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Contractors win deals for Saudi Energy transmission projects Administrator23 June 2026
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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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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Libya plans to distribute oil budget in July Administrator23 June 2026
Libya’s National Oil Corporation (NOC) has communicated to contractors in the country that it is expecting funds from the country’s budget to be distributed to state-owned oil companies in July, according to industry sources.
Earlier this year, the country’s rival legislative bodies approved a unified state budget for the first time in more than 13 years.
The Central Bank of Libya confirmed on 11 April that both chambers had endorsed the budget, calling it a key step towards restoring financial stability after prolonged division.
The total budget was valued at LD190bn ($29.95bn), and LD12bn ($1.9bn) was allocated to the country’s NOC.
An additional LD40bn ($6.3bn) was allocated for “development projects”.
At the time, Libya stated that a joint committee had been formed to help prioritise development projects, and the projects had been listed in the budget.
Over the past decade, the country has had two rival governments; the last time the country operated under a single national budget was in 2013.
The country’s two legislatures are the eastern-based House of Representatives and the Tripoli-based High Council of State.
As a result of the US and Israel’s war with Israel, there has been significant disruption to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, which normally transports around 20% of the world’s oil and gas exports.
This has driven global energy prices higher, with Brent hitting more than $114 a barrel in May this year.
The price of Brent remains 10% higher than prior to the US and Israel attacking Iran on 28 February.
Libya is well-positioned to capitalise on the ongoing uncertainty around exports via the Strait of Hormuz, as energy-importing nations seek reliable oil and gas supplies.
The North African country is located near Europe, with several large oil and gas export ports and a pipeline that transports gas to Italy.
Libya has the largest oil reserves in Africa, but has struggled to implement projects to develop them over recent years due to political infighting and security problems.
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/17389246/main2010.jpg -
Contractors prepare bids for Jafurah fifth expansion phase Administrator23 June 2026
Contractors are preparing to submit bids to Saudi Aramco for a major project representing the fifth expansion phase of the Jafurah unconventional gas development programme in Saudi Arabia.
The main scope of work on the Jafurah fifth expansion phase project involves the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) of three gas compression plants at the giant gas basin in the kingdom’s Eastern Province. Each plant will be capable of processing up to 200 million cubic feet a day (cf/d).
Aramco is said to have issued the main EPC tender for the project during the first quarter of the year. The current deadline for contractors to submit bids is 12 July, according to sources.
Aramco issued a solicitation of interest (SoI) for the Jafurah fifth expansion phase project in mid-November, with contractors submitting responses by 30 November, MEED previously reported.
UK-headquartered Wood Group has carried out the front-end engineering and design (feed) for the Jafurah fifth expansion phase project.
The Jafurah basin is the largest liquid-rich shale gas play in the Middle East, spanning around 17,000 square kilometres. The reserve is estimated to contain 229 trillion cubic feet of gas and 75 billion stock-tank barrels of condensate.
Aramco recently brought the greenfield Jafurah gas processing plant online, with a production capacity of 450 million cf/d, marking the commissioning of the first phase of its $100bn capital expenditure programme to produce gas from the unconventional resource base.
The Saudi energy giant had earlier stated it expected to start gas production at Jafurah in 2025, with the intention of progressively ramping up to 2 billion cf/d of sales gas, 420 million cf/d of ethane and 630,000 barrels a day (b/d) of high-value liquids by 2030.
Aramco has said that its unconventional gas programme, at peak production, is expected to generate electricity equivalent to displacing 500,000 b/d of oil.
Jafurah gas development phases
Along with overseeing the main tending exercise for EPC works on the fifth expansion phase project at Jafurah, Aramco also recently kicked off EPC works on the fourth expansion phase.
MEED reported in April that Aramco had selected Indian contractor Larsen & Toubro Energy Hydrocarbon (L&TEH) as the main contractor for the Jafurah fourth expansion phase, which sources estimate could be valued at around $1.5bn.
The main scope of work on the Jafurah fourth expansion phase project involves the EPC of two gas compression trains at the giant gas basin in the kingdom’s Eastern Province. Each plant will be able to process up to 200 million cubic feet a day (cf/d).
Aramco has, however, only issued a draft letter of award for the project to L&TEH, based on which the contractor has started EPC works. The official contract award and final investment decision (FID) are pending, according to sources.
Progress on the fourth and fifth expansion phases of the Jafurah unconventional gas development programme continues, as EPC work on the third phase advances.
In July 2024, Aramco issued a non-binding letter of intent to a consortium of Tecnicas Reunidas and Sinopec Group for the EPC contract for the Jafurah third expansion phase. The value of the contract is estimated to be $2.24bn.
The objective of the third expansion phase of Jafurah is similar to that of the fourth phase of development. The main scope of work involves the EPC of three gas compression plants, each with a capacity of 200 million cf/d.
The third phase’s scope of work also includes building a 230kV substation to power the new gas compression plants and installing other utilities units, piping systems and safety equipment.
The selection of contractors for the third expansion phase of the Jafurah development came within weeks of Aramco officially awarding EPC contracts for the second expansion phase, which aims to raise its processing potential to up to 2 billion cf/d of raw gas produced from the Jafurah field.
Aramco awarded 16 contracts, worth a combined total of about $12.4bn, for the second expansion phase on 30 June 2024.
The EPC scope of work on the project involves the construction of gas compression facilities and associated pipelines and the expansion of the Jafurah gas plant, including the construction of gas processing trains, utilities, sulphur and export facilities, Aramco said in a statement.
The main EPC packages of the Jafurah second expansion phase project, their estimated values and the selected contractors are:
- Package 1 – gas processing plant and main process units – $2.9bn: Larsen & Toubro Energy Hydrocarbon (India)
- Package 2 – utilities and offsites – $2.4bn: Hyundai Engineering (South Korea)
- Package 3 – gas compression units – $1bn: Larsen & Toubro Energy Hydrocarbon
- Riyas natural gas liquids (NGL) package 1 – NGL fractionation trains – $1bn: Tecnicas Reunidas / Refining & Chemical Engineering Group (part of China’s Sinopec Group)
- Riyas NGL package 2 – utilities, storage and export facilities – $2.2bn: Tecnicas Reunidas/Refining & Chemical Engineering Group
- Riyas NGL package 6 – site preparation works – $107m: Mofarreh Alharbi & Partners (Saudi Arabia)
- Riyas NGL package 9 – temporary construction facilities – $80m: Mofarreh Alharbi & Partners
Aramco kickstarted EPC works on the first phase of the programme in November 2021 by awarding $10bn-worth of subsurface and EPC contracts.
In February 2020, Aramco received a capital expenditure grant of $110bn from the Saudi government for the long-term phased development of the Jafurah unconventional gas resource base.
The Jafurah unconventional gas development programme is central to Aramco’s goal of increasing gas production capacity. The target has recently been raised to 80%, with 2021 as the baseline, up from 60%, to meet rising domestic and global demand. The company expects life-cycle investment in Jafurah to exceed $100bn.
Prior to the commissioning of the Jafurah gas plant in the last quarter of this year, Aramco completed an $11bn lease-and-leaseback deal in late October for gas processing facilities at the Jafurah unconventional gas reserve with a consortium led by funds managed by Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), part of US asset manager BlackRock.
Under the transaction, which Aramco started in August, a newly formed subsidiary – Jafurah Midstream Gas Company (JMGC) – will lease development and usage rights to the Jafurah field gas processing plant and the Riyas natural gas liquids (NGL) fractionation facility.
After 20 years, JMGC will lease the assets back to Aramco. JMGC will collect a tariff payable by Aramco in exchange for granting Aramco the exclusive right to receive, process and treat raw gas from the Jafurah resource base.
Aramco will hold a 51% majority stake in JMGC, while the GIP-led consortium will hold the remaining 49%. Investors participating in the GIP-led consortium include Hassana Investment Company, The Arab Energy Fund (TAEF) and Aberdeen Investcorp Infrastructure Partners, as well as other institutional investors from North and Southeast Asia and the Middle East.
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Egypt approves plans for 869MW wind power plant Administrator22 June 2026
Egypt’s Cabinet has approved plans for French renewable energy developer Voltalia to develop an 869MW wind power project.
The scheme will be built on land allocated by the New & Renewable Energy Authority (NREA), according to a statement posted by the Cabinet following its most recent weekly meeting.
Voltalia will make an initial investment of $53m and has committed to achieving commercial operations by December 2028.
Voltalia already operates the 32MW Ra solar plant at the Benban solar complex in Aswan and is expanding its renewable energy portfolio in Egypt.
Previously, in 2024, it signed a framework agreement with Egypt’s Taqa Arabia to develop a green hydrogen and renewable power cluster near the Ain Sokhna port in the Suez Canal Economic Zone.
The green hydrogen development is planned in two phases, each centred on a 500MW electrolyser powered by more than 1.3GW of renewable generation capacity. The project, still in its early stages, is expected to produce up to 350,000 tonnes of green ammonia a year.
Voltalia’s partnership with Taqa Arabia also includes plans for a 3.2GW hybrid wind and solar project to repower the existing 545MW Zafarana wind farm in Suez Governorate. The Cabinet statement did not indicate whether the newly approved 869MW wind project forms part of that proposal.
Meanwhile, the developer won another contract, earlier this year, to develop a 132MW solar power project in Tunisia’s Gabes region.
The project, known as Wadi, marked Voltalia’s third major solar award in the country after the Sagdoud and Menzel Habib projects awarded in 2024.
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Local firm signs Jeddah drainage contracts Administrator22 June 2026
Local contractor Alkhorayef Water & Power Technologies (AWPT) has announced it has signed two contracts with Jeddah Municipality to operate and maintain stormwater and surface water drainage networks across the city.
The contracts have a combined value of SR202.06m ($53.9m), and each will run for five years.
The first contract, valued at SR108.46m ($28.9m), covers the operation and cleaning of stormwater and surface water networks in the South and Al-Malisa sub-municipalities.
The second contract, worth SR93.59m ($25m), covers similar services for the Airport Sub-Municipality.
In March, MEED reported that the firm had won a long-term contract to carry out work in the airport’s sub-municipality area. The agreement was signed on 16 June.
Elsewhere, construction has yet to begin on phases one and two of the King Abdullah Road-Falasteen Road tunnel project, each valued at about $175m.
According to sources, Jeddah Municipality selected Saudi contractor Thrustboring Construction Company to build the large-diameter stormwater drainage tunnels in 2025. However, an official agreement has yet to be signed.
The municipality was also previously planning to rehabilitate the existing Al-Zahra pumping station. Prequalification for the project began in 2020; however, it is understood that the main contact tender was cancelled last year.
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Saudi firm signs Uzbekistan water treatment PPP Administrator22 June 2026
Saudi-listed Miahona has signed a public-private partnership agreement to enhance, operate and maintain Uzbekistan’s Zomin water treatment plant in the country’s Jizzakh region.
The agreement was signed on 18 June with Uzsuvtaminot, the country’s state-owned water utility, the developer said in a filing with the Saudi stock exchange.
Miahona will carry out enhancement works and 25 years of operation and maintenance services for the existing plant, which has a design treatment capacity of 50,000 cubic metres a day
The contract marks the company’s entry into Uzbekistan’s water sector. According to the disclosure, it will enter into force once a project-related governmental decree is issued in accordance with Uzbekistan’s applicable legislation.
The contract is estimated at $105m (SR395m), with a final value to be confirmed following the issuance of the governmental decree.
MEED reported earlier this month that Uzbekistan had stepped up its engagement with Middle Eastern investors, including holding talks with Saudi Arabia’s Acwa and Vision Invest on renewable energy, water management, waste recycling, digital infrastructure and urban utility projects.
The government also recently held discussions with a UAE delegation led by Suhail Mohamed Al-Mazrouei, minister of energy and infrastructure and chairman of Etihad Water & Electricity’s Board of Directors.
At the Tashkent International Investment Forum, it signed a €197m financing package with Germany’s KfW Development Bank to support drinking water supply and wastewater projects in the Surkhandarya and Fergana regions.
The projects will cover Termez and several district centres in Surkhandarya region, as well as Kokand and Margilan in Fergana region.
This includes “the construction and reconstruction of hundreds of kilometres of drinking water and wastewater networks, pumping stations and modern wastewater treatment facilities”, deputy prime minister Jamshid Khodjaev said.
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Qiddiya seeks contractors for indoor arena project Administrator22 June 2026
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Saudi Arabian gigaproject developer Qiddiya Investment Company (QIC) has invited contractors to prequalify for a contract to build an indoor sports arena within its Qiddiya entertainment city project.
The invitation was issued on 21 May, with a submission deadline of 28 June.
The multipurpose arena is designed to International Olympic Committee standards.
It will be located in District 18, in the Uptown South area of Qiddiya.
Once completed, the indoor arena will be capable of hosting a wide range of sports, cultural and entertainment events.
The arena will feature numerous sports courts for basketball, handball, futsal, volleyball, tennis, boxing and gymnastics.
It will have a seating capacity of 18,000 spectators.
The project is scheduled for completion by 2030.
QIC’s other major projects include an e-sports arena, the National Tennis Centre, Prince Mohammed Bin Salman Stadium, a motorsports track, a racecourse, the Dragon Ball and Six Flags theme parks, and Aquarabia.
QIC opened the Six Flags theme park to the public in December last year.
The park covers 320,000 square metres and features 28 rides and attractions, including 10 thrill rides and 18 aimed at families and young children.
The Qiddiya project is a key part of Riyadh’s strategy to boost leisure tourism in the kingdom.
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Egypt signs gas deal with Harbour Energy Administrator22 June 2026
Egypt’s Ministry of Petroleum & Mineral Resources has signed a new agreement with London-headquartered Harbour Energy.
Under the scope of the agreement, Harbour Energy will drill two new exploration wells and carry out maintenance work for one of the existing wells within the Dsouq-1 development contract.
Harbour Energy committed an initial $6m investment and a $1m signing bonus for the Dsouq concession. Total investment could rise to $18m if commercial discoveries are made.
The signing was witnessed by Egypt’s Minister of Petroleum, Karim Badawi.
He said that his ministry is continuing to implement a package of investment measures and incentives aimed at encouraging partners to increase investments and intensify exploration, development and production activities.
The agreement was signed by Syed Saleem, a member of the executive branch of the state-owned Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company (EGAS), and Samah Sabry, the executive director of Harbour Energy for the Middle East and North Africa region.
Harbour Energy drilled two new wells in Egypt during the fiscal year 2025/2026, resulting in the addition of reserves estimated at 35 billion cubic feet of gas.
The company aims to drill three new exploration wells during the fiscal year 2026/2027.
Egypt is currently pushing to boost the production of both oil and gas in its territory.
Earlier this month, Egypt’s Ministry of Petroleum & Mineral Resources announced that it had fully settled all outstanding arrears owed to oil and gas companies.
Two years ago, in June 2024, the country owed approximately $6.1bn to partners in the oil and gas sector.
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/17374536/main4731.jpg -
Iran invites companies to register for Kharg Oil Terminal development Administrator22 June 2026
Iran has invited companies to participate in a project to develop the existing Kharg Oil Terminal, according to documents released by the state-owned National Iranian Oil Company and Iranian Oil Terminals Company.
The project focuses on developing units capable of receiving, storing and exporting extra-heavy West Karun crude oil at a rate of 700,000 barrels a day.
The scope of the project includes design, purchase, installation and commissioning of the new facility.
The contract will use the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) model, according to the tender documents.
The project aims to use existing oil storage tanks and reconstruct the deepwater crude oil export berth known as Berth Number One.
The berth known as Berth Number Three will serve as a backup berth for the project.
The winning bidder for the contract will be responsible for a range of works, including:
- Carrying out all stages of verification of the project’s basic design, design and engineering
- Supply and procurement of goods and materials
- Execution and installation
- Pre-commissioning and commissioning
The project is expected to take 30 months to complete, and the winning contractor will also be responsible for maintaining the facility for a further 12 months.
Companies that wish to submit bids need to do so through Iran’s Government Electronic Procurement System (Setad).
Companies interested in participating in the tender have seven days from the publication of the tender notice to receive the documents.
They then have a further 14 days to upload the required documents into the government procurement system.
Iran exports most of its oil via the Kharg Oil Terminal on Kharg Island.
US President Donald Trump said strikes in mid-March “obliterated” Kharg’s military assets but did not target the island’s oil infrastructure.
He warned that if Iran continued disrupting traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, he would reconsider the decision to spare energy targets on the island.
Trump has threatened several times to take “control” of Kharg Island, but he has not yet followed through on this threat.
The small coral island is located 33 kilometres from Iran’s coast and has strategic importance because Iran’s coastline is mostly too shallow for large tanker ships to dock.
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/17374518/main.jpg