Veolia to develop Rabat water desalination plant
31 October 2024
French water, waste and energy services firm Veolia has signed a memorandum of agreement with the Moroccan government to develop a seawater desalination plant in the North African state.
Veolia said in a statement that the water desalination plant, located near Rabat on the Atlantic coast and catering to the Rabat-Sale-Kenitra and Fes Meknes regions, can treat up to 822,000 cubic metres a day (cm/d) of seawater.
The project is one of close to two dozen deals involving French entities that were signed and announced on 28 October during French President Emmanuel Macron's visit to Rabat.
Veolia said the project will supply drinking water to regions "particularly affected by drought".
The project will be structured as a public-private partnership (PPP), with Veolia involved over 35 years in the construction, financing and operation of the plant.
The combined population of the four regions the plant will cater to is roughly 9.3 million.
Veolia said the initiative is part of the Moroccan national energy strategy, launched by King Mohammed VI, which aims to "strengthen water supply security and face the challenges of climate change".
First IWP
Morocco's first independent water project (IWP) in Casablanca is expected to reach financial close before the end of the year.
A developer team led by Spain's Acciona won the contract to develop the Casablanca IWP in November last year.
In addition to Acciona, local firms Afriquia Gaz and Green of Africa comprise the consortium that will develop, invest in, build and operate the project.
The proposed Grand Casablanca seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) project has a design capacity of 548,000 cm/d.
The build, operate and transfer contract is for 30 years, including a three-year construction period and 27 years of operation and management. According to industry sources, the contract is valued at €800m ($875m). The team submitted a bid of MD4.48 ($cents43.89) a cubic metre ($c/cm) for the contract.
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Siemens Energy wins $1.6bn Saudi deal
13 March 2025
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Chinese engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor Harbin Electric International has awarded Germany’s Siemens Energy a contract to supply combined-cycle gas turbine (CCGT) units for the Rumah 2 and Nairiyah 2 independent power projects (IPPs) in Saudi Arabia.
The Rumah 2 and Nairiyah 2 CCGT plants will each have a capacity of roughly 1,800MW, requiring an estimated investment of $2bn each.
The value of the contract Siemens Energy won is $1.6bn.
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Photo credit: Siemens Energy
READ THE MARCH MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – clck here to view PDFChinese contractors win record market share; Cairo grapples with political and fiscal challenges; Stronger upstream project spending beckons in 2025
Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the March 2025 edition of MEED Business Review includes:
> AGENDA 1: Chinese firms dominate region’s projects market> AGENDA 2: China construction at pivotal juncture> UPSTREAM 1: Offshore oil and gas sees steady capex> UPSTREAM 2: Saudi Arabia to retain upstream dominance> DIRIYAH: Diriyah CEO sets the record straight> SAUDI POWER: Saudi power projects hit record high> AUTOMOTIVE: Saudi Arabia gears up to lead Gulf’s automotive sector> EGYPT: Egypt battles structural issues> GULF PROJECTS INDEX: Gulf hits six-month growth streak> CONTRACT AWARDS: High-value deals signed in power and industrial sectors> ECONOMIC DATA: Data drives regional projectsTo see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click herehttps://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/13483115/main.jpg -
Chinese builders go global
13 March 2025
Commentary
Colin Foreman
EditorRead the March MEED Business Review
It is difficult to fathom the scale of growth experienced by China’s construction sector over the past 20 years. Since 2004, it has grown by over 800%, with a compound annual growth rate of 11% to reach an estimated value of $4.5tn.
That success has created contractors that are now the largest construction companies on the planet. According to GlobalData, seven Chinese companies are among the top 10 largest construction companies in the world, with China State Construction Engineering Corporation topping the list with revenues of $320bn.
In the Middle East and North Africa, Chinese contractors dominated in 2024 by securing $90bn of the $347bn of contracts awarded, according to data from MEED Projects.
The region’s active projects market has created unprecedented demand for contractors. Most notably, project clients in Saudi Arabia have been actively courting international construction companies to come and work in the kingdom.
Many international contractors exited the region over the past decade, which has meant Chinese contractors have had little competition as they stepped in to fill the void and deliver crucial projects.
On top of exploiting the shifting competitive landscape, Chinese successes have been able to meet the budgetary requirements of many projects, offering cost-effective solutions and even providing financing.
At the same time, the maturing Chinese economy has driven contractors to seek opportunities abroad. With a slowing domestic real estate market, they are turning to international markets for growth. The Middle East presents an attractive option due to its wide range of projects, backed by financially secure clients and governments.
The scale of the contractors and the large number of players yet to meaningfully venture overseas means they possess the ability to grow even further in the Middle East and North Africa as the region continues to press ahead with large-scale projects that require vast resources.
Register for MEED’s 14-day trial access
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Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the March 2025 edition of MEED Business Review includes:
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