meed-logo

line1 line2 line3
SIGN IN / REGISTER

Saudi Arabia under project pressure

28 March 2023

 

Saudi Arabia’s projects market is overheating. The volume of projects announced in the past six years vastly exceeds the resources that are available to work in the kingdom. 

Combined with tight deadlines to complete projects as part of Vision 2030, the pressure on the construction industry to deliver is ratcheting up and turning the tables on the supply chain as the shift from a buyer’s to a seller’s market accelerates.

For the five years from 2016 to 2020, there was an average of about $14bn-worth of contract awards a year in Saudi Arabia for the construction and transport sectors. After rising to $21bn in 2021, the total rose to $32bn in 2022 – the second-best year on record. 

The near doubling of the total annual value of contract awards by the end of 2022 has required a significant scale-up of resources in the kingdom, and the ramp-up is set to continue. 

Much of this pressure is due to the five official gigaprojects, which are major programmes of work that will involve a sustained flow of contract awards for years to come.

Gigaproject focus

The project most recently classified as a gigaproject by the Saudi authorities is the Diriyah Gate development on the western outskirts of Riyadh. It joins the $500bn Neom development in the northwest of the kingdom, Qiddiya entertainment city outside Riyadh, Red Sea Global’s projects on the Red Sea coast and Roshn’s housing developments across the kingdom.

These projects are relatively new. They began to be launched in 2017 and spent much of the following three years in the design phase. 

After a start that was hampered by the work and travel restrictions required to manage the Covid-19 pandemic, construction activity on these projects has accelerated sharply since the start of 2022. 

According to regional project tracker MEED Projects, there have been $36bn-worth of contract awards across these official gigaprojects since 2017. Compared to the entire Saudi projects market over the same period that represents 14.5 per cent of contract awards. 

The percentage rises to 20 per cent if a more recent time frame is used and only contract awards since the start of 2022 are included. As work gathers pace on the gigaprojects, their significance is expected to grow even further.

More major projects

Saudi Arabia’s ambitions are not limited to the five gigaprojects. In January, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman al-Saud launched the world’s largest modern downtown in Riyadh. 

Known as the New Murabba project, it involves the development of 19 square kilometres of land to the northwest of the capital. The centrepiece of the project is the Mukaab, which is a 400-metre-cubed structure with a tower standing inside it. 

New Murabba is part of a plan announced in January 2021 to double the size of Riyadh from 7.5 million residents to 15-20 million residents in 2030. Other major projects in the capital include King Salman International airport, King Salman Park, Sports Boulevard and Mohammed bin Salman Non-Profit City. 

Beyond the capital there are development projects planned in all major urban centres by Saudi Downtown Company, as well as entertainment centres being developed by Saudi Entertainment Ventures (Seven).

Connecting these cities and projects will be railways, roads, ports and airports that form part of the National Transport & Logistics strategy, which aims to turn the kingdom into a global hub for travel and trade by 2030.

World’s largest piling project shifts to The Line’s marina

Resourcing challenges  

One of the key challenges for the development firms and government agencies responsible for delivering these projects is securing the resources they need. 

As client bodies attempt to make their projects more attractive for companies to work on, the industry is changing. The first signs of this change can be seen in the consultancy market. 

After years of searching for project opportunities, the big consultancy businesses are now only selectively bidding for projects in the kingdom. This is because their orderbooks are already full, and for many international firms there is a concern that they could become over-exposed to the Saudi market. 

On contracts that have already been won there are also challenges. Staffing projects is proving difficult as the kingdom remains a hard sell for many project professionals, despite significant social reforms that have taken place in recent years. 

Then, once staff have been recruited and deployed on projects, there is the prospect of losing them to competitors or clients that require the same human resources.

Securing contractors

As activity on site accelerates, the bigger concern is contracting resources. As things stand, there are not enough contractors working in Saudi Arabia to deliver all of the planned projects. 

The first way to deal with this problem is to increase the capacity of contractors in the kingdom. In February this year, the Public Investment Fund (PIF) invested $1.3bn in four local construction firms: Al-Bawani Holding Company, Almabani General Contractors Company, El-Seif Engineering Contracting Company and Nesma & Partners Contracting Company. 

This investment will allow the companies to scale up their capacity, adopt advanced technologies and improve local supply chains. 

As these firms grow, the hope is that it will encourage other local companies to also expand.

International or regional companies can also help, and over the past two years foreign players have become active in the kingdom again. Firms such as Bouygues, Samsung C&T, Hyundai Engineering Construction, China State, Webuild, FCC, Alec, Consolidated Contractors Company and Urbacon Trading Contracting Company have all secured major orders. 

In some cases, these contract awards have been supported with foreign finance, which gives the contractor an additional level of comfort when it comes to potential payment for projects. For others, the contract awards reflect growing assurance in the Saudi market. 

Boosting appeal

Confidence has been lifted by measures to make the Saudi market more attractive. Payment terms are improving and many of the frustrations typically faced by contractors are being addressed. 

One example is the use of performance guarantees. Red Sea Global, which is developing the Red Sea Project and Amaala gigaprojects on the Red Sea coast, no longer requires contractors to submit bid bonds and returns performance bonds on completion of the project, along with half of the retention. 

Alternative procurement methods and contract types are also being used, notably early contractor involvement and design and build. 

These different approaches reduce risk for the contractor and allow the client to lock in resources at a much earlier stage of the procurement process. 

Red Sea Global has adopted a different approach and is self-delivering the bulk of its projects. By acting as its own management contractor, it engages with subcontractors itself. While this means it does not need to secure the services of a main contractor, it still requires engaging with the supply chain, which – like the main contractor market – has finite resources in Saudi Arabia.

Payment terms are improving and many of the frustrations typically faced by contractors are being addressed 

Driving efficiency

On the other side of the equation, making construction more efficient could also help to limit the resources required. 

Client bodies are exploring modern methods of construction to increase the speed of delivery, reduce costs and cut the amount of resources needed on site.

The market could also be self-limiting. Decision-making in the kingdom remains centralised, which means key project decisions can be slow. While this is changing as development companies are left to run their own projects, bureaucracy can impact the speed of delivery, which ultimately reduces the immediate demand for resources on a project. 

While slow decision-making could impact progress on some projects, the overriding story for 2023 will be one of sustained pressure on the kingdom’s construction sector as it becomes a seller’s market. 

With that, there is the likelihood that contractor margins will start to creep up, just as they did in the UAE when its construction market overheated in 2003 and 2008. 

So far, that does not appear to have happened, as clients in Saudi Arabia have managed to find sufficient resources. For that to remain the case will be a major challenge, however, as on-site activity for most projects in the kingdom is still several years away from peaking. 

Daniel King, director, Currie & Brown

International contractors continue to see a level of risk in the Saudi market

“There is a lot of opportunity. A large volume of work is being planned, designed and rolled out. With that, there is significant pressure right now on the market in terms of resources and supply chain. 

“On the consultancy side, the market is tremendously difficult. 

“Even with the best incentives and best set of practices, retaining staff is a challenge. People are being attracted elsewhere and the competition is fierce. 

“For the contractors, there are a lot of tenders being let. The perception that the market has risk remains, however. That is certainly the perception for international contractors, and they are still looking at the Saudi market with some level of risk appreciation in terms of how quickly they are going to be paid and what the margins really are. 

“That approach will likely prevail for the short to medium term, until clients’ practices change in terms of contractual frameworks and payment practices. 

“Varied procurement practices are coming into play to guarantee supply chain. It might be early contractor involvement or partnering, but the main purpose is to guarantee the right level of contractors.”

Adel Karem Jemah, senior vice-president, Hill International

To prevent resource shortages, supply chain and procurement must be carefully considered

“It is imperative to consider alternative methods of procurement during boom times, and the current boom in Saudi Arabia is unprecedented considering the types, size, nature and complexity of projects that have been announced in line with Vision 2030. 

“This necessitates giving due consideration to the supply chain and type of procurement.

“It is not enough to look for resources locally or even regionally to cope with such projects. One needs to reach out to where such resources are available globally, either due to slowdowns in certain regions or the completion of other major projects. 

“Cost-plus contracts were used previously in many projects in Saudi Arabia. However, the risk for such contracts rests with the client and sometimes the cost ends up much more than expected. That is why financiers prefer the lump-sum type of contracts. 

“Nonetheless, I can see this type of contract being used for fast-track projects with very tight schedules, for instance to meet deadlines for facilities required for international or regional sporting events. 

“In any case, the evaluation and selection of contractors needs to be done with extreme diligence.”

MEED's April 2023 special report on Saudi Arabia includes:

> ECONOMY: Riyadh steps up the Vision 2030 tempo

> 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

https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/10705629/main.gif
Colin Foreman

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

Click here to register
Exclusive from Meed
Related Articles
  • Oman reaches financial close on 120MW wind project

    12 August 2026

    Oman’s 120MW Jaalan Bani Bu Ali (JBB) wind independent power project (IPP) has reached financial close, according to the consortium developing the project.

    The project is being developed by a consortium comprising French firm EDF Power Solutions, Oman’s Al-Khadra Partners and OQ Alternative Energy.

    Located in South Al-Sharqiyah Governorate, about 440 kilometres from the Port of Duqm, the project will comprise 16 wind turbines, each with a capacity of 7.7MW.

    Commercial operations are expected to begin in the third quarter of 2027. The JBB project is EDF Power Solutions’ first wind project in Oman.

    Oman’s Nama Power & Water Procurement (Nama PWP) signed a 20-year power purchase agreement (PPA) to develop, finance, build and operate the project last December.

    As exclusively reported by MEED, a consortium of Chinese companies also signed the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract to build the plant that same month.

    The consortium comprises China Energy Engineering Corporation, PowerChina, East China Electric Power Design & Research Institute and Hunan Thermal Power, all headquartered in Beijing.

    Once operational, the wind farm is expected to generate enough renewable electricity to supply more than 13,500 Omani households annually. It is also expected to avoid more than 270,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions a year.

    The project supports Oman’s target of increasing the share of renewable energy in its national electricity mix to at least 30% by 2030. It also supports the country’s Net Zero 2050 target.

    In May, Muscat-based Monenco Consulting Engineers won a consultancy contract for a grid station project linked to the Jaalan Bani Bu Ali wind farm project.

    The contract was awarded by China Energy Engineering Corporation, the lead EPC contractor for the Jaalan Bani Bu Ali IPP.

    The scope includes engineering and detailed design consultancy services for the grid station and associated overhead line linked to the wind farm, which is expected to begin construction by the end of the third quarter.

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

    Saudi Arabia builds for the global stage; Rising uncertainty creates fresh set of challenges in the Maghreb; Gulf banks remain robust in the face of geopolitical tensions.

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

    > MARKET FOCUS: Maghreb fortunes diverge
    To see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click here
    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/18364806/main.jpg
    Mark Dowdall
  • Kuwait utilities investment shifts towards water

    11 August 2026

     

    China State Construction Engineering Corporation recently signed a contract for Kuwait’s North Kabd wastewater treatment plant, the country’s largest wastewater infrastructure project to date.

    The award, following more than a decade of planning, propelled Kuwait’s water sector contract awards to more than $4bn as of early August, according to regional project tracker MEED Projects.

    The facility will have a treatment capacity of up to 1 million cubic metres a day (cm/d), with the $3.3bn contract covering the design, construction, operation and maintenance of the plant over a 10-year period.

    It marks a significant recovery for the sector after several years of subdued activity and the first time since 2020 that annual water awards have exceeded $1bn.

    North Kabd is the largest of several major water projects awarded this year, alongside contracts covering desalination and the expansion and rehabilitation of water distribution infrastructure.

    Desalination and distribution

    These include a $316m contract awarded to local firm United Gulf Construction (UGC) by the Ministry of Electricity, Water & Renewable Energy (MEWRE) for the rehabilitation and expansion of the Doha water distribution complex.

    The five-year project includes a new pump station and will add about 130 million imperial gallons of storage capacity, while increasing pumping capacity to 220 million imperial gallons a day (MIGD).

    UGC was also selected in February to upgrade the Hawally water distribution complex in Kuwait’s Hawalli Governorate. The facility serves one of Kuwait’s most densely populated governorates, with the project intended to address chronic low water pressure, particularly during peak summer demand, and improve continuity of supply.

    The upgrade will increase freshwater storage capacity by 66 million gallons and raise potable-water pumping capacity to 54.5 million gallons a day.

    In April, Kuwait’s Central Agency for Public Tenders approved MEWRE’s recommendation to award a $371m contract for phase two of the Doha seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) desalination plant.

    A joint venture of Kuwait-based Heavy Engineering Industries & Shipbuilding Company (Heisco) and India’s VA Tech Wabag will carry out the project, which will have a capacity of about 272,000 cm/d.

    Upcoming water awards

    Meanwhile, Kuwait’s Ministry of Public Works (MPW) has been progressing several tenders for major water infrastructure projects covering rainwater drainage and treated water systems in the country’s southern and northern regions.

    In July, local Combined Group Contracting submitted the lowest bid for a contract to develop a major treated water system in the southern region. The contractor submitted a price of about $515m for the scheme, according to a company disclosure.

    For the smaller northern treated water system, Contractor General Trading & Contracting submitted the lowest bid of $169m.

    In what is already a standout year for Kuwait’s water sector, further awards could push activity significantly higher. More than $1bn of water projects are currently under bid evaluation, indicating further evidence of a sustained recovery in the months ahead.

    Power sector activity

    Kuwait’s power sector recorded just $271m of contract awards by early August, according to MEED Projects, putting activity well below recent annual levels.

    This compares with a record full-year total of $5.5bn in 2025 and $2.7bn in both 2024 and 2023.

    Several large-scale generation projects have been slow to advance, with deadline extensions a notable feature in recent months. The outlook is stronger, however, with these projects now progressing through procurement and significant awards expected in the months ahead.

    Kuwait is advancing the 1,800MW Al-Khairan phase one independent water and power project (IWPP), for which two developer consortiums led by Abu Dhabi National Energy Company (Taqa) and Saudi Arabia’s Acwa submitted bids in June.

    The project will also include a desalination plant with a capacity of 125 MIGD. A second phase of the Al-Khairan IWPP, estimated at $750m, is understood to include a further 1,800MW of generation capacity through a combined-cycle gas-fired power plant. The project remains in the early development stages, with tendering not expected until at least 2027.

    Renewable energy programme

    The Kuwait Authority for Partnership Projects (Kapp) is also progressing the Al-Dibdibah power and Al-Shagaya renewable energy programme in partnership with Kuwait’s MEWRE.

    The contract to develop the 1,100MW phase three, zone one solar photovoltaic (PV) project is expected to be confirmed soon, with a consortium led by Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar) previously reported to be the frontrunner.

    A separate 500MW solar PV project is also being procured under phase three, zone two of the same programme, with bids submitted on 26 July. If the contract is awarded by the end of the year, the two Shagaya contracts would add about $2bn to the value of power sector awards.  

    Another notable development was the 25-year energy conversion and water purchase agreement signed in February for the Al-Zour North IWPP phases two and three. The signing marked a key step towards financial close on the estimated $4bn project. Once completed, the facility will add 2,700MW of power and 120 MIGD of desalinated water to Kuwait’s supply network

    The Shagaya, Khairan and Zour North projects form a key part of Kuwait’s generation portfolio. The country is aiming to reach 22,100MW of installed renewable energy capacity by 2030, under a 20-year strategy announced in March 2025 that extends to 2050.

    Kuwait is also continuing to invest in existing generation plants. MEWRE is evaluating bids for the $1.7bn upgrade of the Subiya power and water plant, including the conversion of units from open-cycle to combined-cycle operation and the modernisation of existing facilities.

    Battery energy storage systems

    In the near to medium term, more than $10bn-worth of power projects are under bid evaluation. This includes several battery energy storage system projects with a planned total storage capacity of 1.5GW.

    In June, Kuwait approved sites in Al-Mutlaa and Jaber Al-Ahmad cities for the development of the projects. The projects will be implemented in phases, with the first phase providing 500MW of storage capacity. The first facilities are expected to be operational by summer 2027 and will supply stored energy to the electricity grid during periods of peak demand.

    Elsewhere, MEWRE continues to evaluate offers from Shanghai Electric Group and local firm Heavy Engineering Industries & Shipbuilding Company (Heisco) for the estimated $400m engineering, procurement and construction contract to rehabilitate and modernise eight boilers at the Subiya power generation and water distillation station. The bid bond validity has been extended to 23 August, indicating that the procurement process remains ongoing.

    MEED’s September 2026 report on Kuwait also includes:

    > ECONOMY: Kuwait shows tentative signs of economic development
    > BANKING: Necessity is the mother of invention for Kuwaiti lenders
    > OIL & GAS: Regional war to have lasting impact on Kuwaiti oil sector
    > CONSTRUCTION: Kuwait construction holds up despite regional strife

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/18333042/main.gif
    Mark Dowdall
  • Syrian court gives death penalty to Bashar Al-Assad

    11 August 2026

    A Syrian court has sentenced former president Bashar Al-Assad to death after trying him in absentia, convicting him of crimes committed during the country’s nearly 14 years of civil war.

    It is the first such ruling under Syria’s transitional authorities, who ousted Al-Assad in December 2024 and vowed justice and accountability for crimes committed under his rule.

    Al-Assad fled to Moscow as Islamist-led forces closed in on Damascus after a lightning offensive.

    In a Damascus court, Judge Fakhr Al-Din Al-Aryan convicted Al-Assad of crimes including “premeditated murder, the intentional killing of more than one person, the intentional killing of children under 15 years … torture, torture leading to death, and deprivation of liberty on multiple occasions” — acts the court classified as crimes against humanity and war crimes.

    “He is therefore sentenced to death,” the judge said in his ruling.

    The court also sentenced six former military and security officials to death in absentia, including Al-Assad’s brother Maher, who ran the army’s elite Fourth Division and also fled the country.

    Those convicted included former defence minister Fahd Al-Freij and Louay Al-Ali, who headed military intelligence in Daraa province in 2011.

    ALSO READ: Syria charts post-war reconstruction course

    The officials were convicted of crimes including murder, incitement to murder, torture leading to death and repeated deprivation of liberty, also classified as crimes against humanity and war crimes.

    Former security official Atif Najib – the only defendant tried in person – was also sentenced to death for crimes against humanity committed while he headed political security in Daraa province, the cradle of the country’s 2011 uprising.

    Najib, a cousin of Al-Assad who was arrested in January last year, was convicted of crimes including murder, the intentional killing of children under 15 and torture leading to death.

    The acts attributed to him are “crimes against humanity”, the court said as it handed down “the harshest punishment … which is the death penalty”.

    ALSO READ: US lifts sanctions on Syria after the EU takes similar action

    Syria began proceedings in April against Al-Assad and other officials, accused both in person and in absentia of atrocities during the civil war, which erupted after the former authorities’ brutal repression of pro-democracy protesters.

    More than half a million people were killed and millions displaced, while tens of thousands disappeared, many into the country’s brutal prison system.

    The uprising began in Daraa in March 2011 after 15 students were arrested for allegedly writing anti-government slogans on the city’s walls.

    Residents said the students were tortured, prompting protests demanding their release that ended in bloodshed.

    Security forces suppressed demonstrations and fired live ammunition to disperse sit-ins at several locations.

    Najib was dismissed after the crackdown as protests spread to other provinces.

    Judge Al-Aryan said Najib had denied the charges and shown “no remorse”.

    Al-Assad took power in Syria in 2000 in an unopposed election following the death of his father, Hafez Al-Assad, who was president from 1971.

    ALSO READ: Syria exports first crude oil batch in 14 years
    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/18331541/main.gif
    MEED Editorial
  • Oman extends deadline for $150m water transmission project

    11 August 2026

     

    State-owned Nama Water Services (NWS) has extended the bid submission deadline for a contract to build a $150m water distribution network project in Jalan Bani Bu Ali Wilayat in Oman’s South Sharqiyah Governorate.

    The new deadline is 24 August. The original deadline was 17 August.

    The engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract covers the development of water distribution infrastructure in the JBBA North and JBBA Coastal areas.

    The scope includes new water storage reservoirs, elevated tanks, booster pump stations and transmission and distribution pipelines.

    The project includes two reservoirs in the JBBA North area with a capacity of 40,000 cubic metres, along with about 58 kilometres of ductile iron distribution pipelines and 343km of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipelines.

    The JBBA Coastal works include reservoirs at Asilah, Ashkarah, Wadi Sal and Khabbah, as well as elevated tanks and pump stations. The scope also includes about 38.5km of 400mm-diameter ductile iron transmission pipeline.

    NWS issued the main contract tender on 4 June. UK-headquartered Mott MacDonald is the main consultant on the project.

    The project is one of three water distribution schemes being tendered under a wider $350m masterplan covering Jalan Bani Bu Hassan, Jalan Bani Bu Ali, and Al-Kamil and Al-Wafi wilayats.

    The Jalan Bani Bu Hassan scheme includes a new 40,000-cubic-metre ground reservoir at Al-Sayah Al-Sharqi 4, a pump station and associated transmission and distribution pipelines. It will also include a pump station serving the Industrial Area and an inline booster pump station supplying Al-Mintajjah and Sariq Haryah.

    The projects covering Jalan Bani Bu Ali and Al-Kamil and Al-Wafi wilayats are estimated to cost £100m each. The bid submission deadline for both projects is 17 August.

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

    Saudi Arabia builds for the global stage; Rising uncertainty creates fresh set of challenges in the Maghreb; Gulf banks remain robust in the face of geopolitical tensions.

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

    > MARKET FOCUS: Maghreb fortunes diverge
    To see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click here
    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/18326851/main.jpg
    Mark Dowdall
  • Medina invites bids for major stormwater project

    11 August 2026

     

    Saudi Arabia’s Madinah Municipality has issued a tender for an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract to upgrade the city’s rainwater drainage network.

    According to regional project tracker MEED Projects, it is the first main contract tender the municipality has issued for a major water infrastructure project since 2022.

    The $30m project covers the construction of rainwater drainage networks and the repair of existing stormwater pipelines across major roads and corridors within the urban area of Medina.

    It aims to improve the performance of the city’s stormwater drainage system, reduce surface flooding, and protect roads and nearby assets during heavy rainfall.

    The bid submission deadline is 5 September.

    According to MEED Projects data, Madinah Municipality completed two rainwater drainage network projects in Medina in 2024.

    The local Al-Ayuni Investment & Contracting was the EPC contractor for both Phase 1 and Phase 2 projects. Saudi contractor Azmeel Contracting also previously submitted bids for both projects.

    The municipality is also understood to be nearing completion of a separate Phase 1 rainwater drainage network project in Al-Rawabi in Al-Madinah province. This project was tendered in 2022 and awarded to Al-Naeim Contracting (Saudi Arabia) in 2023.

    Meanwhile, Madinah Municipality received prequalification documents at the beginning of the year for two stormwater drainage projects in Yanbu. It is unclear if the main contract tender will be issued this year.

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

    Saudi Arabia builds for the global stage; Rising uncertainty creates fresh set of challenges in the Maghreb; Gulf banks remain robust in the face of geopolitical tensions.

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

    > MARKET FOCUS: Maghreb fortunes diverge
    To see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click here
    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/18325305/main.jpg
    Mark Dowdall