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Engineering progresses on Ras Laffan LNG terminal berths Administrator16 September 2026
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Front-end engineering and design (feed) works are progressing on a QatarEnergy LNG project to build 13 liquefied natural gas (LNG) loading berths at the south export terminal in Qatar’s Ras Laffan Industrial City.
Ras Laffan Industrial City, which lies about 90 kilometres north of Doha, is the world's largest integrated LNG production and export complex, comprising 15 processing trains with a total capacity of 77.5 million tonnes a year (t/y). QatarEnergy began LNG operations at the facility, which houses all its processing trains and export infrastructure, in 1984.
According to sources, QatarEnergy LNG, a subsidiary of state enterprise QatarEnergy, awarded the feed contract for the project to build 13 LNG berths at the south export terminal at Ras Laffan to Australia-headquartered Worley.
The contract was awarded to Worley in the second quarter of this year. Its duration is estimated to be 200,000-250,000 man hours, sources told MEED.
Ras Laffan’s LNG processing and export capabilities will increase by up to about 63% when the three phases of QatarEnergy’s estimated $40bn North Field LNG expansion project come into operation by the end of this decade. Engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) works on all three projects are progressing.
QatarEnergy is understood to have committed nearly $30bn to the first two phases – North Field East (NFE) and North Field South (NFS) – which will lift Qatar’s LNG production capacity from 77.5 million t/y to 126 million t/y by 2028.
QatarEnergy awarded the main EPC contracts for NFE in 2021. The project was intended to raise LNG output to 110 million t/y by 2025. The $13bn EPC package – covering the engineering, procurement, construction and installation of four LNG trains, each with a capacity of 8 million t/y – was awarded in February 2021 to a consortium of Japan’s Chiyoda and France’s Technip Energies.
In May 2023, QatarEnergy awarded the $10bn main EPC contract for NFS to a consortium of Technip Energies and Consolidated Contractors Company (CCC). The contract includes two LNG trains, each with a capacity of 7.8 million t/y.
Once fully operational, the first two phases are expected to add 48 million t/y of LNG supply to the global market.
QatarEnergy took the final investment decision on the third phase, North Field West (NFW), this year, awarding an EPC contract estimated at $8bn to a joint venture comprising Technip Energies, CCC and Gulf Asia Contracting in February.
Chiyoda carried out the feed work for the NFW LNG project.
The NFW scope covers the EPC of two LNG trains with a combined capacity of 16 million t/y, as well as associated facilities for gas treatment, natural gas liquids recovery and helium extraction.
In addition to LNG, NFW is expected to produce about 175,000 barrels of oil equivalent a day of condensate, ethane and liquefied petroleum gas.
With all three phases under EPC execution – and NFE scheduled for commissioning later this year – QatarEnergy is positioning itself to remain one of the world’s largest LNG suppliers in the long term.
READ THE SEPTEMBER 2026 MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – click here to view PDFNuclear power ambitions gather pace; Kuwait keeps dealmaking alive despite war; Region invests in raising gas processing capacity.
Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the September 2026 edition of MEED Business Review includes:
> AGENDA: Gulf nuclear revival takes shape> MARKET FOCUS: Kuwait keeps dealmaking alive under fire> INDUSTRY REPORT: Gas processing takes centre stage in Mena regionTo see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click herehttps://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/19715235/main5946.jpg -
Design completed for Libyan oil field development Administrator16 September 2026
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Design work has been completed for a project to develop Libya’s I/R oil field, according to industry sources.
The front-end engineering and design work was completed by a team in the London offices of Italy’s EniProgetti and paves the way for the main engineering, procurement and construction contract to be tendered.
One source said: “At the moment, there is no fixed date for when the invitation to bid for the main contract will be issued, but the project has a lot of momentum and is progressing towards tendering.”
The I/R oil field is located in Murzuq Basin in southwestern Libya.
In June this year, Libya's National Oil Corporation (NOC) signed a unified operating agreement for the field.
The I/R field is operated by Akakus Oil Operations, which is a joint venture of NOC in partnership with Spain’s Repsol, France’s TotalEnergies Repsol, Austria’s OMV and Norway’s Equinor.
The agreement in June was signed by NOC as well as its concession partners.
NOC said the agreement would unify operational and administrative procedures related to field management, optimise resource utilisation and support production sustainability.
READ THE SEPTEMBER 2026 MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – click here to view PDFNuclear power ambitions gather pace; Kuwait keeps dealmaking alive despite war; Region invests in raising gas processing capacity.
Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the September 2026 edition of MEED Business Review includes:
> AGENDA: Gulf nuclear revival takes shape> MARKET FOCUS: Kuwait keeps dealmaking alive under fire> INDUSTRY REPORT: Gas processing takes centre stage in Mena regionTo see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click herehttps://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/19711588/main.jpg -
QatarEnergy selects contractors for offshore oil field expansion Administrator16 September 2026
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QatarEnergy has selected contractors for the two main engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) packages of its estimated $4bn-$5bn Maydan Mahzam offshore oil field expansion project in Qatar.
The Qatari energy giant has selected a consortium of state-owned PetroVietnam Technical Services Corporation (PTSC) and Singapore-based Seatrium for package one of the Maydan Mahzam field expansion project, according to sources.
State-owned China Offshore Oil Engineering Company (COOEC) has secured package two of the project, sources told MEED.
Additionally, PTSC has confirmed its contract award for the first engineering, procurement, construction and installation (EPCI) package in a disclosure to the Hanoi Stock Exchange, saying its wholly owned subsidiary PTSC Mechanical & Construction had received a letter of award from QatarEnergy. The company added that “the parties will continue discussions to finalise and execute the definitive contract, which is expected to be signed in October 2026”.
In its filing, PTSC added that its scope of work covers “the provision of engineering, procurement, construction, transportation, offshore installation, hook-up, commissioning and brownfield modification services for the [Maydan Mahzam] project”.
MEED reported in late August that the consortium of PTSC and Seatrium had emerged as the frontrunner for package one of the expansion project.
At the time, US-based McDermott was ahead in the race to win package two. However, COOEC is understood to have presented "better terms to the client in the final rounds of negotiations”, sources said.
QatarEnergy issued the main tender for the Maydan Mahzam oil field expansion project in February 2025, with EPC works divided into four packages, MEED previously reported.
Contractors submitted technical bids for the project’s two main EPC packages in September 2025, sources said.
After QatarEnergy granted several extensions to the deadline for the submission of commercial bids for the two packages – initially set for 1 March – contractors submitted their prices by 21 June, MEED reported.
The following contractors, among others, are understood to have submitted bids for the two main packages of the project:
Package one:
- China Offshore Oil Engineering Company (China)
- Hanwha Ocean (South Korea)
- Hyundai Heavy Industries (South Korea)
- Larsen & Toubro Energy Hydrocarbon (India)
- PetroVietnam Technical Services Corporation (Vietnam) / Seatrium (Singapore)
- Saipem (Italy)
Package two:
- Allseas (Netherlands)
- China Offshore Oil Engineering Company (China)
- Larsen & Toubro Energy Hydrocarbon (India)
- McDermott (US)
- Saipem (Italy)
The Maydan Mahzam oil field lies about 100 kilometres (km) northeast of the Qatari coastline and 28km southeast of Halul Island, located in water depths of about 40 metres. The field, together with the nearby Bul Hanine field, was discovered in the 1960s and has been in production since 1965.
QatarEnergy is undertaking the project to upgrade infrastructure at Maydan Mahzam to extend the life of this maturing asset and maintain productivity over the long term.
The scope of work for package one includes the EPC of seven new topsides, requiring the fabrication of structures weighing more than 78,000 metric tonnes in total. The main process topside will weigh 19,400 metric tonnes, while the other topsides will consist of 10-legged jackets.
The scope also includes modifications to five existing topsides, four new bridges, eight-tonne support platforms with jackets, brownfield work on Halul Island and the installation of pipelines and cables.
The scope of work for package two covers the EPCI of topsides, umbilicals and cables.
ALSO READ: Contractors submit bids for Dukhan field facilities upgrade
In addition to advancing its gas production and liquefied natural gas ambitions, QatarEnergy committed significant capital expenditure last year to increasing oil output capacity from its offshore fields.
In August 2025, QatarEnergy selected contractors for the EPC works on a project to maintain and increase production potential at the Bul Hanine offshore oil field. The EPC scope was divided into three main packages, with COOEC being awarded the first two packages and Qatari contractor Doha Petroleum Construction Company (Dopet) being selected for the third. In addition, COOEC appointed US-based KBR to provide detailed engineering services for the first and second packages.
Separately, last September, QatarEnergy awarded the main EPC contract for a project to add a fifth natural gas liquids (NGL) train at its complex in Mesaieed Industrial City. Indian contractor Larsen & Toubro Energy Hydrocarbon won the contract.
The project, estimated to be worth $2.5bn, aims to build a fifth NGL train with the capacity to process up to 350 million cubic feet a day of rich associated gas from QatarEnergy’s offshore and onshore oil fields.
ALSO READ: Contractors prepare bids for North Field West offshore platforms
READ THE SEPTEMBER 2026 MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – click here to view PDFNuclear power ambitions gather pace; Kuwait keeps dealmaking alive despite war; Region invests in raising gas processing capacity.
Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the September 2026 edition of MEED Business Review includes:
> AGENDA: Gulf nuclear revival takes shape> MARKET FOCUS: Kuwait keeps dealmaking alive under fire> INDUSTRY REPORT: Gas processing takes centre stage in Mena regionTo see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click herehttps://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/19688942/main3340.jpg -
Contractors prequalify for Bahrain sports stadium Administrator15 September 2026
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Twenty-one local and Saudi Arabia-based contractors have been prequalified for a contract to build the first phase of the Bahrain International Sports City project in the Sakhir area.
The prequalification stage closed on 13 September.
The notice was first issued on 24 May, with an initial submission deadline of 26 July.
The prequalified firms are:
- Alfanar Projects (Saudi Arabia)
- Al-Ayuni Investment & Contracting (Saudi Arabia)
- Nesma Infrastructure & Technology (Saudi Arabia)
- Shar Construction (Saudi Arabia)
- Saudi Binladin Group (Saudi Arabia)
- Kooheji Contractors (local)
- B1 Trading & Services (local)
- Nass Contracting (local)
- RTCC / IC Ictas (Saudi Arabia / Turkiye)
- Moffareh Alharbi & Partners (Saudi Arabia)
- Al-Sharif Group Holding (Saudi Arabia)
- Cebarco (local)
- Midmac Contracting (Qatar)
- BEC Arabia (Saudi Arabia)
- Shibh Al-Jazira Contracting Company (Saudi Arabia)
- Poullaides Construction Poullaides Construction
- Isam Khairi Kabbani Partners (Saudi Arabia)
- El-Seif Engineering Contracting Company (Saudi Arabia)
- AlBawani (Saudi Arabia)
- Nesma & Partners (Saudi Arabia)
- Modern Building Leaders (Saudi Arabia)
The latest development follows US-based engineering firm Populous winning a BD5m ($13.5m) contract for the development, as MEED reported.
Populous’ scope covers pre-contract consultancy services, including finalising the masterplan and internal infrastructure, completing phase 1A design works and preparing tender documents.
The contract was first tendered in 2021, when Populous emerged as the sole bidder.
At the time, it was reported that the Sports City project would include Bahrain’s largest sports stadium and a multipurpose indoor sports arena.
The project is expected to provide renewed impetus to Bahrain’s construction and transport sector, which has struggled in recent years, with the total value of awarded contracts falling for a third consecutive year.
According to regional project tracker MEED Projects, about $400m-worth of contracts had been awarded in Bahrain by the end of October last year – less than half the $1.2bn recorded during the same period the previous year.
The sector has yet to return to pre-pandemic levels. Before 2020, Bahrain consistently awarded more than $2bn in contracts annually, peaking at nearly $4bn in 2016.
Bahrain’s construction industry is forecast to record average annual growth of 4.9% in 2026-29, supported by investments in transport infrastructure and renewable energy projects aligned with Bahrain’s Economic Vision 2030.
Vision 2030 includes the BD11.3bn ($30bn) Strategic Projects Plan, unveiled in October 2021, encompassing 22 national infrastructure projects. It also includes plans to create five new cities by 2030: Fasht Al-Jarm, Suhaila Island, Fasht Al-Azem, Bahrain Bay and Hawar Islands.
Growth over the forecast period is also expected to be driven by investments under the National Renewable Energy Action Plan, which targets a 30% reduction in carbon emissions by 2035, compared to 2015 levels, and aims to achieve net-zero emissions by 2060.
READ THE SEPTEMBER 2026 MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – click here to view PDFNuclear power ambitions gather pace; Kuwait keeps dealmaking alive despite war; Region invests in raising gas processing capacity.
Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the September 2026 edition of MEED Business Review includes:
> AGENDA: Gulf nuclear revival takes shape> MARKET FOCUS: Kuwait keeps dealmaking alive under fire> INDUSTRY REPORT: Gas processing takes centre stage in Mena regionTo see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click herehttps://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/19670426/main.jpg -
Riyadh Expo signs private real estate development deal Administrator15 September 2026
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Saudi Arabia's Expo 2030 Riyadh Company (ERC) has signed an agreement with Riyadh-based developer Mohammed Al-Habib Real Estate Company to develop and deliver Expo Village, the event's residential community.
The project will comprise about 2,300 apartments, housing around 5,500 residents, alongside retail and dining outlets, amenities, services and operational facilities.
The community will be connected to the Expo 2030 Riyadh site via the Expo metro station, as well as to King Khalid International airport and the city’s wider transport network.
The deal marks ERC’s first private-sector partnership deal for the site.
The latest agreement comes as ERC is gearing up to deliver several components of the site. Tendering is ongoing for the Saudi Arabia pavilion, and another tender is out for the delivery of the Souq areas within the expo site.
Site progress
Construction activity at the expo site is accelerating, with Riyadh moving to award its first major vertical contracts and advancing infrastructure works across the programme.
Earlier this month, Saudi Arabia’s Royal Commission for Riyadh City awarded a design-and-build contract for the construction of a new metro station catering to the Expo 2030 site.
In April, ERC awarded two contracts for the next phase of infrastructure works at the site to local firm Alyamama Company.
The scope covered the construction of road networks and infrastructure for water, sewage, electricity, telecommunications and electric vehicle (EV) charging.
These awards followed ERC’s January award of an estimated SR1bn ($267m) contract for initial infrastructure works at the site to local firm Nesma & Partners.
That scope covered about 50 kilometres of integrated infrastructure networks, including internal roads and essential utilities such as water, sewage, electrical and communications systems; and EV charging stations.
The masterplan covers 6 square kilometres, making it one of the largest sites ever designated for a World Expo event. Situated to the north of the Saudi capital, the site will be located near the future King Salman International airport and will provide direct access to landmarks within Riyadh.
The Public Investment Fund, Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth vehicle, launched ERC – a wholly owned subsidiary – in June 2025, to build and operate facilities for Expo 2030.
READ THE SEPTEMBER 2026 MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – click here to view PDFNuclear power ambitions gather pace; Kuwait keeps dealmaking alive despite war; Region invests in raising gas processing capacity.
Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the September 2026 edition of MEED Business Review includes:
> AGENDA: Gulf nuclear revival takes shape> MARKET FOCUS: Kuwait keeps dealmaking alive under fire> INDUSTRY REPORT: Gas processing takes centre stage in Mena regionTo see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click herehttps://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/19665616/main.jpg -
Neom plans Oxagon freight rail connection with SAR network Administrator15 September 2026
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Saudi gigaproject developer Neom has floated an expression of interest (EoI) notice to consultants for the design of a freight rail network connecting to the Port of Neom at Oxagon.
The scope of work includes project feasibility studies, concept design and route alignment.
The EoI notice was issued on 14 September, with a submission deadline of 16 September.
The estimated 400-kilometre (km)-plus rail line is expected to connect the Port of Neom with Saudi Arabia Railways’ (SAR) North-South Railway at the Al-Baseeta junction.
SAR’s North-South Railway is a 2,750km network built primarily to move minerals from mines in the north of the kingdom to industrial and export hubs on the Gulf coast. Its core route links the Al-Jalamid and Baitha phosphate and bauxite mines to Ras Al-Khair, Jubail and Dammam, with branch lines to Riyadh and to the Jordanian border at Al-Haditha.
Al-Baseeta junction, where Oxagon's proposed line would connect, sits on this network in Al-Jawf province, in the northwest of the country. The railway also carries a passenger service between Riyadh and Qurayyat, and has transported commercial freight such as sulfur and phosphoric acid.
The Port of Neom currently has no rail link to the rest of Saudi Arabia, meaning cargo landing there depends on road transport or a further sea leg to reach Riyadh, the Gulf coast or export markets beyond.
Connecting to the North-South network at Al-Baseeta would give the port direct rail access to the kingdom’s interior and, via existing branch lines, to Jordan and the Gulf coast industrial cluster around Ras Al-Khair, Jubail and Dammam.
The proposed link would also give SAR’s network a new outlet to the Red Sea. Until now, the North-South Railway has been oriented around Gulf coast export points, but a connection to Oxagon would provide a second maritime gateway on the opposite coast, allowing mineral and freight traffic from the north of the kingdom to reach either coastline.
The latest development follows Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) naming Neom as one of six strategic ecosystems in its 2026-30 strategy.
The backing comes as Neom’s operational focus appears to be evolving in response to shifting regional dynamics and global economic conditions. For example, on 15 April Neom posted on its official X account about a new Europe-Egypt-Neom-GCC corridor, describing it as a faster route for time-sensitive goods.
Oxagon project progress
Several major projects have made steady progress at Oxagon. Earlier this month, Saudi artificial intelligence (AI) company Humain and data centre developer DataVolt started construction on an AI data centre at Oxagon.
Last month, construction works on the $8.5bn Neom Green Hydrogen project at Oxagon were completed, and the facility has now entered the commissioning stage ahead of commercial operations targeted for 2027.
The project is designed to produce up to 600 tonnes a day of green hydrogen, which will be converted into green ammonia for export. It is supported by about 4GW of solar and wind power generation capacity, with the renewable power generated being used to produce hydrogen through electrolysis.
In 2024, Neom awarded an estimated SR4bn ($1bn) contract to a joint venture of El-Seif Engineering Contracting, Hassan Allam Construction and China Harbour Engineering Company for Terminal 1.
The Duba port expansion has progressed in two phases, awarded respectively to Boskalis/Besix/Modern Building Leaders and Deme/Archirodon.
The port has operated since 2022 and currently handles 250,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), with capacity planned to reach 1.5 million TEUs by 2030.
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NextChem wins Sabic ammonia-urea project role Administrator15 September 2026
Italy-based NextChem, a subsidiary of oil and gas contractor Maire, has been selected to provide nitrogen technology licensed by Stamicarbon, for Sabic Agri-Nutrients’ seventh fertiliser plant in Saudi Arabia’s Jubail Industrial City.
Sabic Agri-Nutrients, an affiliate of chemicals giant Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (Sabic), recently awarded the main engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract for the project, known as San VII, to South Korea’s Samsung E&A. It was valued at $3.47bn.
The San VII project in Jubail Industrial City, in the kingdom’s Eastern Province, will have a production capacity of about 1.2 million metric tonnes a year (t/y) of conventional ammonia and 2.6 million metric t/y of urea. The complex will also feature a post-combustion carbon capture unit.
Sabic previously announced that it had received approval for feedstock allocation for the project from the Saudi Energy Ministry in March. The project will expand Sabic Agri-Nutrients’ urea production capacity by 54%, from approximately 4.8 million metric t/y to 7.4 million metric t/y.
NextChem said the total value of the technology package it secured is about €125m ($144.46m).
The grassroots fertiliser plant will comprise two urea production units, each with a capacity of 3,850 metric tonnes a day.
The scope of work for Stamicarbon, which is NextChem’s nitrogen technology licensor, includes a licensing agreement with Sabic, as well as contracts with the EPC contractor covering the process design package and proprietary equipment supply, leveraging proprietary NX Stami urea technology.
In addition to NextChem securing a technology licensor role for the San VII project through Stamicarbon, the following firms have also won contracts to provide their patented process technologies for the project to Sabic Agri-Nutrients:
- KBR (US) – ammonia production technology
- Thyssenkrupp Uhde Fertilizer Technology – urea production technology
- Shell Global Solutions International (Netherlands) – carbon capture technology
The San VII project replaces a previously planned low-carbon or blue ammonia project with a conventional ammonia and urea facility. The project, which was previously known as San VI, was slated to produce 1.2 million metric t/y of low-carbon ammonia and 1.1 million metric t/y of urea and specialised agri-nutrients.
Before being restructured into its current form, MEED reported in March last year that Samsung E&A was the frontrunner to win the main EPC contract for the project.
Sabic Agri-Nutrients expects construction on the San VII project to begin in Q4 2026, with commissioning scheduled to start in Q3 2030. The commissioning period will last four months, ahead of the start of commercial production and completion of the project in Q4 2030.
The San VII project “is also expected to represent a significant step toward enhancing the company’s competitiveness and sustainability through the integration of advanced carbon capture technologies and the reduction of emissions intensity across its operations. This will contribute to reducing the carbon footprint of its products, supporting the company’s sustainability and carbon neutrality ambitions”, Sabic Agri-Nutrients said in a Saudi Stock Exchange (Tadawul) filing.
“The project is considered one of the key pillars of the company’s 2040 strategy, which aims to strengthen the kingdom’s position in the agricultural nutrients export market and contribute to global food security, in line with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030,” it added.
READ THE SEPTEMBER 2026 MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – click here to view PDFNuclear power ambitions gather pace; Kuwait keeps dealmaking alive despite war; Region invests in raising gas processing capacity.
Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the September 2026 edition of MEED Business Review includes:
> AGENDA: Gulf nuclear revival takes shape> MARKET FOCUS: Kuwait keeps dealmaking alive under fire> INDUSTRY REPORT: Gas processing takes centre stage in Mena regionTo see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click herehttps://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/19647329/main1732.jpg -
Aramco upstream spending gathers pace Administrator14 September 2026
Saudi Aramco has committed capital expenditure (capex) of $50bn-$55bn in 2026, with about 65%-70% of the budget earmarked for upstream oil and gas projects.
The spending will support the Saudi energy giant’s strategy of maintaining its oil production capacity at 12 million barrels a day (b/d) while increasing gas production capacity by 80% by 2030 from a 2021 baseline.
Aramco has already spent $12.25bn on upstream oil and gas projects so far in 2026, according to data from MEED and MEED Projects.
The largest share of spending this year has been on the Dorra gas field development, being undertaken by Al-Khafji Joint Operations (KJO), a joint venture of Saudi Aramco subsidiary Aramco Gulf Operations Company and Kuwait Petroleum Corporation subsidiary Kuwait Gulf Oil Company.
The offshore Dorra gas field is located in the waters of the Saudi-Kuwait Neutral Zone. KJO has divided the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) scope for the field development into four packages, comprising three offshore packages and one onshore package.
KJO awarded contracts for offshore packages 2A and 2B and onshore package 3, with a combined estimated value of about $6.5bn, in August.
US-based McDermott International secured offshore package 2A, valued at about $1.5bn. The contract covers the engineering, procurement, construction and installation (EPCI) of wellhead topsides, flowlines and umbilicals.
A consortium of India’s Larsen & Toubro Energy Hydrocarbon (L&TEH) and Italian contractor Saipem secured package 2B, estimated to be worth about $3.4bn.
The largest of the offshore packages, the contract covers the EPCI of the Dorra central gathering platform complex, together with export pipelines and cables.
KJO had previously awarded L&TEH offshore package 1, estimated at $140m-$150m, in October last year. The scope covers the EPC of seven offshore jackets and the installation of intra-field pipelines.
Separately, Spanish contractor Tecnicas Reunidas secured onshore package 3, valued at $1.65bn. The contract covers the EPC of onshore gas processing facilities.
The scale of the Dorra awards illustrates the importance of gas development to Aramco's wider upstream investment programme.
Jafurah unconventional gas scheme
Aramco, meanwhile, continues to move forward with its multi-phased Jafurah unconventional gas scheme, for which it received a capex grant of $100bn from the Saudi government at the start of this decade.
During the second quarter of this year, Aramco awarded the main EPC contract for the fourth expansion phase of the Jafurah development to L&TEH.
The project involves the EPC of two gas compression trains at the giant gas basin in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province. Each train will have the capacity to process up to 200 million cubic feet a day (cf/d) of gas.
L&TEH confirmed the contract award in August, saying the scope includes gas inlet facilities, gas compression systems, condensate and produced-water handling systems, propane refrigeration systems and associated utilities.
Alongside the fourth expansion phase, Aramco is nearing a decision on the main EPC contract for the fifth expansion phase of the Jafurah programme.
MEED has reported that a frontrunner has emerged for the contract, with the scope understood to be similar to that of the fourth expansion phase.
Offshore spending
Offshore projects remain another major component of Aramco’s upstream investment programme.
The company spent almost $11bn on offshore EPCI contracts last year, more than double its capital expenditure on offshore projects in 2024, marking another year of robust upstream project spending in Saudi Arabia.
Aramco has maintained that momentum in 2026.
In early January, the company selected US-based McDermott for Contract Release and Purchase Order (CRPO) 166. The scope is understood to have been carved out of the estimated $15bn Marjan offshore field development project, under which Aramco awarded contracts for 20 EPCI packages in 2019.
McDermott secured the largest share of work on the overall project, winning two packages with a combined estimated value of about $4.5bn.
The CRPO 166 contract was single-sourced to McDermott without a competitive tendering process and issued as a change order.
Aramco awarded its second offshore contract of the year to Saipem for CRPO 156, estimated to be worth about $500m.
The contract covers the EPCI of a 48-inch trunkline comprising about 65 kilometres offshore and 12km onshore, together with associated subsea facilities at the Safaniya oil field, one of the world’s largest offshore oil fields.
Looking ahead, Aramco is also evaluating bids from its offshore long-term agreement (LTA) contractors for up to 11 further tenders.
These include CRPOs 154 and 155, covering the next phase of infrastructure expansion at Safaniya; CRPO 161, which involves the EPCI of four gas jackets at the Arabiyah, Hasbah and Karan fields; and CRPOs 163 and 164, covering infrastructure at the Abu Safah, Berri, Karan, Marjan and Safaniya fields.
LTA contractors also submitted bids between July and August for a further six CRPOs – 167, 168, 169, 170, 171 and 176 – covering the EPCI of infrastructure at the Abu Safah, Berri, Manifa, Marjan and Zuluf fields.
With further offshore contract awards expected before the end of the year, Aramco’s upstream investment programme is set to remain one of the main drivers of project activity in Saudi Arabia.
The combination of major gas developments, including Dorra and Jafurah, and a substantial pipeline of offshore oil and gas projects suggests that 2026 is on course to become another strong year for upstream investment in the kingdom.
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Miral commits $3.2bn Yas Island investments Administrator14 September 2026
Abu Dhabi’s Miral has announced plans to invest over AED12bn ($3.2bn) in Yas Island over the next five years.
According to a statement, the investment will fund a pipeline of new projects, as well as expansions and enhancements to existing attractions, supporting Abu Dhabi’s Tourism Strategy 2030.
The next phase of development will focus on expanding Yas Island’s theme parks and attractions, while introducing new immersive rides and experiences that reflect changing visitor expectations.
The investment will also strengthen the island’s hospitality offering through additional hotel rooms and enhancements to its overall accommodation portfolio.
The investment is separate from the previously announced Disney project.
Miral recently started the expansion works of its Harry Potter-themed expansion at the Warner Bros World Yas Island entertainment destination in Abu Dhabi.
The scope of the Warner Bros World phase two expansion includes adding 63,000 square metres (sq m) to the existing theme park.
This will include a Harry Potter-themed zone with three new rides called Diagon Alley, Hogwarts Castle and The Forbidden Forest, along with retail outlets and food and beverage facilities.
Yas Waterworld
Miral has developed a series of theme parks and other entertainment-related attractions on Yas Island, working with several local and international contractors.
In July last year, Miral opened a new 16,900 sq m expansion of its Yas Waterworld park to the public.
The expansion added 3.3 kilometres of slide sections to the park. The addition of 18 new rides and attractions, bringing the total number of rides to more than 60, is expected to increase visitor capacity by 20%.
Construction was carried out by local contractor Alec.
Disney park
The Walt Disney Company and Miral signed an agreement in May to build a Disney theme park resort on Yas Island.
Disney, which is based in the US, said the Abu Dhabi site will be its seventh theme park resort. The others are in California and Florida in the US, Paris in France, Hong Kong and Shanghai in China, and Tokyo in Japan.
In a statement, Disney noted that the UAE is located within a four-hour flight of one-third of the world’s population, making it a significant gateway for tourism. It is also home to one of the world’s busiest airline hubs, with 120 million passengers travelling through Abu Dhabi and Dubai each year.
The Disney theme park resort in Abu Dhabi will include entertainment areas, themed accommodations, dining venues and retail experiences.
In 2023, Miral opened SeaWorld Abu Dhabi, also on Yas Island. Alec was the contractor for the estimated $565m project.
In 2018, Miral opened the Warner Bros theme park on Yas Island. Belgium’s Besix was the contractor for the estimated $531m project.
Other Miral projects have included the Etihad Arena and the indoor climbing and skydive centre Clymb. Bam International of the Netherlands was the contractor for the arena and Germany’s Zublin was the contractor for Clymb.
Yas Island was launched as a project in 2006 by local developer Aldar Properties. The original centrepiece attractions were the Yas Marina Circuit, which hosts Formula 1 motor racing’s annual Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, and the Ferrari World theme park.
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Contractors prepare bids for Oxagon wastewater plant Administrator14 September 2026
Contractors are preparing to submit bids to build a wastewater treatment plant for Oxagon, Neom’s industrial cluster.
The industrial wastewater treatment package will have an initial capacity of 35,000 cubic metres a day (cm/d), supplied in modular trains of 5,000 cm/d each. A separate sanitary wastewater treatment package will have a capacity of 1,000 cm/d.
The contract is structured as a design-build-operate project and covers the supply, installation and commissioning of industrial and sanitary wastewater treatment packages, as well as three years of operation and maintenance.
Bids are due on 2 October, a source close to the project told MEED.
It is understood that Neom’s water utility Enowa issued the request for proposals earlier this year. The plant is designed to provide “interim wastewater treatment” capacity for Neom’s Oxagon Industrial Quarter as industrial development in the area progresses.
Enowa has described the treatment systems as interim and de-mountable, allowing them to be installed and subsequently removed or relocated as requirements at Oxagon develop. The plant can be expanded to a maximum of 45,000 cm/d.
The tender documents also state that Neom may consider export credit agency (ECA) financing for the project, with the strength of bidders’ ECA financing proposals forming part of the commercial evaluation.
The project follows an earlier tender for the Oxagon Village Water Recycling Plant, which was cancelled despite contractors submitting bids in 2024.
MEED reported at the time that Beijing-based PowerChina, the local Alfanar Company and Cairo-headquartered Orascom had submitted bids for the project. It is understood that these firms are also likely to participate in the latest tender.
The earlier scheme included truck receiving facilities, pretreatment, biological treatment using food chain reactor technology, tertiary treatment, sludge handling and recycled-water storage.
The latest procurement appears to represent a reworked approach to wastewater treatment at Oxagon Industrial Quarter, with the previous engineering, procurement and construction scheme replaced by an interim, modular and de-mountable facility.
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