meed-logo

line1 line2 line3
SIGN IN / REGISTER

Oman construction is back on track

19 December 2023

MEED's January 2024 special report on Oman includes:

> COMMENT: Muscat needs to stimulate growth
> GOVERNMENT & ECONOMY: Muscat performs tricky budget balancing act
> BANKS: Omani banks look to projects for growth
> OIL & GAS: Oman diversifies hydrocarbons value chain
> POWER & WATER: Oman expands grid connectivity
> HYDROGEN: Oman seeks early hydrogen success 
> CONSTRUCTION: Oman construction is back on track

 

In November, Oman restarted its plans to build the long-stalled Blue City project. The revival of the scheme, which was first launched in 2005, is the latest sign of the improving market conditions in the sultanate.

The country has shown resilience, with an increase of 17.4 per cent in real estate trading in the first two months of 2023 compared to the same period in 2022.

Factors such as the easing of global travel restrictions and the economic rebound following the Covid-19 pandemic have stimulated demand for residential and commercial properties.

The improving market conditions have prompted the government to push forward with other schemes as well.

In November, Oman’s Housing & Urban Planning Ministry issued tenders for Sultan Haitham City, a 14.8 square-kilometre mixed-use smart city project located in Muscat. The ministry issued a tender inviting companies to bid for contracts covering the construction consulting services and the enabling works packages.

In January 2023, the ministry also signed agreements to develop the $415m Surouh integrated mixed-use projects at Al-Amerat in Muscat and Halban in South Al-Batinah Governorate. Bids were received for project management consultancy services in October.

Elsewhere, the sultanate's cultural complex project was revived after almost a decade when Oman’s Culture, Sports & Youth Ministry awarded an estimated $384m design-and-build contract to a joint venture of the local Saif Salim Issa al-Harrasi and Turkiye’s Sembol Construction.

Oman’s Finance Ministry is also preparing to develop schools using a public-private partnership (PPP) model. Bid clarification is under way for the contract to develop 42 schools, for which the ministry received three bids earlier in 2023.

Planned pipeline

The pipeline of planned and unawarded projects in Oman’s construction sector is valued at more than $33bn, making it the second-largest sector in Oman. Of this total, $25bn-worth of the projects are for mixed-use schemes, $3.8bn are in the hospitality sector and $2bn are for residential developments.

The pipeline consists of $4.9bn-worth of projects in the bidding stage, $20bn in the design or front-end engineering and design (feed) phase, and just over $8bn under study.

The sultanate’s 10th five-year plan gives priority to construction development by ensuring optimal resource use and investment opportunities throughout the various governorates.

Transport schemes

In an effort to diversify its economy and grow the tourism sector, Oman has been investing heavily in upgrading its transportation infrastructure. Several projects to facilitate the movement of people and goods around the country are under way.

The Oman-Etihad Railway Company has qualified firms to bid for the three civil works packages of its rail project linking Oman and the UAE.

Plans are also in the study phase for a railway link between Oman and Saudi Arabia. If constructed, the line will stretch from the southeastern coast of Oman, through the city of Ibri and then on to Riyadh.

Oman also tendered a pre-feasibility consultancy services contract for the first phase of its planned Muscat Metro network at the end of January 2023. The move added further weight to the expectation that major new rail projects will progress in the sultanate and the rest of the region in the next decade.

Ports are also being expanded to support the growth of Oman’s industrial base. In October, contractors submitted bids for the Masirah multipurpose port in the wilayah of Masirah in Al-Sharqiyah South Governorate.

Contractors are also preparing bids for the contract to develop the Mahout fishery harbour in Oman's Al-Wusta Governorate.

Other major transport PPP projects planned in Oman include developing a seaport in Musunah, the Sohar Port expansion and the Salalah-Thumrait truck road (STTR).

In August, Oman’s Finance Ministry, together with the Transport, Communications & Information Technology Ministry, shortlisted five prequalified teams to compete for the STTR project. The scheme is the first of its kind to be developed under a PPP model in Oman.

The Transport, Communications & Information Technology Ministry also received proposals from bidders for packages three, four and five of the Adam-Thumrait road dualisation project. The scheme was retendered in 2023 after having been cancelled in 2019.

In 2020, Oman announced its National Aviation Strategy 2030 to attract an investment of $3.6bn in airport cities. The country plans to expand its aviation infrastructure and open the sector to private international investors by granting concessions for managing and operating local airports and aviation-related services.

In March, Oman’s Civil Aviation Authority invited international consultants to submit bids for the design and supervision of the proposed development of Musandam airport.

The pipeline of planned and unawarded projects in the transport sector is valued at $13.4bn, making it the third-biggest sector in Oman. Of this total, rail schemes account for $6bn, roads and utility networks comprise $4.5bn, and $1.6bn is for seaport projects. The pipeline consists of about $7.7bn-worth of projects in the bidding stage, $5.1bn under study and $500m in the design or feed phase.

https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/11354819/main.gif
Yasir Iqbal

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

Click here to register
Exclusive from Meed
Related Articles
  • Engie completes refinancing of Oman power plants

    5 November 2026

    French developer Engie has announced that it has reached financial close on the refinancing of the Sohar 2 and Barka 3 independent power projects (IPPs) in Oman.

    The transaction follows 15-year extensions to the plants’ power purchase agreements (PPAs) in March, securing their long-term operations through to 2043.

    As previously reported by MEED, the new agreements for the 750MW Sohar 2 and 750MW Barka 3 IPPs will take effect on 1 April 2028. 

    The refinancing aligns the projects’ debt profiles with the extended PPA terms and establishes a long-term financing framework to support future capital expenditure. This includes refurbishment works aimed at improving the reliability and long-term performance of both assets.

    Al-Batinah Power Company and Al-Suwadi Power Company operate the Sohar 2 and Barka 3 power plants, respectively.

    According to regional projects tracker MEED Projects, Nama PWP signed the original PPA for the Barka 3 project in 2010 with a consortium led by Gaz de France (GDF) Suez under a special purpose vehicle called Al-Suwadi Power Company.

    The shareholders comprised GDF Suez (46%), Bahwan Engineering Company (22%), Shikoku Electric Power Corporation (11%), Sojitz Corporation (11%)  and the Public Authority for Social Insurance (10%).

    In 2015, GDF Suez was rebranded as Engie following a strategic shift towards low-carbon energy and utilities.

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/21170932/main.jpg
    Mark Dowdall
  • Aramco seeks to expand East-West crude pipeline

    5 November 2026

    Saudi Aramco is planning to expand its East-West oil pipeline network, aiming to strengthen the kingdom’s ability to transport crude oil while bypassing the Strait of Hormuz.

    Aramco operates the 1,200-kilometre East-West pipeline from Abqaiq in the Eastern Province to Yanbu on the Red Sea coast. The pipeline currently has an oil transportation capacity of 7 million barrels a day (b/d).

    The pipeline was targeted by Houthi missiles in September and by Iran in April. Aramco resumed crude oil exports through the pipeline at the start of October.

    “With regard to the expansion to our East-West pipeline and the additional networks that we are building, this work has already started,” Amin Nasser, Aramco’s president and CEO, told analysts on a call following the company’s announcement of its Q3 2026 financial results on 3 November.

    Nasser had previously said in an interview with Al Arabiya Business that Aramco had begun engineering work on the East-West pipeline expansion project during the early stages of the US-Iran conflict.

    In October, Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz Bin Salman said that the kingdom was looking to expand its crude oil export capacity by pipeline to as much as 10 million b/d. The plans would involve repurposing a domestic gas pipeline and investing in the existing East-West pipeline network.

    Aramco uses three main routes to export crude oil: the Gulf, via the Strait of Hormuz; the Red Sea, via the Bab El-Mandeb strait; and the Mediterranean, via Sidi Kerir in Egypt. The company also uses overseas oil-storage facilities in South Korea, Japan, the Netherlands and Sidi Kerir, and is working with partners to expand storage capacity, particularly in Asia.

    Aramco is also undertaking engineering work on additional export routes, Nasser said.

    He added that the company would not disclose details of the proposed routes until it made final investment decisions.

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/21156806/main0615.jpg
    Indrajit Sen
  • SAR tenders railway track design framework

    5 November 2026

     

    Register for MEED’s 14-day trial access 

    Saudi Arabia Railways (SAR) has invited consultants to bid by 14 December for a framework agreement covering railway track design services.

    The state-owned operator is seeking to accelerate the delivery of smaller projects across its network.

    SAR has scheduled a pre-tender meeting for 12 November.

    Under the framework, SAR will appoint a panel of specialist consultants to carry out design work through work orders or task orders issued as required. This will remove the need for SAR to launch a separate tender for each project.

    SAR said a long-term contract with several specialist service providers would benefit all parties, particularly for smaller projects.

    SAR will detail the required works and communicate them to the selected consultants through each work order or task order.

    The scope covers engineering studies, as well as concept, preliminary and detailed design for railway infrastructure. Services will include surveys, alignment design, geotechnical assessments, cost estimation and construction support.

    Consultants will be expected to produce drawings, reports, risk registers, bills of quantities and other design documentation. All deliverables must comply with SAR standards for UIC 60 track systems and associated infrastructure.

    SAR said it is seeking partnerships with competent consultants to supply track and track infrastructure design services under the terms of the tender document.

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/21168500/main.jpg
    Yasir Iqbal
  • Aramco commissions Zuluf field oil increment project

    5 November 2026

    Saudi Aramco has announced the start of oil production at the Zuluf oil increment project in Saudi Arabia, on which it is estimated to have spent about $7bn in 2022.

    The Saudi energy company made the announcement as part of its third-quarter 2026 financial results, in which it reported adjusted net income of $31.2bn, up 9% year on year.

    The Zuluf oil increment project involved substantial onshore and offshore work at the field, located in the Gulf about 40 kilometres off Saudi Arabia’s northeastern coast.

    The engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) scope was divided into two onshore packages and five offshore packages.

    Aramco selected Japan’s JGC Holdings Corporation in May 2022 for the two main onshore packages of the Zuluf field development. Together, the packages were estimated to be worth up to $3.5bn.

    Package 1 was estimated to be the larger of the two onshore packages, with a contract value of about $2bn-$2.5bn. It covered EPC work to build hydrocarbon-processing facilities for the Zuluf development, principally an onshore gas-oil separation plant.

    Package 2 covered utilities and water-injection facilities and was estimated to be worth about $1bn.

    Before awarding the onshore contracts, Aramco had awarded more than $4bn of contracts across five main offshore engineering, procurement, construction and installation packages. The awards went to US-headquartered McDermott International; a consortium of India’s Larsen & Toubro Hydrocarbon Engineering and UK-headquartered Subsea7; and Abu Dhabi’s NMDC Energy, then known as National Petroleum Construction Company.

    Since the 2022 EPC awards, Aramco has invested further in maintaining and upgrading infrastructure at the Zuluf field. The work supports the company’s objective of maintaining its maximum sustained crude oil production capacity at 12 million barrels a day (b/d).

    Other upstream projects

    In its Q3 2026 results statement, Aramco also announced EPC progress on other key upstream oil and gas projects, including:

    Jafurah phase two – Aramco awarded 16 contracts, worth a combined total of about $12.4bn, on 30 June 2024 for the second expansion phase of the Jafurah unconventional gas development programme in the Eastern Province.

    The second phase aims to raise the field’s processing potential to up to 2 billion cubic feet a day (cf/d) of raw gas. The EPC scope of work includes constructing gas compression facilities and associated pipelines, and expanding the Jafurah gas plant, including the construction of gas processing trains, utilities, sulphur and export facilities, Aramco said in a statement.

    Fadhili gas plant expansion – Through the estimated $7.7bn project, Aramco aims to increase the Fadhili gas plant’s processing capacity from 2.5 billion cf/d to up to 4 billion cf/d. The expansion includes three new processing trains, each with a capacity of 500 million cf/d.

    Aramco awarded contracts for four main EPC packages of the Fadhili gas plant expansion project in April 2024 to South Korean contractors Samsung E&A and GS Engineering & Construction and Saudi contractor Nesma & Partners.

    Dammam development project – The project represents the second development phase of the Dammam field. Its objective is to install infrastructure, including pipelines, trunklines and pumps, to increase the field’s crude oil production capacity by 25,000 b/d and 50,000 b/d in separate phases.

    Al-Khobar-based Denys Arabia won the main EPC contract for the Dammam second field development phase in July 2024. The contract was estimated to be worth more than $500m.

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/21156386/main4222.jpeg
    Indrajit Sen
  • BP and PetroChina cut budgets for Iraq oil projects

    5 November 2026

     

    London-headquartered BP and PetroChina have agreed with Turkish contractor Tekfen to reduce the monthly allocated budgets for two upstream oil projects at the Rumaila field, according to industry sources.

    Rumaila Operating Organisation (ROO) operates the Rumaila field.

    ROO is a joint venture formed by state-owned Basra Oil Company; Iraq’s State Oil Marketing Organisation (Somo); and Basra Energy Company, a joint venture owned by UK-based oil company BP and PetroChina.

    PetroChina is the listed arm of state-owned China National Petroleum Corporation.

    As part of the agreement between ROO and Tekfen, progress on the projects will continue at a slower pace.

    The two projects are both also suffering from delays due to problems importing equipment through the Strait of Hormuz, sources said.

    One source said: “These projects are really barely alive. They are progressing very slowly after the monthly budgets were cut by the client. The project is still continuing, but at a slow pace. The budgets are very limited.”

    Sources said that although the monthly budget payments were reduced, they were still being made on time.

    Most of the problems that the projects at the oil field are facing are connected to the regional war, which started on 28 February when the US and Israel attacked Iran.

    One source said: “The budget issues and financial problems are significant. There are also security concerns connected to reported US plans for a potential strategic nuclear strike on Iran and how that might impact operations at the Rumaila field, which is only around 60 kilometres from the Iranian border.”

    The two projects have a combined value of less than $100m, and the project scopes include developing new facilities as well as upgrading and repairing existing upstream infrastructure.

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/21153848/main.jpg
    Wil Crisp