meed-logo

line1 line2 line3
SIGN IN / REGISTER

PPP offers budget and efficiency routes

7 May 2024

 

The procurement of the multi-utility packages for the Red Sea and Amaala developments, as well as for the staff accommodation packages at Neom, used a public-private partnership (PPP) model, opening up an alternative route for Saudi Arabia to finance and ensure the efficiency of its gigaprojects.

In the case of the Red Sea and Amaala schemes, bundling the utility elements of these greenfield projects – including renewable energy generation, cooling, water desalination and treatment and waste recycling – makes sense for both the procuring entity and the utility developers and investors.

Instead of dealing with several developers or suppliers, the client – which does not necessarily specialise in providing utility services – only has to deal with the selected developer, which then manages the contractors and operations and maintenance companies.

Complex infrastructure takes a long time to procure. This is a fact, particularly when quality is a focal point"

Cost and operational efficiencies are also incentives, given that each component of the project is relatively small and may require a bigger budget if they were to be procured as separate contracts.

PPPs serve both as a solution and challenge to perceived budget and liquidity issues that are facing the official gigaprojects as they enter the execution phase, not to mention their tight delivery timelines.

Neom, for instance, is pursuing both PPP and conventional procurement models for the renewable energy and water desalination facilities it requires for the SR1.9tn ($500bn) development.

“Complex infrastructure takes a long time to procure. This is a fact, particularly when quality is a focal point," note Jason Gouveia and Joanna McGuire, senior associates at UK-headquartered legal consultancy Ashurst. 

"There will, therefore, always exist a natural tension between urgency and procurement duration in the context of PPP deals, and it is important to keep a tight handle on the efficiency of the procurement process.”

This requires procurers and their advisers to carry out feasibility assessments before going to market, and to address any issues that bidders and their lenders are likely to raise as part of their due diligence on a PPP project, they add.

The kingdom's gigaprojects are contending with 200 other infrastructure schemes that are being planned by various ministries through the National Centre for Privatisation & PPP (NCP), the state PPP procuring authority.

Among the schemes in the NCP’s pipeline are airports, seaports, roads and healthcare facilities, which all cater to Saudi Arabia’s growing infrastructure needs as the population and economy expand.

This pipeline will only grow, as it is anticipated that the procurement models for some aspects of the gigaprojects will be changed in response to budgetary cuts, and more lenient execution timelines may also be adopted, potentially extending the deadlines from 2030 to 2040.

Liquidity squeeze

Some experts cite the overall liquidity of local banks and the willingness of international lenders to participate in future projects in response to the growing PPP pipeline.

“The liquidity levels of local banks are not readily ascertainable. However, given the rate of progress on projects within the kingdom, which assumes committed financing is in place, it seems that local banks, together with the support of their international counterparts and institutional investors, are able to meet the liquidity demands of projects,” say Gouveia and McGuire.

The pair adds that an efficient, robust and safe monetary policy is key to attracting international banks to the Saudi PPP market.

“On the projects we are advising on, international lenders and development investment funds are a common feature, as the international lending market seeks to diversify their books of debt.

“Depending on the complexity and capital intensity of a PPP project, there may be no other option but for the lending market to be a syndication of local and international lenders, to ensure that capital requirements are met.”

Lenders are also most likely to target the more lucrative projects – such as the gigaprojects and those schemes initiated by the Saudi sovereign wealth vehicle, the Public Investment Fund (PIF) – over others in the PPP ecosystem.

“Given that the capacity of the market is naturally limited in terms of resourcing, there is a potential danger that the NCP's PPP programme may find itself suffering in comparison to those other market segments,” the two lawyers warn.

A senior PPP transaction expert does not entirely agree, noting that PPPs account for only a small percentage of the pipeline of gigaprojects.

The impact of the budget shift and the scope for the gigaprojects to move parts of their projects to a PPP model remains limited.

He agrees, however, that developers do tend to prefer to be associated with the gigaprojects over the NCP projects.

Within the gigaprojects sphere, concerns about who ultimately bears the payment risk in a PPP project become relevant. Ashurst’s Gouveia and McGuire say it is always preferable for the entity with the greater financial wherewithal to bear the burden of payment.

"Often, there may be certain governmental-level letters of comfort or support provided by the finance ministry that are added as a supplementary means of payment protections and credit support," they explain.

MEED's April 2024 special report on Saudi Arabia includes:

> GVT & ECONOMY: Saudi Arabia seeks diversification amid regional tensions
> BANKING: Saudi lenders gear up for corporate growth
> UPSTREAM: Aramco spending drawdown to jolt oil projects
> DOWNSTREAM: Master Gas System spending stimulates Saudi downstream sector
> POWER: Riyadh to sustain power spending
> WATER: Growth inevitable for the Saudi water sector
> CONSTRUCTION: Saudi gigaprojects propel construction sector
> TRANSPORT: Saudi Arabia’s transport sector offers prospects

 

https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/11734003/main0304.jpg
Jennifer Aguinaldo

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

Click here to register
Exclusive from Meed
Related Articles
  • Solar deals signal Saudi Arabia’s energy ambitions

    13 February 2026

    Commentary
    Mark Dowdall
    Power & water editor

    Saudi Arabia’s recent agreement to build $2bn-worth of solar power plants in Turkiye is the latest sign that the kingdom’s energy influence is changing.

    Historically, this was measured in oil barrels and export volumes. Increasingly, this is extending to capital, structuring expertise and the ability to deliver record-low tariffs in competitive markets.

    Announcing the deal, Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said tariffs for the plants would be the country’s lowest on record, with electricity purchased under 25-year power purchase agreements.

    It followed another announcement, in January, that Acwa is investing $200m to build a large-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) plant in the Philippines.

    Whether Saudi-backed companies ultimately retain long-term stakes or primarily develop and build the assets, their role at the front end is significant.

    Sponsors that bring sovereign backing, clear procurement processes and access to low-cost financing can influence tariffs and contract terms from the outset.

    There is also a geopolitical layer. Investing in Turkiye, or anywhere for that matter, strengthens political and economic ties at a time when regional alignments are shifting.

    Energy infrastructure is also long-term by its nature. It connects ministries, regulators, lenders and operators in relationships that often extend well beyond a single transaction.

    Saudi Arabia has spent the past few years refining its approach to pricing, structuring and financing large-scale renewables at home.

    Exporting that expertise may not rival oil in scale or visibility, but it does signal that Saudi Arabia is becoming more than just an energy supplier.

    Increasingly, it is becoming a participant in how other countries design and finance their energy transitions. That influence is still significant.

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/15645903/main.jpg
    Mark Dowdall
  • Saudi Arabia appoints new investment minister

    13 February 2026

    Register for MEED’s 14-day trial access 

    King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud has made a series of senior government changes, including Khalid Al-Falih leaving his role as investment minister to become minister of state and a member of the cabinet.

    Al-Falih has been replaced by Fahad Al-Saif as investment minister. Al-Saif has been head of the Investment Strategy and Economic Insights Division at the Public Investment Fund (PIF) since 2024. That role involved formulating PIF’s long-term investment strategy. He has also served as head of the Global Capital Finance Division, a role he has held since joining PIF in 2021.

    The change of investment minister comes at a time when securing investments has become a key priority for Saudi Arabia as it prepares to hand over more projects to the private sector for delivery.

    King Salman also named Abdullah Al-Maghlouth as vice-minister of media and Abdulmohsen Al-Mazyad as vice-minister of tourism. Khalid Al-Yousef was named attorney general, and Sheikh Ali Al-Ahaideb will serve as president of the Board of Grievances.

    Faihan Al-Sahli was selected as director general of the General Directorate of Investigation, while Abdulaziz Al-Arifi was chosen to lead the National Development Fund. Haytham Al-Ohali will head the Communications, Space and Technology Commission, and Fawaz Al-Sahli will chair the Transport General Authority.

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/15645415/main.gif
    Colin Foreman
  • Indian firm wins major Oman substation contract

    12 February 2026

     

    India’s Larsen & Toubro has won a contract to build the Majan 400/220/132kV grid station in Oman.

    Estimated to cost $100m, the project includes an associated 400kV line-in line-out underground cable from Sohar Free Zone to the Sohar Interconnector Station.

    The contract was awarded by Oman Electricity Transmission Company (OETC), part of the government-owned Nama Group.

    The grid station will comprise eight 400kV gas-insulated switchgear (GIS) bays, eight 220kV GIS bays and 10 132kV GIS bays at the new Sohar Free Zone substation.

    The scope includes the installation of two 500MVA, 400/220kV transformers and two 500MVA, 220/132kV transformers.

    Local firm Monenco Consulting Engineers was appointed in April last year to provide design and supervision services for the project.

    As MEED exclusively revealed, the main contract was tendered in June, as part of three significant contracts to build new substations in the sultanate.

    The second contract, worth about $35m, covers the construction of the Sultan Haitham City 132/33kV grid station and associated 132kV line-in line-out underground cables running 4 kilometres from Mabella to Mabella Industrial Zone.

    The third contract, valued at about $100m, covers the construction of the Surab 400/33kV grid station and an associated 400kV line-in line-out cable from the Duqm grid station to the Mahout grid station. 

    Local firms Muscat Engineering Consulting and Hamed Engineering Services are consultants for the Sultan Haitham City and Surab projects, respectively.

    The two remaining contracts are currently under bid evaluation, with awards expected this quarter.

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/15638107/main.jpg
    Mark Dowdall
  • Developers appoint contractor for $500m wastewater treatment project

    12 February 2026

     

    Register for MEED’s 14-day trial access 

    Egypt’s Orascom Construction has won the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract for a major wastewater treatment project in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province.

    A consortium of Saudi utilities provider Marafiq, the regional business of France’s Veolia and Bahrain/Saudi Arabia-based Lamar Holding is developing the $500m (SR1.875bn) industrial wastewater treatment plant (IWWTP) in Jubail Industrial City 2.

    Sources close to the project confirmed the appointment to MEED, adding that the project has now entered the construction phase.

    Industry sources also said that financial close on the project is expected to be reached in the coming days.

    In September, the developer consortium was awarded a contract, under a 30-year concession agreement, by Saudi Aramco Total Refining & Petrochemical Company (Satorp), a joint venture of Saudi Aramco and France’s TotalEnergies.

    The planned facility will treat and recycle wastewater from Satorp’s under-construction Amiral chemical derivatives complex, also in Jubail.

    Marafiq, formally Power & Water Utility Company for Jubail and Yanbu, will own a 40% stake in the dedicated project company. Veolia Middle East SAS will hold a 35% stake, and Lamar Holding’s Lamar Arabia for Energy will hold the other 25%.

    The planned IWWTP, which will primarily serve the $11bn sprawling Amiral chemicals zone, will implement advanced water treatment and recovery technologies to process complex industrial effluents, including spent caustic streams. Treated water will be reintegrated into the industrial processes, supporting closed-loop reuse and energy efficiency.

    The project follows a concession-style model, akin to a public-private partnership (PPP), where the developer consortium invests in, builds and operates the wastewater plant over a 30-year period, with returns linked to service delivery.

    Marafiq has been involved in several similar projects across Saudi Arabia, including as the sole owner of the Jubail industrial water treatment plant (IWTP8), which treats complex industrial effluents for petrochemical and heavy industrial companies.

    In 2020, Saudi Services for Electro Mechanic Works was awarded the $202m main contract for the fourth expansion phase of IWTP8. Construction works on the project are expected to be completed by the end of the quarter.

    READ THE FEBRUARY 2026 MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – click here to view PDF

    Spending on oil and gas production surges; Doha’s efforts support extraordinary growth in 2026; Water sector regains momentum in 2025.

    Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the February 2026 edition of MEED Business Review includes:
    To see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click here
    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/15637523/main.jpg
    Mark Dowdall
  • Dewa raises Empower stake in $1.41bn deal

    12 February 2026

    Dubai Electricity & Water Authority (Dewa) has announced it has increased its stake in Emirates Central Cooling Systems Corporation (Empower) from 56% to 80%.

    The transaction was completed through the purchase of 2.4 billion shares and the transfer of the entire ownership of Emirates Power Investment (EPI), which is wholly owned by Dubai Holding.

    The total value of the deal is AED5.184bn ($1.41bn).

    Empower currently holds over 80% of Dubai’s district cooling market and operates 88 district cooling plants across the emirate.

    According to MEED Projects, the UAE’s district cooling sector currently has nine projects worth $1.29bn in the pre-execution phase.

    Empower has ownership in four of these projects, which have a combined value of $472m.

    This includes a $200 million district cooling plant at Dubai Science Park, with a total capacity of 47,000 refrigeration tonnes serving 80 buildings.

    Empower signed a contract to design the plant last August, with construction scheduled to begin by the end of the first quarter of 2026.

    The utility is also building a district cooling plant at Dubai Internet City.

    UAE-based TMF Euro Foundations was recently appointed as the enabling and piling subcontractor for the project.

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/15635949/main.jpg
    Mark Dowdall