News
-
State-backed spending cushions UAE construction slowdown Administrator13 October 2026
The UAE projects market is undergoing a structural realignment. Following a surge in private real estate investment after the Covid-19 pandemic, activity in the commercial and residential segments has softened amid regional geopolitical uncertainty.
Rather than allowing the market to contract, state and government-related entities (GREs) – particularly in Dubai – have stepped in to offset the shortfall, deploying balance-sheet capital countercyclically into strategic infrastructure, cultural and tourism projects.
Dubai recalibrates
Dubai’s construction sector has remained resilient at a headline level. On-site work continues, and major international contractors are securing new work.
A clear indicator of this stability came in September, when China State Construction Engineering Corporation secured an AED5bn ($1.3bn) contract from Dubai Holding for the developer’s new headquarters and the Jumeirah Residences Emirates Towers scheme.
Beneath this headline stability, however, procurement drivers have shifted dramatically. Private real estate activity, which supported the market’s post-pandemic resurgence, cooled following the onset of regional conflict at the end of February. Off-plan residential sales declined from a monthly peak of $9bn in February to $4bn in August.
Monthly contract awards for residential projects mirrored this contraction, dropping from $3bn to $306m over the same period as private developers deferred new project launches and conserved capital.
Government and government-related clients have absorbed much of the resulting shortfall. Dubai awarded $52.6bn of contracts in 2025, of which state-backed clients accounted for $26bn, or about 49%.
In 2026 to date, government and GRE procurement has reached $22.4bn of the $34.6bn in contracts awarded, representing almost two-thirds of total market activity.
The shift towards sovereign-backed spending appears intended to support construction activity and limit pressure on the supply chain during a period of private sector retrenchment.
This state intervention is underpinned by an unawarded projects pipeline of $530bn in Dubai, according to MEED Projects data.
The city’s future construction pipeline remains heavily weighted towards housing and integrated urban developments. Unawarded construction projects in the emirate total about $144.5bn, with residential and mixed-use developments accounting for almost 89% of the total value.
Planned residential schemes account for $66.5bn, or 46%, of the pipeline, followed by large-scale mixed-use developments at $62bn, or 42.7%. The remainder comprises hospitality projects ($5bn), commercial offices ($4.8bn), telecommunications ($2bn) and retail ($2bn), alongside smaller allocations for education and civic facilities.
Abu Dhabi accelerates
A similar dynamic is evident in Abu Dhabi, where sovereign-backed entities continue to shape construction procurement. Unlike Dubai, which has historically relied more heavily on private developers, Abu Dhabi’s market is largely led by state-affiliated master developers.
Entities such as Aldar Properties and Modon Holding remain the primary engines of the emirate’s residential and mixed-use pipeline, progressing vast masterplans across Saadiyat Island, Yas Island and Hudayriyat Island.
At the same time, Abu Dhabi is directing public capital expenditure towards entertainment, culture and hospitality as it pursues the objectives of its Tourism Strategy 2030.
Rather than moderating capital deployment amid regional geopolitical strains, state-backed entities are accelerating destination developments designed to expand visitor capacity and build long-term economic resilience.
Leisure developer Miral has already confirmed plans to invest more than AED12bn ($3.2bn) across Yas Island over the next five years. The investment will fund new attractions and expand hotel capacity, separate from the planned Disney development.
Work is already under way on a 63,000-square-metre phase-two expansion of Warner Bros World Yas Island, featuring a Harry Potter-themed zone.
Major civic entertainment venues are also moving to construction. In May, Alec Engineering & Contracting received the letter of award for the $1.7bn Sphere Abu Dhabi project on Yas Island. The venue is being developed by the Department of Culture and Tourism–Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) in partnership with US-based Sphere Entertainment, and is scheduled to be completed in the third quarter of fiscal year 2029.
On neighbouring Saadiyat Island, DCT Abu Dhabi has broken ground on Dar Al-Funoon, a performing arts venue designed by the late Frank Gehry. The project is planned to accommodate more than 6,000 people across a 2,000-seat multipurpose hall, an open-air amphitheatre, a studio theatre and a jazz venue. Main contract bids are currently under evaluation ahead of an imminent award and a 2030 opening.
Abu Dhabi’s unawarded projects pipeline is led by mixed-use and residential developments, which together account for about $51.3bn, or 54% of the roughly $95bn total shown.
Telecommunications and data infrastructure forms the single largest individual segment at $33.4bn (35%). Subsequent phases of the estimated $40bn Stargate project represent the bulk of the emirate’s planned data-centre capacity. The planned artificial intelligence infrastructure initiative is designed to strengthen Abu Dhabi’s position as a regional data and connectivity hub, with construction on phase one already under way.
Hospitality accounts for a further $7.6bn (8%) of the pipeline. The remaining balance of roughly $2.6bn is distributed across retail, culture, leisure, healthcare, public facilities, commercial offices, earthworks and education.
Along with Dubai’s $79.6bn in near-term tenders, the combined $116bn in active procurement confirms that sovereign liquidity will continue to insulate the UAE construction market from broader private sector volatility.
https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/20536766/main.gif -
Consortium signs EPC contract for Rabigh 2 IPP expansion Administrator13 October 2026
A consortium comprising PowerChina, Egypt’s Elsewedy Electric and Beijing-headquartered Sinohydro has signed an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract for Saudi Arabia’s Rabigh 2 combined-cycle gas-turbine (CCGT) independent power project (IPP) expansion.
The signing ceremony took place in Riyadh on 12 October and the contract involves the plant’s design, procurement, installation, construction, commissioning, grid connection and performance testing.
MEED previously reported that construction works had commenced, with Elsewedy Electric and Sinohydro carrying out works on the project.
The signing follows the project’s financial close earlier this month, after it secured SR9.69bn ($2.58bn) in long-term financing.
The financing has a tenor of approximately 34 years and was provided by a consortium of local, regional and international lenders.
The project is being developed by Al-Morjan Two Electricity Company, in which Acwa and Saudi Energy, formerly Saudi Electricity Company, each hold a 40% stake.
In April, MEED reported that Acwa and Saudi Energy had signed a 31-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with Saudi Power Procurement Company (SPPC) for the project.
The agreement is valued at SR11.5bn ($3.07bn) and covers the development of a CCGT plant in the Mecca region under a build, own and operate arrangement. The project also includes the development and expansion of a 380kV electrical substation. The plant is designed to be ready for the future installation of carbon-capture technology.
READ THE OCTOBER 2026 MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – click here to view PDFIndustry and logistics drive development at Neom; Saudi Arabia’s investment priorities realign amid conflict; MEED’s 2026 power developer ranking.
Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the October 2026 edition of MEED Business Review includes:
> AGENDA: Oxagon takes centre stage at Neom> MARKET FOCUS: Saudi projects hold steady> INDUSTRY REPORT: MEED’s 2026 GCC power developer ranking> LEADERSHIP: The future city does not need to hang above the groundTo see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click herehttps://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/20535598/main3026.jpg -
Contractors submit Riyadh road scheme bids Administrator13 October 2026
Register for MEED’s 14-day trial access
Contractors submitted bids in the first week of October to upgrade a section of the Al-Urubah Road axis leading to Prince Bandar Bin Abdulaziz Road in Riyadh.
The project scope involves upgrading about 15.5 kilometres of the road to increase capacity to about 200,000 vehicles a day.
MEED understands that the bidders include:
- Al-Ayuni Investment & Contracting
- Al-Rashid Trading & Contracting
- China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation / Al-Omaeir Trading & Contracting
- Mofarreh Alharbi & Partners
- Nesma & Partners
The project aims to increase traffic capacity, streamline vehicular movements and eliminate conflict points along the corridor.
The US-based engineering firm Parsons is overseeing the project’s implementation after winning a $53m contract from the Royal Commission for Riyadh City (RCRC) in 2024.
The contract includes project management services for RCRC’s main and ring roads programme.
The programme includes 500km of new roads and upgrade works in and around Riyadh.
In 2021, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud said Riyadh’s population would double to 15-20 million people by 2030.
He directed government entities to work closely with the RCRC to prepare the city’s development strategy.
The RCRC’s major projects include Riyadh Metro, Riyadh Art, Sports Boulevard, King Salman International Park, Green Riyadh and several road development projects in the capital.
READ THE OCTOBER 2026 MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – click here to view PDFIndustry and logistics drive development at Neom; Saudi Arabia’s investment priorities realign amid conflict; MEED’s 2026 power developer ranking.
Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the October 2026 edition of MEED Business Review includes:
> AGENDA: Oxagon takes centre stage at Neom> MARKET FOCUS: Saudi projects hold steady> INDUSTRY REPORT: MEED’s 2026 GCC power developer ranking> LEADERSHIP: The future city does not need to hang above the groundTo see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click herehttps://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/20533695/main.jpg -
Contractor groups prequalify for Dubai Metro Gold Line Administrator13 October 2026
Six contracting groups submitted prequalification statements on 9 October for the contract to build Dubai Metro’s new Gold Line.
The Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) issued the request for qualification notice for the project in June, as MEED exclusively reported.
The consortiums formed to bid for the main contract are:
- Alstom / China Railway Engineering Corporation / National Projects Construction / Dogus Construction (France/China/local/Turkiye)
- CRRC / Limak / Mapa Group (China/Turkiye/Turkiye)
- Hitachi / China Harbour Engineering Company / China State Construction Engineering Corporation (Japan/China/China)
- Siemens / Petrojet / Concord Engineering & Contracting / Rowad Modern Engineering (Germany/Egypt/Egypt/Egypt)
- Hassan Allam / IC Ictas / Siemens (Egypt/Turkiye/Germany)
- Larsen & Toubro / Powerchina / Wade Adams (India/China/local)
Dubai officially announced the Gold Line in April.
In a post on social media site X, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, said the project would cost about AED34bn ($9.2bn).
The Gold Line will increase the Dubai Metro network’s total length by 35%. The project is scheduled to be completed in September 2032.
The fully underground line will extend for more than 42 kilometres and include 18 stations. It will pass through 15 areas of Dubai and serve 1.5 million residents.
The project is expected to connect more than 55 under-construction real estate developments.
The Gold Line will begin at Al-Ghubaiba in Bur Dubai and terminate at Jumeirah Golf Estates. It will connect with the existing Red and Green lines and integrate with the Etihad Rail passenger network.
The contractor will be responsible for the design and construction of all civil works, electromechanical equipment, rolling stock and rail systems. The selected contractor will also be required to support systems maintenance and operations during an initial three-year period.
In October last year, MEED exclusively reported that the RTA had selected US-based engineering firm Aecom to provide consultancy services for the Dubai Metro Gold Line project.
Stage one covers concept design; stage two, preliminary design; stage three, tender-document preparation; stage four, construction supervision; and stage five, the defects-liability period.
READ THE OCTOBER 2026 MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – click here to view PDFIndustry and logistics drive development at Neom; Saudi Arabia’s investment priorities realign amid conflict; MEED’s 2026 power developer ranking.
Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the October 2026 edition of MEED Business Review includes:
> AGENDA: Oxagon takes centre stage at Neom> MARKET FOCUS: Saudi projects hold steady> INDUSTRY REPORT: MEED’s 2026 GCC power developer ranking> LEADERSHIP: The future city does not need to hang above the groundTo see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click herehttps://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/20531469/main.png -
Egypt discusses technology cooperation with SLB Administrator13 October 2026
Egypt is in talks with US-based oilfield services company SLB to expand technical cooperation in the country’s oil and gas sector, according to a statement from the Ministry of Petroleum & Mineral Resources.
Egyptian Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Karim Badawi met SLB chief executive Olivier Le Peuch in Riyadh, the ministry said.
During the meeting, they discussed ways to strengthen their strategic partnership and expand cooperation in technology and digital transformation.
They also discussed how SLB could support exploration and production activities, with the aim of increasing output and attracting further investment in Egypt’s oil and gas sector.
Badawi emphasised the importance of extending the existing partnership with SLB, including its role in technology transfer and the development of technical capabilities in Egypt’s oil sector, according to the statement.
He said Egypt should build on existing areas of cooperation and deploy advanced technological solutions to reduce exploration risk, increase recovery and production rates from existing fields, and improve operational efficiency.
Badawi and Le Peuch also discussed progress on a seismic survey project being undertaken by SLB in partnership with France-based Viridien.
The project includes an ocean-bottom node seismic survey covering about 95,000 square kilometres of Egypt’s eastern Mediterranean waters.
The discussion focused on the data processing and analysis schedule, the steps required to prepare and release preliminary results, and the drilling schedule.
Badawi and Le Peuch also discussed expanding the use of horizontal drilling technologies in Egypt. This would involve identifying suitable locations and developing a commercial and contractual model for their deployment.
The Ministry of Petroleum & Mineral Resources and SLB are also exploring opportunities to expand the use of artificial intelligence in reservoir management and production optimisation.
This work is being explored in partnership with the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation and Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company.
READ THE OCTOBER 2026 MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – click here to view PDFIndustry and logistics drive development at Neom; Saudi Arabia’s investment priorities realign amid conflict; MEED’s 2026 power developer ranking.
Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the October 2026 edition of MEED Business Review includes:
> AGENDA: Oxagon takes centre stage at Neom> MARKET FOCUS: Saudi projects hold steady> INDUSTRY REPORT: MEED’s 2026 GCC power developer ranking> LEADERSHIP: The future city does not need to hang above the groundTo see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click herehttps://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/20517735/main.jpg -
Kuwait tenders gas export pipeline Administrator13 October 2026
State-owned upstream operator Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) has tendered a contract to develop a gas export pipeline.
The 24-inch-diameter pipeline will extend from Booster Station 171 (BS-171) to the Intermediate Slug Catcher (ISC) facility in southeastern Kuwait, passing through the tie-in point known as TP-1.
The bid deadline is 5 January 2027. A preliminary online meeting to discuss the project is scheduled for mid-November.
BS-171 was inaugurated in February 2018. It serves as a central gas-treatment facility for gas and condensate from several gathering centres in West Kuwait and other areas.
The feeder gathering centres include GC-17, GC-27, GC-28 and GC-16.
BS-171 was Kuwait’s first facility designed specifically to handle acid gas.
The ISC facility is located about 80 kilometres from BS-171.
KOC announced plans to tender the project last year. At the time, it said that the scope would include the installation of bidirectional pig traps above the new pipeline.
A pig trap is a section of piping that enables a pipeline pig – a device used to clean, inspect or maintain a pipeline – to be launched or received.
The chosen contractor will need to provide:
- Valves
- Piping
- Fittings
- Civil services
- Structural services
- Electrical and instrumentation services
- Tie-ins
- Testing services
- Pre-commissioning services
- Commissioning services
The ISC facility is a major gas-handling facility in Kuwait’s Burgan area. It receives sour gas from West Kuwait oil fields before the gas is transported onwards to the Mina Al-Ahmadi gas-processing facilities.
READ THE OCTOBER 2026 MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – click here to view PDFIndustry and logistics drive development at Neom; Saudi Arabia’s investment priorities realign amid conflict; MEED’s 2026 power developer ranking.
Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the October 2026 edition of MEED Business Review includes:
> AGENDA: Oxagon takes centre stage at Neom> MARKET FOCUS: Saudi projects hold steady> INDUSTRY REPORT: MEED’s 2026 GCC power developer ranking> LEADERSHIP: The future city does not need to hang above the groundTo see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click herehttps://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/20517716/main.jpg -
Developers prepare bids for 1GW Oman bess scheme Administrator12 October 2026
Developers are preparing to submit bids for almost 1GW of standalone battery energy storage (bess) projects in Oman, a source close to the project has confirmed to MEED.
The independent power producer (IPP) scheme includes the installation of five bess facilities with a combined power capacity of 950MW and storage capacity of 3,800MWh. Nama Power & Water Procurement Company (PWP) is procuring it.
According to sources close to the project, a developer’s tender was floated in the summer. An initial bid submission deadline has since been extended, with bids expected to be submitted in the coming weeks.
The largest project is a 500MW facility in Sohar, Al-Batinah North governorate, with a storage capacity of 2,000MWh. The Sohar facility is expected to connect to the grid at 220kV. The site covers approximately 149,535 square metres.
Four further installations are planned at Al-Mabellah in Muscat governorate, Ayjah in South Al-Sharqiyah, the Jalan Bani Bu Ali wind farm site in South Al-Sharqiyah, and Sadah in Dhofar.
The Al-Mabellah and Ayjah facilities are each planned to have a capacity of 100MW and storage capacity of 400MWh. Both are expected to connect to the grid at 132kV.
The Jalan Bani Bu Ali installation is planned to have a capacity of 150MW and storage capacity of 600MWh. It is expected to connect to the Sadah wind farm and Jalan Bani Bu Ali wind farm substations.
The Sadah installation is planned to have a capacity of 100MW and storage capacity of 400MWh. It is expected to connect to the Sadah wind farm substations at 132kV.
US/India-based Synergy Consulting is the financial adviser for the procurement; Germany’s Fichtner is the technical adviser; and Germany-headquartered CMS is the legal adviser.
Utility-scale storage
In May, Oman’s Authority for Public Services Regulation (APSR) opened technical bids for a consultancy contract supporting a planned 1,000MW/four-hour bess project.
As previously reported, APSR issued the request for proposals in April as part of wider plans to increase the share of renewable energy in the sultanate.
The sultanate’s first utility-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) plant integrated with battery energy storage (Ibri 3) entered construction at the beginning of the year, comprising a 500MW solar PV plant and a 100MWh bess system.
Also in May, state offtaker Nama Power & Water Procurement Company signed a power purchase agreement with local firm O-Green for Oman’s first round-the-clock renewable energy project.
Renewable energy is expected to increase from 4% of the generation mix in 2024 to 30% by 2030, driving the push for more utility-scale storage projects.
Over roughly the same period, demand is forecast to double, reaching 10 terawatt-hours by 2031.
https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/20511976/main.jpg -
Frontrunner emerges for Saudi Arabia’s GCC rail link design Administrator12 October 2026
French engineering firm Systra has emerged as the frontrunner to provide design consultancy services for the Saudi Arabian section of the GCC railway network, which is intended to link all six member states.
The tender covers the concept, preliminary and issued-for-construction design stages. Saudi Arabia Railways (SAR) requires the selected consultant to review, update and complete the existing preliminary design.
Consultants submitted proposals on 14 July, as MEED reported.
The consultants who submitted bids included:
- AtkinsRealis with Khatib & Alami
- Deutsche Bahn with ARX
- Egis with Sener
- Idom with Dar Al-Handasah
- Systra
Saudi Arabia’s section of the railway will start at Al-Khafji in the Eastern Province, near the border with Kuwait, and end at Al-Batha, on Saudi Arabia’s border with the UAE.
Tendering is also ongoing for a separate contract involving design management and review to oversee engineering works on the GCC railway network.
The tender was issued on 9 September, with a submission deadline of 18 October, as MEED exclusively reported.
The tender seeks a consultant to manage, audit and verify deliverables produced by SAR’s separately appointed design services consultant, rather than carry out the design itself.
Construction will be tendered separately through competitive bidding once designs are approved.
The GCC railway will run for about 672km inside Saudi Arabia, linking the kingdom’s existing network to Kuwait, Qatar, the UAE and Bahrain, with four sections of about 141km, 200km, 151km and 21km, respectively.
The line is planned as a single-track, non-electrified corridor for mixed freight and passenger traffic, with a maximum axle load of 32.4 tonnes and passing loops for bidirectional working.
GCC railway line
Under the overall plan, the railway will run from Kuwait, pass through Dammam in Saudi Arabia, reach Bahrain via a planned causeway, and continue from Dammam to Qatar, the UAE and, ultimately, Muscat via Sohar in Oman. The railway is reported to cover about 2,186km in total.
The route length within each member state is as follows:
- UAE – 684km
- Saudi Arabia – 672km
- Oman – 306km
- Qatar – 283km
- Kuwait – 145km
- Bahrain – 36km
The railway is designed for passenger trains travelling at 220 kilometres an hour (km/h) and freight trains operating at 80km/h–120km/h.
With high levels of project activity, governments in spending mode and renewed cooperation under the Al-Ula Declaration, the latest efforts to restart the GCC railway project may make more progress than previous attempts. If completed, the railway could prove transformational for a region that is globally connected but still divided by national borders.
https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/20510318/main.gif -
Houthi escalation targets Saudi airports Administrator12 October 2026
Yemen’s Houthis have placed Saudi Arabia’s civil aviation infrastructure at the centre of their campaign against the kingdom. Two strikes on King Khalid International airport in Riyadh over the weekend killed 13 people and injured 320.
The deadlier attack hit a passenger terminal on the afternoon of 10 October. The General Authority of Civil Aviation (Gaca) said it killed 12 people, including four Saudi citizens, and injured 309. Airport operations were suspended pending a damage assessment.
A second strike hit Terminal 4 on the afternoon of 11 October, sparking a fire that killed a Pakistani resident and injured 11 others, according to Gaca. The Saudi-led coalition reported intercepting a cruise missile near the airport that afternoon. Gaca also reported an attack on King Fahd International airport in Dammam that evening, following a coalition report of a projectile falling near the facility the previous night.
The weekend strikes followed attacks on Abha International airport on 6 October and on King Khalid International airport on 7 and 8 October, the last of which included a strike on a Saudia aircraft. Gaca figures put the toll from the week’s attacks on Saudi airports at 19 dead and more than 350 injured.
The Houthis said they would continue operations inside the kingdom and that all Saudi airports were potential targets, with the exception of those serving the holy cities. The group says it is acting in response to Riyadh’s support for Yemeni government forces and a Saudi air strike on Sanaa airport. It has also claimed attacks on Saudi oil facilities, which Saudi authorities have not confirmed.
Aviation exposure
The attacks strike a sector central to the kingdom’s diversification plans. King Khalid International airport’s existing terminals are to be absorbed into King Salman International airport (KSIA), a 57-square-kilometre development with six parallel runways targeting a capacity of 120 million passengers by 2030 and 185 million by 2050.
Procurement on KSIA has gathered pace this year. In July, a joint venture of China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation and Dammam-based Mofarreh AlHarbi & Partners won an estimated SR800m ($213m) contract for enabling and substructure works on Terminal 6, which will add capacity for 40 million passengers. Turkish contractor IC Ictas and Saudi Arabia’s Al-Rashid Trading & Contracting recently secured a SR800m ($213m) contract for the airport’s Private Aviation Terminal.
Government-owned Saudi Royal Aviation set 8 October as the bid deadline for an estimated SR3bn ($800m) contract to build an aviation complex within the KSIA masterplan, the same day the Houthis struck King Khalid International airport and a Saudia aircraft.
Airlines have already adjusted. Flydubai cancelled flights to Riyadh and Yanbu up to 10 October and to Abha up to 11 October, and Etihad Airways reported extended delays on its Abu Dhabi to Riyadh service after the airport closed on 8 October. The UK Foreign Office has advised against all travel to areas within 10km of the Yemeni border.
Market reaction
The Saudi stock market’s response has been muted so far. The Tadawul main index fell 15.54 points to close at 10,360.74 on 11 October, the first trading session after the Saturday attack, with turnover of SR2.6bn ($693m). The session closed before the second strike on King Khalid International airport and the attack on Dammam, and Monday’s trading will be the first to reflect the full weekend.
The weekend also brought a separate maritime incident. UK Maritime Trade Operations said an oil tanker was struck by an unidentified projectile in the Strait of Hormuz on 11 October, with its crew reported safe.
Diplomatic response
The coalition described the 10 October attack as a war crime and said it would respond decisively. It said on 10 October that it had destroyed 136 military targets in Houthi-controlled areas and was working to dismantle the group’s ballistic missile network.
Egypt, Pakistan and Turkiye joined Saudi Arabia in an R4 group statement condemning the attacks and supporting measures taken by the kingdom in response. The Arab League also voiced its support for Saudi Arabia. On 11 October, Iran’s foreign minister spoke by telephone with his Saudi counterpart, Prince Faisal Bin Farhan, to discuss the escalation. The US and UK have also signalled the possibility of further support for the kingdom.
The escalation comes against the backdrop of the regional conflict, which has drawn Saudi Arabia into a renewed Yemen front after several years of relative calm following the 2022 ceasefire. The extent of the damage at King Khalid International airport, which Gaca is still assessing, and the speed at which international carriers resume full schedules will determine how far the attacks disrupt the kingdom’s aviation programme.
https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/20505600/main.gif -
Egypt and Saudi Arabia sign oil and gas deal Administrator12 October 2026
Egypt and Saudi Arabia have signed an agreement to strengthen cooperation in the oil, natural gas and petrochemicals sectors, according to a statement from Egypt’s Ministry of Petroleum & Mineral Resources.
The memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed in Riyadh by Karim Badawi, Egypt’s minister of petroleum and mineral resources, and Abdulaziz Bin Salman, Saudi Arabia’s minister of energy.
Under the agreement, both sides will enhance cooperation in trading, transporting, storing and distributing crude oil, petroleum products and natural gas.
They will also expand cooperation on developing the infrastructure and logistics services that support these activities.
In its statement, Egypt’s Ministry of Petroleum & Mineral Resources said: “These efforts will contribute to improving energy market efficiency, enhancing the resilience and reliability of supply chains, and strengthening energy security.”
The MoU also provides for expanded cooperation in exchanging expertise and best practices in operating and developing fuel stations, as well as in transporting and tracking petroleum products and liquefied petroleum gas cylinders.
Additionally, the agreement seeks to explore investment opportunities in joint projects and promote exports.
The latest agreement comes as Egypt becomes an increasingly important export route for Saudi Arabia.
Due to disruptions and security risks affecting shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, Saudi Arabia has been redirecting crude exports via its East-West Pipeline to Yanbu on the Red Sea.
Meanwhile, the Bab El-Mandeb Strait, at the southern end of the Red Sea, has also become a security concern due to military activity in Yemen. Egypt offers an alternative route through the Sumed pipeline, which runs from Ain Sokhna on the Red Sea to Sidi Kerir on the Mediterranean.
https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/20503239/main.jpeg