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Saudi Arabia expands PPP pipeline

14 May 2024

 

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Saudi Arabia’s National Centre for Privatisation & PPP (NCP) has seen significant progress in its public-private partnership (PPP) programme in the past year, according to Salman Badr, vice-president of the state PPP procuring authority.

Speaking at the MEED Mena Construction Summit in Riyadh, Badr said that NCP has a “healthy pipeline” of over 200 approved projects in different stages of development. 

He noted that another 300 projects are currently under review.

It is understood that the pipeline includes more than 180 schools, following the award of contracts to develop and operate 60 schools each in Jeddah and Medina in 2020 and 2022.

“New sectors like healthcare and education have been opened up for public-private partnerships beyond the traditional water and power sectors,” said Badr.

The kingdom is understood to have awarded more than 60 PPP contracts since 2017, when NCP was formed.

Badr said private sector participation has “allowed the government to deliver infrastructure projects much more efficiently”. 

Recently completed projects include the kingdom’s first hospital PPP project in Medina. 

In addition to healthcare and school facilities, NCP’s pipeline includes airports, seaports and roads, catering to Saudi Arabia’s growing infrastructure needs as the population and economy expand.

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

 

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Sarah Rizvi

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