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  Read the September 2026 MEED Business Review

  3 September 2026

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  Nuclear energy is becoming an increasingly important part of the GCC’s long-term power strategy, as governments seek to strengthen energy security, diversify generation and meet decarbonisation goals.

  Saudi Arabia’s civil nuclear cooperation deal with the US marks a major step forward for its plans to develop its first commercial nuclear power plant, while rising electricity demand across the region is creating further momentum.

  With the UAE already operating the Middle East’s first commercial nuclear power station, Saudi Arabia targeting up to 17GW by 2040 and Bahrain exploring small modular reactor technologies, our latest Agenda feature examines the growing role of nuclear energy in the GCC’s future power projects pipeline.

  September’s Market Focus turns to Kuwait, where the country’s oil-dependent economy has weathered unprecedented disruption, yet major investment and infrastructure deals point to resilience.

  This edition also includes a downstream industry report, exploring the accelerating investment in gas processing and associated infrastructure across Mena, the major projects driving spending, and the growing focus on NGL recovery, efficiency and higher-value gas products.

  In the latest issue, we speak to Emsteel chief commercial officer Michael Rion about the Abu Dhabi steelmaker’s plans to strengthen its position in domestic and international markets, including the launch of its ES600 steel rebar and the expansion of its long-standing partnership with Adnoc Group.

  We also examine the GCC’s accelerating tunnelling boom, as major metro, sewerage and road projects increasingly move underground. The feature explores the scale of investment, the contractors and technology driving the market, and the challenges facing the region as demand for tunnelling expertise and equipment grows.

  We hope our valued subscribers enjoy the September 2026 issue of MEED Business Review. 

  

   

  Must-read sections in the September 2026 issue of MEED Business Review include:

  > AGENDA: Gulf nuclear revival takes shape

  INDUSTRY REPORT: Downstream > Gas processing takes centre stage in Mena region

  > INTERVIEW: Emsteel persists with business productivity and efficiency

  > TUNNELS: The Gulf’s next construction boom is happening underground

  > KUWAIT MARKET FOCUS: 
  > COMMENT: Kuwait keeps dealmaking alive under fire
  > GOVERNMENT: Kuwait shows tentative signs of economic development
  > BANKING: Necessity is the mother of invention for Kuwaiti lenders
  > OIL & GAS: Regional war to have lasting impact on Kuwaiti oil sector
  > POWER & WATER: Kuwait utilities investment shifts towards water
  > CONSTRUCTION: Kuwait construction holds up despite regional strife
  > MARKET TALK: Kuwait stands resilient amid regional tensions
  > DATABANK: Kuwait’s economic gains are dented by conflict in 2026

  > MEED COMMENTS: 
  > Cash is king for Dubai construction
  > Aramco moves apace with Jafurah unconventional gas campaign
  > Neom’s next phase is crucial to green hydrogen pipeline
  > Oman opens door to direct power sales

  > GULF PROJECTS INDEX: Qatar leads gains as Gulf total holds

  > JUNE 2026 CONTRACTS: Middle East contract awards

  > ECONOMIC DATA: Data drives regional projects

  > OPINION: The history of false dawns

  > BUSINESS OUTLOOK: Finance, oil and gas, construction, power and water contracts

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

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  MEED Editorial
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  Contractors bid for Abu Dhabi’s Masnouha bridge

  3 September 2026

  

   

  Contractors submitted bids on 1 September for a contract to build the Masnouha bridge in Abu Dhabi, connecting Masnouha Island to the Abu Dhabi mainland.

  The one-kilometre-long bridge will have three lanes in each direction, with a total width of about 13 metres.

  Abu Dhabi’s Department of Municipalities and Transport (DMT) is the project client.

  The scheme’s current shortlist comprises a bascule configuration and a swing (swivel) alternative, with the client to confirm the final selection.

  The scope also covers substation works, drainage, water and sewerage tie-ins, electrical systems and other associated works.

  Masnouha Island is a coastal island in Abu Dhabi earmarked for long-term development, with plans centred on waterfront residential and leisure uses.

  Its location within the emirate’s island network makes it a potential site for new marine access and supporting transport links.

  In June last year, Abu Dhabi-based real estate firm Eagle Hills signed an agreement with Italy’s Bulgari Hotels & Resorts to develop a new real estate project on Masnouha Island.

  Eagle Hills said the resort will feature 60 rooms, including two Bulgari suites, a Bulgari penthouse and 30 villas. The residential assets include 90 mansions ranging from 1,650 to 2,500 square metres.

  Milan-based architectural firm Antonio Citterio Patricia Viel Architects is the project consultant.

  The project is scheduled to open in 2030.

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  Yasir Iqbal
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  Jordan gas pipeline contract worth $23m

  3 September 2026

  

   

  A contract recently signed by Egypt’s Petrojet, focused on delivering a natural gas pipeline project in Jordan, has a value of around $23m, according to industry sources.

  The business, which is the largest state-owned joint-stock company in the Egyptian construction market, announced the contract award at the end of last month.

  The pipeline network will connect the Al-Muwaqqar Industrial Development Zone, south of Amman, to Jordan’s natural gas network.

  The contract was signed by Saleh Al-Kharabsheh, Jordan’s minister of energy and mineral resources, and Walid Lotfy, the chairman of Petrojet.

  The project covers the engineering, procurement, construction and installation of approximately 22 kilometres of natural gas pipelines, including connection to the Arab Gas Pipeline.

  It also includes developing gas pressure reduction and metering stations, as well as a pig launcher and receiver facility.

  The contract has an 18-month execution period.

  In its statement, Petrojet said the project would further strengthen its international portfolio and demonstrate its engineering, construction and project-execution capabilities across regional and global markets.

  The invitation to bid on the project was issued in June this year.

  Since the US and Israel attacked Iran on 28 February, there has been an uptick in interest in developing oil and gas pipelines in the Middle East and North Africa region.

  The regional war that followed the attack on Iran has caused major disruption to the shipping of oil and gas products through the Strait of Hormuz, highlighting the risk of overreliance on a single route for imports and exports.

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  Wil Crisp
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  Kuwait tenders two Al-Mutlaa City construction packages

  2 September 2026

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  Kuwait’s Public Authority for Housing Welfare (PAHW) has tendered two contracts covering the construction of public buildings across five districts at its Al-Mutlaa City residential project.

  The first tender covers construction in the N5 and N6 districts, while the second covers N1, N3 and N4.

  The tenders were issued on 30 August, with a bid submission deadline of 30 September.

  The project is a housing scheme located 38.3 kilometres northwest of the Kuwait metropolitan area.

  It covers approximately 104 square kilometres and is expected to house up to 400,000 people.

  The mixed-use development will include residential, social, commercial and light industrial areas.

  In March 2023, MEED reported that PAHW had appointed France-based Egis as a project management consultant for the Al-Mutlaa City development.

  Under the agreement, Egis is providing programme-level service management, construction logistics and interface management services.

  The scope of work also includes cost management, a digital programme management system and a project management information system for the scheme.

  Al-Mutlaa City is one of the largest housing infrastructure projects being developed by the government as part of Kuwait’s Vision 2035.

  UK analytics firm GlobalData expects Kuwait’s construction industry to grow at an average annual rate of 7.1% in 2025-28, supported by investment in renewable energy, transport and oil and gas projects, as well as spending under the New Kuwait 2035 National Development Plan.

  Under this strategy, the government plans to invest KD350m ($1.1bn) to develop several sports projects in the country.

  The residential construction sector is expected to register average annual growth of 3.8% in 2025-28, supported by the government’s plan to build 65,500 housing units by 2029 through five projects.

  ---

  MEED’s September 2026 report on Kuwait includes:

  > COMMENT: Kuwait keeps dealmaking alive under fire
  > GOVERNMENT: Kuwait shows tentative signs of economic development
  > BANKING: Necessity is the mother of invention for Kuwaiti lenders
  > OIL & GAS: Regional war to have lasting impact on Kuwaiti oil sector
  > POWER & WATER: Kuwait utilities investment shifts towards water
  > CONSTRUCTION: Kuwait construction holds up despite regional strife
  > MARKET TALK: Kuwait stands resilient amid regional tensions

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

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  Yasir Iqbal
• 
  Preferred bidders emerge for Zatca residential PPP

  2 September 2026

  

   

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  Saudi Arabia’s Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority (Zatca), through the National Centre for Privatisation and PPP (NCP), has selected preferred bidders to develop residential buildings at various land ports across the kingdom.

  The project covers developments across nine land ports, separated into two packages.

  Local firm Saudi Arabian Trading & Construction Company has been selected as the preferred bidder for the first package, which includes the Al-Batha, Salwa, Al-Raqi, Jadidat Arar, Al-Wadiah and Empty Quarter sites.

  Bahrain-headquartered Lamar Holding is the preferred bidder for the second package, which includes land ports at Al-Hadithah, Halat Ammar and Al-Durrah.

  The project will be implemented as a public-private partnership (PPP) on a design, build, finance, operate, maintain and transfer basis, with a contract duration of 23 years, including the construction period.

  The contract covers the construction and management of new residential buildings and associated facilities at the land ports, as well as the rehabilitation of existing facilities.

  The project is the latest scheme in the kingdom’s PPP pipeline. In January, Saudi Arabia launched a national privatisation strategy aimed at mobilising $64bn in private sector capital by 2030.

  Building on the privatisation programme first introduced in 2018, the strategy focuses on unlocking state-owned assets for private investment and privatising selected government services.

  In a statement, NCP said the strategy comprises 147 opportunities drawn from a broader pipeline of more than 500 projects across 18 sectors.

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  Yasir Iqbal