Riyadh steps up the Vision 2030 tempo
22 March 2023
Riyadh has begun pushing ahead with many of its Vision 2030 initiatives at a faster pace and in a much more tangible manner in the past six months, with the go-ahead given for several infrastructure packages on the kingdom’s flagship Neom project.
More than $13bn-worth of work has been awarded on Neom-linked projects since the start of 2022, including initial piling and tunnel blasting and drilling work for the Line development. More than $7bn has also been awarded in just the past five months, including $4.5bn across community housing schemes.
There has been equally robust activity on the other four official Public Investment Fund (PIF) gigaprojects. Projects worth another $1.8bn have been awarded since 2021 on the Diriyah Gate project, alongside $1.5bn-worth on the Roshn housing programme and $1.1bn each on the Red Sea Project and Qiddiya entertainment city.
Investment uptick
The shift in project tempo has also been matched by a step-up in other Vision 2030 initiatives, including the Shareek investment programme, which is aimed at supporting large Saudi companies in boosting the economic contribution of the kingdom’s private sector.
On 1 March, Saudi Arabia announced $51bn-worth of investments across eight Saudi companies as part of the programme. By 2030, Riyadh wants to increase the private sector GDP contribution to 65 per cent, while increasing the country’s non-oil exports from 16 to 50 per cent.
For external investors too, Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 plans are the top opportunity in the region, according to a recent poll by Egyptian financial services firm EFG Hermes. The survey showed that 34 per cent of respondents viewed Vision 2030 as the most important source of current investment opportunities.
There are meanwhile 23 companies waiting to list on the Saudi stock exchange. Those companies “are essentially on the runway waiting for the appropriate time, and obviously market conditions”, according to Mohammed ElKuwaiz, the chairman of the Capital Market Authority.
Last year was a record-breaking year for Saudi Arabia’s capital markets, with companies raising about $10.7bn (SR40bn) from initial public offerings (IPOs). The country also led regional IPO activity, with 34 out of the 48 GCC IPOs debuting on either the Tadawul or the Nomu.
Looking ahead, the Saudi market regulator is reviewing a further 77 IPO applications. It is also formulating a framework for dual listings, following the example of Americana, the first company to be dually listed in the kingdom and the UAE.
More broadly, the business confidence in the non-oil private sector continues to swell. In February, Saudi Arabia’s non-oil business activity reached its highest level in eight years due to a surge in demand, according to the Riyad Bank–S&P Saudi Arabia Purchasing Managers’ Index.
The index – in which a figure above 50 indicates expansion – increased from 58.2 to 59.8 in the fastest rate of increase since March 2015. The new orders component of the index rose to a record high of 68.7, with over 42 per cent of surveyed companies reporting a rise in new orders. The overall higher output also saw further employment and purchasing expansion.
Despite tighter monetary conditions, Naif al-Ghaith, Riyad Bank’s chief economist, noted the robust demand and supply balance spurred by the ongoing projects in the kingdom, which has caused “sharper uplifts in output and new orders for firms, as well as rising demand for labour”.
He added that while “prices have responded to the surge in demand, with the increase in input costs evident especially in the services and construction sectors”, business confidence remains high amid expectations for strong ongoing activity over the next 12 months.
Growth forecast
Despite the positive economic signs, the IMF reduced its 2023 GDP projection for Saudi Arabia to 2.6 per cent in January. This is in response to Opec+ agreements to restrict oil production 1.3 percentage points below the projection of 3.9 per cent growth in its October outlook.
Though non-oil growth remains strong, the reduction in oil output will unavoidably impact Saudi Arabia’s topline GDP. At the same time, the toll on oil revenue should be relatively contained and not unduly affect the kingdom’s capital spending, which is at this point being backed by a diverse pool of both sovereign and private assets.
According to a late February forecast by Riyad Capital, Saudi Arabia’s economy could grow by 3 per cent in 2023, driven principally by a pick-up in the non-oil sector, which it predicts will see a growth rate of 5 per cent this year.
In 2022, Saudi Arabia witnessed its strongest growth in the third quarter, when the GDP rate hit 8.8 per cent, according to the IMF, boosted by a 6.2 per cent growth rate for non-oil activity.
Riyad Capital also expects the weaker oil prices during the first half of 2023 to recover in the second half of the year, with Brent crude expected to end 2023 at a level above $100 a barrel.
MEED's April 2023 special report on Saudi Arabia includes:
> CONSTRUCTION: Saudi construction project ramp-up accelerates
> UPSTREAM: Aramco slated to escalate upstream spending
> DOWNSTREAM: Petchems ambitions define Saudi downstream
> POWER: Saudi Arabia reinvigorates power sector
> WATER: Saudi water begins next growth phase
> BANKING: Saudi banks bid to keep ahead of the pack
Register for MEED's guest program now to access this article.
Exclusive from Meed
-
Doosan confirms Saudi Jafurah 2 cogen contract2 June 2026
-
Iraq’s reform window narrows2 June 2026
-
-
-
All of this is only 1% of what MEED.com has to offer
Subscribe now and unlock all the 153,671 articles on MEED.com
- All the latest news, data, and market intelligence across MENA at your fingerprints
- First-hand updates and inside information on projects, clients and competitors that matter to you
- 20 years' archive of information, data, and news for you to access at your convenience
- Strategize to succeed and minimise risks with timely analysis of current and future market trends
Related Articles
-
Doosan confirms Saudi Jafurah 2 cogen contract
2 June 2026
South Korea’s Doosan Enerbility has confirmed it has signed an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract worth about $556m for the second phase of the Jafurah combined heat and power (CHP) plant in Saudi Arabia.
The project is being developed by Korea Electric Power Corporation (Kepco) in partnership with Saudi Aramco.
Doosan said the contract covers design, equipment supply, installation, construction and commissioning of the facility.
The Jafurah CHP phase 2 project will be built near the Jafurah gas field, about 400 kilometres east of Riyadh. Once operational, it will generate 330MW of electricity and produce 465 tonnes of steam an hour for the nearby gas field.
According to the firm, the project’s main steam turbine will be supplied by Doosan Skoda Power, a subsidiary of Doosan Enerbility.
WSP is acting as the project management consultant for the project, which is scheduled for completion in 2029.
The Jafurah gas development is part of Aramco’s $3.2bn unconventional resources programme, which aims to develop shale gas in three areas. Jafurah lies southeast of Ghawar, the world’s largest conventional oil field.
The programme is part of Riyadh’s plans under Vision 20230 to ensure the kingdom remains self-sufficient in gas supply amid rising demand from the residential and industrial power sectors.
Jafurah phase one
In February 2025, MEED exclusively reported that talks were under way to expand the capacity of the $500m Jafurah cogeneration independent steam and power plant (ISPP).
Construction works were completed on the facility last November.
At the time of its procurement, the plant’s first phase was to have a power capacity of 270-320MW, and a low-pressure (LP) steam demand of 77-166 thousand pounds an hour (klb/hr) and high-pressure (HP) steam demand of 29-126 klb/hour by 2023.
The LP and HP steam demand will increase to 283-373 klb/hr and 66-321 klb/hr by 2027, respectively.
The oil giant issued the letter of award to Kepco for the contract to develop the Jafurah ISPP scheme in July 2022.
Kepco subsequently awarded South Korea’s Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction the project’s EPC contract.
US/India-based Synergy Consulting provided financial advisory services to Kepco on its bid.
Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC) served as the client’s financial adviser for the project. Germany’s Fichtner Consulting Engineers is technical consultant, while the UK’s Wood Group is project management consultant.
https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/17072199/main.jpg -
Iraq’s reform window narrows
2 June 2026
Commentary
John Bambridge
Analysis editorIraq enters mid-2026 with the most expansive projects pipeline in its post-2003 history, with more than $420bn in planned and active work, but an increasingly narrow fiscal margin within which to deliver it.
The cumulative pipeline builds on a 2025 performance that witnessed a record $17bn in contract awards in the power and water sector and looks forward to a construction industry forecast to expand at 4.8% annually through 2028. In the energy sector, the Gas Growth Integrated Project is advancing towards its 2028 commissioning, while the country’s North-South logistics expansion remains in active procurement.
The pipeline is very real, but the conditions that were expected to fund it no longer exist in the wake of the Iran war.
April oil exports ran 90% below the previous year’s monthly average as Strait of Hormuz transit remained effectively suspended. The IMF projects Iraq’s real GDP to contract by 6.8% in 2026 – the sharpest regional revision after Qatar. Even before the conflict, Iraq’s reserves were falling by about $10bn every year. The three-year budget framework expired in 2025 with no 2026 successor in place, leaving forward-looking spending uncertain. Ali Al-Zaidi was sworn in as prime minister on 14 May with fragile coalition support and nine cabinet portfolios still unfilled.
The structural collision is between an infrastructure ambition built for 4 million barrels a day of exports and a fiscal reality running at a fraction of that. Iraq’s oil revenue funds over 90% of the federal budget. An exports collapse of the scale now visible will strip more from the budget in months than any reform programme can replace in years. And some of the production lost may not return. Many of Iraq’s southern fields have been running at reduced rates rather than fully shut in – the better strategy for preserving well integrity – but the longer the downtime, the higher the share of capacity that may not recover in the coming months. The revenue base on which Iraq’s pipeline was assembled is not just suspended; some of it is structurally imperilled.
The current situation will force reform. Every Iraqi government since 2014 has faced reform pressures, but 2026 has not just tested the underlying assumptions; it has shattered them. Past reform programmes attempted to optimise governance amid volatile oil revenues; the current one must contend with existential risk to the revenue base.
Al-Zaidi’s first task will not be the budget or the Hormuz crisis in isolation; it will be to convert a fragile mandate into the policy leadership and governance necessary to sustain the projects pipeline. The window for this is open, but it will not stay open long.
MEED’s June 2026 report on Iraq includes:
> GOVERNMENT: Al-Zaidi takes Iraq’s premiership under US shadow
> BANKING: Financial challenge tests Iraq’s resolve
> ECONOMY: Iraq enters era of resilience, reform and rising risks
> OIL & GAS: Iraqi oil and gas sector in crisis
> POWER & WATER: Focus shifts to delivery of Iraq utilities expansion
> CONSTRUCTION: Momentum builds in Iraq’s post-war construction sectorTo see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click herehttps://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/17061271/main.gif -
Saudi firm to build Al-Henakiyah solar IPP grid link
1 June 2026
Saudi Services for Electro Mechanic Works has won the main contract to build a 380kV overhead transmission line in Saudi Arabia’s Medina region, according to market sources.
The project includes the construction of a 354-kilometre-long overhead transmission line that will connect the Al-Henakiyah 3 solar independent power producer (IPP) to several main substations and export power from the plant into the national transmission network.
The scheme is being developed by Saudi Energy, formerly Saudi Electricity Company.
The scope covers the supply and erection of transmission towers and foundations, as well as associated grid interface and termination works.
The Al-Henakiyah 3 solar IPP is part of Saudi Arabia’s wider pipeline of utility-scale solar projects being developed under the Public Investment Fund’s (PIF’s) renewables programme, which runs parallel to the National Renewable Energy Programme (NREP), now in its seventh round.
In 2025, the PIF outlined plans to advance second- and third-phase extensions to five existing solar plants, including Al-Henakiyah, totalling 9GW of additional capacity.
According to official documents, the negotiation process for the directly-awarded concessions was due to start last year.
Saudi Services for Electro Mechanic Works, meanwhile, is continuing to advance several transmission line projects for Saudi Energy.
In June 2025, it was appointed as the main contractor to build a separate 380kV overhead transmission line linking the 2GW Afif 1 solar IPP to the national grid.
Works on this project are not expected to be completed until at least 2027.
> Be recognised among the best in the industry at the MEED Projects Awards 2026 …
https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/17058114/main.jpg -
Petrofac completes sale of Abu Dhabi business unit
1 June 2026
UK-headquartered Petrofac has completed the sale of Petrofac Emirates, a business unit it established in Abu Dhabi in 2008.
The unit has been bought by a consortium of financial investors led by the New York-headquartered hedge fund Mason Capital Management and UK-based asset management firm Pearlstone Alternative.
In a statement, Petrofac said the sale was completed after the satisfaction of all required conditions and approvals.
The business unit was originally founded with a strategy to provide engineering, design, procurement and construction services for oil, gas, refining, petrochemical and renewable energy projects.
Petrofac Emirates has engineering and construction (E&C) capability and includes E&C teams based in the UAE and India.
In its latest statement, Petrofac said: “Petrofac Emirates encompasses Petrofac’s core E&C capability in the UAE.
“The transaction positions Petrofac Emirates as a strong, self-sustaining company with no funded debt on its balance sheet and substantial growth opportunities.”
Leadership role
Under current plans, Tareq Kawash, who has been the group chief executive of Petrofac since April 2023, will become the chief executive of Petrofac Emirates to lead the E&C business through its next phase under new ownership.
Kawash has over 30 years of international leadership experience at engineering procurement and construction (EPC) companies.
Prior to working at Petrofac, he was a senior vice-president at McDermott International.
Following the completion of the sale, Afonso Reis e Sousa will step down as group chief financial officer of Petrofac.
Commenting on the sale of Petrofac Emirates, Kawash said: “The completion of this transaction marks an important milestone for Petrofac Emirates and the beginning of an important new chapter for the business.
“Under our new ownership structure, with a focused platform for growth, we are well-positioned to build on our track record, strengthen our long-standing customer relationships and pursue new opportunities across the wider Mena region.
“The transaction is not the destination; it is the platform from which we move forward with confidence, discipline and ambition.”
Sam Read, a partner at Mason, said: “Our mission is to empower Petrofac Emirates to achieve its strategic goals, capitalise on new market opportunities, and leverage significant growth potential in the dynamic energy EPC sector.
“Petrofac Emirates has market-leading capabilities and an unmatched track record of delivering for its customers, and we look forward to partnering with the company to help drive continued success.”
The sale of Petrofac Emirates follows the completion of the sale of Petrofac Asset Solutions in April.
In December, it was announced that US-based CB&I had entered into a sale agreement to buy the unit.
Petrofac’s asset solutions unit provides operations, maintenance and decommissioning services for onshore and offshore energy assets.
In a statement, CB&I said that the acquisition would strengthen its portfolio with “a complementary reimbursable contracting model business, delivering predictable cash flow and enhancing service capabilities”.
Restructuring disruption
Amid Petrofac’s dramatic restructuring, there has been disruption to progress at some of the company’s projects.
In March, MEED reported that Petrofac, along with its partner China Huanqiu Contracting & Engineering Corporation (HQCEC), had stopped work on a petrochemicals project in Algeria, valued at approximately $1.5bn.
The news about the Algeria project came just over two weeks after MEED reported that Petrofac had also stopped work on an oil project in Libya and cut staff in the North African country.
https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/17057152/main.jpg -
Chinese-Saudi joint venture to build 18GWh battery storage plant
1 June 2026
Register for MEED’s 14-day trial access
China-headquartered ZOE Energy Storage has announced it has signed a joint-venture agreement with a Saudi partner to develop a battery energy storage system (bess) manufacturing facility in the kingdom.
The facility will be developed in two phases. The first phase will have an annual production capacity of 6GWh and is scheduled to begin operations in the first quarter of 2027.
A second phase will increase the total production capacity to 18GWh.
In a statement, ZOE said the manufacturing facility will cover 150 acres and will be built to European manufacturing standards.
The location and the partner involved have not been publicly disclosed.
The Saudi facility will be the Chinese company’s second overseas manufacturing base, following a 6GWh energy storage system manufacturing facility in Hungary. This was developed with Energy Pro Hungary and began operations in October 2025.
Under Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 objectives, the kingdom plans to deploy 130GW of renewable energy capacity and 48GWh of energy storage and achieve 50% clean power generation.
In May, Saudi Arabia’s principal buyer, Saudi Power Procurement Company, received statements of qualification from firms seeking to build, own and operate a second group of bess projects with a combined power capacity of 3GW.
The programme comprises six independent storage provider projects with a total capacity of 3GW, equivalent to 12,000 megawatt-hours based on a four-hour storage duration.
The main contract tender is expected to be issued in the coming months once firms are formally prequalified.
> Be recognised among the best in the industry at the MEED Projects Awards 2026 …
https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/17057079/main.jpg