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Chinese firm wins $265m Saudi hospital contract Administrator24 June 2026
Zhejiang Construction International, the local subsidiary of Chinese contractor Zhejiang Construction Investment Group, has won a $265m contract to build the Prince Mohammed Bin Fahd University Speciality Hospital in Al-Khobar.
Construction is expected to take three years from the start date.
Prince Mohammed Bin Fahd University awarded the contract.
Located in Al-Raja district, Al-Khobar, in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province, the hospital project will cover about 60,000 square metres.
The contract covers the construction of a 10-storey hospital building, two five-storey auxiliary buildings connected by corridors and a basement.
Work will include civil works, mechanical and electrical installation, curtain walling, landscaping, detailed design and the procurement of medical equipment.
The award is the latest in a series of contracts secured by Chinese contractors from Saudi entities in recent months.
Last week, MEED reported that Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Municipalities & Housing awarded contracts worth more than SR1.9bn ($506m) to Chinese contractors for two residential developments in the kingdom.
China Architectural Construction Corporation won the first contract, valued at SR875m ($233m), to build 2,010 housing units at the Al-Ruba residential project in Riyadh.
China State Construction Engineering Corporation secured the other contract, valued at more than SR1bn ($266m), for the Al-Rasha Al-Faisaliah residential project in Dammam, comprising 2,426 housing units.
GlobalData expects Saudi Arabia’s construction industry to record average annual growth of 5.2% in 2025-28, supported by investments in transport, electricity, housing and tourism infrastructure, as well as the $850bn-plus gigaprojects programme.
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Kuwait extends deadline for $718m drainage tender Administrator24 June 2026
Kuwait’s Ministry of Public Works (MPW) has extended the deadline for a major drainage tender estimated to be worth about KD222m ($718m).
The new bid submission deadline is 19 July.
The tender scope covers the construction of rainwater drainage networks across the residential areas of Sabah Al-Ahmad, South Sabah Al-Ahmad, Al-Khairan and Al-Wafra.
The MPW floated the tender on 22 March. The most recent deadline was 21 June.
According to regional projects tracker MEED Projects, the works include the construction of a major concrete sewer, three collection basins and extensive stormwater drainage basins.
Rainwater collection tanks will be connected through an independent network, with outlets to the sea via the Nuwaiseeb exit to manage overflow.
The infrastructure will also filter pollutants such as oils, minerals and sediments to protect water quality and support environmental sustainability.
The project aims to reduce surface runoff, prevent street and urban flooding, and improve groundwater recharge.
Kuwait’s MPW currently has several contracts out for tender for infrastructure works across various parts of the country.
Also, in March, the client released two additional tenders covering the construction of a treated water system in Kuwait’s southern region and another in Kuwait’s northern region.
Bids for both projects are due by 28 June.
Meanwhile, the MPW is planning to begin construction of the $3.3bn North Kabd sewage treatment plant, which has a planned capacity of up to 1 million cubic metres a day.
China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC) won the contract to build the plant earlier this year.
> Be recognised among the best in the industry at the MEED Projects Awards 2026 …
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Contractor wins Emaar Dubai Harbour project deal Administrator24 June 2026
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Local construction firm Al-Sahel Contracting Company has won a contract to build The Bristol Luxury Hotels & Resorts project in Dubai.
The contract was awarded by local real estate developer Emaar Properties.
The Bristol Luxury Hotels & Resorts is located at Emaar Beachfront in Dubai Harbour.
The project comprises a 54-storey mixed-use building with about 150 hotel keys and 227 one- to four-bedroom apartments.
Enabling works have been completed by local firm Dutch Foundation.
Dubai-based Mirage Leisure & Development is the project’s consultant.
Construction is expected to be completed by 2028.
The contract award follows Emaar’s appointment of Dubai-based Aroma International Building Contracting to build the Address Grand Downtown tower.
The award also comes shortly after Emaar reported strong operating momentum in 2025, led by record property sales of AED80.4bn ($21.9bn), up 16% year on year.
The company’s revenue backlog from property sales rose to AED155bn ($42bn), supporting visibility on future revenue recognition.
Total revenue for 2025 reached AED49.6bn ($13.5bn), a 40% year-on-year increase. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation grew 33% to AED25.6bn ($7bn), while net profit before tax rose 36% to AED25.7bn ($7bn).
Emaar’s platform continued to support performance across property development, malls, hospitality, leisure and international operations.
> Be recognised among the best in the industry at the MEED Projects Awards 2026 …
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Saudi Arabia launches new mineral exploration licensing round Administrator24 June 2026
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Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Industry & Mineral Resources (MIMR) has launched its tenth round of a mineral exploration licensing competition, qualifying 24 local and international companies and consortiums to participate.
The exploration opportunities offered under Round 10 cover about 13,000 square kilometres across the regions of Medina, Mecca, Riyadh, Qassim and Hail. They encompass several highly prospective mineralised belts that are said to contain significant deposits of gold, copper, silver, zinc and nickel.
One of the key areas offered in the round is the Nabithah-Ad Duwayhi (Dahlat Shabeb) Belt, which hosts the Ad-Duwayhi Mine, one of Saudi Arabia’s largest gold-producing operations, with annual production of approximately 180,000 ounces of gold.
Other notable exploration zones include the Sukhaybarat-Al-Safra Belt, recognised for its gold and base metals potential and home to the Sukhaybarat and Bulghah mining operations, as well as the Al-Nuqrah Belt, known for substantial gold resources and volcanogenic massive sulphide mineralisation rich in copper and zinc.
According to MIMR, 17 companies that previously qualified under Round 9 have retained their eligibility, while seven additional companies and consortiums successfully completed the Round 10 prequalification process.
The newly qualified bidders in Round 10 are:
- Anaam Al-Qarat for Trading / Sahara Mining Company consortium
- Danakali / Masadar Al-Zamarda for Mining consortium
- Power Metallic Mines
- PT ANTAM Tbk
- Saudi Arabian Mining Company (Maaden)
- Thurb Al-Hayya for Trading Company
- Wildsky Resources
The previously qualified participants from Round 9 are:
- Al-Ghazal Al-Arabi Mining Company
- Almasar Minerals Holding
- Al-Tasnim Enterprises
- Aurum Global Group
- Batin Al-Ard for Gold Company
- China National Geological and Mining Corporation
- DesertEx
- Eqleed-Indotan Mining Company
- Helderberg
- Jacaranda Minerals
- Midana Exploration
- Royal Road Arabia
- Saudi Gold Refinery
- Sierra Nevada Gold
- Sun Peak Metals
- The Distinguished Consortium Mining Company
- Vedanta
In a statement carried by the official Saudi Press Agency, MIMR said exploration licence competitions are conducted through a structured three-stage process designed to ensure transparency, competitiveness and equal opportunity for all participants.
The process begins with prequalification assessments covering technical expertise and financial capability, followed by a site-selection phase through the ministry’s digital mining platform, Taadeen. Where multiple bidders compete for the same exploration site, the process advances to a public, multi-round bidding stage, with licences awarded based on exploration expenditure commitments and predefined evaluation criteria.
The next phase of Round 10 will allow qualified bidders to select available exploration sites via the Taadeen platform, in accordance with established procedures that promote fair competition and enable companies to pursue opportunities aligned with their technical capabilities and investment strategies.
ALSO READ: Aramco and Maaden seek to form joint venture
“The continued participation of major international and regional mining companies reflects growing confidence in Saudi Arabia’s mining sector and the effectiveness of its transparent licensing framework,” MIMR said in its statement.
Jarrah Aljarrah, a ministry spokesperson, said increasing participation in successive exploration licensing rounds demonstrates growing investor confidence in the kingdom’s mining ecosystem, supported by regulatory reforms, improved availability of geological data, transparent licensing mechanisms and a steadily expanding pipeline of exploration opportunities.
Saudi Arabia’s metals and mining sector is pivotal to the country’s non-oil growth trajectory. Commercial exploitation of the kingdom’s mineral resource base – most of which remains untapped – is a key component of the Saudi Vision 2030 socio-economic transformation strategy.
The kingdom took a first step towards realising the commercial potential of its mineral resources when it enacted the Mining Investment Law in 2021. Since the law came into effect, MIMR has awarded about 3,248 mining permits to local and foreign firms under its accelerated exploration initiative, including alone.
Addressing the Future Minerals Forum in Riyadh in January 2024, Bandar Alkhorayef, the kingdom’s minister of industry and mineral resources, said Saudi Arabia’s natural resources are worth $2.5tn – an increase of more than 90% compared to the 2016 estimate.
This near-doubling of natural resource estimates – which exclude fossil fuels and include phosphate, gold and rare earths – is expected to provide a stimulus to the kingdom’s nascent mining industry.
ALSO READ: Maaden mineral resources grow by 7.8 million ounces
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Kuwait tenders oil manifold project Administrator24 June 2026
State-owned upstream operator Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) has tendered a contract to construct remote header manifolds and associated works in the southern and eastern regions of Kuwait.
A meeting with prospective contractors has been scheduled for 21 July 2026, and bids are due to be submitted ahead of a deadline on 20 September 2026.
Manifolds are devices used in the oil sector to divide the flow of liquids from a single source to several outlets, or to collect liquids, or vice versa.
Previously, a project with a similar scope in the same region was awarded to the Kuwaiti contractor Al-Ghanim International General Trading & Contracting.
In 2016, it signed a contract worth $435m to construct remote header manifolds and associated works in the south and east Kuwait areas.
The scope of that contract included design, procurement, construction and commissioning of 25 remote manifold stations and associated pipelines in south and east Kuwait using multi-phase pumps to deliver liquids to gathering centres.
Kuwait’s oil fields are connected to more than 25 gathering centres, which serve as collection points for crude oil produced by several wells connected by flowlines, providing initial treatment by separating associated gas and removing salt.
READ THE JUNE 2026 MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – click here to view PDFGCC looks beyond the Strait; Iraq’s reform window narrows as fiscal assumptions shatter; MEED Top 100 companies.
Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the June 2026 edition of MEED Business Review includes:
> AGENDA: Gulf races to reroute trade> EXPORT ROUTES: Regional war boosts oil and gas pipeline project activity> CURRENT AFFAIRS: UAE’s Opec departure fulfils multiple ends> MEED TOP 100: Middle East stocks recover unevenly> LEADERSHIP: Building the infrastructure that makes net zero possible> TRADE DEAL: UK-GCC trade deal talks concludeTo see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click herehttps://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/17409564/main.jpg -
Firm wins $94m Diriyah MEP works deal Administrator23 June 2026
Riyadh-based Red Sea International Company has announced that its subsidiary, Fundamental Installation for Electric Work Company (FirstFix), has won a SR352m ($94m) contract to carry out mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) works for a project in Diriyah.
The contract was awarded by Salini Saudi Arabia, the local subsidiary of Italian contractor Webuild.
In a filing on the Saudi Stock Exchange (Tadawul), the company said the scope of work includes the supply, installation, testing and commissioning of all MEP works, as well as related engineering works.
The contract duration is 454 days.
In July last year, Webuild announced that it had won a $600m contract from Diriyah Company for a package for the Diriyah Square project.
The contract relates to construction works on package three of the Diriyah Square project. It includes finishing and MEP works on more than 70 buildings and public spaces within Diriyah Square.
These assets cover a total area of about 365,000 square metres.
Webuild is already working on the underground multi-storey car park at Diriyah Square.
The three-level underground car park will serve the mixed-use Diriyah Square district, which will include leisure and entertainment facilities, hotels, retail, Grade A offices, the King Salman Grand Mosque and residential units designed in the traditional Najdi architectural style.
The car park has a floor area of 1 million square metres, with underground roads and tunnels beneath Diriyah Square, and a capacity for 10,500 cars.
The parking facility will directly connect commuters with all of Diriyah’s destinations, including Wadi Hanifah, the Western Ring Road and a national motorway. It will be a key component of the City of Riyadh Arterial Road system.
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Contractors win deals for Saudi Energy transmission projects Administrator23 June 2026
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Saudi Arabia-based Haif Company has won contracts for two separate substation projects in Saudi Arabia, according to sources.
The first involves the construction of a 132/33/13.8kV substation for Saudi Energy, formerly Saudi Electricity Company, which will replace the existing Tabuk substation 2 in Tabuk, northwestern Saudi Arabia.
The works include the construction of a new substation, along with GIS, transformers, switchgear, capacitor banks, MV/LV cable systems and protection infrastructure.
Ten firms submitted bids for the project last December. The bidders included:
- Al-Babtain Contracting (Saudi Arabia)
- Alfanar Projects (Saudi Arabia)
- Al-Gihaz Holding (Saudi Arabia)
- Al-Osais International Holding (Saudi Arabia)
- Danway Electrical & Mechanical Engineering (UAE)
- Haif Company (Saudi Arabia)
- Mohammed Al-Ojaimi Group (Saudi Arabia)
- Nesma Infrastructure & Technology (Saudi Arabia)
- Saudi Services for Electro Mechanic Works (Saudi Arabia)
- Tareg Al-Jaafari Contracting Est (Saudi Arabia)
In addition to Tabuk, Saudi Energy is planning several power transmission projects in Al-Jouf, Medina and the Eastern Province as part of the kingdom’s push to upgrade its electricity transmission and distribution infrastructure
The second Haif contract involves a 132/33kV substation project at Hail to support the integration of solar generation from the Al-Kahfah photovoltaic facility into the network. Together, the projects are valued at about $90m.
Elsewhere, the local Trading & Development Partnership has been appointed to build a 132/33kV substation at Al-Jouf, in Al-Jouf Province.
The facility will deliver a transmission capacity of about 168 MVA to the Al-Busitaa agricultural site, supporting the Liquid Fuel Displacement Programme, which aims to reduce reliance on diesel generators and fuel oil for power generation.
Nine bids were submitted for the project last year.
According to MEED Projects, Saudi Energy has almost $2.3bn-worth of projects currently under bid evaluation, including the 500kV overhead transmission line, approximately 466km long, for the Eastern Operating Area and the Central Operating Area in the Eastern Province. The main contract is expected to be awarded later in 2026.
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Consortium wins $1bn Saudi healthcare PPP project Administrator23 June 2026
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Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Health and the National Centre for Privatisation & PPP (NCP) have awarded a public-private partnership (PPP) contract for the operation and management of the Sabic Specialised Behavioural Healthcare Hospital in Riyadh.
The contract was awarded to SEH Healthcare, a consortium comprising local firms Specialised Medical Company (SMC Healthcare) and Health Gates Complex, and Germany’s Dr Ebel Fachkliniken.
In a stock exchange filing on the Tadawul, SMC Healthcare said the total estimated project value is about SR3.8bn ($1bn).
“The scope of the contract includes medical and non-medical operations and maintenance, facility management, equipment management, and specialised clinical and non-clinical services in mental health and addiction treatment,” the statement added.
The contract term is 15 years.
The facility spans about 62,500 square metres and includes 150 beds, 19 outpatient clinics and six dedicated day-care rooms, as well as specialised services in mental health, addiction treatment, rehabilitation and aftercare.
The project is the latest healthcare project to be procured on a PPP basis in the kingdom. In May, Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Defence and the NCP issued an expression of interest and request for qualification notice for the Chronic Kidney Disease Care and National Dialysis Services project.
The NCP said the initiative supports Saudi Vision 2030 by increasing private sector participation in the healthcare sector.
In January, Saudi Arabia launched a National Privatisation Strategy, which aims to mobilise $64bn in private sector capital by 2030.
The strategy builds on the privatisation programme first introduced in 2018. It will focus on unlocking state-owned assets for private investment and privatising selected government services.
In a statement, NCP said the new strategy comprises 147 opportunities drawn from a broader pipeline of more than 500 projects across 18 sectors.
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Oman begins prequalification for 1.5GW solar IPPs Administrator23 June 2026
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Oman’s Nama Power & Water Procurement Company (Nama PWP) has issued a request for qualification for the development of the Adam solar independent power project (IPP) and Sinaw solar IPP.
The two projects will add 1.5GW of solar photovoltaic (PV) generation capacity in the sultanate. The Adam scheme will have 1,000MW of solar PV capacity combined with a battery energy storage system (bess), while the Sinaw project will comprise a 500MW solar PV plant.
The deadline for companies to submit statements of qualification is 27 July.
In May, MEED exclusively reported that the state offtaker had resumed plans to tender the 500MW solar PV project in Adam in Dakhiliyah governorate.
The project was first mooted in 2018, but was put on hold in 2022.
According to a source, plans are in place to release the main contract tender by the end of the year, unless further regional uncertainty delays the approval process.
The Sinaw solar IPP sits alongside several other renewable schemes in Nama PWP’s development pipeline, including:
- 280MW Marsa solar IPP
- 400MW Al-Kamil solar IPP
- 800MW Mahout wind IPP
- 300MW Duqm 2 wind IPP
According to Nama PWP’s seven-year plan, all of these are targeted for commissioning between 2027 and 2029.
In May, the offtaker issued a supervisory consultancy tender for the 280MW Marsa solar IPP in North Al-Batinah Governorate.
The bid submission deadline is 26 July.
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Morocco approves Khalladi wind farm expansion Administrator23 June 2026
Acwa Maroc, a subsidiary of Saudi developer Acwa, has secured approval to expand the Khalladi wind independent power project (IPP) in northern Morocco by 40MW.
The extension will increase the project’s total installed capacity from 120MW to 160MW. The Khalladi wind farm is located at Djebel Sendouq, about 50 kilometres from Tangier. The existing facility comprises 40 wind turbines rated at 3MW each.
The project operates under Morocco’s Law 13.09 renewable energy framework, which allows private renewable energy firms to develop generation assets and supply electricity directly to industrial consumers.
According to Acwa’s website, the facility entered commercial operation in 2018 and supplies electricity to Morocco’s state-owned utility Onee and large industrial customers under a 20-year power-purchase agreement.
Acwa holds a 51% stake in the project alongside Participation Khalladi SA (24%) and ARIF North Africa Investment SARL, an infrastructure investment fund managed by France’s Amundi (25%).
The engineering, procurement and construction contract was executed by Denmark’s Vestas, France’s Cegelec and Morocco’s Stam and AGTT.
Morocco is targeting renewables to account for 52% of its installed power generation capacity by 2030.
The operational wind farm generates about 397GWh of electricity a year. It is understood that the expansion project has already entered the development phase.
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