Riyadh begins preparations for Expo 2030 construction
16 May 2025
Saudi Arabia has begun talks with various stakeholders in preparation for the start of the construction works for the Riyadh Expo 2030 event.
MEED understands that several high-profile meetings with major firms have been conducted over the past few weeks to discuss the construction plans.
The discussions were understood to have been held with the Royal Commission for Riyadh City (RCRC) and the Public Investment Fund (PIF).
German architectural firm Lava Architects and US-based engineering firm Jacobs are assisting the clients with the project masterplan.
MEED reported in March that Saudi Arabia had submitted its official registration dossier for the World Expo 2030 Riyadh event to France’s Bureau International des Expositions (BIE).
According to an official statement published by the Saudi Press Agency: “The document includes a comprehensive plan covering all organisational, procedural and operational aspects, including the operational timeline; legislative, regulatory and financial procedures; the masterplan for the exhibition site; international participation conditions; and plans to invest in the expo’s legacy.”
The document will be reviewed by the BIE and its member countries. Upon approval, Saudi Arabia will begin its preparations and send official invitations for international participation through diplomatic channels.
In 2023, Riyadh said it plans to invest $7.8bn in Expo 2030. The figure was revealed in Paris at the 172nd General Assembly of the BIE.
World Expo 2030: 1st round of voting
Republic of Korea – 29
Italy – 17
Saudi Arabia – 119
Abstentions – 0BIE Member States elect Saudi Arabia as host country of World Expo 2030! Congratulations Riyadh! pic.twitter.com/QPKZdBT5xs
— BIE (@bieparis) November 28, 2023
At the event, Saudi officials promised to make Expo 2030 inclusive by pledging to support 100 participating countries with a $353m package that includes technical support, pavilion construction, maintenance and other services.
The Royal Commission for Riyadh City unveiled the masterplan for the Expo 2030 site. It will be developed close to King Salman International airport, with links to Riyadh’s recently completed metro network. Saudi officials say the event will attract over 40 million visitors.
The site will feature 226 spherical-shaped pavilions arranged according to countries’ longitudes, offering an immersive global experience and a blend of cultures.
One element of the masterplan is the Collaborative Change Corner, an area intended to foster innovation and creativity in the lead-up to Expo 2030 Riyadh and beyond.
The site will be powered by solar energy, and strategies are in place to enhance biodiversity, eliminate food waste, and ensure green waste management and recycling. These efforts will support plans for Expo 2030 to be the first environmentally friendly exhibition with zero carbon emissions.
Delivering priority event-driven projects in Saudi Arabia
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Dubai seeks consultants for drainage projects6 February 2026
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AD Ports signs Jordan Aqaba port PPP deal6 February 2026
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The request for qualifications (RFQs) was issued by the municipality’s Sewerage and Recycled Water Projects Department (SRPD).
The bid submission deadline is 26 February.
The first scheme under the package is TF-16-C1, which involves upgrading and rehabilitating the stormwater system east of the Dubai Canal.
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Modon tenders Ras El-Hekma construction contracts
6 February 2026
Abu Dhabi-based developer Modon Holding has tendered several contracts as part of the first phase of development at Ras El-Hekma, a planned new city on Egypt’s Mediterranean coast.
MEED understands that the tenders were issued in January.
These include:
DP3 assets: covering 146 residential villas, 590 three-bedroom townhouses, 356 four-bedroom townhouses, a mall and other associated works.
Bids due on 23 February.
DP4 assets: DP4 includes 54 villas, a clubhouse and other associated infrastructure.
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DP7 assets: 120 five-bedroom villas, 230 seven-bedroom villas, 284 branded residential units and other infrastructural works.
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Modon has accelerated development works at Ras El-Hekma this year. In January, MEED reported that Modon Holding had awarded a E£15bn ($316m) contract for the construction of a project at Ras El-Hekma.
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In September, MEED reported that Modon Holding had tendered contracts for the infrastructure works for the first phase of the Ras El-Hekma project.
As part of the first phase, Modon plans to develop more than 50 million square metres (sq m), including hotels and a marina.
Ras El-Hekma is on a spur of land on Egypt’s northern Mediterranean coastline, about 240 kilometres west of Alexandria.
Last year, Abu Dhabi-based holding company ADQ appointed Modon Holding as the master developer for the Ras El-Hekma project.
According to an official statement, Modon will act as the master developer for the entire development, which will cover more than 170 million sq m.
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Commercial International Bank Egypt (CIB) has provided €58m in credit facilities to local firm Elsewedy Electric for the construction of a combined-cycle gas turbine (CCGT) power plant in Hungary.
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AD Ports signs Jordan Aqaba port PPP deal
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The signing ceremony was held at the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority headquarters in Aqaba on 5 February.
The agreement was signed by Hussein Safadi, CEO of ADC, and Ahmed Al-Mutawa, regional CEO of AD Ports Group.
Aqaba port handles about 80% of Jordan’s exports and 65% of its imports.
It serves as a key transit point for Jordan’s neighbouring countries, including Saudi Arabia and Iraq. The port has an annual handling capacity of 11 million tonnes, supported by nine berths, a quay length of 2 kilometres and a draft of 13.5 metres.
In 2025, the terminal handled over 5.3 million tonnes of cargo and nearly 85,000 car equivalent units of Ro-Ro imports.
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The Al-Madouneh customs centre covers about 1.3 million square metres (sq m) and was inaugurated in June last year.
The announcement followed AD Ports Group’s signing of a shareholders’ agreement in January 2024 between its digital arm, Maqta Gateway, and Jordan’s Aqaba Development Corporation regarding their existing joint-venture company, Maqta Ayla.
The joint venture company will upgrade operations at the Aqaba port complex in Jordan by implementing a port community system “that leverages Maqta Gateway’s expertise, also marking the first-ever export of Abu Dhabi’s key port digitalisation solution”, AD Ports said in a statement.
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Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the February 2026 edition of MEED Business Review includes:
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Chinese firm wins Ceer automotive supplier park deal
6 February 2026
Beijing-headquartered Metallurgical Construction Corporation (MCC) has won a contract to undertake the steel structure works on the Ceer automotive supplier park in King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC).
The supplier park is located next to Ceer’s electric vehicle (EV) production facility in KAEC.
The automotive supplier park will include production and ancillary facilities for various suppliers and provide the material supply infrastructure for Ceer’s EV plant.
The facilities include:
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Earlier this week, MEED exclusively reported that Ceer had awarded a contract to build the automotive supplier park to Jeddah-based construction firm Modern Building Leaders (MBL).
Netherlands-based engineering firm Arcadis is the project consultant, and Pac Project Advisors is the project management consultant.
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The latest contract award is another significant contract win for MCC in Saudi Arabia. In January, MEED reported that MCC had won a contract to undertake the steel structure works on Mohammed Bin Salman Stadium at the Qiddiya City project on the outskirts of Riyadh.
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