meed-logo

line1 line2 line3
SIGN IN / REGISTER

Stakeholders hope Kuwait can execute spending plans

11 August 2023

This month’s special report on Kuwait also includes: 

> ENERGY: Kuwait's $300bn energy target is a big test
> BANKING: Kuwaiti banks enter bounce-back mode
> INTERVIEW: Kuwait’s Gulf Centre United sets course for expansion

 

Contractors in Kuwait hope that the country’s recently appointed cabinet will be able to execute spending plans without descending into political infighting.

Earlier this month, Kuwait’s National Assembly passed the 2023/24 budget, projecting the largest year of spending in the country’s history.

The budget projects spending at KD26.2bn ($85.2bn) and revenues at KD19.4bn, with a projected deficit of KD6.8bn. After the vote, the Assembly closed for its summer break to return in late October.

Speaking to lawmakers after the budget was approved, Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmad al-Nawaf al-Sabah thanked them for their cooperation and called for more collaboration in the next term when they return.

Key projects 

Joint action by the country’s politicians will be vital in executing spending plans and pushing through strategic infrastructure projects.

In July, Kuwait’s government submitted a four-year programme for major infrastructure projects to the National Assembly. The programme included 107 projects to be completed through to 2027.

Among the projects are Kuwait’s section of the GCC Railway project and Kuwait International airport’s Terminal 2, which is expected to increase the capacity for flights in and out of the country from 240,000 to 650,000 by building three new runways.

Other key projects included in the programme are a scheme to repair thousands of kilometres of roads and the long-delayed Mubarak al-Kabeer port expansion.

The container harbour on Boubiyan Island faces Iraq and is anticipated to have a capacity of 8.1 million containers when completed.

If all the oil and gas projects in the programme are executed as planned, the country’s oil production capacity will increase from 2.7 million barrels a day (b/d) to 3.15 million b/d.

At the same time, natural gas production will be increased from 521 million cubic feet a day (cf/d) to 930 million cf/d.

Inadequate spending

The programme could have significant economic benefits for Kuwait. However, many contractors within the country remain pessimistic about the chances of the plans being fulfilled.

In May this year, official figures issued by government agencies revealed a worryingly low level of government spending on development projects despite large budgets being allocated.

During the 2022/23 fiscal year, only KD470m was spent despite KD1.3bn being allocated for projects.

The expenditure rate of only 36 per cent for the 2022/23 fiscal year has sparked concerns that the recently announced spending plans for the next four years are also likely to fail to hit targets.

Unpredictable policies

Kuwait’s low expenditure rate was mainly driven by political gridlock that has stopped the government from making key decisions and giving the essential approvals needed to execute projects.

Kuwait has had three elections in three years, creating policy uncertainty that has significantly impacted businesses and progress on policy issues.

Due to the political gridlock, major contract awards have been scarce in Kuwait over recent years and dozens of businesses have been forced to take drastic action.

With so few major new contract awards, some international contractors have reduced staff levels in Kuwait, and many domestic businesses have started seeking work overseas in Saudi Arabia, Oman and Qatar.

The government is very worried about potential electricity blackouts if one of the country’s power stations cannot operate for any reason

Power prioritised

While contract awards remain far below historic highs, a number of significant awards in the power and water sector in the first quarter of this year have increased optimism for some stakeholders.

The value of awarded projects in Kuwait for the first three months was KD527m ($1.7bn), more than four times as much as the same quarter the previous year.

This was mainly driven by activity in the power sector, which rose to its highest level in almost six years, according to the National Bank of Kuwait (NBK).

The jump in spending on the power sector came as the government tried to fend off possible electricity shortages.

One source said: “This was a form of emergency spending as the government is very worried about potential electricity blackouts if one of the country’s power stations cannot operate for any reason.”

A sector where major contract awards have remained very low is oil and gas, something that has worried analysts as Kuwait relies on this sector for more than 90 per cent of its revenues.

True test

In June, the prime minister named the country’s fifth cabinet in less than a year. The latest 15-person cabinet retained the prime minister and nine ministers from the previous cabinet in their old posts.

The new cabinet’s similarities with the last cabinet have fuelled concerns that it will be plagued by similar problems when it comes to pushing through spending plans.

However, the slight changes made have shifted the balance of the cabinet in a way that favours cooperation with the parliament, according to some contractors.

If cooperation can be fostered and we see a period where the government approves major projects, it could be transformational for the country.

Ultimately, the true test of whether Kuwait’s policymakers can work together to push through approvals for projects will come when they return to work after their summer break.

https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/11063805/main.gif
Wil Crisp

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

Click here to register
Exclusive from Meed
Related Articles
  • Partners launch feed-to-EPC contest for Duqm petchems project

    27 April 2026

     

    Register for MEED’s 14-day trial access 

    Omani state energy conglomerate OQ Group and Kuwait Petroleum International (KPI), the overseas subsidiary of Kuwait Petroleum Corporation, have initiated a feed-to-EPC competition among contractors to develop a major petrochemicals complex at Duqm.

    Under a feed-to-EPC model, the project operator selects contractors to carry out front-end engineering and design (feed). It then awards the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract to the contractor with the most competitive feed proposal, while compensating the other contestants for their work.

    OQ8, the 50:50 joint venture of OQ and KPI, is understood to have issued the tender for the Duqm petrochemicals project’s feed-to-EPC competition in mid-March, with a deadline of 6 May for contractors to submit proposals, sources told MEED.

    Several local and international contractors based in Oman are believed to be participating in the competition, according to sources.

    OQ Group CEO Ashraf Bin Hamad Al-Maamari and KPI’s CEO Shafi Bin Taleb Al-Ajmi signed an agreement on 3 February, during the Kuwait Oil & Gas Show and Conference, to develop a major petrochemicals-producing complex in Oman’s Duqm. The parties did not disclose details at the time.

    ALSO READ: Duqm petrochemicals revival provides fillip to Gulf projects market

    The agreement represented a significant step forward in Oman and Kuwait’s long-held plans to jointly develop a petrochemicals complex next to the existing Duqm refinery, which will benefit from favourable feedstock access and strong cost competitiveness.

    The planned facility will also benefit from  in Al-Wusta governorate, along Oman’s Arabian Sea coastline.

    OQ8 had struggled to make meaningful progress on the Duqm petrochemicals project since the plan was conceived as early as 2018, for a variety of reasons.

    The original plan for the Duqm petrochemicals facility, estimated at $7bn, centred on a mixed-feed steam cracker with a capacity to produce 1.6 million tonnes a year (t/y) of ethylene. The project also included a polypropylene (PP) plant with a capacity of 280,000 t/y and a high-density polyethylene (HDPE) plant with a capacity of 480,000 t/y.

    The complex was also expected to include an aromatics plant, as well as storage facilities for naphtha and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).

    The project’s prospects were temporarily boosted when Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (Sabic) expressed interest in investing by signing a non-binding memorandum of understanding with OQ in December 2021.

    Reuters reported in December that Sabic was withdrawing from the project, leaving OQ to look for other partners. The new agreement between OQ and KPI is understood to have followed the Saudi chemical giant’s departure.

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/16577785/main.jpg
    Indrajit Sen
  • Nakheel awards $953m Palm Jebel Ali villas deal

    27 April 2026

    Dubai-based real estate developer Nakheel, now part of Dubai Holding, has awarded two contracts worth AED3.5bn ($953m) to local firms for the construction of 544 villas at its Palm Jebel Ali project in Dubai.

    The first contract was awarded to Ginco General Contracting for the construction of 354 villas across fronds A to D.

    The second contract was awarded to United Engineering Construction Company (Unec) for the construction of 190 villas on fronds E and F.

    Construction is expected to begin in Q2 this year, with completion scheduled for 2028.

    Earlier phases

    In October 2024, Nakheel awarded three contracts worth AED5bn ($1.3bn) for the construction of 723 villas on fronds K to P. The contracts went to Ginco, Unec and the local Shapoorji Pallonji.

    Under these awards, Ginco is delivering 197 villas on fronds O and P, Shapoorji Pallonji is constructing 275 villas on fronds M and N, and Unec is building 251 villas on fronds K and L. Villa construction is expected to be completed by 2026.

    Infrastructure works

    This was followed by Nakheel awarding infrastructure contracts worth over AED750m ($204m) to local firm Dutco Construction for works on Palm Jebel Ali.

    The infrastructure work includes utility connections, excavation, backfilling, and the construction of roads and pavements across fronds A to G. It also covers 11-kilovolt power distribution and telecommunications-related utility works.

    Reclamation contract

    In August 2024, Nakheel awarded an AED810m ($220m) contract to complete the reclamation works for the project.

    The contract was awarded to Belgium’s Jan De Nul. Its scope includes dredging, land reclamation, beach profiling and sand placement to support the construction of villas across all fronds.

    Masterplan details

    Nakheel released details of the new masterplan for Palm Jebel Ali in June 2023. Twice the size of Palm Jumeirah, Palm Jebel Ali will have 110 kilometres of shoreline and extensive green spaces. The development will feature more than 80 hotels and resorts, along with a range of entertainment and leisure facilities.

    It includes seven connected islands that will cater to approximately 35,000 families. The development also emphasises sustainability, with 30% of public facilities expected to be powered by renewable energy.

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/16577782/main.jpg
    Yasir Iqbal
  • Iraq’s first LNG terminal to be completed in June

    27 April 2026

    Iraq’s first liquefied natural gas (LNG) import terminal is expected to be completed in early June, according to the country’s Ministry of Electricity.

    The terminal, which has an estimated investment value of $450m, is being developed at the Port of Khor Al-Zubair and will have a capacity of 750 million standard cubic feet a day (cf/d).

    Ministry spokesperson Ahmed Mousa told the Iraqi News Agency that “work is proceeding at an accelerated pace to complete the LNG platform”, noting that “the government has set 1 June as the date for finishing the project”.

    In October last year, US-based Excelerate Energy signed a commercial agreement with a subsidiary of Iraq’s Ministry of Electricity to develop the floating LNG terminal.

    The contract was signed at the office of Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani during a ceremony attended by senior officials from both countries, including the US deputy secretary of energy James Danly.

    The contract included a five-year agreement for regasification services and LNG supply with extension options, featuring a minimum contracted offtake of 250 million cf/d.

    Ahmed Mousa said that “under the contract, the company is responsible for completing the facility as well as securing the agreed gas quantities from any source, in line with the specified terms”.

    He added: “Work is continuing according to the planned timelines to complete the project on schedule, as part of the Ministry of Electricity’s plans to keep pace with peak summer loads.”

    Although Iraq is Opec’s second-largest oil producer after Saudi Arabia, it is a net natural gas importer because its lack of infrastructure investment has meant that, until 2023, it flared roughly half of the estimated 3.12 billion cf/d of gas produced in association with crude oil.

    Iraq’s reliance on flaring associated gas instead of gathering and processing it has prevented the country from fully realising its potential as a gas producer and forced the Iraqi government to rely on costly gas and electricity imports from Iran.

    Recently, Iraq’s oil and gas sector has been disrupted by fallout from the US and Israel’s attack on Iran on 28 February and the subsequent regional conflict.

    Over recent weeks, Iraq’s oil exports have collapsed by about 80% amid problems shipping crude through the Strait of Hormuz.

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/16577746/main.jpg
    Wil Crisp
  • Iraqi LNG import terminal raises questions about energy strategy

    27 April 2026

    Commentary
    Wil Crisp
    Oil & gas reporter

    Iraq’s first LNG import terminal is set to come online in early June, at a time when global LNG prices are likely to remain close to their highest levels in more than three years.

    The disruption to global oil and gas exports in the wake of the US and Israel’s attack on Iran on 28 February led to LNG prices soaring, with natural gas prices in Asia and Europe rising to their highest levels since January 2023 during March.

    So far, there has been little progress towards a diplomatic or military solution to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, and most analysts do not forecast significant price declines in the near term.

    On 24 April, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said that the combined effect of short-term supply losses and slower capacity growth could result in a cumulative loss of around 120 billion cubic metres of LNG supply between 2026 and 2030.

    While the IEA expects new liquefaction projects in other regions to offset these losses over time, it still believes the crisis will lead to prolonged tight market conditions through 2026 and 2027.

    This means that Iraq will likely have to pay elevated prices for imported LNG for some time to come – if it can receive shipments at all.

    The port of Khor Al-Zubair is located in the Arabian Gulf, and LNG shipments from the US or Australia would need to pass through the Strait of Hormuz before reaching the terminal.

    This will only be possible if a solution is found to the ongoing blockade of the shipping route.

    Investment debate

    Iraq’s project to develop a floating LNG terminal is estimated to cost $450m, and many in Iraq may question whether this was the best use of these funds.

    While it may have been difficult for Iraqi policymakers to foresee the attack by the US and Israel on Iran and its impact on LNG markets, Iraq had several strong options to enhance domestic energy security rather than turning to LNG imports.

    The most obvious of these was investing in infrastructure to enable it to utilise its domestic gas reserves.

    According to the World Bank’s 2025 Global Gas Flaring Tracker Report, in 2024, Iraq burned off more unused gas than any other country, except Russia and Iran, which ranked first and second, respectively.

    That year, an estimated total of more than 18 billion cubic metres of natural gas was flared in Iraq due to a lack of infrastructure to properly capture and process it.

    It is highly likely that projects to gather and process this gas would have been more reliable and cost-effective than investing in a new floating LNG terminal, which increases the country’s exposure to global LNG price fluctuations and shipping disruptions.

    Other options could have included developing domestic gas fields or investing in solar and battery storage projects, which have become increasingly affordable in recent years.

    The cost of solar panels has fallen by more than 95% over the past decade.

    Power shortfall

    As things stand, Iraq is likely to face severe electricity shortages this summer.

    On 21 April, Iraq’s Ministry of Electricity said it plans to produce 30,000MW this summer, well short of the predicted peak demand of around 55,000MW.

    Ahmed Musa, a spokesperson for the Electricity Ministry, told the state-run Iraqi News Agency that the shortfall will result in planned outages across the country.

    He also said that even meeting the 30,000MW target is contingent on sufficient gas supplies.

    If Iraq experiences the same level of power outages as last year – or worse – many are likely to view the $450m spent on an LNG import terminal as a waste of money and an expensive symbol of poor planning.

    Power cuts this summer could stoke unrest at a time that is already politically precarious due to the ongoing regional conflict.

    In recent years, electricity shortages have repeatedly fuelled protests in Iraq during the summer months, particularly in Basra, where blackouts and poor public services have driven people to take to the streets.

    If the Strait of Hormuz does not reopen soon, Iraq’s economic crisis will deepen, and electricity shortages are likely to further undermine the country’s stability.

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/16577743/main.jpg
    Wil Crisp
  • Kuwait approves Doha desalination plant award

    27 April 2026

    Kuwait’s Central Agency for Public Tenders has approved the recommendation of the Ministry of Electricity & Water to award a KD114.28m ($371.5m) contract to supply, install, operate and maintain the second phase 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 has been selected for the project, with the award understood to be pending final approval from the Audit Bureau.

    The project will deliver a production capacity of about 60 million imperial gallons a day (MIGD) and will include the desalination plant with full reverse osmosis trains, pre- and post-treatment systems, recarbonation equipment, booster pumps, and safety and filtration systems.

    The total project duration is 96 months. The Doha SWRO desalination plant is part of Kuwait’s broader programme to expand water production capacity and reduce reliance on thermal desalination methods.

    MEED previously reported that the Heisco/Wabag joint venture submitted the lowest bid. Bidders and prices included:

    • Heavy Engineering Industries & Shipbuilding / Wabag: $373.2m
    • Cox Water (Spain): $538.1m
    • Orascom Construction (Egypt): $568.4m

    In April 2025, MEED reported that Kuwait had retendered the contract for the facility after the ministry cancelled the initial tender in June 2024.

    The Ministry of Electricity & Water awarded South Korea’s Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction – now known as Doosan Enerbility – a $422m contract in May 2016 to build the 60 MIGD Doha 1 SWRO plant.

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/16577722/main.jpg
    Mark Dowdall