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  • Contractors prepare bids for more Qiddiya infrastructure Administrator

    8 October 2026

     

    Saudi gigaproject developer Qiddiya Investment Company (QIC) has tendered a design-and-build contract covering infrastructure works at District 0 in Qiddiya City.

    The scope includes the design, supply, construction, testing, commissioning and defects liability period for Road I in District 17, Road Q in District 19 and the District 18 Ring Road.

    In total, the package covers approximately 17.4 kilometres of roads, including 1.4km of bridge structures.

    Contractors have until 14 October to submit proposals.

    Beirut-headquartered Dar Al-Handasah is the lead design consultant for districts 17 and 19, with a remit that also includes potable water and recycled water storage tanks and pumping stations.

    US-based Jacobs is the lead design consultant for the District 18 Ring Road.

    The tender is the third infrastructure package for Qiddiya’s District 0. The first two packages, tendered in March, remain under procurement, as MEED exclusively reported.

    MEED understands that bid evaluation for these packages is in its final stages and that awards are expected shortly.

    QIC is also advancing plans to develop additional assets at Qiddiya City.

    Last month, MEED exclusively reported that QIC had awarded an estimated $500m-$600m contract to build an e-games arena, known as the Fortress Arena.

    The scope of work includes the construction of an auditorium with a capacity of about 5,100 seats, as well as commercial areas, hospitality facilities and other associated infrastructure.

    The Fortress Arena is one of several major projects within the wider Qiddiya development.

    Other projects include the Dragon Ball theme park, Prince Mohammed Bin Salman Stadium, a horse-racing venue, a performing arts centre, the Speed Park, the National Tennis Centre, Six Flags Qiddiya City and Aquarabia water park.

    The project is a key part of Riyadh’s strategy to boost leisure tourism in the kingdom. According to UK analytics firm GlobalData, leisure tourism in Saudi Arabia has grown significantly in recent years.

    MEED’s October 2026 report on Saudi Arabia includes:

    > COMMENT: Saudi projects hold steady
    > GOVERNMENT: Riyadh looks to reset its regional defence outlook
    > ECONOMY: Conflict bolsters case for Saudi economic diversification
    > BANKING: Saudi lenders readjust to lower lending and deposit climate
    > UPSTREAM: Aramco upstream spending gathers pace
    > DOWNSTREAM: Sabic steps up Saudi petchems investment
    > POWER: Saudi Arabia’s power award activity slows
    > WATER: Saudi water sector hits sharp slowdown
    > CONSTRUCTION: Saudi construction defies the headwinds
    > TRANSPORT: Saudi infrastructure pushes forward amid conflict
    > DATABANK: Saudi data indicates project spending shift

    To see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click here
    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/20384978/main.jpg
    Yasir Iqbal
  • Chinese contractors begin Jordan rail construction Administrator

    8 October 2026

     

    Beijing-headquartered firms China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) and China First Highway Engineering Company (CFHEC) have started construction work on the Aqaba-Al-Shidiyeh-Maan Railway project in Jordan.

    The 403-kilometre rail network is divided into six packages. CCECC is executing packages one to four, while CFHEC is undertaking packages five and six.

    The scope of work covers constructing railway tracks, about 55 bridges, six tunnels and related structures.

    The project aims to link Aqaba with key mining and production sites and the Maan logistics zone, establishing an integrated system for transporting bulk cargo and containers between ports, production centres and inland logistics facilities.

    The network is expected to carry around 16 million tonnes of phosphate and potash each year from production sites to Aqaba’s ports.

    In April 2025, a French-Swiss joint venture of Egis and Arx was awarded the project’s design consultancy contract.

    The estimated $2.5bn project is being developed by the Jordan-UAE Railway Company, which is jointly owned by Abu Dhabi’s L’imad Holding and Jordanian entities including the Jordan Phosphate Mines Company, the Government Investments Management Company, the Social Security Investment Fund and the Arab Potash Company.

    Jordanian and UAE officials attended a groundbreaking ceremony held earlier this week to mark the formal start of construction work.

    READ THE OCTOBER 2026 MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – click here to view PDF

    Industry 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:
    To see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click here
    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/20371915/main.jpg
    Yasir Iqbal
  • Iraq discusses starting operations at $3.78bn refinery project Administrator

    8 October 2026

    Iraq’s Minister of Oil, Basem Muhammad Khudair Al-Abadi, has met with Japanese officials to discuss plans to commission the fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) unit at the Basra refinery upgrade project, according to a ministry statement.

    The meeting was attended by the Japanese Embassy’s executive officer as well as representatives from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) and Japan-based JGC, which is the main contractor on the project.

    According to the ministry, discussions focused on direct implementation steps and coordination between Iraqi authorities and the Japanese partners to bring the unit online using Japanese refining technologies.

    Iraq’s South Refineries Company (SRC) sent JGC notice of the main contract award for the Basra refinery upgrade project’s FCC package in August 2020.

    JGC was awarded the contract in consortium with South Korea’s Hyundai E&C.

    The official contract signing ceremony was held in Baghdad on 1 October 2020.

    The contract awarded to JGC, which uses the engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning model, was worth $3.78bn.

    Project delays

    The project has faced issues related to the ongoing regional conflict, which started when the US and Israel attacked Iran on 28 February.

    JGC evacuated its personnel from the site in the southern oil hub of Basra following the start of the regional war, stopping work on the project, which was in its final stages of construction.

    In August, JGC signed an agreement to restart work.

    The project will produce around 5 million litres a day of gasoline and 7 million litres a day of diesel.

    The FCC package is part of a broader project to upgrade the Basra refinery.

    Oil Ministry officials said in late 2025 that the Basra refinery upgrade project aims to slash Iraq’s fuel import bill and convert heavy refining residues into high-value petroleum products.

    The project site is located about 12 kilometres east of Iraq’s southern city of Basra.

    The wider upgrade project is installing new facilities on land adjacent to the existing Basra refinery, including a vacuum distillation unit and a diesel desulphurisation unit.

    In April 2021, France’s Axens won a contract to provide four process technologies to SRC for the Basra refinery upgrade project.

    The technologies that SRC selected are:

    • Diesel hydrotreatment unit (Prime-D)
    • Vacuum gasoil (VGO) hydrotreating unit
    • VGO fluid catalytic cracker unit
    • Oligomerisation unit (polynaphtha)

    In addition, Axens is providing catalysts and adsorbents and proprietary equipment, training and technical services.

    READ THE OCTOBER 2026 MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – click here to view PDF

    Industry 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:
    To see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click here
    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/20366574/main.png
    Wil Crisp
  • Drilling resumes at Iraq’s Akkas field Administrator

    8 October 2026

     

    Drilling has resumed as part of the project to further develop Iraq’s Akkas gas field, according to industry sources.

    In March, MEED reported that development of the field had been disrupted by security issues related to the US and Israel’s war with Iran.

    Activity at the project site had been significantly reduced due to security concerns, which led to the evacuation of most non-Iraqi workers.

    Now, the project is progressing and drilling at the field is ongoing, sources said.

    One source said: “Many of the major issues that stopped drilling at the site have been dealt with in various ways, and the development of the field is proceeding.”

    Iraq held a ceremony in January to mark the start of drilling operations under the current phase of development. In July of the previous year, the Iraqi Oil Ministry announced a contract with US-based oilfield services provider SLB to develop the field. Under the agreement, SLB is drilling wells to raise initial output to 100 million cubic feet a day (cf/d), with a long-term production target of 400 million cf/d.

    The contract with SLB replaced a previous deal with Ukraine-based Ukrzemresurs, which has been terminated.

    It also covers the construction of surface infrastructure and pipelines to connect Akkas to central processing units.

    The gas produced at Akkas will fuel the Anbar combined-cycle power plant, which the Electricity Ministry is building.

    Akkas gas field development

    Located in western Anbar province, Akkas holds an estimated 5.6 trillion cubic feet of proven natural gas reserves. The field was discovered in 1992 and entered initial production in 1993, but efforts to develop it commercially have faced repeated delays.

    Development rights were originally awarded to a consortium of South Korea’s Kogas and Kazakhstan’s KazMunaiGas (KMG) during Iraq’s third licensing round in 2010. After KMG withdrew, Kogas took over as sole operator under revised contractual terms before work was subsequently halted.

    In April 2024, the Oil Ministry signed an agreement with Ukraine’s Ukrzemresurs targeting 100 million cf/d within two years and 400 million cf/d within four years. However, the deal faced strong domestic political resistance.

    Iraq’s parliamentary Oil and Gas Committee opposed the award, with committee member Ali Al-Mashkour telling Shafaq News Agency: “This contract involves a great waste of Iraq’s wealth, and there will be a waste of Iraq’s oil, and this confirms that Iraq is once again failing to choose reputable companies to work with in the most important economic field in the country.”

    He added: “We will work to uncover and expose the suspicions in this contract during the next stage, especially since this contract was made by some representatives for specific interests, which we will reveal soon with evidence.”

    The deal was subsequently terminated, paving the way for the current contract with SLB.

    The development of Akkas is central to Baghdad’s broader ambition to transition from a net gas importer into an exporter. Iraq remains heavily dependent on gas imports from Iran to meet domestic electricity demand. Both the US and Saudi Arabia have backed Iraq’s efforts to develop non-associated gas fields to reduce its economic and energy dependence on Tehran.

    READ THE OCTOBER 2026 MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – click here to view PDF

    Industry 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:
    To see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click here
    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/20366494/main5816.jpg
    Wil Crisp
  • Neom extends bid deadline for Oxagon wastewater plant Administrator

    8 October 2026

     

    Neom has extended the bid submission deadline for a contract to build a wastewater treatment plant for Oxagon, its industrial cluster.

    According to a source, the new deadline is 25 October. The original deadline was 2 October.

    Enowa, Neom’s energy and water utility, is tendering the contract.

    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.

    According to sources, local contractor Alfanar, Beijing-based PowerChina and France-based Veolia are among the companies preparing bids.

    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 PowerChina, Alfanar and Cairo-headquartered Orascom had submitted bids for that project.

    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 take a reworked approach to wastewater treatment at Oxagon Industrial Quarter. It replaces the previous engineering, procurement and construction scheme with an interim modular and demountable facility.

    The plant is designed to provide “interim wastewater treatment” capacity for Oxagon Industrial Quarter as industrial development progresses.

    As MEED understands, this includes treatment systems that can be installed and subsequently removed or relocated as requirements at Oxagon evolve. The plant can be expanded to a maximum capacity of 45,000 cm/d.

    The tender documents also state that Neom may consider export credit agency (ECA) financing for the project. The strength of bidders’ ECA financing proposals will form part of the commercial evaluation.

    READ THE OCTOBER 2026 MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – click here to view PDF

    Industry 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:
    To see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click here
    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/20347018/main.jpg
    Mark Dowdall
  • Syria seeks interest for $1.16bn Euphrates dam Administrator

    7 October 2026

    Register for MEED’s 14-day trial access 

    Syria’s Ministry of Energy has invited expressions of interest (EoIs) for the development of the Halabiyeh-Zalabiyeh dam project on the Euphrates River.

    The project has an indicative total cost of $1.16bn, according to the ministry’s EoI document. This includes $433.7m for the dam and hydropower plant and $729.6m for the pumped-storage power plant (PSP). 

    The scheme includes an 81MW hydroelectric power plant and a pumped-storage facility with a capacity of up to 1,200MW. The project will also include the construction of the dam and associated water-storage infrastructure. 

    The ministry seeks interest from qualified local and international companies, investors and other entities. Interested parties can participate in studies, design, financing, construction, and operation and maintenance of the project. 

    The ministry is considering several potential development structures, including build-own-operate-transfer, build-operate-transfer and public-private partnership models, as well as an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) structure. It has said it is also open to proposals covering consultancy and financing services.

    The EoI covers several stages, including pre-feasibility and feasibility studies, financing and bankability studies, detailed and executive design, EPC execution, and operation and maintenance.

    The technical specifications envisage a 23-metre-high dam with a reservoir storage capacity of about 219 million cubic metres.

    The hydropower plant will have three generating units, while the 1,200MW PSP will have 3.5 hours of storage capacity and four reversible units.

    The deadline for submitting EoIs is 10 November, with enquiries accepted until 26 October.

    READ THE OCTOBER 2026 MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – click here to view PDF

    Industry 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:
    To see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click here
    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/20336025/main.jpg
    Mark Dowdall
  • Arada launches UAE construction arm with Roberts Administrator

    7 October 2026

    Register for MEED’s 14-day trial access 

    UAE developer Arada has integrated Australian contractor Roberts into the UAE market as part of its wider business strategy.

    Arada acquired Roberts in 2025 after entering the Australian market. The tier-one contractor delivers projects in the healthcare, education, commercial, residential, hospitality, industrial, life sciences and defence sectors.

    At the time of the acquisition, Arada said it planned to invest about $20m in Roberts. The investment is intended to give the developer greater control over the delivery of its Australian projects and support Roberts’ expansion into markets including the UAE.

    Arada has said it could invest up to $100m in Roberts’ expansion into new sectors and markets. The company is targeting $1bn in annual revenue from Roberts by 2028.

    Roberts has established a UAE office, with a head office team already in place. Arada said the contractor’s capabilities will support the delivery of its high-rise residential and social infrastructure projects.

    The contractor’s first UAE project will be phase two of Arada Central Business District, a commercial development within Aljada in Sharjah. Arada is developing the AED35bn ($9.5bn) mixed-use project.

    Roberts is also providing preconstruction services for several Arada projects in Dubai and Sharjah, ahead of starting site work.

    READ THE OCTOBER 2026 MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – click here to view PDF

    Industry 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:
    To see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click here
    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/20334926/main.jpg
    Yasir Iqbal
  • Expo Riyadh sets October deadline for Saudi Arabia pavilion Administrator

    7 October 2026

     

    Expo 2030 Riyadh Company (ERC), tasked with delivering the Expo 2030 Riyadh venue, has set a deadline of 25 October for bids for a contract to build the Saudi Arabia pavilion.

    The tender was issued on 19 May, with an initial bid submission deadline of 26 August.

    The pavilion is a major asset located within the KSA District on the eastern side of the Expo 2030 Riyadh masterplan, in the Loop of Nations district.

    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.

    Last month, MEED reported that ERC had received contractor interest on 14 September for a contract to design and build a convention centre in the site’s Collaboration District.

    ERC also tendered a contract to deliver the Souq areas within the Expo site, as MEED exclusively reported on 8 September.

    These areas are divided into five precincts, with a total development area of about 300,000 square metres.

    Also in September, Saudi Arabia’s Royal Commission for Riyadh City awarded a design-and-build contract to construct a new metro station serving the Expo 2030 site.

    In April, ERC awarded two contracts for the next phase of infrastructure works at the site to local firm Al-Yamama 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, as well as EV charging stations.

    The masterplan covers 6 square kilometres, making it one of the largest sites ever designated for a World Expo event. Situated north of the Saudi capital, the site will be near the future King Salman International airport and will provide direct access to Riyadh landmarks.

    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 OCTOBER 2026 MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – click here to view PDF

    Industry 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:
    To see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click here
    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/20334856/main.jpg
    Yasir Iqbal
  • Kuwait on track to hit oil production target Administrator

    7 October 2026

    Kuwait is on track to meet its target of having 4 million barrels a day (b/d) of oil production capacity by 2035, according to Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) chief executive Shaikh Nawaf Al-Sabah.

    Al-Sabah also said Kuwait is on course to increase non-associated gas production to 2 billion cubic feet a day by 2040.

    His comments come amid an ongoing crisis in Kuwait’s oil and gas sector linked to the regional conflict that began when the US and Israel attacked Iran on 28 February.

    The subsequent war has significantly disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, which is a crucial export route for Kuwaiti crude oil.

    Kuwait is currently producing around 2 million b/d of oil, down from 2.6 million b/d before the US and Israel attack.

    Speaking at a conference in London, Al-Sabah said: “We have the capacity to go back up to our current maximum sustainable capacity of 3 million b/d, if we have the export routes available, and this comes down to the ability to move oil through the Strait.”

    KPC is investing $9bn-$10bn a year in capital expenditure to meet its oil and gas production goals, according to Al-Sabah.

    He said: “We are doing this because we recognise that it is our hydrocarbons that will be most in demand a decade from now, and two decades from now – in fact, for the rest of our lifetimes.”

    Project Seef

    KPC is pushing ahead with the Al-Seef project, which focuses on developing three large offshore oil discoveries, Al-Sabah said.

    The offshore fields are known as Nokhatha, Julaia and Jazza. The development was first announced in February this year, about two weeks before the US and Israel attack on Iran.

    Al-Sabah said KPC is continuing with the project and believes the three fields collectively hold more than 3 billion barrels of recoverable oil.

    He said: “We are asking international oil companies to partner with us to develop those resources under an operating services contract.

    “So, we’re moving ahead according to the exact same schedule that we had put together even before the war began.”

    Al-Sabah did not say which international oil companies KPC has approached to help develop the three offshore fields.

    READ THE OCTOBER 2026 MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – click here to view PDF

    Industry 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:
    To see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click here
    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/20315147/main.jpg
    Wil Crisp
  • Roshn plans new flagship development in Riyadh Administrator

    7 October 2026

     

    Saudi developer Roshn Group plans to develop its next flagship scheme in north Riyadh, spanning an area of 13.7 square kilometres. 

    Roshn is looking to appoint lead design consultants to deliver detailed design, tender documentation and construction documents across the scheme, known as Plot 1.

    The scope covers all infrastructure, utilities, public realm works and site adaptation of Roshn’s residential prototypes, split across two work packages.

    Part 1 covers phases A, B and E, which collectively span about 7.8 million square metres (sq m) and will comprise 17,000 units.

    Part 2 includes phases C and D, which will span about 4.7 million sq m and comprise more than 15,000 units.

    The development is bordered by Expo 2030, King Abdulaziz Park, the Sports Innovation Lab Zone and the National Housing Company-developed Khozam district.

    It will be a residential-led mixed-use development, also featuring retail, offices, hospitality, education and civic facilities.

    Connectivity is a core plank of the masterplan, with two metro stations planned: one at the existing Line 4/proposed Line 7 interchange and another dedicated Line 7 stop. The scheme would also be served by the future Qiddiya high-speed rail and a possible King Salman Road diversion.

    Plot 1 builds on Roshn’s existing footprint in the capital, notably the multi-phase Sedra community, as the developer expands beyond single-family housing into mixed-use districts under its Roshn 3.0 strategy.

    Last month, Roshn Group announced that it had signed a preliminary agreement with Talaat Moustafa Group (TMG) Saudi, the local subsidiary of Egyptian developer Talaat Moustafa Group, to establish a joint venture to explore and develop a mixed-use project in Riyadh.

    Under the agreement, TMG will hold a 51% stake in the joint company, while Roshn Group will hold 49%.

    The agreement sets out a framework for the two groups to assess a potential partnership for the project’s phased development, which is planned as a residential-led, mixed-use community featuring retail, commercial, hospitality, leisure, healthcare and education facilities, alongside parks and public spaces.

    Roshn Group and TMG Saudi plan to conduct detailed master planning and develop the project’s business case.

    Preliminary studies indicate the development could include more than 55,000 residential units across all phases.

    Roshn Group did not disclose the exact project location in its announcement.

    As a Public Investment Fund-owned developer, Roshn remains a key vehicle for delivering Vision 2030’s housing programme, which targets 70% Saudi home ownership, alongside the kingdom’s wider quality-of-life and economic diversification agendas.

    READ THE OCTOBER 2026 MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – click here to view PDF

    Industry 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:
    To see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click here
    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/19786131/main.jpg
    Yasir Iqbal