meed-logo

line1 line2 line3
SIGN IN / REGISTER

New Murabba begins Mukaab prequalification

13 February 2024

 

Register for MEED's guest programme 

Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF)-backed New Murabba Development Company (NMDC) has issued a notice to contractors inviting them to prequalify for a contract to build the Mukaab, a centrepiece of the New Murabba development in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The prequalification notice was issued in January and the last date for submission is 14 February.

The Mukaab will encompass a tower with an internal diameter of 330 metres on top of a spiral base, four towers at each corner of the cube, a structural dome supporting the roof and a three-level basement.

Outside the Mukaab building are four quadrants incorporating the low-rise wadi podiums and associated infrastructure works.

The Mukaab structure and the surrounding podium areas, referred to as the Mukaab District, feature about 1.7 million square metres of floor space designated for hospitality. There will be commercial spaces and cultural and tourist attractions, along with residential and hotel units and recreational facilities.

The Najdi-inspired landmark will be one of the largest buildings in the world at 400 metres high, 400 metres wide and 400 metres long.

In December, MEED reported that NMDC had signed major agreements with international firms for consultancy and related services for the New Murabba downtown development project.

NMDC appointed Canada-headquartered AtkinsRealis to design the New Murabba masterplan, which includes the cube-shaped Mukaab building. 

The client also signed an agreement with US-based engineering consultancy Aecom to provide project management services for all buildings at New Murabba except the Mukaab.

NMDC appointed Turner Arabia to provide project management consultancy services for the Mukaab in September.

In August, US-based Bechtel and NMDC signed an agreement covering the project management services for the New Murabba masterplan and site-wide infrastructure.

Early works contracts

In September, NMDC appointed China Harbour Engineering Company for the first phase of construction of the Mukaab. The first phase includes excavation, backfilling and ground improvement for the Mukaab structure and surrounding areas.

The same month, NMDC awarded a contract to set up the temporary site offices at the New Murabba site to the local contractor Saudi Real Estate Infrastructure Company (Binyah).

NMDC also awarded two contracts for some of the early works packages at the New Murabba in July.

The contract awards include a site clearance package awarded to local contractor Al Ostool Al Aali, and a fencing, hoarding and finishing works package awarded to Binyah.

Downtown development

Overall, the New Murabba development will total more than 25 million square metres of floor area and feature more than 104,000 residential units, 9,000 hotel rooms and over 980,000 sq m of retail space.

The scheme will include 1.4 million sq m of office space, 620,000 sq m of leisure facilities and 1.8 million square metres of space dedicated to community facilities.

The new project will be developed around the concept of sustainability and include green areas and walking and cycling paths to promote healthy, active lifestyles and community activities.

The living, working and entertainment facilities will be created around a 15-minute walking radius. The area will use an internal transport system and will be about a 20-minute drive from the airport.

The downtown area will feature a museum, a technology and design university, an immersive, multipurpose theatre, and more than 80 entertainment and cultural venues.

Saudi Arabia Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman Al Saud launched NMDC in February last year to develop the project.

https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/11511700/main.jpg
Yasir Iqbal

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

Click here to register
Exclusive from Meed
Related Articles
  • Saudi Arabia evaluates 2GW energy storage bids

    23 October 2024

    National Grid Saudi Arabia, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Saudi Electricity Company (SEC), is evaluating bids for the contract or contracts to supply battery energy storage systems (bess) with a total combined capacity of up to 2,500MW.

    According to a source familiar with the project, the SEC entity solicited bids directly from equipment manufacturers, which include China's Sungrow, Hithium and Huawei Technologies, among others, to supply batteries, which will be installed by an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor.

    It is understood that SEC has tendered the  EPC package or packages separately.

    MEED previously reported that the planned facilities, each with a capacity of 500MW or roughly 2,000 megawatt-hours, are located in or within the proximity of the following key cities and load centres:

    • Riyadh
    • Qaisumah
    • Dawadmi
    • Al-Jouf
    • Rabigh

    The main applications for the planned bess facilities include load shifting, black start, frequency regulation and voltage support.

    They are envisaged to replace part load operation of existing power plants by charging and discharging electricity according to the system load variations and primary and secondary reserves, among other potential applications.

    In August, National Grid SA awarded the EPC contracts for three energy storage systems to Riyadh-based investment group Algihaz Holding.

    The projects are located in Najran, Madaya and Khamis Mushait.

    According to an industry source, the contracts are valued at more than $800m.

    Surging growth

    The overall capacity of deployed battery energy storage systems globally is expected to reach 127GW by 2027, up from an estimated cumulative deployment of 36.7GW at the end of 2023, according to GlobalData.

    The global information services provider cited Chinese companies BYD and CATL and South Korean companies LG Energy Solutions and Samsung SDI among the top battery technology providers globally.

    Carmakers Tesla, Volkswagen, Stellantis, General Motors, Mitsubishi Motors and Hyundai were identified as the key end markets for battery products so far.

    GlobalData expects battery energy storage deployment to increase "due to a large number of countries opting for battery storage systems to enhance their power sector transformation".

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/12779739/main.gif
    Jennifer Aguinaldo
  • Saudi Arabia receives 4.5GW solar and wind prequalifications

    22 October 2024

     

    On 22 October, utility and renewable energy developers submitted their statements of qualifications (SOQs) for the contracts to develop five renewable energy independent power projects (IPPs) in Saudi Arabia.

    Saudi Arabia's principal buyer, Saudi Power Procurement Company (SPPC), issued the prequalification request for the IPPs making up the sixth round of the kingdom's National Renewable Energy Programme (NREP) on 29 September.

    Firms that are understood to have submitted SOQs include international developers such as Japan's Marubeni and Jera; France's EDF Renewables, Engie and TotalEnergies Renewables; as well as Chinese and local utility developers.

    The projects, comprising four solar photovoltaic (PV) IPPs and one wind IPP, will have a total combined capacity of 4,500MW.

    The following schemes comprise the NREP's sixth round:

    • 1,500MW Dawadmi wind IPP (Riyadh)
    • 1,400MW Najran solar PV IPP (Najran)
    • 600MW Samtah solar PV IPP (Jizan)
    • 600MW Al-Darb solar PV IPP (Jizan)
    • 400MW Al-Sufun solar PV IPP (Hail)

    SPPC is responsible for the pre-development, tendering and subsequent offtaking of the energy from the projects.

    US/India-based Synergy Consulting is providing financial advisory services to SPPC for the NREP sixth-round tender. Germany's Fichtner Consulting and US-headquartered CMS are providing technical and legal consultancy services, respectively.

    SPPC revealed the following lowest and second-lowest bidders for the contracts to develop four solar PV projects under the fourth round of the NREP on 21 October.

    2,000MW Al-Sadawi solar IPP (Eastern Province)

    • L1: Abu Dhabi Future Energy (UAE)/Korea Electric Power Corporation (Kepco, South Korea)/GD Power Development (China): $c1.29 a kilowatt-hour (kWh)
    • L2: SPIC Huanghe Hydropower Development (China)/EDF Renewables (France): $c1.31/kWh

    Al-Masaa solar IPP (Hail): 1,000MW

    • L1: SPIC/EDF Renewables (France): $c1.36/kWh
    • L2: AlJomaih Energy & Water (local) / TotalEnergies Renewables (France): $c1.40/kWh

    Al-Hinakiyah 2 solar IPP (Medina): 400MW

    • L1: SPIC/EDF: $c1.51/kWh
    • L2: Masdar/Kepco/Nesma: $c1.57/kWh

    Rabigh 2 solar IPP (Mecca): 300MW

    • L1: AlJomaih Energy & Water / TotalEnergies Renewables: $c1.78/kWh
    • L2: Masdar/Kepco/Nesma: $c1.89/kWh

    MEED previously reported that SPPC plans to award the NREP round-five contract before the end of the year.

    Photo: Pixabay

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/12774001/main0411.jpg
    Jennifer Aguinaldo
  • Oman awards $186.5m sewer network packages

    22 October 2024

    Oman's Nama Water Services has awarded several contracts with a total combined value of $186.5m for the construction and development of packages of a sewer network catering to Muscat.

    The B7A contract to build a sewer network comprising a main trunk sewer and pumping station in South Azaibah in the Muscat Governate has been awarded to the local United Gulf Construction Company, which offered to build the project for $54.5m.

    Nama Water Services tendered the contract in September last year. In addition to the supply and installation of pumping stations, the scope includes the construction of a 3.5-kilometre (km) gravity sewer network and property and house connection chambers.

    Nama Water Services awarded a second contract – C13 Package C4 – worth $30m to the local firm Target. The main scope includes the construction of a 16km gravity sewer network with diameters ranging from 200 millimetres (mm) to 600mm in Oman's Seeb catchment. It also includes the construction of about 265 gravity sewer manholes.

    Cairo-headquartered Arab Contractors won a $35m contract to construct a sewer network at the C5A and C5B areas in the Aseeb catchment in Muscat.

    C5A involves the construction of a 35km gravity sewer network with diametres of 200mm-900mm and 420 gravity sewer manholes. 

    C5B entails the construction of a 32km gravity sewer network with similar diametres to C5A, and a further 375 sewer manholes.

    Nama Water Services awarded a fourth contract to Target. Valued at $67m, it involves the construction of sewer network B7D, as part of the Bausher sewer infrastructure at Al-Ansab in Oman.

    The main project scope involves the construction of a 75km gravity sewer network, 103km of property and house connection chambers and a pump station.

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/12772678/main.jpg
    Jennifer Aguinaldo
  • Team offers $c1.29/kWh for 2GW Sadawi solar IPP project

    21 October 2024

    A developer team that includes UAE-based Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar) has submitted the lowest bid for a contract to develop the 2,000MW Al-Sadawi solar independent power project (IPP) in Saudi Arabia.

    The consortium, which includes South Korea's Korea Electric Power Corporation (Kepco) and China's GD Power Development, submitted a levelised cost of electricity of hals 4.847 ($c1.29) a kilowatt-hour (kWh) for the contract to develop the scheme, which is located in the Eastern Province.

    The second-lowest bidder is a team that includes China's SPIC Huanghe Hydropower Development and France's EDF Renewables, which offered to develop the project for $c1.31/kWh.

    Saudi Power Procurement Company (SPPC) received six proposals from companies for the contracts to develop and operate four solar photovoltaic (PV) IPP projects in Saudi Arabia in August.

    The projects, which have a total combined capacity of 3,700MW, are being tendered under the fifth procurement round of the kingdom's National Renewable Energy Programme (NREP).

    According to SPPC, the lowest and second-lowest bidders in the remaining schemes under round five of the NREP are:

    Al-Masaa solar IPP (Hail): 1,000MW

    • L1: SPIC/EDF Renewables (France): $c1.36/kWh
    • L2: AlJomaih Energy & Water (local) / TotalEnergies Renewables (France): $c1.40/kWh

    Al-Hinakiyah 2 solar IPP (Medina): 400MW

    • L1: SPIC/EDF: $c1.51/kWh
    • L2: Masdar/Kepco/Nesma:  $c1.57/kWh

    Rabigh 2 solar IPP (Mecca): 300MW

    • L1: AlJomaih Energy & Water / TotalEnergies Renewables: $c1.78/kWh
    • L2: Masdar/Kepco/Nesma: $c1.89/kWh

    Saudi utility developer Acwa Power is not among the 23 companies that were prequalified to bid for the fifth round of NREP projects.

    US/India-based Synergy Consulting is providing financial advisory services to SPPC for the NREP fifth-round tender. Germany's Fichtner Consulting is providing technical consultancy services.

    The round five solar PV IPPs take the total capacity of publicly tendered renewable energy projects in Saudi Arabia to over 10,300MW. Solar PV IPPs account for 79%, or about 8,100MW, of the total capacity.

    Four wind IPPs, one of which has yet to be awarded, account for the remaining capacity.

    SPPC is procuring 30% of the kingdom's target renewable energy by 2030. Saudi sovereign wealth vehicle the Public Investment Fund (PIF) is procuring the rest through the Price Discovery Scheme. The PIF has appointed Acwa Power, which it partly owns, as principal partner for these projects.

    The Saudi Energy Ministry recently said that the kingdom plans to procure 20,000MW of renewable energy capacity annually, starting this year and until 2030.

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/12768211/main.jpg
    Jennifer Aguinaldo
  • Ashghal tenders sewerage works

    21 October 2024

    Qatar’s Public Works Authority (Ashghal) has issued a tender for the construction of the remaining works for two packages of the Al-Kheesa foul sewer network.

    According to Ashghal's website, the project packages are called C2018/7 and C2017/118.

    It issued the tender on 9 October and expects to receive bids by 10 November. Asghal set the bid bond for the contract at QR1.7m ($467,000).

    MEED understands the project is located in the Al-Wajba area and is expected to be awarded in March 2025.

    It is one of the most recent infrastructure packages tendered by the authority, which oversaw the multibillion-dollar Local Roads and Drainage Programme (LRDP) in the run-up to the state's hosting of the Fifa World Cup in 2022.

    LRDP includes more than 200 road and drainage schemes worth an estimated QR53.2bn ($14.6bn).

    In September, Ashghal issued a tender for the construction of a road network in the Izghawa and Al-Themaid areas in the northwest of Doha.

    The project involves the construction of a single- and dual-carriageway road network in the area. The overall project is being procured in two work packages.

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/12767589/main1835.jpg
    Jennifer Aguinaldo