meed-logo

line1 line2 line3
SIGN IN / REGISTER

Monthly briefing: 22 key developments in the region

28 September 2022

By Indrajit Sen

> Opec+ agrees minor production increase

> King appoints crown prince as Saudi prime minister

> Lebanon parliament approves $1.2bn draft budget

> Iraq court rules against national oil company

> Libya oil production continues to grow

> President approves Egypt's Olympic plans

> Dubai prepares hydrogen strategy

> GCC central banks raise interest rates

> UK and GCC hold ministerial meeting at the UN

OIL

Oil producers will raise output by 100,000b/d in October

The Opec+ alliance of oil producers decided in September that it would increase oil production by just 100,000 barrels a day (b/d) in October to support crude prices, which have fluctuated in recent weeks amid fears that a global economic recession will curb demand for oil. 

Opec+ members also increased overall oil production by 100,000b/d in September. 

The alliance agreed to increase its July and August crude production by about 50 per cent to 648,000b/d, fully restoring the 5.8 million b/d output that the group had cut at the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic. Read more

IRAN

Deadly protests follow woman’s death in custody

Thirty-five people have been killed in protests in Iran following the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody on 16 September.

Protests have been reported in 31 provinces.

The 22-year-old Amini had been detained for breaking headscarf rules and was reportedly beaten with batons.

Officials said she suffered heart failure and Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi has stated that she was not beaten. 

President Ebrahim Raisi pledged to crack down on the unrest on 24 September.

The official Islamic Republic News Agency reported on 25 September that there had been large-scale demonstrations to condemn the protests.



21 September: Iranian demonstrators take to the streets of Tehran during a protest for Mahsa Amini, days after she died in police custody. Credit: AFP via Getty Images

SALIK IPO

Dubai toll operator raises over $1bn from oversubscribed stock listing

Dubai toll operator Salik raised $1.017bn from its initial public offering (IPO) on the Dubai Financial Market, as part of a series of IPOs of state enterprises aimed at boosting the size of the emirate's capital market.

The IPO was more than 49 times oversubscribed across all tranches, with total gross demand at $50.2bn.

The company had set its offering price at AED2 ($0.54) a share, giving it a valuation of more than $4bn.

The emirate's government sold more than 1.867 billion shares in the company, or 24.9 per cent, up from the previously announced 1.5 billion shares, equivalent to 20 per cent.

ARAB PEACE

Saudi Arabia, Arab League and EU hold meeting in New York

Saudi Foreign Affairs Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan al-Saud and Arab League secretary-general Ahmed Aboul Gheit attended a meeting of the Arab Peace Initiative Committee and its sponsors in the EU. The meeting took place at the UN General Assembly in New York. 

The Arab Peace Initiative, which Saudi Arabia launched in 2002, is a proposal to end the Arab-Israeli conflict. The members of the Arab Peace Initiative Committee are Jordan, Egypt, Bahrain, Tunisia, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Iraq, Palestine, Qatar, Lebanon, Morocco and Yemen. The initiative is sponsored by Spain, Sweden and France.

GCC

Two years of high oil prices set to improve regional outlook

Rating agency Moody’s Investors Service has said that elevated oil prices during the next two years will lead to a significant improvement in the fiscal and external positions of GCC sovereigns, partly reversing the sharp deterioration in their balance sheets since 2015. 

Improvements in creditworthiness will hinge on the extent to which regional governments utilise the windfall to address constraints posed by their exposure to cyclical oil price and demand volatility, and by longer-term carbon transition risks, Moody’s said.

The agency expects oil prices to average about $105 a barrel in 2022 and $95 a barrel in 2023. As a result, most hydrocarbon-exporting countries in the GCC will run fiscal and current account surpluses, allowing governments to pay down debts, rebuild fiscal reserves and accumulate foreign-currency buffers.

GULF BANKS

Regional banks are returning to pre-pandemic form

After a strong first half, ratings agency S&P Global expects that earnings for most GCC banks will almost reach pre-pandemic levels by the end of this year amid high oil prices and rising interest rates.

In the second half of 2022, S&P forecasts further strengthening of regional banks’ interest margins and a manageable rise in cost of risk amid lingering effects from the Covid-19 pandemic via loans that benefited from support measures and were then restructured. Combined, these factors will be a net positive for banks’ earnings.

SAUDI ARABIA

Saudi infrastructure and property projects top $1.1tn

The aggregate value of property and infrastructure projects since the launch of Saudi Arabia’s National Transformation Plan in 2016 has crossed $1.1tn as the kingdom continues to diversify its economy, according to real estate consultancy Knight Frank. 

The $500bn Neom city development is the biggest of 15 major projects in Saudi Arabia that are currently at various phases of construction. The kingdom plans to have more than 555,000 residential units, 275,000 hotel rooms, 4.3 million square metres (sq m) of retail and 6.1 million sq m of new office space by 2030. 

The country is also developing several large-scale tourism projects as it seeks to increase the economic contribution of the sector from 3 per cent of GDP to 10 per cent by the end of this decade.

JERUSALEM

UK prime minister considers relocating British embassy

UK Prime Minister Liz Truss is considering moving the British embassy in Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. 

Truss spoke about a possible move to the contested city during a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York in September. 

Despite Israel having designated Jerusalem as its capital, Britain has long maintained its embassy in Tel Aviv. 

When he was president of the US, Donald Trump took the controversial decision to relocate the American embassy to Jerusalem in May 2018. 

Both Israelis and Palestinians claim the city as their capital.

SAUDI ARABIA

First Saudi woman to be sent to space in a crewed mission

Saudi Arabia plans to send a woman into space for the first time as part of its new mission programme. 

A crew will be launched next year that will include the first Saudi female pilot and astronaut. 

The kingdom’s astronaut programme aims to produce qualified Saudi citizens who will take part in short- and long-term space flights, as well as participate in scientific experiments, international research and future space-related missions. 

The new programme comes under the umbrella of Saudi Vision 2030 and will fall under the National Space Strategy, the details of which will be announced in the coming months.

FIFA WORLD CUP

Qatar to shut borders to non-World Cup ticket holders

Entry to Qatar will be restricted from 1 November to citizens, residents and holders of the World Cup Hayya card, the tournament’s organising committee has announced. 

The suspension of visits by people not attending Fifa World Cup matches will continue until 23 December, five days after the final match takes place in Doha. 

The restrictions apply to all air, land and sea borders into Qatar. 

Football fans in possession of a match ticket for the World Cup must also apply for a Hayya entry permit – a pre-approved digital visa linked to a passport that offers free public transport around the country. 

The Hayya card allows entry into Qatar until 23 January 2023. 

Qatari citizens and residents, GCC citizens holding a Qatari identification card, holders of work entry permits and personal visas, and approved humanitarian cases will be exempt from the restrictions.
https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/10042154/main.gif
MEED Editorial

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

Click here to register
Exclusive from Meed
Related Articles
  • Sports Boulevard tenders Wadi Hanifa road works

    23 April 2026

     

    Saudi Arabia’s Sports Boulevard Foundation has issued a tender inviting firms to bid for a contract to build a road and associated infrastructure in the Wadi Hanifa area of Riyadh.

    The bid submission deadline is 27 April.

    The scope includes construction of an 11.4-kilometre road and associated infrastructure, including public realm works, utilities and security systems.

    The scheme is the latest package to progress on Riyadh’s Sports Boulevard project.

    The Sports Boulevard Foundation is also evaluating bids for its Global Sports Tower in the development’s Athletics District.

    The 130-metre-tall Global Sports Tower will have a gross floor area of 84,000 square metres (sq m) and will include more than 30 sports facilities. The tower will feature what is billed as the world’s tallest indoor climbing wall, at 98 metres, and a 250-metre running track.

    Sports Boulevard will run across Riyadh from east to west. Once complete, it is intended to be the world’s longest park, stretching more than 135 kilometres.

    The project is divided into multiple districts, including the Wadi Hanifah, Arts, Urban Wadi, Entertainment, Athletics and Eco districts, as well as Sands Sports Park.

    The large-scale development aims to transform central Riyadh – currently dominated by major highways – into a recreational corridor.

    Sports Boulevard will include 4.4 million sq m of public realm and landmark buildings. Along with the Global Sports Tower, there will be a Centre for Cinematic Arts and a 2,000-seat amphitheatre.

    It will also deliver more than 2.3 million sq m of mixed-use commercial, residential and retail space, alongside sports facilities, around the park, known as the Linear Park.

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/16534345/main.jpg
    Yasir Iqbal
  • Masdar to develop renewables projects in Montenegro

    23 April 2026

    Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar) and Elektroprivreda Crne Gore (EPCG) have agreed to establish a 50:50 joint venture to develop and operate renewable energy projects in Montenegro.

    The planned projects include solar photovoltaic (PV), wind, hydropower, pumped-hydro storage and battery energy storage systems.

    The joint venture will be headquartered in Niksic in western Montenegro and is intended to support Montenegro’s domestic energy needs while also enabling the export of renewable electricity to the Western Balkans and Southern Europe, Masdar said in a statement.

    The companies plan to leverage an existing sub-sea interconnection with Italy. Montenegro is connected to Italy via a 600MW HVDC submarine cable, enabling electricity exports to the Italian market.

    Masdar has an existing presence in Montenegro through its investment in the 72MW Krnovo wind farm.

    The developer has recently accelerated foreign investment plans as part of its broader expansion. In April, it 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.

    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.

    This expansion will be funded through a mix of equity, green bonds and long-term project financing.

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/16534112/main.jpg
    Mark Dowdall
  • Qiddiya sets new deadline for infrastructure package

    23 April 2026

     

    Saudi gigaproject developer Qiddiya Investment Company (QIC) has set a 13 May deadline for bids for a contract covering new infrastructure works at Qiddiya Entertainment City.

    The scope comprises two infrastructure development packages for District 0 of Qiddiya Entertainment City, including the construction of four event park-and-ride facilities.

    The tender was issued on 11 March, with an initial bid submission deadline of 22 April.

    Lebanese firm Dar Al-Handasah and Saudi-based Sets International are serving as project consultants.

    QIC is accelerating plans to develop additional assets at Qiddiya City. Earlier this month, the company received prequalification statements from firms for the engineering, procurement, construction and finance package for the Qiddiya high-speed rail project.

    MEED has also reported that QIC received bids from contractors on 23 February for a SR980m ($261m) contract covering the construction of staff accommodation at Qiddiya Entertainment City.

    The project will cover an area of more than 105,000 square metres (sq m).

    Also in February, QIC started the main construction works on its performing arts centre at the entertainment hub.

    The Qiddiya City performing arts centre is one of several major projects within the greater Qiddiya development. Other projects include an e-games arena, Prince Mohammed Bin Salman Stadium, a motorsports track, the Dragon Ball and Six Flags theme parks, and Aquarabia.

    QIC officially opened the Six Flags theme park to the public in December last year.

    The park covers 320,000 sq m and features 28 rides and attractions, including 10 thrill rides and 18 aimed at families and young children.

    The Qiddiya project is a key part of Riyadh’s strategy to boost leisure tourism in the kingdom. According to UK analytics firm GlobalData, leisure tourism in Saudi Arabia has experienced significant growth in recent years.

    Saudi Arabia’s tourism sector posted record figures last year, with more than 130 million domestic and international visitors – a 6% increase on 2024.

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/16533776/main.jpg
    Yasir Iqbal
  • Detailed design progressing for major Iraqi oil project

    23 April 2026

     

    Detailed design work is progressing on Iraq’s 950-kilometre seawater pipeline network under the Common Seawater Supply Project (CSSP), according to industry sources.

    They added that on-site construction would begin only after the detailed design is complete.

    Iraq’s state-owned Basra Oil Company (BOC) and China Petroleum Pipeline Engineering (CPP) signed a $2.5bn contract for the pipeline package in September last year.

    The project is being supervised by Austria’s ILF Consulting Engineers.

    The pipeline package is one of two main CSSP packages.

    The second focuses on a seawater treatment facility, expected to have a capacity of 5 million barrels a day (b/d), potentially rising to 7-8 million b/d in later phases.

    Processed water will be injected into some of Iraq’s largest oil fields – Rumaila, Zubair, West Qurna 1, West Qurna 2 and Majnoon – and also used in the Maysan and Dhi Qar fields.

    Iraq’s Oil Ministry said the injected water will help maintain reservoir pressure and sustain crude production.

    CPP is a subsidiary of state-owned China National Petroleum Corporation.

    TotalEnergies is responsible for the CSSP as part of the larger $27bn Gas Growth Integrated Project.

    Iraq approved a $2.45bn contract with South Korea’s Hyundai Engineering & Construction (Hyundai E&C) in August last year for the engineering, procurement and construction of the seawater treatment plant.

    Over recent weeks, Iraq’s oil exports have collapsed by about 80% due to fallout from the US and Israel’s war with Iran.

    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:

    > GCC CONTRACTOR RANKING: Construction guard undergoes a shift
    To see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click here
    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/16527404/main.jpg
    Wil Crisp
  • Libya brings gas pipeline online

    23 April 2026

    Libya’s state-owned National Oil Corporation (NOC) has brought a gas pipeline online that will allow it to reduce flaring and increase production, according to a statement issued by the company.

    The 42-inch pipeline, which connects the Al-Intisar field and the Brega gas distribution system, has entered the “experimental operation” stage, according to NOC.

    This follows the completion of connection works.

    The pipeline is expected to allow the collection of 150 million standard cubic feet a day of gas, which was previously flared at the oil and gas field.

    The pipeline is expected to debottleneck hydrocarbon flows at the oil and gas field and increase production levels.

    Prior to the pipeline recently being brought online, completion of the project had stalled for 16 years.

    Stakeholders are expecting a surge in oil and gas project activity in Libya after the country’s rival legislative bodies recently approved a unified state budget for the first time in more than 13 years.

    The Central Bank of Libya confirmed on 11 April that both chambers had endorsed the budget, saying that it was a key step towards restoring financial stability after prolonged division.

    The budget is valued at LD190bn ($29.95bn), and LD12bn ($1.9bn) has been allocated to the NOC.

    An additional LD40bn ($6.3bn) has been allocated for “development projects”.

    Libya has stated that a joint committee has been formed to help prioritise development projects, and the projects have been listed in the budget.

    The development comes at a time when Libya’s oil and gas sector could be positioned to make windfall revenues as oil and gas prices remain high due to fallout from the US and Israel’s war with Iran.

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/16527327/main.jpg
    Wil Crisp