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• 
  Bidders compete for new Dubai Metro line project

  14 May 2026

  

   

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  Dubai’s Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) has held a pre-bid meeting for the Dubai Metro Airport Express Line with consultants understood to be competing for work on the project.

  It is understood that the RTA has requested firms to form joint ventures for the project. The firms that attended the meeting include:

  • Aecom (US)
  • Arup (UK)
  • ARX (Switzerland)
  • AtkinsRealis (Canada)
  • DB (Germany)
  • Egis (France)
  • Jacobs (US)
  • Mott Macdonald (UK)
  • Parsons (US)
  • Sener (Spain)
  • Surbana Jurong (Singapore)
  • Systra (France)
  • WSP (Canada)

  The consultancy contract covers the study and design of the Airport Express Line, which will extend from the Al-Garhoud area of the city to Al-Maktoum International airport (DWC) in the Jebel Ali area. The proposed line will stretch about 55 kilometres (km) and include five stations, providing passengers with facilities such as remote airline check-in, baggage drop-off and security screening.

  Consultants have been allowed until June to submit their proposals.

  The new line will run from the Red Line metro station at Dubai International airport through Al-Jaddaf, along Al-Khail Road to a new station at Jumeirah Village Circle (JVC) before continuing on to DWC.

  There will be two spur lines. The first will run from the new JVC station to the Al-Fardan Exchange metro station at Emirates Golf Club, while the second will branch out towards Business Bay, where another station will be built.

  The new line appears to follow a similar route to the Etihad Rail high-speed railway project, which is now under construction and due to be completed by 2030.

  Route 2020 extension

  The Airport Express Line scheme is the latest metro project to be tendered by the RTA this year. Tendering activity is already ongoing for the Route 2020 extension, which will start from the Expo 2020 metro station and connect to DWC’s West Terminal.

  In April, MEED exclusively reported that consultants had submitted bids for the project.

  The extension to the line will run for about 3km and will feature two stations.

  The existing Route 2020 metro link is a 15km-long line that branches off the Red Line at Jebel Ali metro station. The line comprises 11.8km of elevated tracks and 3.2km of tunnels, and has five elevated stations and two underground stations.

  The RTA awarded the AED10.6bn ($2.9bn) design-and-build contract for the project to a consortium of Spain’s Acciona, Turkiye’s Gulermak and France’s Alstom in 2016.

  Gold Line

  Dubai’s plans for its metro network do not stop with connecting the extension of the Route 2020 metro line to DWC. There are long-term plans for further extensions.

  In October last year, MEED exclusively reported that the RTA had selected US-based engineering firm Aecom to provide consultancy services for the upcoming Dubai Metro Gold Line project, also known as Metro Line 4.

  The Gold Line will start at Al-Ghubaiba in Bur Dubai. It will run parallel to – and alleviate pressure on – the existing Red Line, before heading inland to Business Bay, Meydan, Global Village and residential developments in Dubailand.

  The existing network includes the Red and Green lines of the Dubai Metro and the Dubai Tram, which connects Al-Sufouh and Dubai Marina to the metro network. The last rail project to start operations in Dubai was the Red Line extension that opened for Expo 2020.

  There are also existing and planned rail lines connecting Dubai to other emirates that are being developed and operated by Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Rail. These include passenger and freight services, as well as a high-speed rail connection.

  Blue Line

  In December 2024, the RTA awarded a AED20.5bn main contract for the Dubai Metro Blue Line project to a consortium of Turkish firms Limak Holding and Mapa Group and the Hong Kong office of China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation.

  The Blue Line consists of 14 stations, including three interchange stations at Jaddaf, Rashidiya and International City 1, as well as a station in Dubai Creek Harbour.

  By 2040, the number of daily passengers on the Blue Line is projected to reach 320,000. It will be the first Dubai Metro line to cross Dubai Creek, doing so on a 1,300-metre viaduct.

  > Be recognised among the best in the industry at the MEED Projects Awards 2026 …

  

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  Colin Foreman
• 
  Local firm wins $100m Kuwait substation contract

  14 May 2026

  

   

  The local Al-Ahleia Switchgear Company has won an engineering, procurement and construction contract for a $100m substation project in Wafra in Kuwait’s Al-Ahmadi Governorate.

  According to a source, the firm has been appointed as the contractor for the Wafra 2Z substation 400/132/33kV project, with construction scheduled for completion in January 2029.

  The contract was awarded by US-headquartered Chevron, which is undertaking its first major power project in Kuwait, according to data from MEED Projects.

  It is understood that contractor bids for the project were first submitted in 2023 by National Contracting Company (Kuwait), Al-Ahleia Switchgear (Kuwait), Imco Engineering & Construction Company (Kuwait) and Larsen & Toubro (India).

  The tender was cancelled in 2024, and a new tender was issued last year.

  In April, Al-Ahleia Switchgear won a contract to build a 400/132/11kV substation at the South Surra township for Kuwait’s Public Authority for Housing Welfare.

  The firm also recently won a separate contract in Oman for the supply, installation, execution and maintenance of a main power substation.

  The contract was awarded by Oman’s Public Authority for Social Insurance as part of its affordable housing project, known locally as Al-Masaken Al-Muyassara.

  According to MEED Projects, Chevron owns about $11.2bn-worth of operational oil and gas projects across the Middle East and Africa. It also owns four major power generation projects in Saudi Arabia, valued at $810m.

  > Be recognised among the best in the industry at the MEED Projects Awards 2026 …

  

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  Mark Dowdall
• 
  Al-Ain breaks ground on Four Seasons Saadiyat

  14 May 2026

  Al-Ain Asset Management has held a groundbreaking ceremony for its Four Seasons Private Residences Abu Dhabi project at Saadiyat Beach.

  Due for completion in 2029, the gated beachfront scheme will comprise 116 ultra-luxury homes with direct beach access. The unit mix includes villas, beachfront mansions, suites and penthouses, alongside a range of bespoke amenities and Four Seasons-branded services, Wam reported.

  Al-Ain Asset Management said the majority of the residences have been sold, and that AED250m ($68m) of new villa sales were recorded within one week, underlining demand for ultra-prime homes in Abu Dhabi.

  The developer added that the development set new pricing benchmarks for the emirate’s luxury coastal real estate, achieving prices above AED14,000 a square foot. Total sales have exceeded AED4bn since the project launched less than a year ago.

  The groundbreaking ceremony was attended by senior leadership and key partners, including Four Seasons, Killa Design and Mirage Leisure & Development. LW Design Group is also involved in the development.

  Al-Ain Asset Management is also developing another residential scheme on Saadiyat Island. The Vida Residences development will comprise apartment units geared towards long-stay living, supported by hotel-style facilities and operational spaces. Mimar Architecture & Engineering is working as the consultant.

  > Be recognised among the best in the industry at the MEED Projects Awards 2026 …

  

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  Colin Foreman
• 
  Aldar acquires Dubai Studio City development

  14 May 2026

  Abu Dhabi-based developer Aldar has acquired a residential and community retail development in Dubai Studio City from Dubai-based developer SRG for AED1.1bn ($300m).

  The deal is part of Aldar’s long-term strategy to build a high-quality, recurring-income portfolio and to scale its presence in the city.

  Scheduled for delivery in 2028, the project comprises six mid-rise buildings with 312 homes, including one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments and duplexes. It also includes a community mall with retail, leisure and food-and-beverage offerings, as well as a 16,000-square-metre park.

  “Dubai is a priority growth market for Aldar, and this acquisition reflects our belief in the city’s residential market and the central role that institutionally owned, professionally managed rental housing plays in meeting the needs of a growing population,” said Jassem Saleh Busaibe, CEO of Aldar Investment. 

  “Dubai Studio City’s established infrastructure, vibrant community and strong connectivity make it an excellent location for a high-quality, professionally managed living environment. This transaction is the latest step in a deliberate and broadening strategy to build a diversified portfolio of income-generating assets in Dubai, one that we expect to continue growing as the city attracts increasing global interest and talent,” he added. 

  The transaction expands Aldar’s activities in Dubai across a range of property types. Aldar Investment’s recurring-income portfolio in the emirate now includes residential, commercial, logistics and mixed-use assets. Key holdings include a mixed-use joint venture with Expo City Dubai, a signature office tower in Dubai International Financial Centre, a Grade A office building on Sheikh Zayed Road, and logistics facilities in National Industries Park and Dubai South.

  On the development front, Aldar’s partnership with Dubai Holding continues to gain traction, with three master-planned residential communities already launched and a pipeline exceeding 2.3 million sq m of new gross floor area. 

  > Be recognised among the best in the industry at the MEED Projects Awards 2026 …

  

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  Colin Foreman
• 
  Algeria awards major gas project contract

  14 May 2026

  

   

  The Chinese-Algerian joint venture Groupement Sonatrach-Sinopec (GSS) has provisionally awarded a major contract to upgrade the gas lift compression unit at Algeria’s Zarzaitine field.

  The $238.8m contract has been awarded to a consortium of the Chinese companies Tianchen Engineering Corporation and Shaanxi Yanchang Petroleum.

  The client on the project is a partnership between Beijing-headquartered Sinopec and Algeria’s state-owned oil and gas company Sonatrach.

  The contract uses the engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning (EPCC) model and has a 45-month term.

  The gas lift unit was first installed in 1988. It processes and injects gas into the field to help boost oil production at the Zarzaitine oil field.

  Under the terms of the contract, the unit will be upgraded to boost its performance.

  Its functions include gas separation, filtration, compression and condensate recovery.

  The latest contract award comes at a time when Sonatrach is taking advantage of concerns about global gas and crude supplies to sign deals and push ahead with major upstream projects.

  In recent weeks, the country has launched an oil and gas licensing round, taken steps to boost crude production in the short term and awarded a $1.1bn oil and gas field development project.

  This comes as shipping remains disrupted through the Strait of Hormuz, a key global oil and gas supply route. The disruption began after the US and Israel attacked Iran on 28 February 2026, triggering a regional war.

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

  Global energy sector forced to recalibrate; Conflict hits debt issuance and listings activity; UAE’s non-oil sector faces unclear recovery period amid disruption.

  Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the May 2026 edition of MEED Business Review includes:

  > AGENDA: War in the Middle East recalibrates global energy markets > REGIONAL LNG: War undermines business case for Middle East LNG > CAPITAL MARKETS: Damage avoidance frames debt issuance > IPOs: Regional IPO market dries up amid war  > MARKET FOCUS: Conflict tests UAE diversification > INTERVIEW: Desalination holds steady amid tensions, says Veolia CEO > LEGAL: Force majeure will not cure pre-existing construction industry breaches > BANKS:  GCC banks to feel the strain despite strong buffers > PIF STRATEGY: Public Investment Fund approves 2026-30 strategy

  To see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click here

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  Wil Crisp