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Seven bid for Bahrain highway upgrade Administrator21 September 2026
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Seven contractors have submitted bids for the next phase of the Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah Highway upgrade project.
According to results published by the Bahrain Tender Board, the firms that have submitted bids include:
- Nass Contracting Company
- Haji Hassan Group
- Almoayyed Contracting Group
- Mohammed Abdulmohsen Al-Kharafi & Sons
- Eastern Asphalt & Concrete Production
- Cebarco Bahrain
- Kingdom Asphalt
The contract scope includes expansion works on 2 kilometres of the highway. It consists of a four-lane dual carriageway with service roads on both sides.
The scope of works also includes excavation and backfill work, construction of stormwater drainage networks, a pumping station, installation of ducts for future utilities, upgraded street lighting, traffic signs and directional signage.
The project aims to improve traffic capacity, reduce congestion and enhance safety along the transport corridor linking Manama with industrial zones.
In April, MEED reported that Bahrain had approved a financing agreement framework to fund the construction of the next phase of the Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah Highway upgrade.
In March last year, the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development and the Bahraini government signed a KD10m ($32.4m) loan agreement to fund the second phase of the project, which is expected to cost about $404m.
This was followed in September 2025 by the appointment of US-based Parsons Corporation on a $1.5m contract to provide pre-contract engineering consultancy services for the project.
According to data from regional project tracker MEED Projects, construction of the first phase was completed in 2020.
A joint venture of local firm Nass Contracting and Kuwait’s KCC Engineering & Contracting undertook the main construction works.
READ THE SEPTEMBER 2026 MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – click here to view PDFNuclear power ambitions gather pace; Kuwait keeps dealmaking alive despite war; Region invests in raising gas processing capacity.
Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the September 2026 edition of MEED Business Review includes:
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Oman reveals Sohar airport and Salalah Thumrait Road plans Administrator21 September 2026
Oman is planning a new passenger terminal at Sohar Airport to expand regional air connectivity and strengthen the airport’s role in the national aviation network.
According to Said Bin Hamoud Al-Maawali, Oman’s minister of transport, communications and information technology, new routes are expected to be announced before the end of the year. Potential destinations include Dammam in Saudi Arabia, Gwadar in Pakistan, and southern Iran.
The planned terminal and additional routes will give residents of northern Oman more travel options.
Al-Maawali also provided an update on the long-delayed Salalah-Thumrait truck road, saying the project will be procured through a conventional tendering model rather than a public-private partnership (PPP).
In August 2023, Oman shortlisted five of eight prequalified teams to compete for the Salalah-Thumrait truck road project, which was set to be the sultanate’s first PPP road project.
The 67-kilometre road project is specially designed for heavy vehicles.
The road is a key link in Dhofar’s transport network, connecting Thumrait with Salalah and supporting movement between the interior and the governorate’s main urban and economic centre.
READ THE SEPTEMBER 2026 MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – click here to view PDFNuclear power ambitions gather pace; Kuwait keeps dealmaking alive despite war; Region invests in raising gas processing capacity.
Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the September 2026 edition of MEED Business Review includes:
> AGENDA: Gulf nuclear revival takes shape> MARKET FOCUS: Kuwait keeps dealmaking alive under fire> INDUSTRY REPORT: Gas processing takes centre stage in Mena regionTo see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click herehttps://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/19794881/main.jpg -
ADES completes acquisition of Saipem’s Saudi drilling business Administrator18 September 2026
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Al-Khobar-based ADES Holding Company has completed a transaction to acquire Italian oil and gas contractor Saipem’s shallow-water drilling subsidiary based in Saudi Arabia.
Under the deal, ADES Saudi, an indirect subsidiary of Saudi Stock Exchange (Tadawul)-listed ADES Holding, will acquire Saudi Arabian Saipem, which operates a fleet of five jack-up rigs.
The fleet includes three owned rigs – Perro Negro 7, Perro Negro 8 and Perro Negro 10 – as well as two leased rigs, Perro Negro 11 and Perro Negro 13. Four of the acquired rigs operate in Saudi Arabia, while Perro Negro 10 operates in Mexico under a charter structure and retains a valid contract in Saudi Arabia.
ADES began the transaction to acquire Saudi Arabian Saipem in June, when it was estimated to be valued at about $285m. The deal was structured on a debt-free, cash-free basis, which was to be settled entirely in cash upon closing.
Following completion, ADES operates a fleet of 128 units, comprising 88 offshore units – including 51 premium units – and 40 onshore rigs.
The transaction also marks ADES’ entry into Mexico, extending the company’s international footprint to 21 countries, and adds approximately SR3.7bn ($992.9m) in backlog as of the completion date.
The purchase of Saudi Arabian Saipem by ADES Holding follows the company’s takeover of Dubai-based, Oslo-listed Shelf Drilling in November last year, in a transaction valued at $379m. Following the completion of the cash merger, Shelf Drilling was wholly delisted from the Oslo Stock Exchange.
The combined Shelf Drilling-ADES entity has been operating as a global player in shallow-water drilling in the world’s most prolific basins, with a fleet of 83 offshore jack-ups, including 46 premium jack-ups and 40 onshore rigs. The acquisition expanded ADES Holding’ global footprint from 13 to 19 countries, allowing entry and deeper operational integration into Southeast Asia, India, West Africa, the North Sea and the broader Mediterranean.
Saudi Arabian Saipem generated revenues of SR636m ($170m) in 2025, highlighting the scale of the business being transferred.
The divestment aligns with Saipem’s broader industrial strategy of reducing exposure to mature shallow-water drilling markets and concentrating resources on deepwater and harsh-environment offshore projects, where technical complexity and barriers to entry are generally higher.
These segments have attracted growing investment in recent years as operators pursue offshore developments in regions such as the North Sea, Brazil, West Africa and the US Gulf of Mexico.
For ADES, the acquisition further expands its presence in the Middle East offshore drilling market, particularly in Saudi Arabia, one of the world’s largest offshore jack-up rig markets, driven by activity from Saudi Aramco.
Saipem previously said proceeds from the transaction will be used in accordance with the objectives outlined in its industrial plan. The Milan-listed company was advised on the transaction by Moelis & Company as financial adviser and Clifford Chance, together with AS&H Clifford Chance, as legal counsel.
READ THE SEPTEMBER 2026 MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – click here to view PDFNuclear power ambitions gather pace; Kuwait keeps dealmaking alive despite war; Region invests in raising gas processing capacity.
Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the September 2026 edition of MEED Business Review includes:
> AGENDA: Gulf nuclear revival takes shape> MARKET FOCUS: Kuwait keeps dealmaking alive under fire> INDUSTRY REPORT: Gas processing takes centre stage in Mena regionTo see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click herehttps://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/19795697/main5616.jpg -
SAR tenders design review consultancy for GCC rail link Administrator18 September 2026
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Saudi Arabia Railways (SAR) has issued a request for proposals (RFP) for 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 RFP was issued on 9 September, with a 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.
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.
READ THE SEPTEMBER 2026 MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – click here to view PDFNuclear power ambitions gather pace; Kuwait keeps dealmaking alive despite war; Region invests in raising gas processing capacity.
Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the September 2026 edition of MEED Business Review includes:
> AGENDA: Gulf nuclear revival takes shape> MARKET FOCUS: Kuwait keeps dealmaking alive under fire> INDUSTRY REPORT: Gas processing takes centre stage in Mena regionTo see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click herehttps://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/19783331/main.gif -
Tender issued for Libyan gas project Administrator17 September 2026
An invitation to bid has been issued for a contract to conduct environmental assessments for the project to expand the Mellitah oil and gas complex in Libya.
The bid submission deadline is 2pm today (17 September) Libyan time.
The scope of the project includes provision of:
- An environmental baseline study (EBS)
- An environmental impact assessment (EIA)
- An environmental management plan (EMP)
The client is Mellitah Oil & Gas (MOG), which is a joint venture of Italy’s Eni and Libya’s National Oil Corporation (NOC).
MOG is based in Tripoli and operates both onshore and offshore oil and gas facilities.
The joint venture owns and operates six major oil and gas fields across the North African country.
According to the tender documents, the company that is awarded the contract will need to prepare environmental management measures in compliance with:
- Libyan environmental legislation
- Ministry of Environment requirements
- NOC environmental guidelines
- Applicable international environmental standards and best practices
The expansion of the Mellitah oil and gas complex is part of a project estimated to be worth $8bn.
The wider project is known as the Mellitah Complex Expansion & CO2 Management Integrated Development Project.
It has six main packages:
- Onshore package
- Offshore Structure A
- Offshore Structure E
- Subsea pipeline package
- Site preparation work
- Carbon capture and storage facility
Security issues and political instability have been a major problem for Libya’s oil and gas sector since the country’s civil war started in 2011.
Earlier this month, the Mellitah oil and gas complex was forced to shut down temporarily due to a protest over deteriorating public services.
The existing onshore complex includes housing, processing units, storage facilities and export facilities.
It also serves as the launch point for the Greenstream pipeline, which delivers Libyan gas directly to Italy.
The planned expansion of the complex will involve:
- Construction of a new fourth gas processing train
- Construction of a third condensate train
- Construction of a third natural gas liquids fractionation train
- Construction of a fourth sulphur recovery unit train
- Installation of a hydrogen sulphide enrichment unit
- Installation of a sulphur recovery unit
- Construction of other associated facilities
The Mellitah complex is located about 100 kilometres west of Tripoli and is a key energy facility in the west of the country.
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Nakheel awards $218m Dubai Islands buildings deal Administrator17 September 2026
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Dubai-based developer Nakheel, now part of Dubai Holding, has awarded a main construction contract worth more than AED800m ($218m) for phases one and three of Bay Grove Residences at Dubai Islands.
The contract was awarded to the local firm Metac General Contracting Company.
It covers the construction of 537 apartments, comprising one- to four-bedroom units, across seven residential buildings.
Phase one includes 296 units in four buildings, while phase three comprises 241 units across three buildings.
The works are scheduled for completion in late 2028.
Bay Grove Residences will ultimately comprise 1,154 homes across 15 buildings. Planning is under way for the remaining 617 homes in phases two and four, with further contract awards expected.
In August last year, Nakheel awarded a AED2.6bn ($708m) contract to Abu Dhabi-based Fibrex Contracting to build the Bay Villas project at Dubai Islands. The contract includes constructing 636 villas.
In April this year, another AED527m ($143m) contract was awarded to local firm Al-Nasr Contracting Company to construct the primary infrastructure and utilities works on Island B at the development.
The Dubai Islands development consists of five islands spanning 18.6 square kilometres. It features more than 59 kilometres (km) of waterfront and 20km of beaches, as well as parks, golf courses, promenades and cycling paths.
The offshore island project gained renewed momentum in 2022, when Nakheel unveiled a new masterplan and rebranded it as Dubai Islands.
The reclaimed islands were originally part of the Palm Deira project, which was partially completed before being put on hold in 2008.
READ THE SEPTEMBER 2026 MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – click here to view PDFNuclear power ambitions gather pace; Kuwait keeps dealmaking alive despite war; Region invests in raising gas processing capacity.
Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the September 2026 edition of MEED Business Review includes:
> AGENDA: Gulf nuclear revival takes shape> MARKET FOCUS: Kuwait keeps dealmaking alive under fire> INDUSTRY REPORT: Gas processing takes centre stage in Mena regionTo see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click herehttps://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/19748850/main.jpg -
Aldar and Mubadala acquire Masdar City Square Administrator17 September 2026
Abu Dhabi-based sovereign wealth fund Mubadala Investment Company and local developer Aldar have completed the acquisition of Masdar City Square at Masdar City, in a transaction valued at AED918m ($250m).
The deal was executed through their joint venture established in 2024.
Masdar City Square comprises more than 47,000 square metres (sq m) of net leasable area across seven office buildings.
Completed in Q1 2026, the development is 99% occupied. Tenants include Taqa, the Department of Energy, Emirates College and the Mohamed Bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence.
The transaction expands the joint venture’s real estate portfolio in Masdar City, which is now valued at AED4.7bn ($1.3bn).
Masdar City is one of the region’s leading hubs for clean energy, artificial intelligence, advanced research and sustainable urban development.
The joint venture acquired The Link project at Masdar City for AED654m ($178m) in April.
Comprising about 32,000 sq m of net leasable area across five buildings, The Link is fully leased to a portfolio of major tenants, including Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar) and the Mohamed Bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence.
The asset includes Grade A, Leed Platinum office space, a net-zero-energy headquarters building, a multi-use hall and residential accommodation, supporting its position as a high-performing, integrated component of Masdar City.
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Neom tenders Oxagon highway contract Administrator17 September 2026
Saudi Arabia’s Neom has tendered a design-and-build contract covering permanent upgrade works on Highway 55 in the kingdom’s Oxagon region.
The first phase of the project includes constructing 14 kilometres of road, with two lanes in each direction. It also covers one bridge and three interchanges.
The project duration is 22 months.
Contractors have been given until 21 September to submit their proposals.
Highway 55 connects the Red Sea coast with the mainland in northwestern Saudi Arabia. It is currently the only road providing north-south connectivity between Duba and the Neom region.
MEED exclusively reported in August 2025 that contractors had submitted responses to the expressions of interest notice that Neom had issued earlier that month.
The project is expected to support the movement of cargo vehicles from Duba Port to other parts of the country and the wider region.
Neom tested a pilot initiative last year by handling a shipment that travelled from Cairo via the Port of Safaga, across the Red Sea to the Port of Neom, and then inland to Erbil, Iraq.
In a statement, Neom said: “The shipment travelled through an intermodal corridor spanning over 900 kilometres, marking a significant milestone in the kingdom’s transformation into a regional and global logistics hub.”
The Port of Neom is located on the Red Sea near the Arar border, a key entry point into Iraq.
READ THE SEPTEMBER 2026 MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – click here to view PDFNuclear power ambitions gather pace; Kuwait keeps dealmaking alive despite war; Region invests in raising gas processing capacity.
Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the September 2026 edition of MEED Business Review includes:
> AGENDA: Gulf nuclear revival takes shape> MARKET FOCUS: Kuwait keeps dealmaking alive under fire> INDUSTRY REPORT: Gas processing takes centre stage in Mena regionTo see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click herehttps://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/19746896/main.gif -
QatarEnergy allows more bidding time for North Field West topsides Administrator16 September 2026
QatarEnergy has granted contractors additional time to prepare bids for a tender for the engineering, procurement, construction and installation (EPCI) of large platforms for the North Field gas field in Qatari waters.
The deadline for technical bid submissions is 28 September, while commercial bids are due on 10 November, according to sources.
The following contractors, among others, are understood to be bidding for the North Field West (NFW) production deck modules (PDMs) tender:
- China Offshore Oil Engineering Company (China)
- Larsen & Toubro Energy Hydrocarbon (India)
- McDermott (US)
- Saipem (Italy)
The core scope comprises the EPCI of four PDMs and associated structures. The PDMs will increase gas production from North Field reservoirs and provide additional gas feedstock for the NFW liquefied natural gas (LNG) development.
The tender, issued earlier this year, forms part of the wider NFW project, the third and final phase of the state enterprise’s North Field LNG expansion programme.
The previous deadlines for the submission of technical bids were 30 August and 15 September, while commercial bids were previously due on 25 October, as MEED reported.
Before issuing the PDMs tender, QatarEnergy awarded US firm McDermott a contract for the EPCI of four offshore jackets that will also support gas feedstock supply for the NFW LNG project. The contract is estimated to be worth about $200m, MEED reported in January.
North Field LNG expansion
QatarEnergy is advancing the three phases of its estimated $40bn North Field LNG expansion project. EPC works on all three projects are progressing.
QatarEnergy is understood to have committed nearly $30bn to the first two phases – North Field East (NFE) and North Field South (NFS) – which will lift Qatar’s LNG production capacity from 77.5 million tonnes a year (t/y) to 126 million t/y by 2028.
QatarEnergy awarded the main EPC contracts for NFE in 2021. The project was intended to raise LNG output to 110 million t/y by 2025. The $13bn EPC package – covering the EPCI of four LNG trains, each with a capacity of 8 million t/y – was awarded in February 2021 to a consortium of Japan’s Chiyoda and France’s Technip Energies.
In May 2023, QatarEnergy awarded the $10bn main EPC contract for NFS to a consortium of Technip Energies and Consolidated Contractors Company (CCC). The contract includes two LNG trains, each with a capacity of 7.8 million t/y.
Once fully operational, the first two phases are expected to add 48 million t/y of LNG supply to the global market.
QatarEnergy took the final investment decision on NFW earlier this year, awarding an EPC contract estimated at $8bn to a joint venture comprising Technip Energies, CCC and Gulf Asia Contracting in February.
Chiyoda carried out the front-end engineering and design work for the NFW LNG project.
The NFW scope covers the EPC of two LNG trains with a combined capacity of 16 million t/y, as well as associated facilities for gas treatment, natural gas liquids recovery and helium extraction.
In addition to LNG, NFW is expected to produce about 175,000 barrels of oil equivalent a day of condensate, ethane and liquefied petroleum gas.
With all three phases under EPC execution – and NFE scheduled for commissioning later this year – QatarEnergy is positioning itself to remain one of the world’s largest LNG suppliers in the long term.
READ THE SEPTEMBER 2026 MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – click here to view PDFNuclear power ambitions gather pace; Kuwait keeps dealmaking alive despite war; Region invests in raising gas processing capacity.
Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the September 2026 edition of MEED Business Review includes:
> AGENDA: Gulf nuclear revival takes shape> MARKET FOCUS: Kuwait keeps dealmaking alive under fire> INDUSTRY REPORT: Gas processing takes centre stage in Mena regionTo see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click herehttps://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/19728229/main5518.jpg -
Jordanian-Indian fertiliser producer floats $1bn expansion project Administrator16 September 2026
Jordan India Fertiliser Company (Jifco) has initiated a project to expand its fertiliser-producing complex in Eshidiya, in southern Jordan’s Maan Governorate.
Jifco is a joint venture of Jordan Phosphates Mines Company (JPMC), which holds a 48% stake, and its Indian partners. The majority 52% equity stake is split between the Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative (Iffco), which has a 27% stake, and its subsidiary Kisan International Trading, which holds the other 25% share.
Jifco began operations at its Eshidiya complex in 2014. The facility has a production capacity of about 475,000 tonnes a year (t/y) of phosphoric acid, although the complex achieved a 107.7% utilisation rate in 2025, with output hitting 511,000 t/y.
Jifco’s expansion project, estimated to be valued at $1bn, according to the Jordan News Agency (Petra), will increase its output potential to approximately 2.2 million metric t/y.
The company has divided the project into two components:
- A sulphuric acid plant and a captive power plant – the sulphuric acid plant will have a capacity of 4,500 metric tonnes a day (t/d) based on Monsanto Enviro-Chem Systems' double-contact double-absorption technology, including associated units, and a 36MW captive steam turbo-generator set;
- A phosphoric acid plant with an output rate of 1,500 metric t/d based on prayon dihydrate technology.
Jifco has invited local and international engineering, procurement and construction contractors to participate in the expansion project, setting a deadline of 24 September to purchase tender documents.
JPMC supplies feedstock to the Jifco facility under a rock phosphate supply agreement between the Jordanian and Indian partners. JPMC also holds the right to purchase up to 30% of the output of the Eshidiya complex, with Kisan International Trading having the right to offtake the balance of production.
The Jifco expansion project will increase JPMC’s phosphate supply to more than 2 million metric t/y, Petra reported.
READ THE SEPTEMBER 2026 MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – click here to view PDFNuclear power ambitions gather pace; Kuwait keeps dealmaking alive despite war; Region invests in raising gas processing capacity.
Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the September 2026 edition of MEED Business Review includes:
> AGENDA: Gulf nuclear revival takes shape> MARKET FOCUS: Kuwait keeps dealmaking alive under fire> INDUSTRY REPORT: Gas processing takes centre stage in Mena regionTo see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click herehttps://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/19724350/main2857.jpg