meed-logo

line1 line2 line3
SIGN IN / REGISTER

Saudi Arabia launches 200 PPP projects

6 April 2023

Saudi Arabia has announced a Privatisation & PPP (P&PPP) pipeline that includes 200 projects across 17 sectors.

This new P&PPP pipeline aims to attract local and international investors and ensure their readiness to participate in the schemes tendered to the market.

The initiative comes as the kingdom strives to increase the attractiveness of its economy and raise the private sector's contribution to GDP.

Minister of Finance and chairman of the Board of the National Centre for Privatisation & PPP (NCP), Mohammed al-Jadaan, said the list of projects aligns with the aims of Vision 2030, reinforces the strength of public-private partnerships (PPPs) and will contribute to attracting new international investments.

The pipeline of projects for each sector will be available for investors through the NCP portal.

Information about the first 140 projects has already been published, and more projects are expected soon.

Four PPP airports projects

In line with Saudi Arabia's aviation strategy to increase the country’s annual passenger handling capacity to 330 million by 2030, the kingdom has announced plans to tender four airports under the P&PPP pipeline: Abha International airport, Taif International airport, Hail International airport and Prince Naif International airport in Al-Qassim.

The Ministry of Transport & Logistics Services will procure the schemes.

The launch dates for the PPP tenders were not specified. However, MEED reported in July 2022 that through NCP, Saudi Arabia’s Matarat Holding Company was expected to start the procurement process to develop airport PPP projects in 2023.

In the initial plan, the Abha and Taif airport PPPs were scheduled to be tendered in the first half of 2023, while the Hail and Qassim airport projects were to be potentially tendered in the second half of 2023.

The P&PPP pipeline list includes:

Abha International airport

The existing Abha International airport is operating above capacity with 4.4 million passengers annually against the originally designed capacity of 1.5 million. The targeted capacity for the new airport is 8.5 million passengers a year by 2030 and 13 million passengers by 2053. The contract type is the build-transfer-operate (BTO) model and the project duration is 30 years.

Taif International airport

The capacity of the current Taif International airport is 600,000 passengers. The targeted capacity of the new airport is 4 million passengers by 2030 and 7.4 million passengers by 2053. The project will be developed under the design-build-finance-operate-maintain (DBFOM) concession; its duration is 30 years.

Hail International airport

This project aims to develop the airport and service facilities following the standards approved by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). The targeted airport capacity increase is 3 million passengers a year. The contract type, duration and launch details are not specified.

Prince Naif International airport in Al-Qassim

The scheme involves developing the airport in Al-Qassim in line with ICAO standards and increasing its capacity to 5.3 million passengers annually. The contract type, duration and launch details are not specified.

The Taif, Hail and Al-Qassim airport schemes were previously tendered and awarded as PPP projects using a BTO model.

Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation (Gaca) awarded the contracts to develop four airport PPP projects to two consortiums in 2017. A team of Tukey’s TAV Airports and the local Al-Rajhi Holding Group won the 30-year concession agreement to build, transfer and operate airport passenger terminals in Yanbu, Qassim and Hail.

A second team, comprising Lebanon’s Consolidated Contractors Company, Germany’s Munich Airport International and local firm Asyad Group, won the BTO contract to develop Taif International airport.

These projects then stalled following the restructuring of the kingdom’s aviation sector.

Saudi Arabia has already privatised airports including the $1.2bn Prince Mohammed bin Abdulaziz International airport in Medina, which was developed as a PPP and opened in 2015.

Four PPP highways schemes

The kingdom has also announced plans to tender four highway schemes under the P&PPP pipeline. The following schemes will be procured by the Ministry of Transport & Logistic Services:

  • The 136-kilometre Asir-Jizan highway will include six intersections, 18km of bridges and a 9km-long tunnel network. The project starts at Al-Farah in Asir and extends to the Red Sea through Jizan. The contract type is DFBOM, and the project duration is 30 years. The launch date is not specified.

     
  • The 570km Jeddah-Jizan highway will comprise 43 intersections, 11 wildlife crossings and 29 bridges. The project scope includes converting the current 280km of double lanes into three lanes. The contract model is not specified; the project duration is 30 years.

     
  • The 447km Yanbu-Jubail highway will contain 17 intersections, 14 wildlife crossings, four bridges, one tunnel and 18 service areas. Construction work on a 39km section towards the Al-Zulfi area has been completed. The contract model, duration and launch date are not specified.

     
  • The Jeddah-Makkah road spans a length of 64km. It consists of seven interchanges and four camel crossings. The construction is under way for 51km of the road and is being carried out in three phases. The construction works for phase four are yet to begin. The construction cost for phase four of the road will be funded by the government, similar to the ongoing construction works for phases one to three. The proposed scope of work is for the operation and maintenance of the Jeddah-Makkah road, and developing and operating motorway service areas. The contract's duration and the tender's launch date are not specified.
Other planned PPP projects

Saudi Arabia has also announced plans to tender seven PPP desalination projects.

The independent water projects (IWPs) represent an aggregate desalination capacity of 2.8 million cubic metres a day (cm/d). Owned by the Ministry of Environment, Water & Agriculture, the IWPs will be procured under 25-year build-own-operate (BOO) contracts.

The first project, Ras al-Khair 2 with a capacity of 600,000 cm/d, will be launched in February 2024.

This will be followed by the launch of another IWP, the 400,000 cm/d Ras al-Khair 3, in April 2024.

In March 2025, the kingdom plans to launch the Tabuk IWP with a capacity of 400,000 cm/d. The Alshuqaiq 4 IWP is set for launch in July 2025, with a capacity of 400,000 cm/d.

These schemes will be followed by the Rabigh 5 IWP, with a capacity of 400,000 cm/d, to be launched in April 2027, and the Rayis 2 IWP, with a capacity of 300,000 cm/d, set for launch in July 2035.

Finally, the Jizan IWP is set to have a capacity of 300,000 cm/d. Its launch date is not yet disclosed.

In addition, the kingdom plans to tender six wastewater treatment projects starting in 2024. The five independent sewage treatment plants (ISTPs), one small sewage treatment plant (SSTP) and collection network will treat wastewater for reuse in non-agricultural municipal and industrial applications.

The five ISTPs represent an aggregate wastewater treatment capacity of 650,000 cm/d.

The Ministry of Environment, Water & Agriculture will procure the projects under build-own-operate-transfer (BOOT) models.

Other projects to be tendered under the P&PPP pipeline include several medical centres, health centres, hospitals, educational buildings, schools, colleges, universities, strategic water reservoirs, marine services schemes, land ports and power stations.

https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/10739699/main.jpg
Eva Levesque

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

Click here to register
Exclusive from Meed
Related Articles
  • Contractor appointed for Abu Dhabi Riviera residences

    1 July 2026

     

    Dubai-based real estate developer Mered has appointed Turkiye’s Sera Group as the main contractor for its Riviera Residences project on Al-Reem Island in Abu Dhabi.

    The development will comprise more than 400 one- to three-bedroom apartments and 11 villas.

    Lebanese engineering firm Dar Al-Handasah is the project consultant, while Switzerland’s Herzog & de Meuron is the architect.

    The enabling works are being carried out by local contractor NSCC International.

    Mered and Sera Group are also working together on the Iconic Tower project in Dubai Internet City, where the developer awarded the main contract in December 2024.

    The 67-storey tower is being built on a site covering about 6,368 square metres.

    Local firm Mirage is the project consultant, while Singapore-based Hirsch Bedner Associates is the project architect.

    Dubai-based Chawla Architectural & Consulting Engineers is the architect of record, and Omnium International is the quantity surveyor.

    The foundation works were carried out by local firm Dutch Foundations.

    Mered’s latest contract awards in the UAE market come amid heightened real estate and construction activity, with schemes worth more than $323bn at the execution or planning stages, according to UK-based analytics firm GlobalData.

    GlobalData forecasts that output from the UAE’s residential construction sector will grow by 3% in real terms in 2026-29, supported by infrastructure, energy and utilities developments, as well as residential construction projects.

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

    Stress test for Gulf aviation; Mixed performance as country outlooks diverge in the Levant; GCC tourism sector pivots from crisis to recovery mode.

    Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the July 2026 edition of MEED Business Review includes:
    To see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click here
    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/17509888/main.jpg
    Yasir Iqbal
  • Siemens Energy to supply turbines for Oman IPP projects

    1 July 2026

    Germany’s Siemens Energy has announced it will supply power generation technology and long-term service agreements for the 2.6GW Misfah and Duqm independent power producer (IPP) projects in Oman.

    The scope includes the supply of six F-class gas turbines, six generators and 20-year long-term service agreements for the equipment.

    The combined-cycle gas-fired plants will add almost 20% to the sultanate’s electricity generation capacity. They are expected to provide electricity to more than two million people.

    Oman’s Nama Power & Water Procurement (Nama PWP) signed power-purchase agreements (PPAs) for the development and operation of the plants in January.

    The two combined-cycle gas turbine plants are being developed by a consortium comprising Korea Western Power (Kowepo), Qatar’s Nebras Power, the UAE’s Etihad Water & Electricity (EtihadWE) and Oman’s Bhawan Infrastructure Services.

    The Misfah IPP will be led by Nebras Power and located in Wilayat Bousher in Muscat Governorate, with a planned capacity of 1,600MW.

    The Duqm IPP will be led by Kowepo and located in Wilayat Duqm in Al-Wusta Governorate, with a capacity of 800MW.

    In May, MEED exclusively reported that a consortium of China-headquartered Shandong Electric Power Construction No. 3 Company (Sepco 3) and South Korea’s Doosan Enerbility had been appointed as the main contractor.

    The gas turbines will have hydrogen co-firing capability, providing flexibility to increase hydrogen use over time, Siemens said in a statement.

    The turbines will be manufactured at Siemens Energy’s facility in Berlin. The generators will be produced at the company’s plant in Muelheim, Germany.

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

    Stress test for Gulf aviation; Mixed performance as country outlooks diverge in the Levant; GCC tourism sector pivots from crisis to recovery mode.

    Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the July 2026 edition of MEED Business Review includes:
    To see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click here
    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/17506190/main.jpg
    Mark Dowdall
  • Qiddiya awards estimated $1bn racecourse deal

    1 July 2026

     

    Register for MEED’s 14-day trial access 

    Saudi gigaproject developer Qiddiya Investment Company (QIC) has awarded an estimated SR4.3bn ($1.1bn) contract for the construction of a racecourse at Qiddiya entertainment city, on the outskirts of Riyadh.

    The contract was awarded to Taj Dhabi, a local subsidiary of UAE-based Trojan Construction.

    The racecourse venue will cover 1.3 million square metres and accommodate 70,000 spectators.

    QIC issued the tender for the construction works in December last year, but formally announced the project only on 10 February. Contractors submitted their bids on 15 February, MEED previously reported.

    According to a statement published on QIC’s website: “The venue will include the region’s first straight-mile turf course, alongside a 2.2 kilometre (km) main turf track and a 2.4km inner dirt track.

    “A 21,000-seat grandstand will anchor the venue, with the ability to expand capacity to up to 70,000 guests through event overlays during major race days,” the statement added.

    A centrepiece of the venue will be a 110-metre central parade ring, located in the middle of the racecourse.

    The project also includes an equine hospital that will provide advanced veterinary services, including diagnostics, surgery, rehabilitation and emergency care for horses.

    The Qiddiya City horse racing venue is one of several major projects within the greater Qiddiya development. Other projects include an e-games arena, the Prince Mohammed Bin Salman Stadium, a motorsports track, a performing arts centre, the Dragon Ball and Six Flags theme parks, and Aquarabia.

    The project is a key part of Riyadh’s strategy to boost leisure tourism in the kingdom. According to GlobalData, leisure tourism in Saudi Arabia has experienced significant growth in recent years.

    GCC presses ahead with tourism projects

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

    Stress test for Gulf aviation; Mixed performance as country outlooks diverge in the Levant; GCC tourism sector pivots from crisis to recovery mode.

    Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the July 2026 edition of MEED Business Review includes:
    To see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click here
    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/17506035/main.jpg
    Yasir Iqbal
  • NCP seeks firms for Saudi Arabia university hospital PPP

    1 July 2026

    Saudi Arabia’s Umm Al-Qura University, in collaboration with the National Centre for Privatisation & PPP (NCP), has launched an expression of interest for the completion of the construction and operation of the Umm Al-Qura University Hospital in Mecca.

    Issued to contractors on 30 June, the notice has a submission deadline of 21 July.

    The scope includes completing the remaining construction works, as well as the subsequent operation of the hospital.

    Upon completion, the hospital will have a capacity of 391 beds.

    The project will be delivered as a public-private partnership (PPP) under a design, build, finance, operate and maintain model.

    The contract duration is 30 years.

    The project is the latest healthcare project to be procured on a PPP basis in the kingdom. In June, MEED reported that Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Health and NCP had awarded a PPP contract for the operation and management of the Sabic Specialised Behavioural Healthcare Hospital in Riyadh.

    That contract was awarded to SEH Healthcare, a consortium comprising local firms Specialised Medical Company (SMC Healthcare) and Health Gates Complex, and Germany’s Dr Ebel Fachkliniken.

    In a filing with the Saudi Exchange (Tadawul), SMC Healthcare said the total estimated project value is about SR3.8bn ($1bn).

    In January, Saudi Arabia launched a national privatisation strategy aimed at mobilising $64bn in private sector capital by 2030.

    Building on the privatisation programme first introduced in 2018, the strategy focuses on unlocking state-owned assets for private investment and privatising selected government services.

    In a statement, NCP said the strategy comprises 147 opportunities drawn from a broader pipeline of more than 500 projects across 18 sectors.

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/17506381/main.jpg
    Yasir Iqbal
  • On-site work starts for $5.4bn gas project in Algeria

    1 July 2026

    On-site work has started for the $5.4bn gas project in Algeria’s Illizi South block, days after a key meeting between Algeria’s Oil and Gas Minister Mohamed Arkab and the chief executive of the Saudi company Midad Energy, Sheikh Abdulelah Bin Mohammed Bin Abdullah Al-Aiban.

    The total investment of about $5.4bn will be fully financed by Midad Energy, including approximately $288m allocated to the exploration phase.

    It is being developed in partnership with Algeria’s national oil and gas company Sonatrach.

    Structured under Algeria’s Hydrocarbon Law No. 19-13, the agreement spans 30 years, with a 10-year extension option. It includes a seven-year exploration phase.

    The initial exploration phase is worth $288m and will involve 2D and 3D seismic exploration as well as drilling more than 13 appraisal wells, according to a report by the local news service Algerie360.

    The second phase, with an investment value of approximately $5.1bn, will involve drilling approximately 60 wells and constructing four natural gas compression units.

    The project is projected to produce a cumulative total of 125 billion cubic metres of natural gas and 204 million barrels of liquid hydrocarbons over 30 years.

    This will include 103 million barrels of liquefied petroleum gas and 101 million barrels of condensate.

    Midad Energy has also stated its intention to further expand its investment in Algeria’s oil and gas industry and explore new joint investment opportunities with Sonatrach.

    Algeria’s president, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, signed a presidential decree ratifying the development agreement in March.

    Presidential Decree No. 26-113 was issued on 8 March 2026 and underpinned by Articles 91-7 and 141.

    It approved a contract signed in Algiers on 13 October 2025 between Sonatrach and Midad Energy.

    The contract granted both companies the rights to explore and exploit hydrocarbons in the Illizi South area. Algeria’s National Agency for the Valorisation of Hydrocarbon Resources (Alnaft) announced the contract award on 11 October 2025.

    The block is located about 100 kilometres south of In Amenas, which was raided by Al-Qaeda-linked terrorists in 2013, leading to a hostage crisis.

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

    Stress test for Gulf aviation; Mixed performance as country outlooks diverge in the Levant; GCC tourism sector pivots from crisis to recovery mode.

    Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the July 2026 edition of MEED Business Review includes:
    To see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click here
    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/17505309/main.jpg
    Wil Crisp