Meed | Saudi Arabia reinvigorates power sector

Saudi Arabia reinvigorates power sector

7 March 2023

Recent developments indicate that Saudi Arabia is more determined than ever to continue pursuing a multi-pronged energy diversification approach.

Between December 2022 and early March, the kingdom received bids for the contract to build its first nuclear power plant project; issued the tender for the development of 7,200MW of combined-cycle gas turbine (CCGT) independent power producer (IPP) schemes; and appointed a consultant to assess three solar parks with a potential capacity of 30GW.

The rush of new projects contrasts with the sector’s lacklustre performance in 2016-21, when the cumulative value of contracts awarded totalled a mere $5.5bn, reaching a record low of $55m in 2017.

The new-found momentum began last year, with $8.1bn-worth of contracts awarded, the highest over the 10-year period starting in 2013.

Last year’s contract awards include the estimated $4bn contract for the renewable energy and battery storage facility catering to the Neom green hydrogen project. Contracts for the 1.2GW third round of the kingdom’s National Renewable Energy Programme (NREP) and the Public Investment Fund's (PIF) 2.06GW Shuaibah 2 solar photovoltaic (PV) project were also awarded.

This has taken the overall capacity of solar projects under construction in Saudi Arabia to roughly 6,230MW, excluding the captive facility catering to the Neom green hydrogen project – a remarkable feat given that the kingdom has significantly lagged behind its renewable energy targets.

As of last year, the kingdom only has an estimated 842MW of renewable energy installed capacity, mainly from the 300MW Sakaka solar PV facility and 400MW Dumat al-Jandal wind farm.

This equates to just 3 per cent of its initial national goal to install 27.3GW of renewable energy capacity by 2024 and 1.4 per cent of its 2030 goal of 58.7GW.

The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and war in Ukraine has affected the delivery of most of the projects, according to a Saudi-based expert, due to disrupted supply chains and global inflation.

“The Covid-19 pandemic affected projects not just in Saudi Arabia, but everywhere in the world,” he says.

Other experts insist that the kingdom needs to make an unprecedented adjustment to meet its ambitious 2030 target.

In response, state offtaker Saudi Power Procurement Company (SPPC) launched the procurement process last year for NREP’s fourth round.

Phase four comprises two solar PV IPP schemes with a total combined capacity of 1.5GW and three wind IPPs with a total combined capacity of 1.8GW. Bids for these contracts are due by April and May this year, respectively.

In early March, Germany-based ILF Consulting Engineers (ICE) also announced that it had been selected to undertake the pre-development studies for three solar PV parks in Saudi Arabia with a potential combined capacity of 30GW, the largest of its kind ever planned in the region, if not globally.

The locations and procurement timeline for the projects have not yet been announced, but the tendering process will most likely commence once the initial studies are complete, according to a source familiar with the projects.

Going nuclear

Saudi Arabia’s Finance Ministry’s disclosure that it received bids in late December last year for the contract to build the kingdom’s first nuclear power plant has also significantly raised the power generation sector’s momentum.

The entire project’s budget of roughly $33.5bn, as estimated by MEED Projects, accounts for over a third of the total value of planned and unawarded power generation projects across the kingdom.

The potential award of the nuclear power project – the initial phase of which is understood to be 2.8GW – is not expected to slow down the pace of contract awards for other power generation assets.

As previously stated, the kingdom’s energy diversification programme expects clean and renewable energy to account for half – up from roughly 1 per cent today – of its electricity production mix by 2030.

The long lead time to construct and develop a nuclear power plant could also mean the first reactor is not likely to be ready by the end of the decade.

While the kingdom has not disclosed the list of companies bidding for the project, there is mounting speculation that at least three companies, including Russia’s Rosatom, China National Nuclear Corporation and South Korea’s Kepco, may have submitted a proposal to develop the facility.

Unlike the solar and wind energy projects, the results of the nuclear energy bids are expected to be announced only by the highest level of leadership within the kingdom due to the strategic and geopolitical importance of nuclear power.

Ramping up gas

In January, SPPC retendered contracts to develop its next gas-fired IPP projects. Initially comprising two projects, each with a capacity of 3.6GW, the Taiba and Al-Qassim IPPs were each split into two 1.8GW schemes, with bids for the four contracts due by mid-2023.

These are the first gas-fired power generation plants to be procured since 2016, when Saudi Arabia awarded the 1,500MW Fadhili IPP to a consortium led by France’s Engie.

Before the retender, SPPC received only a single bid for the 3.6GW Taiba IPP. Wary of net-zero carbon emission targets, many international utility developers declined to bid for the package citing insufficient decarbonisation provisions.

Despite this setback, SPPC sought consultants last year for the transaction advisory contract for its next round of CCGT projects, which will be developed using a build-own-operate model.

The two projects, to be located in Riyadh and Al-Khafji, will each have a design capacity of 3,600MW.

“It is a moving target,” a senior official with a utility developer said about the kingdom’s energy diversification goal.

Various official sources suggest that the country’s current installed power generation capacity stands at 80-90GW, with little to no publicly available figures in terms of the capacity forecast by 2030.

The original target to install 57.8GW of renewable energy capacity by the end of the decade vis-à-vis a goal for renewable energy to account for 50 per cent of the total implies that the 2030 figure could be around 110-120GW.

Keeping this in mind, and the need to retire ageing fossil fuel-fired fleets during the intervening period, appears to justify the need for the kingdom to build more gas-fired power plants while pursuing significant renewable and nuclear capacity.

In terms of attracting more bidders for its current and future CCGT schemes, much will depend on how SPPC and the Energy Ministry address developers’ concerns regarding measures to minimise carbon footprint at the same time as ensuring the assets’ long-term economic feasibility.

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Jennifer Aguinaldo

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The $3bn Taweelah C combined-cycle gas turbine (CCGT) project has been the UAE power sector’s standout contract award this year, accounting for the majority of the $4.17bn in awards as of early September.

The total is well below the record $12.02bn awarded in 2025, when Abu Dhabi’s $6bn round-the-clock solar photovoltaic (PV) and battery energy storage system (bess) project lifted the market to record levels. However, 2026 remains broadly consistent with recent years, compared with $5.93bn in 2024 and $3.05bn in 2023.

According to MEED Projects, generation accounted for $3.06bn across three awards, while transmission contracts totalled $1.11bn.

Gas-fired focus

Emirates Water & Electricity Company (Ewec) signed the power-purchase agreement (PPA) for Taweelah C in June with a consortium comprising Abu Dhabi National Energy Company (Taqa), Saudi Arabia’s Al-Jomaih Energy & Water Company and Singapore’s Sembcorp Industries.

The scale of the 2.5GW independent power producer (IPP) provides a useful lens through which to view the wider market. Although the UAE continues to expand solar generation and battery storage, it is still investing heavily in flexible thermal capacity to support rising electricity demand and a grid with significant renewable generation.

Major gas-fired opportunities are also moving into the Northern Emirates, with state utility Etihad Water & Electricity (EtihadWE) preparing to receive offers from five contractor groups for the 2.6GW Al-Zawra CCGT project in Ajman.

The project follows the retirement of EtihadWE’s older 200MW Al-Zawra gas plant in 2023. With Ewec acting as offtaker, the scheme also points to a wider role for EtihadWE in developing large-scale generation.

It is understood that the Ajman project will be the first of at least three planned power plant projects procured by the utility under a new long-term roadmap for future projects across both power and water.

Abu Dhabi’s 3.3GW Al-Nouf IPP is another major gas-fired plant moving towards execution. Japan’s Sumitomo Corporation is expected to formally sign the PPA by the end of the year, while the joint venture of Spain’s Tecnicas Reunidas and Egypt’s Orascom Construction is also set to be confirmed as the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor.

To put this into context, the deal would make 2026 the second most valuable year for power sector investment on record, eclipsing both 2017 and 2018, when contract awards in the UAE reached $7.39bn and $7.27bn, respectively.

Solar and storage

The UAE’s renewable procurement is increasingly combining solar generation with storage to provide electricity beyond daylight hours.

Dubai Electricity & Water Authority (Dewa) is preparing to award the seventh phase of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum Solar Park, with Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar) submitting the lowest tariff for the project in July.

China’s BYD will act as a bess supplier for the project, which combines 2,000MW of PV capacity with a 1,400MW bess designed to discharge for six hours, equivalent to 8,400MWh of stored energy.

The storage component will allow Dewa to use more solar power after sunset, reducing the gap between daytime generation and the evening demand peak.

The 1,800MW sixth phase is also nearing completion, with Larsen & Toubro delivering the estimated $1.5bn project for Shuaa Energy 4, the project company formed by Dewa and Masdar.

Dewa has increased the planned capacity of the solar park to 7,260MW by 2030, from its earlier target of 5,000MW.

Furthermore, Ewec is advancing its 1.5GW Al-Zarraf solar PV plant, with EDF and Korea Western Power Company selected as the consortium to develop the project.

Grid expansion

Multibillion-dollar IPP schemes have driven annual award values in recent years, while transmission work continues to provide a steadier flow of opportunities for contractors and equipment suppliers.

Transmission awards fell to $1.11bn across 22 packages in 2026, from $2.98bn in 2025, reflecting the absence of a comparable large-scale package rather than a halt in network investment.

Ewec and Taqa are expanding 400kV and 132kV networks across Abu Dhabi and the Northern Emirates, while Dewa continues to reinforce its cable and substation systems in Dubai.

In September, EtihadWE received bids for a contract to carry out a techno-economic feasibility study for a proposed 2GW subsea electricity interconnector with India.

The proposed 1,400-kilometre link would be the UAE’s first direct subsea cross-border electricity interconnector, illustrating a potential longer-term ambition to connect the UAE to wider regional and international power markets.

Earlier this year, the GCC Interconnection Authority awarded Omexom, part of France’s Vinci Group, a contract to build a 400kV overhead transmission line between the UAE and Saudi Arabia.

In October, the UAE and Saudi Arabia signed a memorandum of understanding to advance cross-border electricity interconnection, paving the way for feasibility studies on power exchange, commercial electricity trading and the expansion of the wider GCC interconnection grid.

Waste-to-energy

Waste-to-energy continues to become an increasingly important part of the UAE’s infrastructure pipeline as the country seeks to reduce landfill dependence and diversify its power mix through alternative generation sources.

Dubai Municipality recently invited developers to submit expressions of interest for its planned Jebel Ali waste-to-energy public-private partnership, a greenfield facility designed to treat up to 6,000 tonnes of municipal solid waste a day.

According to a source, the municipality plans to prequalify developers later this year, then issue a request for proposals in the first quarter of 2027.

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Mark Dowdall
SAR sets November deadline for GCC rail design review
14 October 2026
Saudi Arabia Railways (SAR) has set a deadline of 1 November for a contract to appoint a design management and review consultant to oversee engineering works on the GCC railway network, the latest step in advancing the long-delayed regional rail link.

The request for proposals (RFP) was issued on 9 September, with an initial submission deadline of 18 October.

The tender seeks a consultant to manage, audit and verify deliverables produced by SAR’s separately appointed design services consultant, rather than carry out the design itself. The tendering for the design services consultancy is currently in progress.

Construction will be tendered separately through competitive bidding once designs are approved.

The GCC railway will run for about 672 kilometres (km) inside Saudi Arabia, linking the kingdom’s existing network to Kuwait, Qatar, the UAE and Bahrain, with four sections of about 141km, 200km, 151km and 21km, respectively.

The line is planned as a single-track, non-electrified corridor for mixed freight and passenger traffic, with a maximum axle load of 32.4 tonnes and passing loops for bidirectional working.

The appointed consultant will develop a design management and review plan covering governance, interdisciplinary coordination and stage-gate approvals, and will issue formal review and audit reports against SAR’s requirements and international standards.

The scope also covers stakeholder engagement, interface management and oversight of land acquisition activity tied to the design consultant’s land acquisition plan.

Key design stages are expected to take about 16 months: four months for concept design, six for preliminary design and six for issued-for-construction design, each with four weeks of contingency.

SAR has asked bidders to mobilise a core team from day one. These must include a project director, engineering and design manager, stakeholder manager and lead document controller, all based at SAR’s offices, with minimum experience thresholds ranging from three years for junior operators up to 25 years, including 15 in rail, for the project director role.

Cross-border infrastructure related to the GCC rail is also gaining momentum, with the UAE and Saudi Arabia signing a preliminary agreement in early October to study rail connectivity.

The rail component covers technical and economic feasibility studies for a dedicated freight link between the two national networks to improve bilateral logistics and supply-chain integration.

The deal also covers potential electricity interconnection, including the exchange and sale of power. The countries will conduct technical, economic and environmental studies and coordinate with other GCC member states on broader grid-development plans.

GCC railway line

Under the overall plan, the railway will run from Kuwait, pass through Dammam in Saudi Arabia, reach Bahrain via a planned causeway, and continue from Dammam to Qatar, the UAE and, ultimately, Muscat via Sohar in Oman. The railway is reported to cover about 2,186km in total.

The route length within each member state is as follows:
- UAE – 684km
- Saudi Arabia – 672km
- Oman – 306km
- Qatar – 283km
- Kuwait – 145km
- Bahrain – 36km
The railway is designed for passenger trains travelling at 220 kilometres an hour (km/h) and freight trains operating at 80km/h-120km/h.

With high levels of project activity, governments in spending mode and renewed cooperation under the Al-Ula Declaration, the latest efforts to restart the GCC railway project may make more progress than previous attempts. If completed, the railway could prove transformational for a region that is globally connected but still divided by national borders.

MEED’s October 2026 report on Saudi Arabia includes:

> COMMENT: Saudi projects hold steady
> GOVERNMENT: Riyadh looks to reset its regional defence outlook
> ECONOMY: Conflict bolsters case for Saudi economic diversification
> BANKING: Saudi lenders readjust to lower lending and deposit climate
> UPSTREAM: Aramco upstream spending gathers pace
> DOWNSTREAM: Sabic steps up Saudi petchems investment
> POWER: Saudi Arabia’s power award activity slows
> WATER: Saudi water sector hits sharp slowdown
> CONSTRUCTION: Saudi construction defies the headwinds
> TRANSPORT: Saudi infrastructure pushes forward amid conflict
> DATABANK: Saudi data indicates project spending shift

To see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click here
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Yasir Iqbal
Algeria tenders gas compressor upgrade project
14 October 2026

Algeria’s national oil and gas company Sonatrach has issued a tender for a project to upgrade 11 gas compressor stations in the Hassi Hassi Messaoud area.

The project scope includes study, design, procurement, construction, installation and commissioning of units at the compressor stations.

The deadline for submitting technical bids is 22 November.

The compression stations to be upgraded include 10 located at the Southern Industrial Complex.

These are known as: SC3, SC4, SC5, SC6, SC7, SC8, SC9, SC10, SC11 and SC12.

The eleventh compressor station, UC3, is located at the Naili Abdelhalim Industrial Complex.

The project appears to revive plans dating back to at least 2019, when Sonatrach identified the refurbishment of the SC3–SC12 facilities as part of its investment programme.

International companies wishing to bid must have an average turnover of at least $1bn over the last three years.

They are also required to have successfully completed at least two engineering, procurement and construction contracts relating to industrial hydrocarbon installation projects during the last 15 years.

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Wil Crisp
State-backed spending cushions UAE construction slowdown
13 October 2026

The UAE projects market is undergoing a structural realignment. Following a surge in private real estate investment after the Covid-19 pandemic, activity in the commercial and residential segments has softened amid regional geopolitical uncertainty.

Rather than allowing the market to contract, state and government-related entities (GREs) – particularly in Dubai – have stepped in to offset the shortfall, deploying balance-sheet capital countercyclically into strategic infrastructure, cultural and tourism projects.

Dubai recalibrates

Dubai’s construction sector has remained resilient at a headline level. On-site work continues, and major international contractors are securing new work.

A clear indicator of this stability came in September, when China State Construction Engineering Corporation secured an AED5bn ($1.3bn) contract from Dubai Holding for the developer’s new headquarters and the Jumeirah Residences Emirates Towers scheme.

Beneath this headline stability, however, procurement drivers have shifted dramatically. Private real estate activity, which supported the market’s post-pandemic resurgence, cooled following the onset of regional conflict at the end of February. Off-plan residential sales declined from a monthly peak of $9bn in February to $4bn in August.

Monthly contract awards for residential projects mirrored this contraction, dropping from $3bn to $306m over the same period as private developers deferred new project launches and conserved capital.

Government and government-related clients have absorbed much of the resulting shortfall. Dubai awarded $52.6bn of contracts in 2025, of which state-backed clients accounted for $26bn, or about 49%.

In 2026 to date, government and GRE procurement has reached $22.4bn of the $34.6bn in contracts awarded, representing almost two-thirds of total market activity.

The shift towards sovereign-backed spending appears intended to support construction activity and limit pressure on the supply chain during a period of private sector retrenchment.

This state intervention is underpinned by an unawarded projects pipeline of $530bn in Dubai, according to MEED Projects data.

The city’s future construction pipeline remains heavily weighted towards housing and integrated urban developments. Unawarded construction projects in the emirate total about $144.5bn, with residential and mixed-use developments accounting for almost 89% of the total value.

Planned residential schemes account for $66.5bn, or 46%, of the pipeline, followed by large-scale mixed-use developments at $62bn, or 42.7%. The remainder comprises hospitality projects ($5bn), commercial offices ($4.8bn), telecommunications ($2bn) and retail ($2bn), alongside smaller allocations for education and civic facilities.

Abu Dhabi accelerates

A similar dynamic is evident in Abu Dhabi, where sovereign-backed entities continue to shape construction procurement. Unlike Dubai, which has historically relied more heavily on private developers, Abu Dhabi’s market is largely led by state-affiliated master developers.

Entities such as Aldar Properties and Modon Holding remain the primary engines of the emirate’s residential and mixed-use pipeline, progressing vast masterplans across Saadiyat Island, Yas Island and Hudayriyat Island.

At the same time, Abu Dhabi is directing public capital expenditure towards entertainment, culture and hospitality as it pursues the objectives of its Tourism Strategy 2030.

Rather than moderating capital deployment amid regional geopolitical strains, state-backed entities are accelerating destination developments designed to expand visitor capacity and build long-term economic resilience.

Leisure developer Miral has already confirmed plans to invest more than AED12bn ($3.2bn) across Yas Island over the next five years. The investment will fund new attractions and expand hotel capacity, separate from the planned Disney development.

Work is already under way on a 63,000-square-metre phase-two expansion of Warner Bros World Yas Island, featuring a Harry Potter-themed zone.

Major civic entertainment venues are also moving to construction. In May, Alec Engineering & Contracting received the letter of award for the $1.7bn Sphere Abu Dhabi project on Yas Island. The venue is being developed by the Department of Culture and Tourism–Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) in partnership with US-based Sphere Entertainment, and is scheduled to be completed in the third quarter of fiscal year 2029.

On neighbouring Saadiyat Island, DCT Abu Dhabi has broken ground on Dar Al-Funoon, a performing arts venue designed by the late Frank Gehry. The project is planned to accommodate more than 6,000 people across a 2,000-seat multipurpose hall, an open-air amphitheatre, a studio theatre and a jazz venue. Main contract bids are currently under evaluation ahead of an imminent award and a 2030 opening.

Abu Dhabi’s unawarded projects pipeline is led by mixed-use and residential developments, which together account for about $51.3bn, or 54% of the roughly $95bn total shown.

Telecommunications and data infrastructure forms the single largest individual segment at $33.4bn (35%). Subsequent phases of the estimated $40bn Stargate project represent the bulk of the emirate’s planned data-centre capacity. The planned artificial intelligence infrastructure initiative is designed to strengthen Abu Dhabi’s position as a regional data and connectivity hub, with construction on phase one already under way.

Hospitality accounts for a further $7.6bn (8%) of the pipeline. The remaining balance of roughly $2.6bn is distributed across retail, culture, leisure, healthcare, public facilities, commercial offices, earthworks and education.

Along with Dubai’s $79.6bn in near-term tenders, the combined $116bn in active procurement confirms that sovereign liquidity will continue to insulate the UAE construction market from broader private sector volatility.

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Yasir Iqbal

Consortium signs EPC contract for Rabigh 2 IPP expansion

13 October 2026

A consortium comprising PowerChina, Egypt’s Elsewedy Electric and Beijing-headquartered Sinohydro has signed an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract for Saudi Arabia’s Rabigh 2 combined-cycle gas-turbine (CCGT) independent power project (IPP) expansion.

The signing ceremony took place in Riyadh on 12 October and the contract involves the plant’s design, procurement, installation, construction, commissioning, grid connection and performance testing.

MEED previously reported that construction works had commenced, with Elsewedy Electric and Sinohydro carrying out works on the project.

The signing follows the project’s financial close earlier this month, after it secured SR9.69bn ($2.58bn) in long-term financing.

The financing has a tenor of approximately 34 years and was provided by a consortium of local, regional and international lenders.

The project is being developed by Al-Morjan Two Electricity Company, in which Acwa and Saudi Energy, formerly Saudi Electricity Company, each hold a 40% stake.

In April, MEED reported that Acwa and Saudi Energy had signed a 31-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with Saudi Power Procurement Company (SPPC) for the project.

The agreement is valued at SR11.5bn ($3.07bn) and covers the development of a CCGT plant in the Mecca region under a build, own and operate arrangement. The project also includes the development and expansion of a 380kV electrical substation. The plant is designed to be ready for the future installation of carbon-capture technology.

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