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Kuwait awards $381m oil project Administrator23 September 2026
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State-owned upstream operator Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) has awarded an oil project contract worth KD117m ($381m) to India’s Megha Engineering & Infrastructure (Meil).
The Supreme Purchasing Committee for Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) approved the contract last month, paving the way for the official award.
The project focuses on a water separation unit at the Al-Rawdatain facility in Kuwait.
The water separation facility will be developed at Gathering Centre 25 (GC-25), along with a pumping facility at GC-30.
The project will deliver a wide-ranging upgrade of processing and utility infrastructure, including new low-pressure separation and gas-handling equipment such as a three-phase wet separator package, a gas knock-out drum and associated low-pressure gas pipelines, as well as a high-integrity pressure protection system and a high-pressure flare.
Meil will develop the new three-phase low-pressure wet separation facility at GC-25.
The main process equipment will include two wet separator packages, each with a capacity of 150,000 barrels of liquid a day, and a low-pressure gas knock-out drum with a capacity of 53 million standard cubic feet a day, together with associated gas-handling facilities.
The facility will also incorporate an effluent water treatment and transfer system, including an effluent water balance tank equipped with microbubble flotation and induced gas flotation systems, as well as transfer pumps.
Additional GC-25 facilities will include fuel gas treatment, chemical injection, oil recovery and flare connections, along with firewater and deluge systems.
The scope also covers control and safety systems, substations, and associated civil, structural, mechanical, electrical and instrumentation works.
At GC-30, the project will focus on treated-water filtration and high-pressure injection infrastructure.
The scope includes nutshell filters and associated feed pumps with a combined capacity of approximately 500,000 barrels of water a day.
Booster and injection pumps will transfer treated effluent water to designated injection wells.
Additional facilities at GC-30 will include fuel gas treatment, sludge collection and disposal systems, oil recovery systems, control and safety systems, substations, laboratory and workshop facilities, and associated civil, structural, piping, mechanical, electrical and instrumentation works.
The project also includes transfer pipelines connecting GC-25, GC-15 and GC-30.
Meil will carry out modifications to existing tanks at GC-30, as well as process and utility tie-ins, electrical and instrumentation modifications and other infrastructure required to integrate the new facilities with KOC’s existing assets.
Meil’s responsibilities cover the project lifecycle from design and engineering through procurement, construction, testing, pre-commissioning, commissioning, start-up and performance testing.
The contract also includes operation, maintenance, repair and insurance responsibilities for the designated facilities during the applicable operations and maintenance period.
Seven companies submitted bids for the project last November.
The full list of bids was:
- Meil (India) – KD117m ($381m)
- Mechanical Engineering & Contracting Company (Kuwait) – KD130m
- Spetco (Kuwait) – KD158m
- Al-Kharafi (Kuwait) – KD164m
- China Oil HBP Science & Technology (China) – KD169m
- Alghanim International (Kuwait) – KD169m
- Jereh Oil & Gas Engineering (China) – KD191m
In October last year, KOC awarded Meil a separate contract for a project to develop a gas sweetening and recovery facility in west Kuwait.
Meil submitted the lowest bid for that tender, at KD69.2m ($225.5m), in February 2025.
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Kuwait refinery project on track for year-end completion Administrator23 September 2026
A $65m project to replace a substation at the Mina Al-Ahmadi (MAA) refinery is on schedule to be mechanically complete before the end of the year, according to industry sources.
The project is being executed by India’s Larsen & Toubro (L&T), which was awarded the contract in October 2024.
One source said: “This project is approaching completion and is currently on schedule to be completed before the end of the year, although it could still see delays related to the ongoing regional conflict.”
The client is state-owned downstream operator Kuwait National Petroleum Company (KNPC).
Kuwait’s Ministry of Electricity, Water & Renewable Energy (MEW) is also involved in the project and will provide final approvals and sign-off.
The scope of the project includes:
- Construction of a substation
- Installation of transformers
- Installation of medium-voltage switchgear
- Installation of low-voltage auxiliary systems
- Installation of network protection systems
- Installation of disconnecting switches
- Installation of surge arrestors
- Installation of feeder breakers and cubicles
- Installation of low-voltage A/C and D/C equipment
- Installation of battery banks and battery chargers
- Installation of related relay and control panel boards
- Installation of fire alarm and fire protection equipment
- Installation of a SCADA system
- Installation of cables
- Civil works
- Associated facilities
The current project to replace a substation at the MAA refinery closely resembles another project tendered by KNPC more than a decade ago, which L&T also won.
On 18 May 2015, KNPC signed a contract with L&T to build a new 240MW substation at the MAA refinery, valued at KD21.866m.
The new substation, known as M20, was designed to replace an existing substation that was considered old and obsolete.
Mohammed Al-Mutairi, who was KNPC’s chief executive at the time, said the substation building would be explosion-proof and use state-of-the-art control systems.
He said the station’s capacity would increase from 180MW to 240MW, supplying most of the refinery’s electricity needs.
Given the similarities between the two projects, L&T has been able to reuse some designs, creating efficiencies, according to industry sources.
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Contractor wins $208m Almoosa hospital MEP contract Administrator23 September 2026
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Riyadh-based construction firm BEC Arabia has won a SR781m ($208m) contract for the mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) works at Almoosa Hospital in Al-Khobar.
Saudi Arabia’s Almoosa Health Company awarded the contract.
The hospital complex consists of two towers: a 24-storey in-patient tower with 380 beds, and an 11-storey tower with 224 clinics and 113 additional treatment spaces.
It will be built on a 45,000-square-metre site.
A podium spanning the ninth and 10th floors will connect the two towers.
The hospital will also include parking for 1,700 cars.
BEC Arabia won the SR656m ($175m) main construction contract for the hospital in November last year.
In August 2025, MEED reported that Almoosa Health Company had announced it had secured a sharia-compliant credit facility worth SR650m ($173m) from Banque Saudi Fransi.
In a statement published on the Saudi stock exchange (Tadawul), the company said the seven-year facility would be used to support its expansion and growth strategy.
Lebanon’s Dar, US-based Perkins&Will and French design firm Pierre-Yves Rochon designed the project.
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UAE to develop integrated waste-to-resource pilot Administrator23 September 2026
Emirates Biotech and United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) have launched a pilot project in Al-Ain that could provide a model for larger waste-to-resource facilities.
The project involves developing the UAE’s first integrated organic-waste valorisation pilot plant, which will test whether food waste and compostable packaging can be processed together to recover resources and reduce waste sent to landfill.
Located near the UAEU campus, the 40kg-a-day facility will process organic waste to produce renewable biogas and nutrient-rich compost. The project is intended to generate technical and operating data that could support the development of larger-scale facilities.
Emirates Biotech and UAEU will design, build and operate the pilot plant as part of a two-year research project running from August 2026 to August 2028. Installation and commissioning are expected to be completed by August 2027.
The plant will combine anaerobic digestion and composting. Anaerobic digestion will convert the organic waste into renewable biogas, while the resulting digestate will be composted to produce nutrient-rich compost.
A laboratory-scale assessment will also examine the potential to convert the biogas into renewable hydrogen.
Food waste accounts for nearly 40% of daily municipal solid waste in the UAE, according to Emirates Biotech, and much of it is currently disposed of in landfills.
The pilot will therefore assess the technical and operational feasibility of recovering value from two waste streams through a single integrated process.
If successfully scaled, Emirates Biotech says an integrated organic-waste valorisation plant could reduce CO₂ emissions by 89% compared with landfilling.
The project is expected to provide a scalable and modular model for converting food waste and compostable packaging into renewable biogas and compost, with the findings intended to inform the development of larger waste-to-resource facilities.
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Contractors prepare Oxagon Highway 55 bids Administrator23 September 2026
Contractors are preparing to submit bids on 28 September for a design-and-build contract for 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 includes one bridge and three interchanges.
The project duration is 22 months.
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 reported exclusively in August 2025 that contractors had submitted responses to an expression of interest notice that Neom had issued earlier that month.
The project is expected to support cargo movement from Duba Port to other parts of the kingdom and the wider region.
Last year, Neom tested a pilot initiative 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.
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Lebanon sets October deadline for power generation projects Administrator23 September 2026
Lebanon’s Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERA) has extended the deadline for private sector companies to submit expressions of interest (EoIs) for several upcoming power generation projects.
The new deadline is 15 October. The original deadline was 30 September.
The regulator said the extension follows “requests received from interested applicants for additional time to finalise and submit the required documentation”.
The EoI covers up to five grid-connected solar photovoltaic projects with a combined installed capacity of 350 megawatts-peak. The projects are also expected to include battery energy storage systems with a combined capacity of 1,000 megawatt-hours.
The regulator is also seeking proposals for distributed dual-fired thermal power plants with net capacities ranging from 20MW to 100MW. The plants are expected to run on natural gas as the primary fuel and heavy fuel oil as a backup.
The ERA invited companies to submit EoIs at the beginning of August.
On 11 August, the ERA issued its first set of clarifications following queries regarding the EoI. The clarifications confirmed that “proposed dual-fired plants should be gas-ready”, with natural-gas infrastructure planned but no implementation timeline yet available.
The ERA also said key power purchase agreement (PPA) terms, including duration, tariff structure and indexation mechanisms, will be determined “during a future procurement process”.
Electricity reforms
The EoI comes as the government advances wider reforms to Lebanon’s electricity sector. On 4 September, the Higher Council for Privatisation and Partnership discussed steps to transform the state utility Electricite du Liban (EDL) into a company, including creating a new entity, transferring its assets, and taking measures to protect employees’ rights during the transition.
The government said the restructuring aims to improve the financial sustainability of the electricity sector, recover costs and improve electricity supply.
On 18 September, the council discussed a draft decree to establish the new EDL company, evaluate its assets and separate its activities. However, it deferred a decision for further study.
The ERA was established earlier this year, more than two decades after it was envisaged under Law No. 462/2002 but not implemented due to political delays. The Energy & Water Ministry and EDL previously oversaw the electricity sector.
Lebanon’s electricity sector continues to face insufficient generation capacity, fuel supply constraints, ageing generation assets and limited grid flexibility. These challenges have led to prolonged electricity shortages and increased reliance on private diesel generation and distributed solar systems, prompting the government to seek additional private investment in new generation capacity.
According to the EoI document, the projects are expected to be structured as independent power producer (IPP) schemes. The competent public authority will determine any future contractual arrangements, including PPAs, under the applicable legal framework.
The ERA said the EoI is open to private investors, IPP operators, engineering, procurement and construction contractors, equipment suppliers and consortiums. It aims to assess market interest, identify potential generation projects, and evaluate the technical and financial capabilities of prospective developers.
Respondents must provide information on their technical and financial capabilities, proposed project locations, grid connection plans and relevant project experience.
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Contractors prepare Morocco high-speed rail station bids Administrator22 September 2026
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Contractors are preparing to submit proposals on 24 September for a contract to build five railway stations as part of the Kenitra-Marrakech high-speed rail link project.
Two stations will be built in Benguerir, with one each at Sidi Bou Othmane, Sidi Ghanem and Marrakech Stadium.
The contract is expected to be worth about MD385m ($40m).
The scope of work includes construction and fit-out of the stations and associated infrastructure, including concrete structures, platforms, ancillary facilities, passageways, circulation areas and connection zones within the stations.
It also covers architectural finishing works; testing and commissioning of electrical networks; and all mechanical, electrical and plumbing services.
The contractor will also be required to provide all safety, security and protection systems, including alarms, fire detection and firefighting systems, and surveillance systems.
Morocco awarded multiple civil works contracts in 2024 to international and local firms to build its Kenitra-Marrakech high-speed railway line.
The rail project is part of a $37bn strategy to connect more of Morocco’s cities, ports and airports by rail. It will stretch 375km from Kenitra on the northwest coast to Marrakech in the south.
The project is divided into seven lots, each measuring 36km to 64km. The rail link will pass through cities including Rabat, Sale and Casablanca.
The link will extend the Al-Boraq high-speed rail line between Tangier, Rabat and Casablanca. The line began operating in 2018 and was Africa’s first high-speed railway system.
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Developers prepare bids for 730MW Petrokemya plant Administrator22 September 2026
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Developers are preparing to submit proposals for a 730MW electricity and steam cogeneration project at Saudi petrochemical company Petrokemya’s complex in Jubail, a source close to the project has told MEED.
The brownfield project will also produce up to 1,125 tonnes an hour of steam. It will supply electricity and steam to Petrokemya under a 20-year energy conversion agreement (ECA).
Bids for the project are due by 30 November.
Petrokemya issued the request for proposals (RFP) on 30 June, and provided the technical specifications to bidders on 7 July.
Both Abu Dhabi National Energy Company (Taqa) and Saudi Arabia’s Acwa are understood to be among the developers participating in the project.
As MEED understands, a site visit took place in early August, shortly before prospective developers submitted letters of intent.
The winning bidder will establish a special-purpose vehicle in Saudi Arabia to develop, finance, construct, own and operate the project. Ownership of the project company or plant will transfer to Petrokemya at the end of the ECA term.
Petrokemya is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sabic, which is a majority-owned affiliate of Saudi Aramco. It is understood that Sabic will provide credit support for Petrokemya’s obligations under the ECA.
According to tender documents, the plant will use gas supplied by Petrokemya to generate electricity. Exhaust heat from the gas turbines will be recovered through heat recovery steam generators to produce steam, with a steam turbine generator also potentially producing electricity.
The scope includes the plant and associated infrastructure required to receive gas and feedwater and deliver electricity and steam to Petrokemya. This includes pipelines, substations, cables and other interconnection facilities.
The winning bidder will be responsible for arranging the project’s full financing on a non-recourse basis to Petrokemya and its affiliates.
The final RFP question-and-answer submission deadline is set for 5 November.
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/19878839/main.jpg -
Jedco maps next phase of Jeddah airport expansion Administrator22 September 2026
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Jeddah Airports Company (Jedco) has outlined plans for the next phase of expansion at King Abdulaziz International airport (KAIA) in Jeddah.
The programme comprises six upcoming contractor packages spanning airside works, terminal upgrades and utilities as Jedco advances its long-term expansion plans.
The opportunities include airfield rehabilitation; a five-year construction framework covering multiple workstreams and facility types; a Terminal 3A (T3A) package; Terminal 1 (T1) optimisation; a fuel farm; and Concourse C works.
The packages cover terminal buildings and ancillary facilities, runways, taxiways and aprons, hangars, fuel systems, airside facilities, supporting infrastructure and utility networks.
Tendering and award activity will be staggered over the next two years. Airfield rehabilitation is targeted for Q3 2026. The construction framework is scheduled for Q4 2026 and will run for five years.
The T3A package is planned for Q1 2027 and will be delivered under an early contractor involvement contract. Local contractors are encouraged to bid as part of a joint venture with an experienced international partner.
T1 optimisation is planned for Q4 2027, the fuel farm for Q2 2027, and Concourse C – currently the latest of the six milestones – for Q2 2028.
The new packages add detail to Jedco’s wider expansion plans disclosed in 2023, when it was reported that the company would invest SR115bn ($31bn) to increase KAIA’s capacity to 114 million passengers a year, with an overall completion target of 2031.
Jedco has recently awarded several significant contracts linked to the airport’s upgrade programme.
In November 2024, a joint venture of local Algihaz Contracting and Turkey’s TAV was awarded a contract to rehabilitate the South Terminal to serve Umrah and Hajj pilgrims, with Singapore’s Surbana Jurong acting as consultant.
Earlier that year, Jedco also awarded France’s Alstom a contract to increase the capacity of the Innovia automated people mover at Terminal 1, including new cars and upgrades to signalling, communications and controls.
Surbana Jurong is expected to play a leading role in future KAIA expansion plans and is currently providing technical advisory and project management consultancy for more than 100 capital projects for Jedco, valued at over SR6bn ($1.6bn).
These upgrades are expected to boost KAIA’s annual capacity in line with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 and National Aviation Strategy, enhancing the experience for domestic travellers and millions of Hajj and Umrah pilgrims.
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Contractor wins $105m Medina university hospital deal Administrator22 September 2026
Riyadh-based construction firm Al-Mansouria General Contracting Company has been awarded a SR396m ($105.6m) contract to complete the remaining construction works on the Taiba University Hospital project in Medina.
The contract scope includes structural completion, remaining civil works, mechanical, electrical and plumbing installations, specialised clinical fit-outs and medical gas infrastructure to bring the long-stalled facility into operation.
Located on King Khalid Road along Medina’s Third Ring Road, the teaching hospital will have a capacity of 563 beds.
The contract duration is three years, with delivery targeted for late 2029.
The latest award follows a prolonged procurement cycle that began more than a decade ago as part of a public budget drive to expand Saudi Arabia’s higher education infrastructure.
The project’s first phase was initially signed in December 2011 with local firm Al-Muhaidib Contracting under a SR500m ($133.3m) contract.
Groundbreaking for the eight-storey complex took place in July 2013. The project covers a gross floor area of more than 200,000 square metres.
Progress stalled shortly thereafter due to reported structural delays and the reallocation of public capital budgets across the kingdom’s social infrastructure pipeline.
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/19870032/main.jpg