meed-logo

line1 line2 line3
SIGN IN / REGISTER

Top 10 GCC contractors by country

29 March 2023

 

This article is part two of MEED's 2023 construction contractor ranking. The first part, MEED's 2023 top 10 GCC contractors, can be accessed here. Key points include: 

> Sentiment runs ahead of construction activity

> Improved outlook for the Gulf region’s construction market is not reflected in the 2023 contractor ranking

> Nesma & Partners retains its position as the most active GCC contractor, but its total value of work this year is down 22 per cent on 2022

PPP progress spurs Bahrain real estate

Bahrain is traditionally the smallest construction market in the GCC, a position that reflects the island kingdom’s small population and land area, combined with energy exports that are limited when compared to its neighbours. 

China Machinery Engineering Corporation continues to lead the ranking in 2023 with $689m-worth of work at the execution phase thanks to its contract to build the East Sitra development for the Housing Ministry.

In second position is Sharjah-based Al-Hamad Building Contracting, which is working on $560m-worth of projects. The contractor was the third-ranked contractor last year. 

In third position this year is the local Kooheji Contractors with $449m of projects. Its rise from eighth position in the ranking reflects the resurgent property market in Bahrain. The firm is part of the Kooheji group, which is developing new real estate projects in Manama, including the Onyx Sky View project that was launched at the end of last year.

Turkey’s Tav Construction – which was ranked fifth last year as it completed work at the airport – has now left the top 10. Its position in the ranking since 2016 demonstrated the importance of major projects to the Bahrain market.

While there has been a lull in construction activity in Bahrain over the past two years, major new projects are planned, including the Bahrain Metro and a second causeway bridge to Saudi Arabia. 

The Transport & Communications Ministry has prequalified companies for the metro, which will be developed as a public-private partnership (PPP). Similarly, the King Fahd Causeway Authority has approached contractors about working on the causeway, which is also being developed as a PPP. 

Airport contractor still leads in Kuwait

Kuwait’s ranking continues to be led by Limak with $5bn-worth of work at the execution stage. The Turkish contractor remains active on the expansion of Kuwait International airport. It could be the last year that Limak heads the Kuwait ranking, however, as the airport work is due for completion this year. 

The rest of the contractors below Limak have endured a significant drop in the value of the projects they are engaged on. The average total value of projects being worked on for the top 10 in 2023 is $1.1bn, down from $1.7bn in 2022.

Occupying the second and third places in this year’s ranking are two of Kuwait’s largest contracting companies. Ahmadiah Contracting & Trading Company is in second place with $1.1bn of work, followed by Mohammed Abdulmohsin al-Kharafi & Sons with $900m. 

With Limak’s work at the airport coming to a close, these two companies are likely to return to the top of the Kuwait ranking in 2024. 

The only other international companies in the Kuwait top 10 are Italy’s Impresa Pizarotti in sixth place with $730m of work and India’s Shapoorji Pallonji in seventh place with $687m of work at the execution stage.

Little change in Oman as big projects loom

Oman’s contractor ranking has remained largely static this year. The local Galfar Engineering & Contracting tops the list again with $1.05bn of work, down slightly on the $1.1bn of projects it was working on in 2022. 

Last year’s second- and third-ranked contractors have switched places. The local Al-Adrak Trading & Contracting Company is now ranked second with $800m of work and the local Al-Tasnim Enterprises is ranked third with $770m.

India’s Larsen & Toubro is the only international company that makes the top 10 this year. It is ranked number five with projects worth $280m at the execution stage. 

International companies could figure more prominently in the ranking in future. Oman-Etihad Rail Company is expected to tender construction contracts connecting Oman and the UAE later this year, and it is likely that international contractors will be involved in delivering that project. 

Similarly, tentative steps have been taken on the proposed Muscat Metro project. This scheme is unlikely to move into construction by next year, but if it goes ahead, it will offer more significant opportunities for international players.  

Qatar numbers drop in post-World Cup lull

After years of doubt and criticism, Qatar’s construction market successfully delivered the infrastructure, stadiums and hotels needed to host the Fifa World Cup last year. 

The problem is, with that 10-year building programme now complete, there are few projects left for contractors to work on. This is most clearly shown in the 2023 contractor ranking by the local Urbacon Trading & Contracting Company’s numbers. 

This year, the firm has $1.8bn-worth of projects at the execution stage, which is significantly less than the $4.9bn it was working on in 2022.

To counter the decline in the domestic market, Urbacon is pursing opportunities internationally. The company recently secured two major contracts in Saudi Arabia for the construction of entertainment complexes. 

Other contractors are likely to pursue a similar strategy as they face fewer new Qatari projects moving into the construction phase in the near term. 

There is a hope that major schemes such as the Doha Bay Crossing and extensions to the metro will move ahead, however. If these schemes do progress, then they are likely to spend the next year in the design and tendering phases before they move into construction.

Gigaprojects shake up Saudi ranking

Saudi Arabia is the region’s most exciting construction market in 2023. After six years of planning, construction work is now well under way on the kingdom’s five gigaprojects – Neom, Qiddiya, The Red Sea, Roshn and Diriyah Gate – as well as on a host of other masterplan projects such as Sports Boulevard and King Salman Park.

As construction ramps up, logic would dictate that the value of projects that contractors are working on would also increase. Somewhat surprisingly, this has not been the case, and in the 2023 ranking, most of the top 10 are working on a lower value of projects than they were in 2022. 

This could be explained by the fact that several legacy projects in the kingdom have been completed in the past year, but it also suggests that while there is an expectation of a significant ramp-up in construction activity, it has not quite happened yet.

The top-ranked contractor, Nesma & Partners, shows this trend clearly. In 2022 it was working on $6.8bn of projects. In 2023 it is working on $5.3bn. 

The second-ranked Saudi Binladin Group has experienced a similar decline, with its total value falling from $6.5bn to $4bn. 

There are several explanations for this trend. Some say projects are moving into construction more slowly than expected as they get bogged down in the design phase, and that decision making at the senior level is hampering design and procurement decisions. Others say that the market is already operating at full capacity and can not take on more work. 

Some respite for the market is in sight. This year, the Public Investment Fund invested in four contractors: Almabani, Nesma, El-Seif Engineering & Construction and Al-Bawani. These firms are expected to grow rapidly and take a leading role in delivering projects for Vision 2030. 

Other companies are also expanding. One is the local Modern Building Leaders, which has entered the top 10 this year at number eight, with $2.3bn of work at the execution stage. Its main project wins have been the Royal Arts Complex in Riyadh and the expansion of Duba Port. 

With so many large projects expected to move into construction in the next year, there will be plenty of opportunities for contractors in Saudi Arabia to build up their order books. This should mean that the kingdom’s ranking will be a dynamic one in the years ahead. 

All change in the UAE construction market

The top 10 contractor ranking for the UAE shows a shift in the order of companies and the growing dominance of Abu Dhabi-based contractors, as well as a general decline in the value of projects being worked on. 

National Marine Dredging Company (NMDC) has taken the top spot with projects worth $2.3bn. The Abu Dhabi-listed contractor has moved up from fourth position in the 2022 ranking.

NMDC replaces Beijing-based China State Construction Engineering Corporation, which was at the top of the 2022 ranking with project values worth $2.6bn. The Chinese firm has dropped to third place this year with projects worth $1.6bn. Its fall from the top of the ranking can largely be explained by it completing a series of real estate projects in Dubai in the past year. 

China State’s orderbooks are expected to swell this year as Dubai’s property market remains buoyant and major projects start moving into construction. An example is Wasl’s Island project, which involves the construction of several high-end hotels on a man-made island close to Marsa al-Arab. 

Abu Dhabi-based Trojan General Contracting has moved up from the sixth position in 2022 to the second position in 2023, with project values worth $1.7bn. 

Another Abu Dhabi-based firm, Al-Amry Transport & General Contracting, has moved into the top 10 to occupy the fourth position in the 2023 raking, with $1.2bn of projects at the execution phase.

In fifth position is iBuild, which is working on $1.2bn of projects. The company is part of Innovo Holding UK, a London-registered firm with ownership links to ASGC, which occupied 10th position in the 2023 ranking with $774m of projects at the executions stage. 

Although they are separate companies, if iBuild and ASGC were taken together they would be working on $2bn-worth of projects and would occupy the second position in the ranking. 

Another contractor in the ranking that has gone through corporate change is Dubai-based Alec. Ranked seventh with $919m of work, it completed the acquisition of Abu Dhabi-based Target Engineering last year, giving it a foothold in the oil and gas market. Both Alec and Target now aim to double their turnover in the next five years, mostly with work from the UAE and Saudi Arabia.

MEED's 2023 top 10 GCC contractors 

 

https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/10710223/main.gif
Colin Foreman

Register for MEED's guest program now to access this article.

Click here to register
Exclusive from Meed
Related Articles
  • Abu Dhabi mends fences with Riyadh

    9 October 2026

     

    Ongoing political turmoil in the region may be prompting Abu Dhabi to review its approach to key diplomatic issues, not least its relations with its larger neighbour, Saudi Arabia.

    In late September, UAE Vice-President Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan travelled to Riyadh for talks with Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman and Defence Minister Prince Khalid Bin Salman. Such visits may have been commonplace in the past, but over the past year they have been relatively rare, given the friction between the two Gulf powers over issues such as the conflict zones of Yemen and Sudan, relations with Israel and economic rivalry.

    At the start of the year, the UAE retreated from Yemen under pressure from Riyadh, after the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council made rapid territorial gains at the expense of Saudi-backed groups and advanced close to the kingdom’s southern border.

    Since then, against the backdrop of the Iran war, relations have shown further signs of strain, with cross-border financial transactions reportedly being blocked or delayed.

    However, there have been intermittent attempts to present a more collegial relationship, such as in July, when a photo emerged on social media of Sheikh Mansour and Prince Khalid posing with their arms around each other, reportedly while on holiday in Europe.

    Yemen dynamics

    Gains by another group in Yemen may lie behind the latest rapprochement between Riyadh and Abu Dhabi. The visit by Sheikh Mansour on 29 September came in the wake of significant advances by the Houthis, who had recently captured Mokha port and strategically significant areas of land overlooking the Bab El-Mandeb Strait – heightening their ability to menace passing ships.

    Saudi Arabia has been leaning on its allies – particularly Pakistan and Turkiye – to support its campaign against the Houthis. It is unclear whether the UAE would be willing to get involved militarily in Yemen again, or whether Riyadh would be happy for it to do so, but it could still be a useful ally in the fight. Analysts have noted that UAE-backed forces have, over the years, had a far greater record than anyone else of scoring battleground victories against the Houthis.

    It is also notable that Mansour’s delegation to Riyadh included several senior security officials, including Ali Bin Hammad Al-Shamsi, secretary general of the Supreme Council for National Security; Ali Saeed Matar Al-Neyadi, chairman of the National Emergency, Crisis and Disaster Management Authority; and Nasser Humaid Al-Nuaimi, secretary general of the Tawazun Council for Defence Enablement.

    The visit was a surprise, given the GCC states’ lack of unified action this year amid the crises in Yemen and Iran. Speaking at an event in Washington in mid-September, Bernard Haykel, professor of Near Eastern Studies at Princeton University, noted that: “Despite the fact that [the GCC states] all face a common threat in Iran and its proxies, you still don’t see real coordination between them. You still have these differences between the Saudis and the UAE, for instance; you have differences between the Qataris and the UAE. If anything would have united them, this would be it. And you don’t see that kind of unity.”

    Writing for the Arab Gulf States Institute in early October, Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, a Baker Institute fellow for the Middle East at Rice University, said Mansour’s visit to Riyadh in late September was “likely meant to signal that the thaw [in bilateral relations] was real” and “designed to enable a more coordinated approach to managing the forces ranged against the Houthis in southern and central Yemen”.

    Further signs of warming ties came on 8 October, when UAE Investment Minister Mohamed Hassan Alsuwaidi signed a memorandum of understanding with Saudi Industry and Mineral Resources Minister Prince Abdulaziz Bin Salman covering power grid interconnections, trade in electricity and freight rail connectivity.

    On the same day, the Saudi ambassador to the UAE invited President Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan to attend a GCC-EU Summit in Saudi Arabia later in the month.

    Sheikh Mansour was not the only senior Emirati on diplomatic manoeuvres in recent weeks. The day after the vice-president was in Riyadh, national security adviser Sheikh Tahnoun Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan was in Muscat for talks with Sultan Haitham Bin Tariq Al-Said.

    Oman is a critical partner for the UAE in several areas. Omani ports have provided a trade lifeline for Emirati importers and exporters at a time when ports in Dubai and Abu Dhabi have been sidelined by Iran’s threats against shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Muscat’s approach of maintaining dialogue with all actors means it is also able to mediate with both Iran and Yemen’s Houthis.

    Strategic independence

    The flurry of diplomatic activity may be a sign of closer coordination between the UAE and its neighbours on some critical issues, but that does not necessarily herald a sea change in its approach.

    Speaking at the UN General Assembly in New York on 28 September, Minister of State Khalifa Shaheen Al-Marar reviewed the crises in Iran, Sudan, Gaza, Ukraine and elsewhere and said “the importance of developing and reforming regional and international multilateral institutions … remains paramount” – but while he name-checked the UN, he did not mention the GCC.

    It is also notable that the UAE has not yet joined either of the two security initiatives launched by Saudi Arabia during the summer: a maritime defence alliance designed to protect shipping in the Red Sea, or a mutual defence pact that Riyadh signed with Turkiye and Pakistan.

    In his speech to the UN, Al-Marar listed what he saw as the main pillars of the UAE’s national strength: “strategic independence” was the first item in his list.

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/20435670/main.gif
    Dominic Dudley
  • Abu Dhabi mends fences with Riyadh

    9 October 2026

     

    Ongoing political turmoil in the region may be prompting Abu Dhabi to review its approach to key diplomatic issues, not least its relations with its larger neighbour, Saudi Arabia.

    In late September, UAE Vice-President Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan travelled to Riyadh for talks with Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman and Defence Minister Prince Khalid Bin Salman. Such visits may have been commonplace in the past, but over the past year they have been relatively rare, given the friction between the two Gulf powers over issues such as the conflict zones of Yemen and Sudan, relations with Israel and economic rivalry.

    At the start of the year, the UAE retreated from Yemen under pressure from Riyadh, after the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council made rapid territorial gains at the expense of Saudi-backed groups and advanced close to the kingdom’s southern border.

    Since then, against the backdrop of the Iran war, relations have shown further signs of strain, with cross-border financial transactions reportedly being blocked or delayed.

    However, there have been intermittent attempts to present a more collegial relationship, such as in July, when a photo emerged on social media of Sheikh Mansour and Prince Khalid posing with their arms around each other, reportedly while on holiday in Europe.

    Yemen dynamics

    Gains by another group in Yemen may lie behind the latest rapprochement between Riyadh and Abu Dhabi. The visit by Sheikh Mansour on 29 September came in the wake of significant advances by the Houthis, who had recently captured Mokha port and strategically significant areas of land overlooking the Bab El-Mandeb Strait – heightening their ability to menace passing ships.

    Saudi Arabia has been leaning on its allies – particularly Pakistan and Turkiye – to support its campaign against the Houthis. It is unclear whether the UAE would be willing to get involved militarily in Yemen again, or whether Riyadh would be happy for it to do so, but it could still be a useful ally in the fight. Analysts have noted that UAE-backed forces have, over the years, had a far greater record than anyone else of scoring battleground victories against the Houthis.

    It is also notable that Mansour’s delegation to Riyadh included several senior security officials, including Ali Bin Hammad Al-Shamsi, secretary general of the Supreme Council for National Security; Ali Saeed Matar Al-Neyadi, chairman of the National Emergency, Crisis and Disaster Management Authority; and Nasser Humaid Al-Nuaimi, secretary general of the Tawazun Council for Defence Enablement.

    The visit was a surprise, given the GCC states’ lack of unified action this year amid the crises in Yemen and Iran. Speaking at an event in Washington in mid-September, Bernard Haykel, professor of Near Eastern Studies at Princeton University, noted that: “Despite the fact that [the GCC states] all face a common threat in Iran and its proxies, you still don’t see real coordination between them. You still have these differences between the Saudis and the UAE, for instance; you have differences between the Qataris and the UAE. If anything would have united them, this would be it. And you don’t see that kind of unity.”

    Writing for the Arab Gulf States Institute in early October, Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, a Baker Institute fellow for the Middle East at Rice University, said Mansour’s visit to Riyadh in late September was “likely meant to signal that the thaw [in bilateral relations] was real” and “designed to enable a more coordinated approach to managing the forces ranged against the Houthis in southern and central Yemen”.

    Further signs of warming ties came on 8 October, when UAE Investment Minister Mohamed Hassan Alsuwaidi signed a memorandum of understanding with Saudi Industry and Mineral Resources Minister Prince Abdulaziz Bin Salman covering power grid interconnections, trade in electricity and freight rail connectivity.

    On the same day, the Saudi ambassador to the UAE invited President Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan to attend a GCC-EU Summit in Saudi Arabia later in the month.

    Sheikh Mansour was not the only senior Emirati on diplomatic manoeuvres in recent weeks. The day after the vice-president was in Riyadh, national security adviser Sheikh Tahnoun Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan was in Muscat for talks with Sultan Haitham Bin Tariq Al-Said.

    Oman is a critical partner for the UAE in several areas. Omani ports have provided a trade lifeline for Emirati importers and exporters at a time when ports in Dubai and Abu Dhabi have been sidelined by Iran’s threats against shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Muscat’s approach of maintaining dialogue with all actors means it is also able to mediate with both Iran and Yemen’s Houthis.

    Strategic independence

    The flurry of diplomatic activity may be a sign of closer coordination between the UAE and its neighbours on some critical issues, but that does not necessarily herald a sea change in its approach.

    Speaking at the UN General Assembly in New York on 28 September, Minister of State Khalifa Shaheen Al-Marar reviewed the crises in Iran, Sudan, Gaza, Ukraine and elsewhere and said “the importance of developing and reforming regional and international multilateral institutions … remains paramount” – but while he name-checked the UN, he did not mention the GCC.

    It is also notable that the UAE has not yet joined either of the two security initiatives launched by Saudi Arabia during the summer: a maritime defence alliance designed to protect shipping in the Red Sea, or a mutual defence pact that Riyadh signed with Turkiye and Pakistan.

    In his speech to the UN, Al-Marar listed what he saw as the main pillars of the UAE’s national strength: “strategic independence” was the first item in his list.

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/20432716/main.gif
    Dominic Dudley
  • Adnoc secures Thailand LNG supply deal

    9 October 2026

    Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc) has secured a deal with Thailand-based energy and infrastructure company Gulf Group to supply 2 million tonnes a year of liquefied natural gas (LNG), with deliveries starting in 2027.

    The multi-year sale and purchase agreement (SPA), whose exact duration Adnoc did not disclose, builds on an initial LNG supply deal agreed between the two companies last year. The transaction was arranged through Adnoc’s integrated LNG marketing and trading platform, which was established in July within Abu Dhabi Global Market.

    The hub integrates the marketing operations of Adnoc subsidiaries Adnoc Gas and XRG with the trading activities of Adnoc Trading. It targets a combined portfolio of 47 million t/y of marketable LNG by 2035. Adnoc Trading has developed an active third-party trading portfolio over the past four years, operating from commercial offices in Abu Dhabi, Singapore and Geneva.

    ALSO READ: Adnoc signs energy agreements with Japan and South Korea

    Separately, Adnoc has secured offtake commitments covering approximately 90% of the 9.6 million-t/y capacity planned for its low-carbon Ruwais LNG project.

    In July, Adnoc signed a 15-year SPA with Japan’s Inpex Corporation for the supply of up to 1 million t/y from Ruwais. That contract marked Adnoc’s third long-term Ruwais supply agreement with a Japanese buyer, following deals with Osaka Gas and Mitsui & Co in March and April 2025, respectively. Together, the agreements with the three Japanese firms account for 2.4 million t/y – one-quarter of the terminal’s total capacity, which will be delivered across two 4.8 million-t/y liquefaction trains.

    Adnoc has also secured long-term Ruwais LNG supply agreements with Malaysia’s Petronas, Germany’s EnBW Energie Baden-Wurttemberg and SEFE (Securing Energy for Europe), China’s ENN Natural Gas, UK-based Shell and Indian Oil Corporation.

    Currently under construction in Ruwais Industrial City, Abu Dhabi, the facility is scheduled to begin commercial operations in 2028. Its commissioning will more than double Adnoc’s LNG production capacity to approximately 15 million t/y.

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/20421415/main4048.jpg
    Indrajit Sen
  • Fibrex wins $217m Abu Dhabi Seamont residences contract

    9 October 2026

    Register for MEED’s 14-day trial access 

    Abu Dhabi-based contractor Fibrex Construction Group has won an AED800m ($217m) contract to build the Seamont Autograph Collection Residences project, located on Al-Reem Island in the UAE capital.

    Abu Dhabi-based real estate developer Royal Development Holding, a subsidiary of Emirates Stallion Group, and local firm Saas Properties awarded the contract.

    The development comprises two 22-storey towers offering 497 residences, ranging from one- to four-bedroom apartments.

    The construction programme is scheduled to run for 27 months, with completion due in December 2028.

    Fibrex will begin mobilisation immediately, following the completion of enabling works this month, which were undertaken by Sharjah-based Swiss Pro Foundations.

    Dubai-based architectural firm Dewan Architects & Engineers is the project consultant.

    The contract marks another major win for the contractor. Last year, Dubai-based developer Nakheel awarded Fibrex a AED2.6bn ($708m) contract to build the Bay Villas project at Dubai Islands.

    That contract includes the construction of 636 villas.

    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/20420509/main.jpg
    Yasir Iqbal
  • Dubai picks contractor for Al-Maktoum airport terminal

    9 October 2026

     

    Dubai Aviation Engineering Projects (DAEP) has selected a contractor for an estimated AED10bn ($2.7bn) substructure package for the West Terminal, as part of the first phase of the $35bn expansion of Al-Maktoum International airport.

    A joint venture of Beijing-headquartered China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) and Abu Dhabi-based Tristar Engineering & Construction will execute the contract.

    According to a description on DAEP’s website, the expanded airport’s West Terminal will be a seven-level facility spanning 800,000 square metres, with annual capacity for 45 million passengers.

    The terminal will be the second of three planned terminals at Al-Maktoum International airport. It will connect to the airside via a 14-station automated people-mover (APM) system.

    In July, MEED exclusively reported that DAEP had awarded an estimated $1.5bn contract to a joint venture of Japan’s Mitsubishi Corporation and Indian contractor Larsen & Toubro for the APM system.

    The APM will run beneath the apron and terminal areas, using multiple tracks to transport passengers between terminals and concourses. Four underground stations are planned in the first phase, while the full airport development is expected to include 14 stations.

    The latest awards form part of a wider programme of contracts recently signed by DAEP, covering enabling works, the second runway, initial structural foundations for passenger terminals and concourse substructures.

    Upcoming awards

    In June 2026, DAEP said it will award construction contracts worth over AED55bn ($15bn) for Al-Maktoum International airport by the end of the year.

    At the time, DAEP said the planned awards included substructure works for the West Terminal, the fourth aircraft concourse and the baggage-handling system. The programme also included superstructure works for the West Terminal and the first, second and third aircraft concourses.

    The packages are expected to include long-span structural frameworks for buildings covering about 1.5 million square metres, infrastructure works for the southern airfield area, and power-generation and district-cooling plants supporting the construction programme.

    DAEP also plans to award façade and roofing packages in 2026.

    The Dubai Government approved updated designs and timelines for its largest construction project in April 2024. In September 2024, MEED exclusively reported that a team comprising Austria’s Coop Himmelb(l)au and Lebanon’s Dar Al-Handasah had been confirmed as lead masterplanning and design consultants for the Al-Maktoum International airport expansion.

    Construction of the airport is planned in three phases. Once complete, the airport will cover 70 square kilometres south of Dubai and include five parallel runways and 430 aircraft gates.

    It will be five times the size of Dubai International airport and is planned to have a passenger-handling capacity of 260 million passengers a year – the largest in the world. For cargo, it is planned to have the capacity to handle 12 million tonnes a year.

    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/20417755/main.jpg
    Yasir Iqbal