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Building resilience into infrastructure delivery Administrator21 October 2026
The regional disruptions earlier this year tested Gulf supply chains, challenging the movement of goods and construction materials and raising questions about the ability of infrastructure programmes to maintain momentum.
For the UAE Ministry of Energy & Infrastructure, the experience reinforced the importance of the systems that support project delivery, from transport networks and customs procedures to domestic manufacturers and international suppliers.
“The disruption reinforced an important principle: infrastructure resilience is ultimately about the ability of the national system to continue operating under pressure,” says Mohammed Al-Mansoori, undersecretary for infrastructure and transport affairs.
Supply resilience
The ministry worked with ports, customs authorities, transport and rail operators, contractors, suppliers and the private sector to maintain the flow of essential goods and construction materials. It monitored critical materials and project schedules, identified alternative sources and adjusted procurement and delivery arrangements.
The response included movement exemptions and facilitation measures for more than 6,600 lorries, while rail freight operations increased from approximately one journey a week to as many as seven journeys a day. Priority and green corridors were activated, customs procedures facilitated and critical shipments prioritised at ports.
According to Al-Mansoori, these measures contributed to an estimated 25% reduction in transport costs, a 40% improvement in customs clearance times and an increase of approximately 15% in port capacity during the response period.
For infrastructure projects, the ministry worked with local manufacturers and suppliers to identify alternative sources of road and construction materials meeting the required technical specifications and quality standards. This helped reduce reliance on disrupted international supply routes and support ongoing projects.
The experience also highlighted the value of existing coordination mechanisms and partnerships.
“It also reinforced a fundamental principle: resilience means ensuring that critical infrastructure delivery does not depend on a single supplier, a single route or a single mode of transport,” Al-Mansoori says.
The ministry is planning to build on this experience by diversifying suppliers, strengthening domestic manufacturing and improving supply-chain monitoring.
Resilience is increasingly being incorporated into procurement planning. For critical materials and services, the ministry aims to identify risks early, broaden the pool of qualified suppliers and ensure viable alternatives are available.
The approach supports the UAE’s wider industrial objectives, including the national in-country value programme, which seeks to direct a greater share of procurement expenditure into the national economy.
“Our objective is not simply to purchase more locally. It is to help create competitive national supply chains,” Al-Mansoori says.
Domestic suppliers must be able to meet the technical requirements, quality standards and volumes demanded by major infrastructure programmes. Localisation is therefore about developing competitive industrial capabilities while shortening supply chains, improving responsiveness and encouraging investment.
“Localisation is not simply a procurement choice; it is an investment in national capability and long-term resilience,” Al-Mansoori says.
The ministry is also working with contractors to manage pressures from fluctuating material, insurance and transport costs. Its approach combines commercial discipline with early engagement to prevent external pressures from affecting project delivery.
“Our approach is based on early engagement, transparency and disciplined commercial management,” Al-Mansoori says. “Long-term infrastructure delivery depends on strong contractors as much as it depends on strong contracts.”
Contractors remain responsible for normal market and contractual risks, but the ministry seeks to assess exceptional pressures objectively, supported by evidence of their impact on costs and schedules. Realistic planning, early procurement and proactive risk management also help maintain momentum.
“The objective is to strike the right balance between protecting the government’s commercial interests and securing best value for money, while maintaining an efficient, sustainable contracting market capable of continuing to deliver strategic infrastructure projects,” Al-Mansoori says.
Resilience means ensuring that critical infrastructure delivery does not depend on a single supplier, a single route or a single mode of transport
Project delivery
The ministry’s focus on measurable outcomes is reflected in the Emirates Road enhancement project, which involves widening approximately 25 kilometres of Emirates Road from three to five lanes in each direction, alongside major improvements to Interchange No. 7.
The works are expected to increase road capacity by up to 65% and reduce journey times by up to 45%.
The project illustrates the ministry’s emphasis on assessing infrastructure by the benefits it delivers, rather than simply the scale of construction.
“Infrastructure success should be measured by the value it creates – not just by the kilometres we build,” Al-Mansoori says.
That principle is increasingly important as the UAE balances new construction with the long-term costs of operating and maintaining its assets. Decisions made during planning and construction can influence maintenance requirements, operating costs and performance for decades.
For Al-Mansoori, resilience, domestic capability and effective delivery are closely connected. Stronger local supply chains can reduce exposure to external shocks, while closer engagement with contractors can help projects withstand cost pressures.
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Riyadh tenders Expo 2030 Adaptation and Innovation Pavilion Administrator21 October 2026
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Expo 2030 Riyadh has tendered the design-and-build main contract for the Adaptation and Innovation Pavilion in the exhibition’s Technology District.
The pavilion will be built on a plot of at least 12,710 square metres and will feature a two-level basement, ground-level public areas, an elevated skywalk, visitor experience areas, food and beverage outlets, retail space, VIP facilities, offices, back-of-house areas, exhibition spaces, an amphitheatre and a resonance hall.
The facility is being designed to accommodate a minimum of 20,000 visitors a day at peak periods, with an anticipated average of about 15,000 visitors a day. The project targets LEED Gold certification.
The tender was issued on 1 October, with bids due on 6 January 2027.
The design-and-build contractor will be responsible for completing, reviewing, verifying, coordinating and technically integrating the design, including specialist contractor design portions and coordination with the novated lead design consultant.
The scope includes completing early works and substructure activities, including grading, bulk earthworks, excavation, cut and fill, soil improvement, raft foundations, reinforced-concrete basement walls, basement columns through to the ground-floor slab, waterproofing, mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) provisions, and backfilling.
The contractor will also deliver the superstructure and building envelope, including structural works, facade engineering and installation, roofs, waterproofing, external finishes, and permanent facade access and maintenance systems. The internal works will cover front-of-house and back-of-house areas, public and core spaces, internal finishes, fixtures, fixed fittings, joinery, circulation areas, lobbies, stairs, toilets, storage, waste areas and associated builder’s works.
The building services package includes MEP systems, information and communications technology, extra-low-voltage systems, building management systems, security, fire and life safety systems, specialist lighting and vertical transportation.
The contract also covers the visitor experience package, including procurement, installation, integration, testing, commissioning and handover of visitor-facing environments, media, immersive and audiovisual technologies, interactive elements, experiential lighting, digital content, interpretive and wayfinding systems, controls and supporting infrastructure.
Within-plot infrastructure and utilities, landscaping, public realm works, paving, planting, irrigation, signage, street furniture, drainage, stormwater systems, external lighting, security, and fire and life safety systems are also included.
The contractor will be responsible for procurement, off-site fabrication, construction, testing and commissioning, performance verification, training, operations and maintenance documentation, operational readiness, handover, defects rectification and close-out.
The main works tender is based on a 60% RIBA Stage 3 design, with the Stage 3 design to be completed to 100% through an addendum.
Early works and substructure works, as well as the lead design consultant, will be novated to the contractor. Visitor experience works are included as a provisional sum.
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Mubadala Bio lands Lilly logistics deal Administrator21 October 2026
Mubadala Bio, the life sciences subsidiary of Abu Dhabi state investor Mubadala Investment Company, has signed an agreement with US drugmaker Eli Lilly to localise the packaging and logistics of Lilly’s glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) medicines in Abu Dhabi.
The work will take place at a 125,000-square-metre site in Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi (Kezad), which includes packaging and warehousing facilities. Mubadala Bio said the facilities would strengthen its pharmaceutical contract manufacturing, packaging and logistics capabilities and its ability to serve international clients from the UAE.
The packaging and logistics activities will be introduced in phases and will be subject to technical, quality and regulatory requirements. The companies did not disclose the value of the agreement or a timeline for the first phase.
The Emirates Drug Establishment approved Lilly’s oral GLP-1 drug Foundayo (orforglipron) for chronic weight management in April. The companies said this made the UAE the second country in the world to register the medicine.
In Abu Dhabi, the treatment is available to eligible patients under a weight management programme launched by the Abu Dhabi Department of Health and the Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre in June 2025. The UAE was also an early launch market for Lilly’s injectable treatment Mounjaro (tirzepatide) in August 2022.
Mubadala launched Mubadala Bio in 2025 to expand domestic drug manufacturing and distribution, with a focus on national drug security. It is one of Mubadala’s designated national champions, set up to support strategic sectors. At launch, its combined facilities covered 110,000 square metres, with an annual capacity of more than 2.5 billion tablets and capsules and 120 million intravenous and injectable units.
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Chinese/local joint venture wins Qiddiya stadium facade Administrator21 October 2026
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A joint venture of China’s Fangda Group and Saudi Arabia’s IKK Group has secured a SR1.15bn ($306m) contract to deliver curtain wall facade works for the Prince Mohammed Bin Salman Stadium in Qiddiya City, Riyadh.
The contract was awarded by the joint venture of Spain’s FCC Construccion and local contractor Nesma & Partners, which is building the stadium under an estimated SR15bn ($4bn) main contract awarded by Qiddiya Investment Company (QIC) in October 2024.
The IKK-Fangda joint venture will design, supply and install curtain wall façade systems for the main stadium (Lot 1), as well as for the museum and ancillary buildings (Lot 3).
The contract has an execution period of 863 days.
The stadium will seat about 47,000 spectators and will be the home ground for Saudi Pro League clubs Al-Nassr and Al-Hilal.
The facade award follows the appointment of Elegancia Arabia, a subsidiary of Qatar-based Elegancia MEP and Estithmar Holding, to deliver the stadium’s mechanical, electrical and plumbing works.
The SR829m ($221m) contract is Elegancia Arabia’s largest award in Saudi Arabia to date.
The project is being designed by US-based consultant Populous.
It is among the venues planned for the 2034 Fifa World Cup and will also host the Saudi King Cup, the AFC Asian Cup and the 2034 Asian Games.
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Zamil Steel wins $82m Qiddiya tennis centre contract Administrator21 October 2026
Advanced Building Industries Company (Senaat) has announced that its subsidiary, Zamil Structural Steel Company (Zamil Steel), has secured a SR308m ($82m) contract for the National Tennis Centre in Qiddiya City, Riyadh.
The 19-month contract was awarded by the joint venture of France’s Bouygues Batiment International and local contractor Almabani General Contractors Company.
Zamil Steel’s scope includes the fabrication, supply and installation of structural steel and external facades for the scheme.
MEED reported in June that the Bouygues Batiment International-Almabani joint venture had started construction of the National Tennis Centre.
The development will include 30 tennis courts, comprising 28 hard courts and two clay courts. The main Centre Court will seat 15,000 spectators and feature a retractable roof.
The facility is being designed to meet standards set by the Association of Tennis Professionals, the Women’s Tennis Association and the International Tennis Federation.
The development will also include an 8,000-seat multipurpose arena with a retractable roof, known as Court 3. Other facilities include a 5,000-seat Court 1, a 2,000-seat Court 2, six competition courts, six indoor courts and 14 practice courts. Each outdoor match court will provide 450 seats.
Total seating capacity across the complex will be 33,000. US-based architect Populous designed the project.
Qiddiya Investment Company officially announced the project on 15 June. The developer has said the centre will be the region’s largest tennis complex and will host international tennis events.
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Eni starts to bring gas processing facility online in Egypt Administrator21 October 2026
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Italy’s Eni has started to bring its Meleiha Phase 2 (MP2) project online in Egypt’s Western Desert, according to statements from the company and Egypt’s Ministry of Petroleum & Mineral Resources.
The project includes a new gas processing facility designed to process up to 100 million standard cubic feet of gas a day.
Eni is a part owner of the project through Agiba Petroleum Company, a joint venture of Eni and state-owned Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation (EGPC)
The main contract for the project was awarded to the Egyptian engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) company Petrojet.
The scope of the project included:
- Laying 200 kilometres of pipeline
- Drilling 28 wells
- Construction of a gas sweetening unit
- Construction of a gas recovery unit
- Installation of gas purification and liquids separation units
- Installation of utilities and supporting infrastructure
- Construction of natural gas processing plant
- Construction of associated facilities
In its statement, Eni said: “The project represents a key milestone in the development of a new gas hub within the Merged Meleiha concession and will significantly increase the gas processing capacity for production from the area’s fields, supporting the growth of domestic gas output and the valorisation of Egypt’s energy resources.”
The Meleiha and Meleiha Deep concessions were combined into a single concession known as the Merged Meleiha concession in 2021.
Eni said that the new facilities “will ensure the connection of new production to Egypt’s existing gas infrastructure, enabling the rapid monetisation of resources and enhanced operational efficiency”.
It added: “The launch of the project confirms Eni’s role as a strategic partner of Egypt and reaffirms the company’s long-standing commitment to contributing to the country’s energy security through the development and valorisation of the Western Desert’s diversified resource base, one of the most promising areas of Egypt’s energy sector.”
Eni has been present in Egypt since 1954 and produced approximately 242,000 barrels of oil equivalent a day in the country on an equity basis in 2025.
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Adnoc weighs early engagement for Umm Shaif expansion Administrator21 October 2026
Adnoc Offshore, a subsidiary of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc Group), is considering an early engagement exercise with contractors for a major project covering the next expansion phase of the Umm Shaif oil and gas field offshore Abu Dhabi.
The early engagement round with contractors would precede Adnoc Offshore issuing the main tender for engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) works on the Umm Shaif long-term development plan 2.1 (LTDP-2.1) project, according to sources.
MEED previously reported that Adnoc Offshore completed the expression-of-interest exercise with contractors for the two main EPC packages of the Umm Shaif LTDP-2.1 project in June this year.
The project’s primary objective is to maintain Umm Shaif’s oil production capacity at approximately 390,000 barrels a day (b/d), while enabling peak output of up to 430,000 b/d.
The project includes the construction of a new combined artificial island at Umm Shaif, equipped with drilling, processing, utilities and supporting infrastructure. It also encompasses the installation of an optimised crude-stabilisation train at Adnoc’s existing Das Island facilities.
Located about 150 kilometres northwest of Abu Dhabi city, Umm Shaif is one of Adnoc’s oldest offshore oil-producing assets. In 2022, the company marked the 60th anniversary of the UAE’s first export of Umm Shaif crude, which took place in July 1962.
Umm Shaif sits within Abu Dhabi’s offshore Umm Shaif and Nasr hydrocarbons concession, which was previously operated by former Adnoc Group companies Adma-Opco and Zadco.
Between March and April 2018, Adnoc awarded a 10% stake in the Umm Shaif and Nasr offshore block to Italy’s Eni, 20% to France’s TotalEnergies and 10% to China National Petroleum Corporation. Adnoc retained the majority 60% interest.
The operators produce about 460,000 b/d of oil from the Umm Shaif and Nasr block.
Project scope of work
Adnoc Offshore has divided the EPC scope of work on the Umm Shaif LTDP-2.1 project into two packages.
The offshore package covers the construction of three water-injection wellhead towers, an electrical submersible pump wellhead tower, a riser platform, a manifold tower, two flare towers, offshore bridges and supporting bridge structures. Additional offshore works include the installation of well fluid flowlines, a main oil pipeline, water injection pipelines, gas export lines and subsea cable systems.
The onshore package covers the construction of facilities on Umm Shaif Island, including a three-phase separation system comprising two processing trains, each capable of handling 135,000 b/d. The facilities will also include two associated-gas compression trains and gas dehydration units, each rated at 275 million cubic feet a day. Supporting infrastructure includes produced-water treatment systems, water-injection facilities, utilities, process buildings and associated tie-in works.
Australia-headquartered Worley has performed front-end engineering and design (feed) work on the Umm Shaif LTDP-2.1 project.
Output expansion projects
In January 2022, Adnoc Offshore awarded a $946m contract to Abu Dhabi-based NMDC Energy (then known as National Petroleum Construction Company) to carry out EPC works on the first phase of the long-term development plan to sustain output from Umm Shaif, known as the Umm Shaif LTDP-1 project.
The main objectives of the Umm Shaif LTDP-1 project are to maintain Umm Shaif’s 275,000 b/d crude oil production capacity, increase efficiencies and enhance the field’s long-term output potential.
EPC works on the first phase of the Umm Shaif LTDP programme were completed in 2024, according to information obtained by regional projects tracker MEED Projects.
Adnoc Offshore then initiated work on the second expansion phase of the long-term development plan for the Umm Shaif offshore oil field in Abu Dhabi (Umm Shaif LTDP-2), awarding US-headquartered McDermott International the main EPC contract on the project in 2024.
The value of the contract for the Umm Shaif LTDP-2 project, which is also known as the Umm Shaif accelerated development, is understood to be $2bn. McDermott held a steel-cutting ceremony for the project on 25 May last year at its fabrication yard in Jebel Ali, Dubai.
The core objective of the project is to increase the Umm Shaif oil field’s output from about 275,000 b/d at present to 390,000 b/d by 2027, and to sustain that level of production until at least 2036.
ALSO READ: Adnoc announces FID on $6.2bn Umm Shaif gas cap project
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QatarEnergy and local partner win seven Brazil offshore blocks Administrator20 October 2026
QatarEnergy, in a consortium with Brazil’s state energy producer, Petrobras, has won seven offshore exploration blocks in a concession licensing round organised by Brazil’s National Agency of Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels (ANP).
The exploration blocks ANP awarded in the 6th concession open-acreage bid round are CE-M-471, CE-M-473, CE-M-475, CE-M-477, CE-M-537, CE-M-539 and CE-M-665. The blocks are located in the Ceara Basin along Brazil’s northeastern Equatorial Margin.
QatarEnergy will hold a 30% participating interest, with Petrobras holding the majority 70% stake.
The Equatorial Margin blocks cover about 4,700 square kilometres (sq km) and lie in water depths of about 2,000-3,600 metres.
“The concession contracts further strengthen and expand QatarEnergy’s upstream position in Brazil and are expected to be signed in the first half of 2027,” the state energy enterprise said in a statement.
QatarEnergy already holds working interests in producing fields and several exploration blocks in Brazil.
Prior to winning a stake in these seven offshore exploration blocks, QatarEnergy secured a 20% equity interest in the Agua-Marinha production-sharing contract (PSC) awarded by ANP, under Brazil’s 1st cycle permanent offer round in 2023.
Under the terms of the PSC and associated agreements, the remaining stakes in the Agua-Marinha concession are held by the operator Petrobras (30%), France’s TotalEnergies (30%) and the Brazilian subsidiary of Malaysia’s Petronas, Petroleo Brasil (20%).
The Agua-Marinha block covers 1,300 sq km. It is located in water depths of about 2,000 metres off the coast of Rio de Janeiro in the prolific Campos Basin.
In November 2022, QatarEnergy announced a discovery in Brazil’s Sepia offshore oil field, in which it holds a 21% interest. The announcement came less than a year after it acquired the stake.
ALSO READ: QatarEnergy acquires stakes in Angola offshore blocks
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Jordan tenders wastewater reuse masterplan Administrator20 October 2026
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US-headquartered ARD Inc, a Tetra Tech company, has issued a request for proposals for consulting services to develop a national treated wastewater reuse masterplan for Jordan.
The company is implementing the Water Efficiency and Conservation Activity, administered by the US Department of State through the US Embassy in Amman, which is providing technical assistance to Jordan’s Water Authority.
The assignment will assess existing and projected treated wastewater volumes, potential reuse demand and associated infrastructure. It will identify and prioritise sustainable reuse options across the country through to 2050.
The bid submission deadline is 14 November.
Jordan is one of the world’s most water-scarce countries, and treated wastewater reuse plays an important role in managing its limited freshwater resources.
The country’s National Water Strategy 2023-40 identifies reclaimed water as a key resource for agriculture and industry, with more than 90% of safely treated wastewater already being reused, particularly for irrigation.
According to the tender document, the masterplan will provide a framework for expanding the use of treated wastewater as well as setting out priority interventions, indicative investment requirements and governance arrangements to guide future planning and implementation.
The scope includes reviewing existing and planned wastewater reuse initiatives, assessing infrastructure requirements and evaluating potential reuse demand.
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UAE firm wins Sphere Abu Dhabi LED display contract Administrator20 October 2026
UAE-based audiovisual and digital signage contractor Blue Rhine Industries (BRI) has been appointed to install and commission the external LED display for the Sphere Abu Dhabi project on Yas Island.
The firm was awarded the subcontract by the scheme’s main contractor, Alec Engineering & Contracting, a subsidiary of the UAE-based Alec Holdings.
The scope covers the installation of the external light-emitting diode (LED) display, known as the Exosphere, across the facade of the 112-metre-high building.
The award forms part of the main construction contract for the estimated $1.7bn entertainment venue, which is scheduled for completion in the third quarter of 2029.
In May, Alec Holdings confirmed that Alec Engineering & Contracting had received the letter of award for the main construction package.
MEED previously reported that Alec was the selected contractor and had carried out pre-construction work on the scheme.
The project is being developed by Abu Dhabi’s Department of Culture & Tourism (DCT Abu Dhabi) in partnership with the US-based Sphere Entertainment. The parties finalised an agreement granting DCT Abu Dhabi the exclusive rights to build and operate the entertainment venue in the UAE capital, marking the first Sphere development outside the US.
The venue is located on a plot between Yas Mall and SeaWorld Abu Dhabi.
Designed to mirror the scale of the original Sphere in Las Vegas, the facility will have a capacity of up to 20,000 people and will host concerts, sporting events, and cultural exhibitions.
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