News
  • Syria seeks interest for $1.16bn Euphrates dam Administrator

    7 October 2026

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    Syria’s Ministry of Energy has invited expressions of interest (EoIs) for the development of the Halabiyeh-Zalabiyeh dam project on the Euphrates River.

    The project has an indicative total cost of $1.16bn, according to the ministry’s EoI document. This includes $433.7m for the dam and hydropower plant and $729.6m for the pumped-storage power plant (PSP). 

    The scheme includes an 81MW hydroelectric power plant and a pumped-storage facility with a capacity of up to 1,200MW. The project will also include the construction of the dam and associated water-storage infrastructure. 

    The ministry seeks interest from qualified local and international companies, investors and other entities. Interested parties can participate in studies, design, financing, construction, and operation and maintenance of the project. 

    The ministry is considering several potential development structures, including build-own-operate-transfer, build-operate-transfer and public-private partnership models, as well as an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) structure. It has said it is also open to proposals covering consultancy and financing services.

    The EoI covers several stages, including pre-feasibility and feasibility studies, financing and bankability studies, detailed and executive design, EPC execution, and operation and maintenance.

    The technical specifications envisage a 23-metre-high dam with a reservoir storage capacity of about 219 million cubic metres.

    The hydropower plant will have three generating units, while the 1,200MW PSP will have 3.5 hours of storage capacity and four reversible units.

    The deadline for submitting EoIs is 10 November, with enquiries accepted until 26 October.


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

    Industry and logistics drive development at Neom; Saudi Arabia’s investment priorities realign amid conflict; MEED’s 2026 power developer ranking.

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

    To see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click here
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    Mark Dowdall
  • Arada launches UAE construction arm with Roberts Administrator

    7 October 2026

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    UAE developer Arada has integrated Australian contractor Roberts into the UAE market as part of its wider business strategy.

    Arada acquired Roberts in 2025 after entering the Australian market. The tier-one contractor delivers projects in the healthcare, education, commercial, residential, hospitality, industrial, life sciences and defence sectors.

    At the time of the acquisition, Arada said it planned to invest about $20m in Roberts. The investment is intended to give the developer greater control over the delivery of its Australian projects and support Roberts’ expansion into markets including the UAE.

    Arada has said it could invest up to $100m in Roberts’ expansion into new sectors and markets. The company is targeting $1bn in annual revenue from Roberts by 2028.

    Roberts has established a UAE office, with a head office team already in place. Arada said the contractor’s capabilities will support the delivery of its high-rise residential and social infrastructure projects.

    The contractor’s first UAE project will be phase two of Arada Central Business District, a commercial development within Aljada in Sharjah. Arada is developing the AED35bn ($9.5bn) mixed-use project.

    Roberts is also providing preconstruction services for several Arada projects in Dubai and Sharjah, ahead of starting site work.


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

    Industry and logistics drive development at Neom; Saudi Arabia’s investment priorities realign amid conflict; MEED’s 2026 power developer ranking.

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

    To see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click here
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    Yasir Iqbal
  • Expo Riyadh sets October deadline for Saudi Arabia pavilion Administrator

    7 October 2026

     

    Expo 2030 Riyadh Company (ERC), tasked with delivering the Expo 2030 Riyadh venue, has set a deadline of 25 October for bids for a contract to build the Saudi Arabia pavilion.

    The tender was issued on 19 May, with an initial bid submission deadline of 26 August.

    The pavilion is a major asset located within the KSA District on the eastern side of the Expo 2030 Riyadh masterplan, in the Loop of Nations district.

    Construction activity at the Expo site is accelerating, with Riyadh moving to award its first major vertical contracts and advancing infrastructure works across the programme.

    Last month, MEED reported that ERC had received contractor interest on 14 September for a contract to design and build a convention centre in the site’s Collaboration District.

    ERC also tendered a contract to deliver the Souq areas within the Expo site, as MEED exclusively reported on 8 September.

    These areas are divided into five precincts, with a total development area of about 300,000 square metres.

    Also in September, Saudi Arabia’s Royal Commission for Riyadh City awarded a design-and-build contract to construct a new metro station serving the Expo 2030 site.

    In April, ERC awarded two contracts for the next phase of infrastructure works at the site to local firm Al-Yamama Company.

    The scope covered the construction of road networks and infrastructure for water, sewage, electricity, telecommunications and electric vehicle (EV) charging.

    These awards followed ERC’s January award of an estimated SR1bn ($267m) contract for initial infrastructure works at the site to local firm Nesma & Partners.

    That scope covered about 50 kilometres of integrated infrastructure networks, including internal roads and essential utilities such as water, sewage, electrical and communications systems, as well as EV charging stations.

    The masterplan covers 6 square kilometres, making it one of the largest sites ever designated for a World Expo event. Situated north of the Saudi capital, the site will be near the future King Salman International airport and will provide direct access to Riyadh landmarks.

    The Public Investment Fund, Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth vehicle, launched ERC – a wholly owned subsidiary – in June 2025 to build and operate facilities for Expo 2030.


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

    Industry and logistics drive development at Neom; Saudi Arabia’s investment priorities realign amid conflict; MEED’s 2026 power developer ranking.

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

    To see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click here
    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/20334856/main.jpg
    Yasir Iqbal
  • Kuwait on track to hit oil production target Administrator

    7 October 2026

    Kuwait is on track to meet its target of having 4 million barrels a day (b/d) of oil production capacity by 2035, according to Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) chief executive Shaikh Nawaf Al-Sabah.

    Al-Sabah also said Kuwait is on course to increase non-associated gas production to 2 billion cubic feet a day by 2040.

    His comments come amid an ongoing crisis in Kuwait’s oil and gas sector linked to the regional conflict that began when the US and Israel attacked Iran on 28 February.

    The subsequent war has significantly disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, which is a crucial export route for Kuwaiti crude oil.

    Kuwait is currently producing around 2 million b/d of oil, down from 2.6 million b/d before the US and Israel attack.

    Speaking at a conference in London, Al-Sabah said: “We have the capacity to go back up to our current maximum sustainable capacity of 3 million b/d, if we have the export routes available, and this comes down to the ability to move oil through the Strait.”

    KPC is investing $9bn-$10bn a year in capital expenditure to meet its oil and gas production goals, according to Al-Sabah.

    He said: “We are doing this because we recognise that it is our hydrocarbons that will be most in demand a decade from now, and two decades from now – in fact, for the rest of our lifetimes.”

    Project Seef

    KPC is pushing ahead with the Al-Seef project, which focuses on developing three large offshore oil discoveries, Al-Sabah said.

    The offshore fields are known as Nokhatha, Julaia and Jazza. The development was first announced in February this year, about two weeks before the US and Israel attack on Iran.

    Al-Sabah said KPC is continuing with the project and believes the three fields collectively hold more than 3 billion barrels of recoverable oil.

    He said: “We are asking international oil companies to partner with us to develop those resources under an operating services contract.

    “So, we’re moving ahead according to the exact same schedule that we had put together even before the war began.”

    Al-Sabah did not say which international oil companies KPC has approached to help develop the three offshore fields.


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

    Industry and logistics drive development at Neom; Saudi Arabia’s investment priorities realign amid conflict; MEED’s 2026 power developer ranking.

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

    To see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click here
    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/20315147/main.jpg
    Wil Crisp
  • Roshn plans new flagship development in Riyadh Administrator

    7 October 2026

     

    Saudi developer Roshn Group plans to develop its next flagship scheme in north Riyadh, spanning an area of 13.7 square kilometres. 

    Roshn is looking to appoint lead design consultants to deliver detailed design, tender documentation and construction documents across the scheme, known as Plot 1.

    The scope covers all infrastructure, utilities, public realm works and site adaptation of Roshn’s residential prototypes, split across two work packages.

    Part 1 covers phases A, B and E, which collectively span about 7.8 million square metres (sq m) and will comprise 17,000 units.

    Part 2 includes phases C and D, which will span about 4.7 million sq m and comprise more than 15,000 units.

    The development is bordered by Expo 2030, King Abdulaziz Park, the Sports Innovation Lab Zone and the National Housing Company-developed Khozam district.

    It will be a residential-led mixed-use development, also featuring retail, offices, hospitality, education and civic facilities.

    Connectivity is a core plank of the masterplan, with two metro stations planned: one at the existing Line 4/proposed Line 7 interchange and another dedicated Line 7 stop. The scheme would also be served by the future Qiddiya high-speed rail and a possible King Salman Road diversion.

    Plot 1 builds on Roshn’s existing footprint in the capital, notably the multi-phase Sedra community, as the developer expands beyond single-family housing into mixed-use districts under its Roshn 3.0 strategy.

    Last month, Roshn Group announced that it had signed a preliminary agreement with Talaat Moustafa Group (TMG) Saudi, the local subsidiary of Egyptian developer Talaat Moustafa Group, to establish a joint venture to explore and develop a mixed-use project in Riyadh.

    Under the agreement, TMG will hold a 51% stake in the joint company, while Roshn Group will hold 49%.

    The agreement sets out a framework for the two groups to assess a potential partnership for the project’s phased development, which is planned as a residential-led, mixed-use community featuring retail, commercial, hospitality, leisure, healthcare and education facilities, alongside parks and public spaces.

    Roshn Group and TMG Saudi plan to conduct detailed master planning and develop the project’s business case.

    Preliminary studies indicate the development could include more than 55,000 residential units across all phases.

    Roshn Group did not disclose the exact project location in its announcement.

    As a Public Investment Fund-owned developer, Roshn remains a key vehicle for delivering Vision 2030’s housing programme, which targets 70% Saudi home ownership, alongside the kingdom’s wider quality-of-life and economic diversification agendas.


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

    Industry and logistics drive development at Neom; Saudi Arabia’s investment priorities realign amid conflict; MEED’s 2026 power developer ranking.

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

    To see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click here
    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/19786131/main.jpg
    Yasir Iqbal
  • Al-Yamamah signs Saudi 380kV transmission deals Administrator

    6 October 2026

    Riyadh-headquartered Al-Yamamah Steel Industries has signed two supply contracts with Algihaz Contracting Company for the construction of 380kV ultra-high-voltage transmission lines in Saudi Arabia’s Western Region.

    The contracts cover the supply of steel towers and are worth a combined SR254.28m ($67.8m).

    In a disclosure to the Saudi Exchange (Tadawul), the firm said the first contract is valued at SR135.65m ($36.2m), while the second is worth SR118.63m ($31.6m).

    Both contracts have a one-year duration, with supply scheduled to begin in March 2027. The financial impact of the contracts is expected to start appearing in Al-Yamamah Steel’s results in the first quarter of 2027. 

    Algihaz is currently carrying out construction works for several transmission projects, including Saudi Energy’s $206m Bisha 380/132kV BSP connection project, for which it was appointed the main contractor in 2025.

    The project involves a double-circuit 380kV overhead transmission line connecting the Bisha PV bulk supply point to the existing bulk supply points in Aseer Province.

    The deals also add to a series of steel tower contracts secured by Al-Yamamah Steel for 380kV transmission projects in the Western Region.

    In September, the company signed a SR103.14m ($27.5m) contract with the Saudi branch of National Power Construction Corporation to supply steel towers for a 380kV ultra-high-voltage line. Supply under that contract is due to begin in February 2027. 

    Al-Yamamah Steel also signed a SR176.48m ($47.1m) contract in November 2025 with Arabian Electrical Transmission Line Construction Company to supply steel towers for another 380kV ultra-high-voltage line in the Western Region. 

    The company has expanded its tower production capacity in recent years to meet expected demand for steel towers used in electricity transmission lines. Its 2024 annual report said it had added production lines and a galvanising plant in Jeddah Industrial City for this purpose. 


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

    Industry and logistics drive development at Neom; Saudi Arabia’s investment priorities realign amid conflict; MEED’s 2026 power developer ranking.

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

    To see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click here
    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/20308551/main.jpg
    Mark Dowdall
  • Eagle Hills plans new Syria projects Administrator

    6 October 2026

    Abu Dhabi-based real estate developer Eagle Hills has signed a framework agreement with Syria’s Ministry of Public Works & Housing to develop a series of residential and tourism community projects across several Syrian governorates.

    The first phase will include Damascus Heights in the capital and Latakia Yachts & Marina on the Mediterranean coast.

    Damascus Heights is planned as a mixed-use community comprising homes, retail, hospitality and business facilities, supported by schools, healthcare services, green areas and resident amenities.

    Latakia Yachts & Marina is planned as a waterfront destination anchored by a marina, with homes, hotels, branded residences and leisure offerings.

    During development and operation, the projects are expected to support economic activity and tourism, create jobs across construction, hospitality and services, and add new housing, community facilities and tourism infrastructure.

    Syrian professionals and businesses are expected to play a central role in both delivery and operations, creating opportunities for contractors, suppliers and service providers, strengthening local supply chains and SMEs, and supporting skills development and knowledge transfer.

    Eagle Hills is also inviting applications for investment participation from Syrians in Syria and abroad, with priority for qualified Syrian individuals, businesses and institutions. 

    Following the signing, both projects will proceed to implementation, with enabling and construction works expected to begin shortly in Damascus and Latakia.


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

    Industry and logistics drive development at Neom; Saudi Arabia’s investment priorities realign amid conflict; MEED’s 2026 power developer ranking.

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

    To see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click here
    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/20308460/main.jpg
    Yasir Iqbal
  • Contractors submit revised bids for Dukhan field facilities upgrade Administrator

    6 October 2026

     

    Contractors have submitted revised proposals to QatarEnergy for a key tender to upgrade facilities at the Dukhan oil field in Qatar, about 80 kilometres west of Doha.

    Following the submission of the initial round of bids for the project on 9 August, QatarEnergy requested revised proposals from contractors, which they submitted by 27 September, sources told MEED.

    The following local contractors, among others, are understood to be bidding for the DPFU Phase 1B (Part 2) tender, according to information obtained by MEED Projects:

    • Doha Petroleum Construction Company (Dopet)
    • Galfar Al-Misnad Engineering & Contracting
    • Qatar Engineering & Construction Company (Q-con)

    QatarEnergy originally stipulated a bond validity of 150 days (until 23 December) and a bid validity of 120 days (until 23 November) for the project.

    The engineering, procurement, installation and commissioning scope covers upgrades to 56 oil manifolds, 108 gas-lift manifold slots, chemical injection systems and key pumping facilities, along with associated piping, instrumentation, control, electrical and civil works.

    The scope includes the demolition of obsolete equipment, degassing station enhancements, and full testing and handover. It also encompasses additional capacity enhancement works under Part 3, mainly the installation of new oil export and produced-water transfer pumps, along with supporting facility modifications.

    The project involves complex interfaces and shutdown-critical activities, requiring expertise in live-plant integration.

    QatarEnergy issued the tender for the DPFU Phase 1B (Part 2) project on 8 June and initially set a bid submission deadline of 26 July, later extending it to 9 August.

    Dukhan, Qatar’s first and only onshore oil field, was discovered in 1938, with oil production starting in 1939-40. The country currently produces about 1.8 million barrels a day (b/d) of crude, with the Dukhan field accounting for about 350,000 b/d.

    The Dukhan oil field covers about 80km by 8km and consists of four reservoirs: Khatiyah, Fahahil, Jaleha and Diyab. The first three are oil reservoirs. The more recently developed Diyab reservoir contains non-associated gas and is estimated to hold around 2 billion barrels of crude oil reserves. Diyab lies on Dukhan’s southern flank.

    ALSO READ: QatarEnergy selects contractors for offshore oil field expansion
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    Indrajit Sen
  • Dubai issues PMC tender for four stormwater projects Administrator

    6 October 2026

     

    Dubai Municipality has invited consultants to bid for a contract to provide construction supervision services for four stormwater projects.

    The bid submission deadline is 29 October.

    All four projects are part of the municipality’s Tasreef programme, intended to increase Dubai’s rainwater drainage capacity by 700% by 2033 and provide capacity for the emirate’s needs for the next 100 years.

    The tender for TF-06-S1 Supervision of Stormwater Drainage System Projects – Package 4 was issued on 6 October.

    The consultancy covers the following projects:

    • TF-06-C1: Construction of a stormwater pond connecting Al-Maktoum Airport and Dubai South
    • TF-06-C2: Construction of a stormwater drainage system connecting Al-Maktoum Airport and Dubai South
    • TF-07-C1: Construction of a stormwater drainage system on Sheikh Zayed Bin Hamdan Road connecting developers
    • TF-24-C1: Connecting developers’ areas to the stormwater networks in Dubailand 

    In documents seen by MEED, the municipality said it will require a dedicated supervision team for each project.

    The consultancy will cover construction supervision, including the deployment of resident engineers, civil engineers, inspectors, quantity surveyors, land surveyors and planning engineers. Mechanical engineers will also be required, along with health and safety personnel and NOC engineers, depending on the project. 

    TF-07-C1 is the same strategic stormwater drainage project that Dubai Municipality recently tendered for construction, with contractors preparing to submit bids on 22 October.

    The project covers more than 100 million square metres between Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road and Emirates Road, and from Expo Road to Dubailand.

    It will provide stormwater infrastructure and service connections for more than 20 private developers and Al-Yalayis 5, as well as supporting major roads in the Jebel Ali area. The construction scope includes a major gravity drainage system with pipeline diameters of up to 3,000mm.

    TF-24-C1 is one of three water infrastructure tenders issued by the municipality in August, as reported by MEED. The project will connect developers’ areas in Dubailand to the stormwater network. It includes 18 kilometres (km) of stormwater drainage pipelines with diameters of up to 1,800mm and 3.5km of gravity sewer pipelines with diameters of up to 1,000mm.

    Bidding for the engineering, procurement and construction contract was recently extended to 1 October, with Nael Construction & Contracting and Al-Nasr Contracting Company among those expected to make an offer for the project.


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

    Industry and logistics drive development at Neom; Saudi Arabia’s investment priorities realign amid conflict; MEED’s 2026 power developer ranking.

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

    To see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click here
    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/20305174/main.jpg
    Mark Dowdall
  • Oman moves ahead with CO2 battery storage pilot Administrator

    6 October 2026

     

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    Nama Power & Water Procurement Company (PWP) is advancing plans for a DOME CO2 battery storage pilot project in Oman.

    The CO2 battery uses a closed cycle in which electricity is used to liquefy carbon dioxide for storage, before the CO2 is expanded through a turbine to generate electricity when required.

    According to a source, the advisory procurement was recently taken to market through a request for expressions of interest, with submissions due on 25 September.

    The procurement covers advisers to support the development of the project across legal, technical, and financial and commercial workstreams.

    The project is being assessed as a pilot long-duration energy storage initiative and is expected to be considered under the Authority for Public Services Regulation’s (APSR) sandbox framework, which provides a controlled environment for testing innovative energy technologies and related business models.

    The legal adviser will assess the project against the APSR sandbox framework and advise on regulatory requirements, approvals, exemptions, contractual principles, reporting obligations and exit arrangements. The adviser will also identify key legal risks and any additional requirements identified by PWP.

    The technical adviser will assess the technology’s suitability and performance parameters, testing conditions and implementation requirements. It will also review stakeholder interfaces, technical risks and mitigation measures.

    The financial and commercial adviser will support project structuring and the procurement approach. Its work will include assessing risk allocation, commercial principles, financial assumptions and the evaluation approach. The adviser will also support the development of submission forms and assess key financial and commercial risks.

    The project scale has not been disclosed. However, it is understood that land has been acquired and grid impact studies have already been completed.

    Nama PWP is also seeking support to prepare the request for offer (RFO) package for the pilot project. The RFO preparation work will cover instructions to bidders, technical requirements, legal requirements, contractual principles, evaluation criteria and required submission forms.

    Storage plans

    The state offtaker has been studying energy storage as part of Oman’s future power mix for some time. Its 2025-31 seven-year statement says it is evaluating energy storage for capacity planning and peak shaving as renewable generation increases.

    The advisory procurement follows a partnership between Omani company Takhzeen, a subsidiary of Oman National Engineering & Investment Company, and Italian energy storage company Energy Dome to roll out Energy Dome’s CO2 battery technology and energy storage solutions in Oman. The partnership was formalised through a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed in 2023. 

    Energy Dome has also received backing from Oman Investment Authority (OIA). Also in 2023, OIA’s venture capital arm, IDO Investments, participated in a $60m second tranche of Energy Dome’s Series B funding, while OIA signed a separate MoU with Energy Dome to explore potential areas of collaboration.

    In February 2025, Energy Dome said a site had been identified for a commercial-scale project under the partnership. The project was expected to combine solar generation with CO2 battery storage, with Energy Dome supplying the battery plant and Takhzeen installing, owning and operating it for 30 years. 


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

    Industry and logistics drive development at Neom; Saudi Arabia’s investment priorities realign amid conflict; MEED’s 2026 power developer ranking.

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

    To see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click here
    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/20300711/main.jpg
    Mark Dowdall