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Kuwait utilities investment shifts towards water Administrator11 August 2026
China State Construction Engineering Corporation recently signed a contract for Kuwait’s North Kabd wastewater treatment plant, the country’s largest wastewater infrastructure project to date.
The award, following more than a decade of planning, propelled Kuwait’s water sector contract awards to more than $4bn as of early August, according to regional project tracker MEED Projects.
The facility will have a treatment capacity of up to 1 million cubic metres a day (cm/d), with the $3.3bn contract covering the design, construction, operation and maintenance of the plant over a 10-year period.
It marks a significant recovery for the sector after several years of subdued activity and the first time since 2020 that annual water awards have exceeded $1bn.
North Kabd is the largest of several major water projects awarded this year, alongside contracts covering desalination and the expansion and rehabilitation of water distribution infrastructure.
Desalination and distribution
These include a $316m contract awarded to local firm United Gulf Construction (UGC) by the Ministry of Electricity, Water & Renewable Energy (MEWRE) for the rehabilitation and expansion of the Doha water distribution complex.
The five-year project includes a new pump station and will add about 130 million imperial gallons of storage capacity, while increasing pumping capacity to 220 million imperial gallons a day (MIGD).
UGC was also selected in February to upgrade the Hawally water distribution complex in Kuwait’s Hawalli Governorate. The facility serves one of Kuwait’s most densely populated governorates, with the project intended to address chronic low water pressure, particularly during peak summer demand, and improve continuity of supply.
The upgrade will increase freshwater storage capacity by 66 million gallons and raise potable-water pumping capacity to 54.5 million gallons a day.
In April, Kuwait’s Central Agency for Public Tenders approved MEWRE’s recommendation to award a $371m contract for phase two of the Doha seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) desalination plant.
A joint venture of Kuwait-based Heavy Engineering Industries & Shipbuilding Company (Heisco) and India’s VA Tech Wabag will carry out the project, which will have a capacity of about 272,000 cm/d.
Upcoming water awards
Meanwhile, Kuwait’s Ministry of Public Works (MPW) has been progressing several tenders for major water infrastructure projects covering rainwater drainage and treated water systems in the country’s southern and northern regions.
In July, local Combined Group Contracting submitted the lowest bid for a contract to develop a major treated water system in the southern region. The contractor submitted a price of about $515m for the scheme, according to a company disclosure.
For the smaller northern treated water system, Contractor General Trading & Contracting submitted the lowest bid of $169m.
In what is already a standout year for Kuwait’s water sector, further awards could push activity significantly higher. More than $1bn of water projects are currently under bid evaluation, indicating further evidence of a sustained recovery in the months ahead.
Power sector activity
Kuwait’s power sector recorded just $271m of contract awards by early August, according to MEED Projects, putting activity well below recent annual levels.
This compares with a record full-year total of $5.5bn in 2025 and $2.7bn in both 2024 and 2023.
Several large-scale generation projects have been slow to advance, with deadline extensions a notable feature in recent months. The outlook is stronger, however, with these projects now progressing through procurement and significant awards expected in the months ahead.
Kuwait is advancing the 1,800MW Al-Khairan phase one independent water and power project (IWPP), for which two developer consortiums led by Abu Dhabi National Energy Company (Taqa) and Saudi Arabia’s Acwa submitted bids in June.
The project will also include a desalination plant with a capacity of 125 MIGD. A second phase of the Al-Khairan IWPP, estimated at $750m, is understood to include a further 1,800MW of generation capacity through a combined-cycle gas-fired power plant. The project remains in the early development stages, with tendering not expected until at least 2027.
Renewable energy programme
The Kuwait Authority for Partnership Projects (Kapp) is also progressing the Al-Dibdibah power and Al-Shagaya renewable energy programme in partnership with Kuwait’s MEWRE.
The contract to develop the 1,100MW phase three, zone one solar photovoltaic (PV) project is expected to be confirmed soon, with a consortium led by Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar) previously reported to be the frontrunner.
A separate 500MW solar PV project is also being procured under phase three, zone two of the same programme, with bids submitted on 26 July. If the contract is awarded by the end of the year, the two Shagaya contracts would add about $2bn to the value of power sector awards.
Another notable development was the 25-year energy conversion and water purchase agreement signed in February for the Al-Zour North IWPP phases two and three. The signing marked a key step towards financial close on the estimated $4bn project. Once completed, the facility will add 2,700MW of power and 120 MIGD of desalinated water to Kuwait’s supply network
The Shagaya, Khairan and Zour North projects form a key part of Kuwait’s generation portfolio. The country is aiming to reach 22,100MW of installed renewable energy capacity by 2030, under a 20-year strategy announced in March 2025 that extends to 2050.
Kuwait is also continuing to invest in existing generation plants. MEWRE is evaluating bids for the $1.7bn upgrade of the Subiya power and water plant, including the conversion of units from open-cycle to combined-cycle operation and the modernisation of existing facilities.
Battery energy storage systems
In the near to medium term, more than $10bn-worth of power projects are under bid evaluation. This includes several battery energy storage system projects with a planned total storage capacity of 1.5GW.
In June, Kuwait approved sites in Al-Mutlaa and Jaber Al-Ahmad cities for the development of the projects. The projects will be implemented in phases, with the first phase providing 500MW of storage capacity. The first facilities are expected to be operational by summer 2027 and will supply stored energy to the electricity grid during periods of peak demand.
Elsewhere, MEWRE continues to evaluate offers from Shanghai Electric Group and local firm Heavy Engineering Industries & Shipbuilding Company (Heisco) for the estimated $400m engineering, procurement and construction contract to rehabilitate and modernise eight boilers at the Subiya power generation and water distillation station. The bid bond validity has been extended to 23 August, indicating that the procurement process remains ongoing.
MEED’s September 2026 report on Kuwait also includes:
> ECONOMY: Kuwait shows tentative signs of economic development
> BANKING: Necessity is the mother of invention for Kuwaiti lenders
> OIL & GAS: Regional war to have lasting impact on Kuwaiti oil sector
> CONSTRUCTION: Kuwait construction holds up despite regional strifehttps://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/18333042/main.gif -
Syrian court gives death penalty to Bashar Al-Assad Administrator11 August 2026
A Syrian court has sentenced former president Bashar Al-Assad to death after trying him in absentia, convicting him of crimes committed during the country’s nearly 14 years of civil war.
It is the first such ruling under Syria’s transitional authorities, who ousted Al-Assad in December 2024 and vowed justice and accountability for crimes committed under his rule.
Al-Assad fled to Moscow as Islamist-led forces closed in on Damascus after a lightning offensive.
In a Damascus court, Judge Fakhr Al-Din Al-Aryan convicted Al-Assad of crimes including “premeditated murder, the intentional killing of more than one person, the intentional killing of children under 15 years … torture, torture leading to death, and deprivation of liberty on multiple occasions” — acts the court classified as crimes against humanity and war crimes.
“He is therefore sentenced to death,” the judge said in his ruling.
The court also sentenced six former military and security officials to death in absentia, including Al-Assad’s brother Maher, who ran the army’s elite Fourth Division and also fled the country.
Those convicted included former defence minister Fahd Al-Freij and Louay Al-Ali, who headed military intelligence in Daraa province in 2011.
ALSO READ: Syria charts post-war reconstruction course
The officials were convicted of crimes including murder, incitement to murder, torture leading to death and repeated deprivation of liberty, also classified as crimes against humanity and war crimes.
Former security official Atif Najib – the only defendant tried in person – was also sentenced to death for crimes against humanity committed while he headed political security in Daraa province, the cradle of the country’s 2011 uprising.
Najib, a cousin of Al-Assad who was arrested in January last year, was convicted of crimes including murder, the intentional killing of children under 15 and torture leading to death.
The acts attributed to him are “crimes against humanity”, the court said as it handed down “the harshest punishment … which is the death penalty”.
ALSO READ: US lifts sanctions on Syria after the EU takes similar action
Syria began proceedings in April against Al-Assad and other officials, accused both in person and in absentia of atrocities during the civil war, which erupted after the former authorities’ brutal repression of pro-democracy protesters.
More than half a million people were killed and millions displaced, while tens of thousands disappeared, many into the country’s brutal prison system.
The uprising began in Daraa in March 2011 after 15 students were arrested for allegedly writing anti-government slogans on the city’s walls.
Residents said the students were tortured, prompting protests demanding their release that ended in bloodshed.
Security forces suppressed demonstrations and fired live ammunition to disperse sit-ins at several locations.
Najib was dismissed after the crackdown as protests spread to other provinces.
Judge Al-Aryan said Najib had denied the charges and shown “no remorse”.
Al-Assad took power in Syria in 2000 in an unopposed election following the death of his father, Hafez Al-Assad, who was president from 1971.
ALSO READ: Syria exports first crude oil batch in 14 years
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Oman extends deadline for $150m water transmission project Administrator11 August 2026
State-owned Nama Water Services (NWS) has extended the bid submission deadline for a contract to build a $150m water distribution network project in Jalan Bani Bu Ali Wilayat in Oman’s South Sharqiyah Governorate.
The new deadline is 24 August. The original deadline was 17 August.
The engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract covers the development of water distribution infrastructure in the JBBA North and JBBA Coastal areas.
The scope includes new water storage reservoirs, elevated tanks, booster pump stations and transmission and distribution pipelines.
The project includes two reservoirs in the JBBA North area with a capacity of 40,000 cubic metres, along with about 58 kilometres of ductile iron distribution pipelines and 343km of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipelines.
The JBBA Coastal works include reservoirs at Asilah, Ashkarah, Wadi Sal and Khabbah, as well as elevated tanks and pump stations. The scope also includes about 38.5km of 400mm-diameter ductile iron transmission pipeline.
NWS issued the main contract tender on 4 June. UK-headquartered Mott MacDonald is the main consultant on the project.
The project is one of three water distribution schemes being tendered under a wider $350m masterplan covering Jalan Bani Bu Hassan, Jalan Bani Bu Ali, and Al-Kamil and Al-Wafi wilayats.
The Jalan Bani Bu Hassan scheme includes a new 40,000-cubic-metre ground reservoir at Al-Sayah Al-Sharqi 4, a pump station and associated transmission and distribution pipelines. It will also include a pump station serving the Industrial Area and an inline booster pump station supplying Al-Mintajjah and Sariq Haryah.
The projects covering Jalan Bani Bu Ali and Al-Kamil and Al-Wafi wilayats are estimated to cost £100m each. The bid submission deadline for both projects is 17 August.
READ THE AUGUST 2026 MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – click here to view PDFSaudi Arabia builds for the global stage; Rising uncertainty creates fresh set of challenges in the Maghreb; Gulf banks remain robust in the face of geopolitical tensions.
Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the August 2026 edition of MEED Business Review includes:
> WORLD CUP: What the 2026 World Cup means for Saudi Arabia 2034> MARKET FOCUS: Maghreb fortunes diverge> INDUSTRY REPORT: GCC banks prove resilient amid turmoil> LEADERSHIP: Private capital and the GCC infrastructure inflection> INTERVIEW: Developers look beyond standalone solarTo see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click herehttps://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/18326851/main.jpg -
Medina invites bids for major stormwater project Administrator11 August 2026
Saudi Arabia’s Madinah Municipality has issued a tender for an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract to upgrade the city’s rainwater drainage network.
According to regional project tracker MEED Projects, it is the first main contract tender the municipality has issued for a major water infrastructure project since 2022.
The $30m project covers the construction of rainwater drainage networks and the repair of existing stormwater pipelines across major roads and corridors within the urban area of Medina.
It aims to improve the performance of the city’s stormwater drainage system, reduce surface flooding, and protect roads and nearby assets during heavy rainfall.
The bid submission deadline is 5 September.
According to MEED Projects data, Madinah Municipality completed two rainwater drainage network projects in Medina in 2024.
The local Al-Ayuni Investment & Contracting was the EPC contractor for both Phase 1 and Phase 2 projects. Saudi contractor Azmeel Contracting also previously submitted bids for both projects.
The municipality is also understood to be nearing completion of a separate Phase 1 rainwater drainage network project in Al-Rawabi in Al-Madinah province. This project was tendered in 2022 and awarded to Al-Naeim Contracting (Saudi Arabia) in 2023.
Meanwhile, Madinah Municipality received prequalification documents at the beginning of the year for two stormwater drainage projects in Yanbu. It is unclear if the main contract tender will be issued this year.
READ THE AUGUST 2026 MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – click here to view PDFSaudi Arabia builds for the global stage; Rising uncertainty creates fresh set of challenges in the Maghreb; Gulf banks remain robust in the face of geopolitical tensions.
Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the August 2026 edition of MEED Business Review includes:
> WORLD CUP: What the 2026 World Cup means for Saudi Arabia 2034> MARKET FOCUS: Maghreb fortunes diverge> INDUSTRY REPORT: GCC banks prove resilient amid turmoil> LEADERSHIP: Private capital and the GCC infrastructure inflection> INTERVIEW: Developers look beyond standalone solarTo see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click herehttps://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/18325305/main.jpg -
Adnoc Gas expects Habshan to hit full capacity in 2027 Administrator11 August 2026
Adnoc Gas hopes to restore full output capacity at its Habshan gas processing facility in Abu Dhabi by the second quarter of next year, following attacks on the facility in March and April during the US-Iran conflict.
Adnoc Gas, the natural gas processing business of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc Group), said it has already restored 85% of the Habshan facility’s capacity, surpassing the year-end target set in May.
The Habshan complex is one of the largest gas processing facilities in the UAE and the wider Middle East and North Africa region. It has a processing capacity of 6.1 billion cubic feet a day. The complex comprises five trains and 14 processing units that receive gas feedstock from onshore and offshore fields in Abu Dhabi.
The Habshan facility was struck at least three times in March and April by Iranian drones and missiles. On 19 March, UAE authorities suspended operations at Habshan after it was affected by debris falling from Iranian missiles intercepted by the country’s air defence systems.
Adnoc Gas then announced on 23 March that operations were continuing safely across its asset base, after similar missile and drone attacks by Iran on facilities owned by its parent, Adnoc Group, although it did not specifically mention the Habshan plant.
The worst of the attacks on Habshan took place on 3 April, when Iranian drones intercepted by the UAE’s air defence systems caused damage at the site, resulting in the death of an engineer working at the facility for Egyptian contractor Petrojet during an evacuation. Four other contractors sustained minor injuries, but were later discharged from hospital after receiving treatment.
ALSO READ: Adnoc Gas to move prudently on Bab Gas Cap project
On 8 April, Abu Dhabi authorities said three people – two Emiratis and an Indian national – sustained minor injuries after debris fell at the Habshan gas complex following a successful interception by the UAE’s air defence systems.
The debris also sparked several fires at the facility, prompting a temporary suspension of operations as safety and response teams assessed the situation.
“Adnoc Gas responded swiftly to the security-related incidents at the Habshan site on 3 and 8 April, prioritising safety and minimising disruptions to customers,” the company said on 10 August.
“The company has concluded its technical assessment of the impact from these incidents and recovery has progressed ahead of schedule, with gas supply already restored to 85%,” Adnoc Gas said as part of its announcement of financial results for the second quarter of 2026.
During a press conference to discuss Adnoc Gas’ Q2 2026 results, Peter Van Driel, the company’s chief financial officer, said: “At the moment, we have progressed to 85% of supply being reinstated, so the balance will be reinstated between now and the first half of 2027.
“If I look at the cost impact, we are still firming up our estimates. There are uncertainties around the pricing of certain items that we need to install as part of the final reinstatement.
“If we look at the key driver for our results in the second half, the 85% reinstatement of supply is definitely important. We’re encouraged by the fact that the 85% was delivered ahead of schedule,” Van Driel told journalists.
Fatema Al-Nuaimi, Adnoc Gas’ CEO and board member, said: “If I may add one point: it might be 85%, but in reality, today we are supplying 100% of our customers’ requirements locally.”
She added: “On exports, of course, we try our best to satisfy requirements and work closely with customers. But in terms of gas supply to the UAE, we are at 100%.”
Role of robotics and AI
Responding to a question about the deployment of robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) to carry out damage assessment and repair work at the Habshan gas processing facility, Al-Nuaimi said: “One of the technical challenges in restoring the facilities quickly was that we had to inspect a significant part of our assets – some 600 kilometres of piping of different sizes across the facilities.
“If we had done this in the conventional way, we would have spent around 100 additional days putting up scaffolding and sending people to conduct manual and visual inspections.”
The CEO continued: “Instead, we used robotics supported by AI-driven software, which enabled us to shorten the inspection and response time and carry out repairs faster.
“It was not just about time; it was also about safety. It spared us from sending our people into critical areas that might not yet have been safe.”
She added: “We also used robotics in responding to fires and accessing certain parts of the assets.
“When we talk about AI, it is not a headline. It is real work and real value that we see every day in our business,” Al-Nuaimi further remarked.
ALSO READ: Adnoc announces FID on $6.2bn Umm Shaif gas cap project
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Dewa receives eight bids for 132kV cable works Administrator11 August 2026
Eight companies have submitted bids for a contract to supply, install, test and commission 132kV cable works serving multiple substations across Dubai.
The tender was issued by Dubai Electricity & Water Authority (Dewa) in April.
It covers 132kV cable works for the Autosouq, Crystal, Danaroad, Dsrtisld, Elwood, Horizion, Mesmgolf, Naseemst, Orchidst, Yfravaly and Ylysisld 132/11kV substations. The scope also includes a new 132kV cable circuit and cable shifting works.
The bidders include:
- Acume Electrical Engineering Services (UAE, $10.7m)
- Sociedad Espanola de Montajes Industriales (Spain, $17.8m)
- Danway Electricity & Mechanical Engineering (UAE, $67.6m)
- Arar Utility Company (UAE, $71.9m)
- Mannai Trading Company (Qatar, $91.3m)
- AASA Middle East Contracting Company (UAE, $174.5m)
- Centaur Electro Mechanical Contracting Company (UAE, $199.6m)
- Saudi Modern Company for Metals, Cables & Plastic Industries (Saudi Arabia, $351.4m)
Transmission investment
Dewa has been accelerating investment in Dubai’s electricity transmission network to meet rising electricity demand. In July, the utility said that its investments in transmission projects had exceeded AED10bn ($2.7bn).
Dewa is currently building 65 new 132kV substations and one 400kV substation. It plans to issue tenders for more than 30 additional 132kV substations over the next three years, alongside plans to extend 340 kilometres of underground transmission cables and construct two 400kV substations.
In the first half of 2026, Dewa said it awarded 21 contracts for 132kV transmission substations and contracts to extend 132kV cables connecting the substations to the main network. The cable contracts cover 64km and have a combined value of AED3bn ($817m).
The utility also commissioned eight 132kV substations with a combined conversion capacity of 1,200MVA and an investment of AED970m ($264m). The projects included 20km of transmission cables.
Dewa said it had 402 transmission substations in operation at the end of June, with 374 substations at the 132kV level. The rest are 400kV substations.
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Adnoc Gas to move prudently on Bab gas cap project Administrator10 August 2026
Adnoc Gas, the natural gas processing business of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc Group), has said it is treading cautiously towards a final investment decision (FID) on its estimated $8bn Bab gas cap development project.
The project aims to build a gas processing plant in the Bab area, about 170 kilometres from Abu Dhabi city, along with associated pipeline networks and ancillary units, to process up to 1.85 billion cubic feet a day (cf/d) of additional raw gas once its parent company starts production from the Bab gas caps.
“We are at an early stage when it comes to engagement with the market on Bab gas cap. At this stage, we are not in a position to discuss any of the technical or commercial aspects of the Bab gas cap project,” Fatema Al-Nuaimi, Adnoc Gas CEO, said in response to a question from MEED during a press conference on 10 August.
Adnoc Gas has divided the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) scope of work on the Bab gas cap development project into four main packages:
- EPC package 1 – Main Bab gas cap plant
- EPC package 2 – Early civil works
- EPC package 3 – Pipelines
- EPC package 4 – Non-process facilities and associated works package
Adnoc Gas issued the tender for the main Bab gas cap plant on 25 June and set an initial deadline of 17 July for contractors to submit technical bids. The company then extended the technical bid submission deadline by four months until 16 November, MEED recently reported.
Peter Van Driel, chief financial officer of Adnoc Gas, said: “There are two parts to this. You have an upstream decision and an Adnoc Gas decision.
“Upstream [Adnoc Group] has started to develop the Bab gas cap reservoir. At Adnoc Gas, we have a funnel of opportunities. Today, we announced the FID on phases two and three of the Rich Gas Development project,” Van Driel said.
“As part of future opportunities, we may invest in infrastructure specifically for the Bab gas cap project, and that is a pending decision,” he added.
“We have focused our decision-making on phases two and three of the Rich Gas Development project. With all of these decisions, we do a very thorough assessment. We are not in a hurry to make these decisions. We want to ensure we have the right feed composition, competitive landscape and demand.
“[Gas] demand in the UAE remains strong. Electricity demand, for example, grows by approximately 3% every year, and we also see a very robust demand profile for gas in export markets,” he told journalists on the call.
Bab Gas Cap project tendering
As part of its upstream production growth targets for 2030, Adnoc Group is working to extract gas from four underdeveloped gas cap reservoirs at the Bab onshore field – Thammama A, Thammama B, Thammama F and Thammama H. The Thammama A, B and H reservoirs are estimated to collectively produce 1.45 billion cubic feet a day (cf/d) of gas, while output from the Thammama F gas cap is expected to reach 396 million cf/d.
Existing trains at the Habshan processing complex in Abu Dhabi will be unable to handle the new gas volumes. Adnoc Gas is therefore required to build new facilities to process up to 1.85 billion cf/d of additional raw gas when its parent company starts production from the Bab gas caps.
Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange-listed Adnoc Gas issued an expression of interest (EoI) to contractors for the main EPC tendering process for the Bab gas cap plant on 10 February. The company set an initial EoI submission deadline of 17 February, which it later extended to 20 February. Contractors submitted responses by that date, MEED reported.
Following completion of the prequalification phase, contractors that expressed interest formed the following teams to compete in the main contract tendering round, according to sources:
- Larsen & Toubro Energy Hydrocarbon (India) + Samsung E&A (South Korea)
- Saipem (Italy) + NMDC Energy (UAE)
- Technip Energies (France) + JGC Corporation (Japan) + Sinopec (China)
- Tecnimont (Italy) + China Petroleum Engineering and Construction Corporation (CPECC)
The other three packages are also in the main contract tendering stages, sources have said. Separately, another Adnoc Group subsidiary, Adnoc Onshore, is preparing to issue the main tender for a project involving the tie-in of gas-producing and injection wells at the gas cap reservoirs of Abu Dhabi’s onshore Bab field, which forms part of the wider integrated Bab gas cap development programme.
Prior to issuing the EoIs for the Bab gas cap development project packages, Adnoc Gas completed an early engagement process with contractors in September and October last year, as MEED previously reported.
In December last year, Adnoc Gas awarded the front-end engineering and design (feed) works for the Bab gas cap development project – which will increase its gas processing capacity by about 20% – to Australia-based consultancy Worley. The feed contract covers more than 1.2 million man-hours, making it the largest engineering job awarded by Adnoc Gas to date.
Bab Gas Cap concession
In addition to Adnoc Gas overseeing the main EPC tendering exercise for the gas processing plant, Abu Dhabi’s Supreme Council for Financial and Economic Affairs (SCFEA) awarded concession agreements in June for the development and production of the Bab gas cap reserve in the emirate.
Adnoc will hold the majority 60% participating interest in the concession. The remaining stakes will be held by France’s TotalEnergies (10%), the UK’s BP (10%), China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) International (8%), Japan Oil Development Company (Jodco) Onshore (5%), China ZhenHua Oil (4%) and Korea GS E&P (3%).
According to SCFEA, the Bab gas cap development and production concession represents the largest gas cap development project of its kind globally, the Abu Dhabi Media Office said in a report.
A gas cap refers to the free natural gas that sits above an underlying oil reservoir — in this case, the giant Bab onshore oil field in Abu Dhabi.
The project, operated by Adnoc Onshore, is expected to have a production capacity of approximately 1.5 billion cf/d of natural gas, equivalent to about 15% of Adnoc Gas’ total operational gas processing capacity.
“This underscores the strategic significance of the project, which is expected to contribute to the UAE’s gas self-sufficiency, support the continued development of the country’s petrochemicals sector and advance Adnoc’s plans to expand its liquefied natural gas export capacity,” the Abu Dhabi Media Office said in its report.
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Adnoc Gas reaffirms $28bn capex for 2026-30 Administrator10 August 2026
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Adnoc Gas, the gas processing subsidiary of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc Group), has announced it is executing a capital expenditure (capex) budget of $28bn for 2026 to 2030, reaffirming the spending plan it previously committed to for the period.
As part of that capex plan, Adnoc Gas said it achieved final investment decision (FID) on the second and third phases of its Rich Gas Development (RGD) programme earlier this year.
The company awarded $8.2bn of engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contracts for the second and third phases of the RGD programme. These relate to the construction of a new gas processing train at the Habshan complex and a natural gas liquids (NGL) fractionation train at the Ruwais gas processing facility, respectively.
MEED reported in March that Adnoc Gas had selected the main EPC contractors for both the Habshan 7 gas processing train and the Ruwais NGL Train 5 projects.
Adnoc Gas officially announced the award of EPC contracts for the two projects, saying it awarded China-based Wison Engineering a $3.9bn contract for RGD phase 2, while Italy’s Tecnimont was selected for the $4.3bn third phase.
Phase 2 will add a new natural gas processing train at the Habshan facility, “expanding Adnoc Gas’ natural gas processing capacity, enhancing operational flexibility, and supporting the UAE’s expanding downstream and petrochemical sectors”, the company said in a statement.
Phase 3 will add a new NGL fractionation train at Ruwais, “increasing the recovery of higher-value liquids from rich natural gas for export, strengthening Adnoc Gas’ global customer portfolio”, it said in its statement on 10 August.
Adnoc Gas also reiterated its $5bn capex for the first phase of the RGD scheme, which is under construction. The company awarded $5bn of engineering, procurement and construction management contracts in three tranches for phase 1 of the RGD in June last year, marking the company’s largest-ever capital investment.
With all three phases combined, Adnoc Gas has made a total investment of $13.2bn in the RGD programme.
“We continued investing through the cycle and advancing megaprojects that will define the next phase of Adnoc Gas’ growth, expanding our processing capacity and product volumes,” the company’s CEO, Fatema Al-Nuaimi, said.
“Together with Ruwais LNG and our wider portfolio of strategic projects, we are executing one of the industry’s most ambitious gas growth programmes,” she said.
Al-Nuaimi added: “These investments support our upgraded target of 60% [earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation] Ebitda growth by 2030, which was previously 40%. Delivering that ambition will see us invest approximately $28bn between 2026 and 2030.
“We’re able to make these investments because we’re in a strong financial position. What matters here is this: we are reaffirming our dividend policy, we fund this growth programme and we deliver returns to shareholders. That is not an either/or,” she said.
Second-quarter financial results
Adnoc Gas detailed its capex plan as part of a media roundtable to discuss its financial results for the second quarter of the year (Q2 2026).
The company achieved net income of $665m in Q2 2026 – above the upper end of the $400m-$600m guidance range provided in the first quarter – “reflecting strong operational performance in a challenging operating environment. This was supported by resilient margins in the domestic gas business”.
Supported by its cash flow from operations, the company’s board has approved a quarterly dividend of $940m, payable in September, in line with its commitment to deliver annual dividend growth of 5% through 2030.
Adnoc Gas remains the largest dividend payer on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX), where it listed in March 2023.
Additionally, the company said: “Continued disruption to maritime movements through the Strait of Hormuz affected product liftings during the second quarter. Through proactive inventory, logistics and supply-chain management, Adnoc Gas worked closely with customers and partners to mitigate the impact of these disruptions, manage temporary constraints and fulfil commitments wherever possible.”
For Q3 2026, Adnoc Gas said it expects profit in the range of $600m to $800m, “based on the assumption that maritime routes through the Strait of Hormuz continue to be disrupted”.
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Chinese contractor wins Morocco solar plant deal Administrator10 August 2026
China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC), a subsidiary of China Communications Construction Company (CCCC), has won a contract to build a solar photovoltaic (PV) power plant in Fez in northern Morocco.
Known as GreenPower Morocco 4 (GPM4), the project is being developed by Moroccan company GPM Holding through its utility-scale solar subsidiary GPM Parks.
The project covers engineering design, equipment procurement and installation, construction of an operation and maintenance building, grid connection and commissioning. It also includes upgrades to the associated substation.
According to CHEC, the completed plant will supply electricity to the local grid, although it did not disclose the project’s capacity or contract value.
The project is being developed under Law 13-09, which provides Morocco’s framework for private renewable energy generation.
According to its website, GPM Holding is also developing another solar PV project called GreenPower Morocco 2 (GPM2). This follows the completion of its first solar project, the 34MW project (GPM1) commissioned in Tangier in 2024.
GPM1 was developed by Green Power Morocco, a special purpose vehicle owned by GPM Holding and UAE-based Amea Power. The $30m project covers 75 hectares and includes 91,000 PV panels. It is expected to generate about 66,149MWh a year.
The project has a 25-year power purchase agreement in place with Amendis, a subsidiary of Veolia Morocco. PowerChina was the main engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor.
Chinese contractors have previously been involved in other projects in Morocco’s renewable energy sector.
Shandong Electric Power Construction Company (Sepco 3), a subsidiary of PowerChina, was part of the EPC consortium for the 200MW Noor 2 concentrated solar plants and 150MW Noor 3 concentrated solar power projects at the Noor Ouarzazate complex.
New contract awards have been limited in Morocco in 2026, although six solar PV plants are now in the execution stage under phases one and two of the 305MW Noor Atlas solar PV programme.
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Aramco puts out fire at Jizan refinery after Houthi strike Administrator10 August 2026
Saudi Aramco said it had extinguished a fire that broke out at its Jizan refinery on Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coast after the facility was hit in drone strikes by Yemen-based Houthi rebels on 9 August.
The kingdom’s Ministry of Energy said the fire occurred at an Aramco refinery facility in Jizan and that emergency authorities had completed the necessary procedures to deal with the incident.
The energy ministry did not say what started the fire, saying only that the incident caused no injuries.
The Houthi rebels later claimed responsibility for the attack.
The province of Jizan lies close to Saudi Arabia’s border with Yemen and has repeatedly been targeted by the Houthis in attacks on the kingdom’s energy infrastructure.
The strike on the Jizan refinery was the second attack on the facility by the Houthis in as many weeks. Aramco shut the refinery on 27 July following a similar drone strike, which, according to media reports, damaged the integrated gasification combined-cycle unit and tank farm at the complex.
On a call with investors to discuss Aramco’s second-quarter results, CEO Amin Nasser said recent attacks on the company’s facilities in the world’s top oil-exporting country had caused some disruption to production, but that he was confident operations could be restored quickly. He said the attacks had had no material operational or financial impact.
Jizan refinery complex
Saudi Aramco’s sprawling Jizan refinery complex entered operations in 2021.
Aramco undertook the estimated $16bn-plus project in late 2010. The scheme consists of a refinery with an output capacity of 400,000 barrels a day (b/d), a major marine terminal and a 4GW combined-cycle power plant in Baish, in Saudi Arabia’s southwestern Jizan region.
The Jizan refinery covers an area of 12 square kilometres. The complex processes Arabian Heavy and Arabian Medium crude grades to produce 80 million b/d of gasoline, 250 million b/d of diesel and more than 1 million tonnes a year of petrochemical products such as benzene and paraxylene.
A multiple-pier marine terminal supports the supply of crude oil from oil fields located mainly in the kingdom’s Eastern Province to the refinery, as well as the export of surplus refined products to overseas markets. The terminal has been designed to accommodate very large crude carriers.
A 4,000MW combined-cycle power plant uses approximately 90,000 b/d of vacuum residue from the refinery to generate electricity, hydrogen and water for the refinery, while conveying excess power to the national grid.
The hydrocracker unit comprises two parallel trains with a combined capacity of 54,500 b/d. The diesel hydrotreater plant comprises two trains, each with a capacity of 87,500 b/d.
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