meed-logo

line1 line2 line3
SIGN IN / REGISTER

Muted public spending hinders global tunnelling

4 April 2025

 

This package also includes: Traffic drives construction underground

The pipeline of tunnel construction projects around the world as tracked by GlobalData stands at $1.3tn, encompassing projects from announcement to execution.

The total pipeline value reflects the overall values of projects that are either entirely tunnels or that have tunnels as an integral part of the work. The project pipeline includes tunnelling works across a range of sectors, including road and railway development, as well as water and sewerage.

The pipeline of tunnel construction projects around the world currently stands at $1.3tn

Subdued spending

Public spending is anticipated to remain muted globally in the short term, as governments are still trying to curtail expenditure to reduce public debt, thereby constraining investments in public infrastructure. This is affecting the demand for tunnel construction, which heavily relies on public infrastructure development. Elevated construction material prices, high interest rates and labour and skill shortages are expected to discourage new investment, further reducing demand for tunnel construction.

These challenges have already impacted project viability, leading to the withdrawal or postponement of funding for 50 projects in Australia’s $78.6bn infrastructure investment programme due to cost increases of over $21bn. The conflicts in Russia and Ukraine, the situation in Gaza and disruptions to shipping in the Red Sea are weighing on new investment levels, particularly in Eastern Europe and the Middle East and North Africa region due to increased uncertainty.

However, this decrease in new tunnel investment is not expected to be uniform globally, as China’s significant infrastructure investment drive, the US’ Infrastructure and Jobs Act and India’s various infrastructure investment programmes are driving new investment in their respective regions.

> Middle East and North Africa (Mena)
The Mena region has a tunnel construction pipeline valued at $128.6bn. The UAE is one of the leading markets, with $25.4bn of projects that are mainly for metro systems and water and sewage tunnels. Across the region, economic factors like high debt and lower oil revenues may hinder the progress of these projects in the future.
> Western Europe

Western Europe has a tunnel construction project pipeline valued at $329.5bn, with Switzerland leading with $60.6bn of projects, follwed by Germany with $56.8bn. Notable projects include the Turin-Lyon tunnel and the Genoa underwater tunnel. Projects in pre-execution and execution stages total $222.8bn, with the highest-value project being Zurich’s $38.8bn CST (underground cargo) Freight Metro Tunnel.

> Northeast Asia

Northeast Asia’s tunnel construction pipeline is valued at $327.7bn, with China contributing $220.3bn, including the $42.4bn Dalian-Yantai undersea railway tunnel. Japan has projects worth $101.3bn, primarily the $65.2bn Tokyo to Nagoya Maglev Railway Line. Most projects are in later development stages, totalling $198.3bn, or 69.8% of the pipeline.

> Australasia

Australasia’s tunnel construction pipeline totals $150.1bn, with Australia holding $112.9bn, about 75% of the region’s value. The largest project is the $87bn Melbourne Suburban Rail Loop, a 90km rail loop with 13 stations. Construction on six stations began in 2022, with the entire project expected to finish by 2050, though rising costs and labour shortages may affect this.

> North America

North America’s tunnel projects are valued at $92.4bn, with $63.6bn in pre-execution and execution stages. The pipeline includes 921.8km of tunnels, primarily in the US. Railway tunnels are the largest segment at $40.7bn, with the Hudson River Rail Tunnel being the highest-value project at $16bn.

> Southeast Asia

Southeast Asia’s tunnel pipeline is valued at $91.3bn, with $55.1bn under construction. Singapore leads with $45.2bn, mainly from rail tunnel projects. The Land Transport Authority awarded a $199m contract for tunnels connecting MRT stations as part of the Cross Island Line’s second phase.

> Eastern Europe

Eastern Europe’s pipeline is valued at $56.3bn, with $46.9bn in pre-execution and execution stages. Major contributors include Turkiye, Czechia and Romania, which has the largest share at $16.3bn. The $9bn Bucharest Metro Line 5 is a key project expected to complete by 2033, with spending projected to rise in the coming years.

> South Asia

South Asia’s tunnel construction pipeline is valued at $47.9bn, with India contributing $31.9bn, primarily from road tunnels. A notable project is the $1.3bn Thane to Borivali underground tunnel. The pipeline includes 2,043.7km of developments, with spending expected to reach $1.8bn in 2024.

> Latin America

Latin America has a growing tunnel construction pipeline valued at $30.3bn, with $28.7bn in later development stages. The region includes 276.2km of projects, with Colombia leading at 92.1km. The highest-value project is the $9.6bn Bogota Metro, which began construction in early 2021.

> Sub-Saharan Africa

Sub-Saharan Africa’s tunnel construction pipeline is valued at $6.7bn, with 63.7% in pre-execution and execution stages. The pipeline includes 1,580km of projects, primarily in Tanzania, Ethiopia and Kenya. Spending may reach $685.4m in 2025, but investment constraints may limit new projects.

In conclusion, while the global tunnel construction industry faces challenges due to muted spending, high construction material prices and geopolitical uncertainties, significant infrastructure investment initiatives in countries like China, the US and India are expected to continue driving new investment.

Traffic drives construction underground 

 

https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/13568541/main.gif
Colin Foreman

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

Click here to register
Exclusive from Meed
Related Articles
  • Contractor wins $161m Meraas City Walk Crestlane deal

    7 September 2026

    Local contractor Parkway International Contracting has won a AED590m ($161m) contract to build phase three of the City Walk Crestlane project in Dubai’s Al-Wasl area.

    The contract covers the construction of four residential buildings comprising 394 apartments.

    Construction is expected to commence shortly, with completion slated for 2028.

    Local real estate developer Meraas, part of Dubai Holding, awarded the contract.

    In December last year, Meraas announced the next phases of the City Walk Crestlane project as it continues to expand its City Walk residential community in Dubai.

    City Walk Crestlane 4 and 5 comprise four residential towers offering 360 one- to five-bedroom units.

    In June 2025, Meraas announced the initial phases of the City Walk Crestlane project, which comprise two residential towers offering 198 one- to five-bedroom units.

    Earlier this year, Meraas awarded two major construction contracts worth AED2.4bn ($653m) to build 557 villas as part of the second phase of its residential community, The Acres, in Dubailand.

    The contracts were awarded to local construction firms United Engineering Construction (Unec) and GCC Contracting. Unec will build 371 three- to five-bedroom villas at The Acres, while GCC Contracting will deliver 186 five- to seven-bedroom residences at The Acres Estates.

    Meraas’ latest project contract awards in Dubai reflect heightened real estate activity in the UAE’s construction market. Schemes worth more than $323bn are in execution or planning stages, according to UK-based analytics firm GlobalData.

    The company forecasts that output from the UAE’s residential construction sector will grow by 3% in real terms between 2026 and 2029, supported by developments in infrastructure, energy and utilities, as well as residential construction projects.

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/19433882/main.jpg
    Yasir Iqbal
  • Six groups qualify for Saudi Arabia’s Qassim airport PPP

    7 September 2026

    Saudi Arabia’s Civil Aviation Holding Company (Matarat), through the National Centre for Privatisation & PPP (NCP), has qualified five groups and one standalone company to bid for a contract to develop Prince Naif Bin Abdulaziz International airport in Qassim, Saudi Arabia.

    These include:

    1. YDA Insaat / Safari Group / Lamar Holding / Egis (Turkiye/local/Bahrain/France)
    2. Ports Projects Management & Development Company / Algihaz Holding (local/local)
    3. Mada International Holding / TAV Airports Holding (local/Turkiye)
    4. Namaya International Investment Company / Oman Airports Management Company / AlBawani Capital / Tanama (local/Oman/local/UAE)
    5. Vision Invest / Asyad Holding / DAA International (local/local/Ireland)
    6. GMR Airports (India)

    The prequalification process follows 89 firms expressing interest in the contract, as MEED reported in March.

    The project scope includes the redevelopment of the passenger terminal as well as other associated facilities such as airside infrastructure, including runway, taxiways and aprons.

    The project will be developed on a design-finance-construction-operations-maintenance-transfer basis.

    The clients issued an expression of interest notice for the project on 9 February, and companies were given until 23 February to submit responses.

    Tendering is also ongoing for the new Taif International airport project in Mecca Province. 

    The new Taif International airport will be located 21 kilometres southeast of the existing Taif airport and will have a capacity of 2.5 million passengers by 2030.

    In addition to a new airport terminal, the proposed design features a runway with a full-length parallel taxiway connecting to a single commercial apron.

    The scope includes facility buildings, utility networks, car parks and access roads, as well as provisions for additional expansions to meet future subsystem requirements.

    The new airport is expected to meet the projected increase in demand by 2055 and contribute to the economic development of the city of Taif and its surrounding areas, in line with the kingdom’s National Aviation Strategy.

    It is also expected to meet the needs of Umrah pilgrims, as an alternative within the region’s multi-airport system, which includes King Abdulaziz airport in Jeddah, Prince Mohammed Bin Abdulaziz airport in Medina and Prince Abdulmohsen Bin Abdulaziz airport in Yanbu.

    Previous tenders

    The Taif, Hail and Qassim airport schemes were previously tendered and awarded as public-private partnership (PPP) projects using the build-transfer-operate (BTO) model.

    Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation (Gaca) awarded the contracts to develop four airport PPP projects to two separate consortiums in 2017.

    A team of Turkiye’s TAV Airports and the local Al-Rajhi Holding Group won the 30-year concession agreement to build, transfer and operate airport passenger terminals in Yanbu, Qassim and Hail.

    A second team, comprising Lebanon’s Consolidated Contractors Company, Germany’s Munich Airport International and local firm Asyad Group, won the BTO contract to develop Taif International airport.

    However, these projects stalled following the restructuring of the kingdom’s aviation sector.

    Saudi Arabia has already privatised airports including the $1.2bn Prince Mohammed Bin Abdulaziz International airport in Medina, which was developed as a PPP and opened in 2015.

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/19433451/main.jpg
    Yasir Iqbal
  • Dubai sets October deadline for metro Gold Line

    7 September 2026

     

    Dubai’s Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) has set a deadline of 9 October for contractors to submit their prequalification statements for a contract to build the new Gold Line as part of the Dubai Metro network’s expansion.

    The previous deadline was 7 September.

    The RTA issued the request for qualification notice for the project in June, with an initial submission deadline of 17 August, as MEED exclusively reported.

    The prequalification notice followed the RTA’s invitation to contractors to express interest in building the new Gold Line in May.

    Dubai officially announced the launch of the new Gold Line in April.

    In a post on social media site X, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, said the project will cost about AED34bn ($9.2bn).

    The Gold Line will increase Dubai Metro network’s total length by 35%.

    The project is scheduled for completion in September 2032.

    The Gold Line will be a fully underground network covering more than 42 kilometres, with 18 stations.

    It will pass through 15 areas in Dubai, benefiting 1.5 million residents.

    The project is expected to provide connectivity to over 55 under-construction real estate development projects.

    The Gold Line will start at Al-Ghubaiba in Bur Dubai and end at Jumeirah Golf Estates.

    It will connect to Dubai Metro’s existing Red and Green lines and integrate with the Etihad Rail passenger line.

    The contractor will be responsible for the design and build of all civil works, electromechanical equipment, rolling stock and rail systems.

    The selected contractor will also be required to assist in the systems maintenance and operations during an initial three-year period.

    In October last year, MEED exclusively reported that the RTA had selected US-based engineering firm Aecom to provide consultancy services for the Dubai Metro Gold Line project.

    Stage one covers concept design, stage two covers preliminary design, stage three covers the preparation of tender documents, stage four encompasses construction supervision, and stage five covers the defects and liability period.

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/19433246/main.png
    Yasir Iqbal
  • Oman power firms move closer to merger

    7 September 2026

    Oman’s Financial Services Authority has given in-principle approval for the proposed merger of Al-Suwadi Power Company and Al-Batinah Power Company.

    In a disclosure to the Muscat Stock Exchange on 6 September, Al-Suwadi said the proposed merger remains subject to legal and regulatory requirements as well as approvals from relevant lenders and shareholders of both companies.

    Al-Suwadi and Al-Batinah are independent power producers (IPPs) that operate two major gas-fired power plants in Oman. Al-Suwadi operates the 750MW Barka 3 IPP, while Al-Batinah operates the 750MW Sohar 2 IPP.

    The two companies began assessing a potential merger in May. Al-Suwadi said the companies have similar assets, business operations and founders.

    The companies recently secured new 15-year power purchase agreements (PPAs) with Nama Power & Water Procurement Company for Barka 3 and Sohar 2.

    The new PPAs will take effect on 1 April 2028 and run until 31 March 2043. They will allow the two plants to continue supplying electricity under long-term contracts after their existing PPAs expire.

    Al-Suwadi said in May that potential cost savings from a merger had been taken into account when the new PPAs were negotiated.

    The company has also started assessing potential refinancing options for its existing financing arrangements, as well as funding requirements for capital expenditure during the new PPA period.

    The refinancing assessment remains at an early stage. Any refinancing would be subject to approvals from the relevant regulatory authorities, existing lenders and Al-Suwadi’s board of directors.

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/19433240/main.jpg
    Mark Dowdall
  • Red Sea utilities project reaches commercial operation

    7 September 2026

    The utilities system serving Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea tourism destination has reached commercial operation, marking the start of a 25-year concession for one of the world’s largest integrated off-grid utilities projects.

    The Project Commercial Operation Date was signed by Marafiq Red Sea for Energy Company, the Acwa-led project company, and The Red Sea Utilities Company, a subsidiary of Red Sea Global.

    The milestone brings into commercial service an integrated system covering power, potable water, wastewater treatment, district cooling and waste management. The system operates without a connection to Saudi Arabia’s national grid and is powered by renewable energy.

    The project, known as the Marafiq Red Sea Project or Red Sea Utilities Multi-Utilities Project, combines 340MWac of solar photovoltaic capacity with a 1,227MWh battery energy storage system. Acwa describes the battery facility as the world’s largest off-grid battery installation.

    The system currently supplies Red Sea Global’s operational hotels, Red Sea International airport, logistics hub, electric fleet, staff village and community facilities.

    The solar and battery system has been sized to meet the destination’s initial energy demand and can generate up to 760,000MWh of clean electricity a year. At full capacity, it is expected to avoid about 600,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions annually.

    The utilities scope also includes three seawater reverse osmosis plants, a sewage treatment plant (STP), a waste management centre and 32,500 refrigeration tonnes of district cooling capacity.

    The STP has a treatment capacity of 16,000 cubic metres a day. Treated wastewater will be used for irrigation and to support wetland habitats at the destination.

    The integrated system has been designed to expand as further phases of The Red Sea destination come online.

    As MEED previously reported, financial close was reached in February 2022, with about $1.33bn of senior debt facilities and total investment of about $1.84bn.

    The consortium comprises Acwa, China’s SPIC Huanghe Hydropower and Saudi Tabreed. Marafiq holds the 25-year utilities concession.

    Sepco 3, the Shandong Tiejun consortium, was the engineering, procurement and construction contractor. Acwa Operations is responsible for operating and maintaining the utilities system under a long-term agreement aligned with the concession period.

    The project is the first gigaproject in Saudi Arabia to bring its complete utility systems into commercial operation powered solely by renewable energy, Acwa said.

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/19432588/main.jpg
    Mark Dowdall