QatarEnergy and Exxon reduce the cost of developing the discoveries while allowing Egypt to achieve an economic return.
READ THE MAY 2026 MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – click here to view PDFGlobal energy sector forced to recalibrate; Conflict hits debt issuance and listings activity; UAE’s non-oil sector faces unclear recovery period amid disruption.
Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the May 2026 edition of MEED Business Review includes:
> REGIONAL LNG: War undermines business case for Middle East LNG> CAPITAL MARKETS: Damage avoidance frames debt issuance> MARKET FOCUS: Conflict tests UAE diversificationTo see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click herehttps://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/16944918/main.jpg -
Kuwait’s Heisco working on active projects worth $3.5bn
22 May 2026
Kuwait’s Heavy Engineering Industries & Shipbuilding Company (Heisco) is in a strong position to weather challenges in the country’s project market, with active projects worth $3.5bn, according to documents seen by MEED.
The company also has active maintenance and service contracts that are worth $843m.
Heisco’s projects span the oil, gas, power, water, construction, transport and industrial sectors.
The company’s biggest active project contract is the $576m project to upgrade Kuwait’s Doha West power station.
This contract was awarded to Heisco by Kuwait’s Ministry of Electricity, Water & Renewable Energy (MEW) in July 2024.
The company’s second-biggest active project is focused on the construction of crude oil pipelines and associated works in North Kuwait.
This $565m contract was awarded to Heisco by Kuwait’s state-owned upstream operator Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) in February this year.
Other major project contracts include a $442m MEW contract for the rehabilitation of the Az-Zour South power and water distillation station and a $223m KOC contract for the construction of flowlines and associated works in the West Kuwait Area.
Heisco’s biggest active maintenance contract is worth $295m and is focused on providing mechanical maintenance services at Kuwait’s Mina Abdullah Refinery.
This contract was awarded by the state-owned downstream operator Kuwait National Petroleum Company (KNPC) in July 2023 and it officially started in September that year.
The contract is currently due to conclude in November 2028.
Heisco’s second-biggest active maintenance contract is worth $95m and was awarded by Wafra Joint Operations (WJO) for work in the Divided Zone, which is shared by Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.
WJO’s onshore operations cover an area of about 5,000 square kilometres in the Divided Zone.
Saudi Arabian Chevron and Kuwait Gulf Oil Company are equal shareholders in WJO.
Six major fields have been discovered in the WJO area to date: Wafra, South Fuwaris, South Umm-Gudair, Humma, Arq and North Wafra.
Heisco’s Wafra maintenance contract was awarded in October last year and officially started in November the same year.
The contract is expected to conclude in May 2031 and its scope is focused on the maintenance of tanks and vessels as well as the provision of welding services.
Market headwinds
Kuwait’s oil and gas sector has been severely impacted by the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, through which all of its crude exports are normally shipped.
The country recorded zero crude oil exports in April for the first time since the end of the Gulf War in 1991, according to shipping monitor TankerTrackers.com.
While the closure of the Strait of Hormuz is expected to have a significant impact on Kuwait’s project sector for some time, Heisco’s strong project pipeline is likely to help it weather the challenging economic environment.
READ THE MAY 2026 MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – click here to view PDFGlobal energy sector forced to recalibrate; Conflict hits debt issuance and listings activity; UAE’s non-oil sector faces unclear recovery period amid disruption.
Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the May 2026 edition of MEED Business Review includes:
> REGIONAL LNG: War undermines business case for Middle East LNG> CAPITAL MARKETS: Damage avoidance frames debt issuance> MARKET FOCUS: Conflict tests UAE diversificationTo see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click herehttps://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/16792105/main.png -
Eni makes oil and gas discovery in Egypt
22 May 2026
A joint venture of Italy’s Eni and state-owned Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation (EGPC) has made a major oil and gas discovery in Egypt’s Western Desert region.
The partnership, known as Agiba Petroleum Company, made the discovery with an exploratory well drilled in the Bustan South block.
Initial estimates indicate the presence of approximately 330 billion cubic feet of gas and 10 million barrels of condensate and crude oil.
Together, this is a total of 70 million barrels of oil equivalent (boe), making the discovery Agiba Petroleum Company’s biggest in 15 years.
The new discovery is located only 10 kilometres from existing facilities and infrastructure, which should enable rapid development and connection to production.
The well revealed several sandstone and limestone reservoirs, according to a statement from Egypt’s Ministry of Petroleum & Mineral Resources.
The ministry said: “This new discovery reflects the success of the Ministry of Petroleum & Mineral Resources’ efforts and the incentives it offered to partners to intensify exploration activities in areas adjacent to existing fields.
“This facilitates new discoveries near existing infrastructure and production facilities without the need for new infrastructure development.
“This contributes to reducing the cost of producing a barrel, accelerating the integration of discoveries into the production map, and encouraging partners to implement the latest data collection and analysis technologies to increase the chances of successful exploration.”
Egypt is seeing increased interest in its oil and gas resources due to disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, which have significantly reduced oil and gas exports from the GCC and Iraq.
READ THE MAY 2026 MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – click here to view PDFGlobal energy sector forced to recalibrate; Conflict hits debt issuance and listings activity; UAE’s non-oil sector faces unclear recovery period amid disruption.
Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the May 2026 edition of MEED Business Review includes:
> REGIONAL LNG: War undermines business case for Middle East LNG> CAPITAL MARKETS: Damage avoidance frames debt issuance> MARKET FOCUS: Conflict tests UAE diversificationTo see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click herehttps://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/16944815/main.jpg -
King Salman airport selects three contractors for apron ECI
21 May 2026
Saudi Arabia’s King Salman International Airport Development Company (KSIADC) has selected three groups to deliver the Terminal 6 apron, taxiways and other airfield infrastructure at King Salman International airport (KSIA) in Riyadh.
KSIADC, which is backed by Saudi sovereign wealth vehicle the Public Investment Fund, will initially deliver the project on an early contractor involvement (ECI) basis.
The selected groups are:
- Nesma & Partners / Limak / Samsung C&T / Alayuni Investment & Contracting (local/Turkiye/South Korea/local)
- Shibh Al-Jazira Contracting Company / Top International Engineering Corporation (local/China)
- Al-Rashid Trading & Contracting Company / IC Ictas (local/Turkiye)
The ECI process requires selected contractors to submit methodologies for the project and a design proposal. One team will then be selected for the construction.
MEED understands that the total package could be worth upto $800m.
In March, MEED exclusively reported that KSIADC had selected three groups for the construction of Terminal 6 at KSIA in Riyadh.
In November last year, MEED exclusively reported that KSIADC was targeting mid-2026 to award the contract for the construction of Terminal 6.
MEED reported in May 2025 that US firm Bechtel Corporation had been appointed as the delivery partner for the terminals at KSIA.
According to local media reports, KSIADC’s acting CEO, Marco Mejia, said the project developer had completed the project’s masterplan.
The reports added that Terminal 6 will boost the airport’s capacity by 40 million passengers.
The project is expected to be delivered before the start of Expo 2030 Riyadh.
MEED’s April 2026 report on Saudi Arabia includes:
> COMMENT: Risk accelerates Saudi spending shift
> GVT &: ECONOMY: Riyadh navigates a changed landscape
> BANKING: Testing times for Saudi banks
> UPSTREAM: Offshore oil and gas projects to dominate Aramco capex in 2026
> DOWNSTREAM: Saudi downstream projects market enters lean period
> POWER: Wind power gathers pace in Saudi Arabia
> WATER: Sharakat plan signals next phase of Saudi water expansion
> CONSTRUCTION: Saudi construction enters a period of strategic readjustment
> TRANSPORT: Rail expansion powers Saudi Arabia’s infrastructure pushTo see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click herehttps://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/16937556/main.jpg