meed-logo

line1 line2 line3
SIGN IN / REGISTER

Saudi demand-supply imbalance needs action

26 January 2024

Some $879bn-worth of giga projects are planned in Saudi Arabia, of which about $50bn has been awarded to date, according to regional projects tracker MEED Projects.

The data shows that 2023 was a record year for projects in Saudi Arabia. 

However, the extensive scope of work associated with these projects has exposed the challenges of scaling up the local construction supply chain fast enough to meet the surge in demand.

With projects launching in quick succession, suppliers, contractors and subcontractors are struggling to keep up with the influx of new work into the market.

Riad Bsaibes, president and CEO of Amana Investments, says this shortage of resources is a critical issue, stating, “There is currently a bottleneck in the entire supply chain, from human capital and materials to subcontractors and general contractors.”

Moreover, the construction sector faces significant execution risks.

While some projects are subject to delays, efforts to accelerate others are exerting pressure on timelines and budgets. 

Highlighting the disparity, Bsaibes notes, “This mismatch is leading to delays as schedules stretch out and costs rise above original tender amounts. This creates risks for contractors if they cannot deliver projects on schedule or within the costs estimated during the tendering process.”

Career investment

The launch of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 has spurred an era of growth and investment. The surge in construction projects aligns with the kingdom's goals, positively impacting employment opportunities. 

Yet recruiting top local and expatriate talent across large-scale projects is becoming a challenge in Saudi Arabia, according to Bsaibes.

He acknowledges that attracting and retaining skilled workers is getting more difficult with time, stating: “This is particularly challenging due to the scale of expansion, coupled with the pressure of Saudi Arabia’s nationalisation policies that encourage contractors to recruit qualified Saudi nationals.”

As well as focusing on hiring practices, companies must also commit to nurturing and enhancing skills over time.

Continuous upskilling is crucial in the construction industry, where new technologies, techniques and regulations frequently emerge, requiring employees to adapt and stay relevant.

Bsaibes advocates a strategic approach to talent management that involves upskilling the existing workforce before hiring new talent.

He recommends a hands-on approach to learning and improving skills.

“A core part of skills development at Amana includes on-the-job training for all employees,” he adds.

“Skills development must extend to developing competency in cutting-edge technologies such as building information modelling (BIM), modular construction and other digital tools. This long-term effort should be a key priority for firms.

“Continuous learning and development are very important throughout an employee’s career, starting from their initial entry into the construction workforce.”

Bsaibes further highlights the significance of internships in providing candidates with practical experience before taking on permanent positions. 

This approach aims to facilitate a smoother onboarding process for individuals entering the workforce, ensuring they are well-prepared for new roles.

“Companies should invest in the professional development of their employees,” he says. “This could include training programmes, workshops and educational initiatives aimed at enhancing the skills, knowledge and capabilities of the workforce.”

Credit challenge

Access to credit is another major issue in the construction sector. A strong financial profile enhances borrowing capacity and facilitates the smooth execution of projects by ensuring a steady flow of financial resources.

Addressing credit concerns is, therefore, essential for construction firms. 

Bsaibes recommends adhering to a strategic financial approach, opting to retain significant cash reserves instead of incurring debt.

“This approach not only facilitates self-financing for projects when necessary, but also serves as collateral for the letters of guarantee frequently demanded in construction contracts. 

“Moreover, it provides the company with the flexibility to navigate through any payment delays without succumbing to financial distress.

“Amana has a strong balance sheet and well-established banking relationships,” he adds. “Banks view Amana as low risk due to its solid cash reserves and strong track record of on-time payments across different regions/currencies.”

In contrast, Bsaibes points out that many other contractors struggle due to insufficient cash flow management and weaker balance sheets. 

“Maintaining high cash levels on its balance sheet is a fundamental goal for Amana.”

Strong working capital allows the contractor to be selective in bidding for projects, avoiding low-margin work while still securing sizable contracts.

“Additionally, we have a positive history with lenders, which allows Amana to support its operations and capitalise on growth opportunities.”

Incentivising growth

Clearly, there is a need for industry-wide improvements.

Bsaibes says the most impactful change would be longer-term transparency across developers’ project pipelines. 

“This approach contrasts with the unpredictable, stop-start demand cycles currently prevalent in the industry. 

“It involves providing the supply chain with visibility into funding-backed plans over a three to five-year period. Such transparency is crucial for better resource planning and timely project delivery,” he adds.

Bsaibes also emphasises the importance of incentivising suppliers, subcontractors and contractors to scale up their capacity. “This will help them grow in a coordinated manner through financial/regulatory support from the government.”

Another area of improvement is the digitisation of government processes, although Bsaibes notes that progress is already being made.

Bsaibes also calls for changes in Saudi Arabia’s regulatory environment.

The continued maturation of Saudi Arabia’s evolving regulatory framework will reduce the complexities faced by international firms. Yet, greater alignment with global construction norms will stimulate competition and investment in the kingdom’s expanding market.

According to Bsaibes, transitioning contract law closer to international standards, such as those outlined by the standards organisation International Federation of Consulting Engineers (FIDIC), would significantly mitigate risks for new market entrants. Presently, the reliance on sharia law introduces an element of unpredictability into obligations, he says.

To achieve this, he recommends adopting contract laws aligned with common law systems, such as the UK’s, to provide foreign suppliers and partners with a clearer understanding of their obligations.

Bsaibes concludes that while the continued evolution of Saudi Arabia’s regulatory environment will take time, gradual alignment with international construction norms will ultimately ease risks and costs for both local and global industry players.

https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/11449096/main4309.jpeg
Sarah Rizvi

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

Click here to register
Exclusive from Meed
Related Articles
  • US DFC approves $1.8bn financing for Jordan National Water Carrier

    24 September 2026

    The US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) has approved a loan of up to $1bn and political-risk insurance of up to $800m for Jordan’s National Water Carrier Project.

    The $1bn loan will be provided to National Carrier Project Company (NCPC) to finance the design, development, construction, operation and maintenance of the project’s seawater desalination plant, water conveyance system and dedicated solar generation plant.

    The $800m of political-risk insurance will be provided to Paris-based investment and utility firms Meridiam and Suez, which are developing the project.

    The National Water Carrier, also known as the Aqaba-Amman Water Desalination and Conveyance Project, is being developed under a public-private partnership between Jordan’s Ministry of Water & Irrigation and NCPC, a special-purpose vehicle owned by Meridiam (90%) and Suez (10%).

    The project involves the design, development, construction, operation and maintenance of a seawater desalination plant, a water transmission system and dedicated renewable power generation facilities under a build-operate-transfer model.

    Jordan signed the project’s final technical and legal agreement with Meridiam in April, following months of negotiations. 

    The project’s capital cost was put at about $4.3bn, with total costs including financing estimated at $5.8bn.

    Financial close has not yet been completed. The project’s technical director said in July that the final agreements required for financial close were still being prepared, with construction expected to start in the fourth quarter of 2026. Water pumping is scheduled to begin in the fourth quarter of 2030.

    Jordan’s cabinet approved a $97m financing agreement with the French Development Agency in July as the government continued to complete the project’s financing arrangements.

    The cabinet also approved a package of facilities and exemptions for the National Water Carrier Project on 17 September to help finalise start-up procedures for the project in the Aqaba Special Economic Zone.

    Jordan’s water needs

    The Aqaba-Amman water desalination and conveyance project will desalinate 300 million cubic metres of seawater annually. It will also include a 450-kilometre pipeline and pumping systems reaching elevations of up to 1,100 metres.

    The project is intended to help address Jordan’s severe water scarcity. As one of the world’s most water-stressed countries, Jordan consumes nearly 1 billion cubic metres of water a year.

    The domestic sector consumes approximately 50% of this, with only 61 cubic metres of water available per person a year, far below the global absolute water scarcity level of 500 cubic metres of water per capita.

    According to the government, the scheme will increase overall water supply by 40%, with per capita availability expected to rise to 110 cubic metres annually.

    Annual output from the Water Carrier Project will be nearly equivalent to the total storage capacity of all dams in the kingdom and almost three times the output of the Disi Water Project.

    The project is expected to supply about 40% of Jordan’s drinking water needs, with operations scheduled to begin in 2030. It will also include a 280MW solar photovoltaic plant in Al-Quweira covering roughly 30% of the project’s energy needs.

    Financing

    The government previously said the project had secured about $663m in grants from international partners, including the US, the European Union, Germany, the Netherlands, the UK, France, Italy, Japan and the Green Climate Fund.

    The Jordanian government is contributing $722m.

    Meridiam is arranging about $2.9bn in private sector financing from international financial institutions. The financing package includes support from institutions including the World Bank Group, European Investment Bank, European Bank for Reconstruction & Development, Islamic Development Bank, Proparco, Japan International Cooperation Agency and the Opec Fund for International Development.

    A consortium of Jordanian banks led by Housing Bank is providing up to $1.1bn in local financing, with the Social Security Investment Fund also taking an equity stake alongside Meridiam.

    Local manufacturing

    The project is also beginning to generate associated industrial investment.

    On 30 August, Jordan’s cabinet approved the establishment of a steel pipe manufacturing and coating plant in Aqaba with investment of up to JD120m ($169m). The plant is expected to allocate 50% of its production to the National Water Carrier and create about 420 jobs. Its output will also be available for future water, gas transmission and pumping projects.

    The Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority and the Ministry of Water & Irrigation also launched a dedicated single-window platform in August to streamline licensing and permitting for the National Water Carrier project.

    Once operational, the project is expected to remain under the PPP structure for 26 years before ownership transfers to the Jordanian government.

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/19943001/main.jpg
    Mark Dowdall
  • Hitachi wins Al-Mashaer Al-Muqadasah metro revamp

    24 September 2026

    Saudi Arabia Railways (SAR) has signed a contract with Japan’s Hitachi Rail to revamp the Al-Mashaer Al-Muqadasah metro project in Mecca.

    The 18-kilometre line includes nine stations and has a design capacity of about 72,000 passengers an hour in each direction.

    The scope includes upgrades to improve reliability, operational performance and long-term maintainability.

    SAR chief executive Bashar Al-Malik and Hitachi Rail’s Middle East and Africa signalling and rail solutions vice-president, Carlo Piacenza, signed the contract.

    The rail line operates during the Hajj period and transports pilgrims between Mina, Muzdalifah and Arafat.

    It was developed to reduce reliance on buses, ease congestion on pilgrimage routes, and improve safety and crowd management during Hajj.

    The Saudi authorities procured the project on a fast-track basis to meet a fixed operational deadline for Hajj. It entered initial operation in 2010, with China Railway Construction Corporation acting as the main contractor for civil works and overall delivery.

    Hitachi Rail supplied key rail systems, including signalling and telecommunications. SAR subsequently assumed responsibility for the asset and has led later improvement and upgrade programmes.

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/19941437/main.jpg
    Yasir Iqbal
  • Contractor wins 6GW data centre campus infrastructure

    24 September 2026

     

    Dammam-based construction firm Alyamama Company has won a contract to develop infrastructure for a planned 6GW hyperscale artificial intelligence (AI) data centre campus in Riyadh.

    The project will be delivered on an early contractor involvement (ECI) basis. Under the ECI process, selected contractors are required to submit methodologies and design proposals, after which one team will be selected to deliver the construction works.

    Saudi Arabia’s AI company Humain, owned by the Public Investment Fund (PIF), tendered the contract in May, as MEED reported.

    The scope of infrastructure work covers:

    • Construction of 380kV/132kV/33kV electrical distribution network, two substations with a capacity of 500MVA and 200MVA, bulk supply point (2,000MVA)
    • Water network and fire protection systems
    • Sewage treatment plant and wastewater network
    • Stormwater systems
    • Roads
    • Underground cable and fibre optic networks
    • Landscaping works

    The client is being supported by Canadian engineering firm Hatch, France’s Egis and US-based firm JLL.

    The development will be built on a 24-square-kilometre site in the Al-Saad area in east Riyadh. It will be delivered in two phases across six plots, each with a capacity of 1GW.

    Humain was launched in May last year to operate and invest across the AI value chain.

    Humain is building full-stack AI capabilities across four core areas: next-generation data centres, hyper-performance infrastructure and cloud platforms, and advanced AI models, including Allam.

    Also in May 2025, Humain signed preliminary deals with US chipmakers AMD and Nvidia to build multibillion-dollar advanced digital infrastructure in the kingdom.

    AMD said it will invest up to $10bn to deploy 500MW of AI compute capacity in Saudi Arabia over the next five years.

    In October 2025, PIF and Saudi Aramco signed a non-binding term sheet setting out key terms under which Aramco would acquire a minority stake in Humain, with PIF retaining majority ownership.

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/19940798/main.jpg
    Yasir Iqbal
  • Algeria officially launches major phosphate project

    24 September 2026

    Algeria’s Minister of State and Minister of Hydrocarbons, Mohamed Arkab, has officially launched the construction of the country’s Integrated Phosphate Project (IPP) during a visit to the province of Annaba.

    This major phosphate project spans the provinces of Annaba, Souk Ahras, Tebessa and Bir El-Ater.

    The scope of the IPP includes:

    • A raw phosphate extraction and beneficiation complex at the Bled El-Hadba site (Bir El-Ater): designed for 5.5 million tonnes a year (t/y) of ore extraction and 3.2 million t/y of phosphate concentrate production
    • An industrial complex at the Oued Keberit site: to include several production units, with the capacity to produce 2.4 million t/y of phosphate fertilisers as well as 570,000 t/y of nitrogen fertilisers
    • Port facilities at the port of Annaba: for exporting surplus fertiliser production
    • Utilities and auxiliary infrastructure

    In a statement, the Ministry of Hydrocarbons said that Arkab’s official visit was taking place “within the framework of periodic field monitoring of the project’s implementation stages”.

    It said: “The project stands as one of the most significant strategic and structural initiatives for the national economy; it aims to develop and exploit national mineral resources and to process and add value to phosphate locally, thereby boosting value-added output and increasing non-hydrocarbon exports.”

    It added: “The integrated phosphate project is part of a comprehensive vision to valorise national mineral resources and develop associated downstream industries.

    “This initiative aims to boost national production of fertilisers and high-value-added chemical products, support food security, create jobs, and contribute to diversifying the national economy and increasing non-hydrocarbon exports.”

    On 12 August, Algeria’s national oil and gas company Sonatrach and the Algerian Chinese Fertilisers Company (ACFC) signed two engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contracts for the project.

    The contracts were part of the Bled El-Hadba phosphate development project, which is expected to be worth $7bn.

    The contracts were signed by Italy’s Saipem and China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) as part of the first phase of the integrated phosphate project.

    Saipem’s contract was worth about €500m ($577m), according to a statement from the Italian company.

    It focuses on constructing fertiliser processing and production facilities.

    The contract with CHEC focuses on constructing port facilities at the Port of Annaba.

    ACFC was created in March 2022 by Algerian companies Asmidal and Manadjim El-Djazair (Manal), which own 56% of the company, and Chinese groups Wuhuan and Tianan, which own the remaining 44% stake.

    Manal and Asmidal are both subsidiaries of Sonatrach.

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/19927744/main.jpg
    Wil Crisp
  • Design review nearly complete for Libya upstream project

    24 September 2026

     

    US-headquartered KBR is nearing completion of its re-evaluation of the design for the project to develop the J6 North Gialo field in Libya, according to industry sources.

    In June, MEED reported that Libya’s Waha Oil Company (WOC), a subsidiary of state-owned National Oil Corporation (NOC), had launched a review into the tender process for the J6 North Gialo oil field development project, and that this would include re-evaluating the front-end engineering and design (feed).

    The Waha concessions are held by a consortium of Libya’s NOC (59.16%), TotalEnergies (20.42%) and US-based ConocoPhillips (20.42%).

    They are operated by WOC, which is 100% owned by NOC.

    WOC is planning to tender the main contract for the project to develop the J6 field before the end of this year, although it may be tendered in the first quarter of 2027 if there are delays.

    KBR in Libya

    KBR has previously provided engineering services for major national projects in Libya, such as the Great Man-Made River project, which is widely recognised as the largest irrigation project in the world.

    In March, KBR was awarded a contract by Zallaf Exploration, Production & Refining of Oil & Gas Company to provide project management and technical services for the South Refinery project in Libya’s southern city of Ubari.

    Under the terms of the contract, KBR will provide contract management, project management and supporting technical services throughout the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) phases of the project.

    The EPC work is expected to be executed over a 50-month period.

    In its statement, KBR said the project aligns with its “long-standing commitment to advancing vital oil and gas infrastructure in Libya”.

    Upstream development

    In March, MEED reported that South Korea’s Daewoo had pulled out of the tender process for Libya’s J6 North Gialo oil field development project.

    Daewoo had formed a partnership with Egypt’s Petrojet to participate in the tender process.

    The only other company to submit a bid for the project was UK-based Petrofac, which filed for administration in October last year.

    In January, TotalEnergies signed an agreement extending the Waha concessions agreement up to 31 December 2050.

    This agreement set new fiscal terms, allowing an increase in the production of these concessions that were, at the time, producing about 370,000 barrels of oil equivalent a day (boe/d).

    In January, TotalEnergies said that the deal paved the way for “a new phase of investments, including the development of the North Gialo field, which is expected to add 100,000 boe/d of production”.

    The J6 North Gialo project is the first of three field development projects that WOC has prioritised.

    The other two are known as NC98 and Gialo 3.

    Together, the three projects are expected to double Waha’s production from about 300,000 barrels a day (b/d) of oil to 600,000 b/d.

    The Waha concession covers 13 million acres.

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/19927052/main.jpg
    Wil Crisp