WEBINAR: US tariffs and their impact on GCC projects
9 April 2025
Date & time: 17 April (Thursday) at 11:00 AM GST
Agenda:
1. What tariffs have been implemented by the US on the GCC
2. What do the tariffs mean for GCC businesses
3. The immediate economic impact of them
4. How will the region suffer or benefit from the tariffs
5. The impact of tariffs and the oil price fall on capital expenditure in different sectors, real estate activity and commodities pricing
6. The long-term outlook and structural adjustments
7. Q&A session
Watch: A first glance at the impact of US tariffs on the GCC and its projects market by MEED industry experts
Click here to register for the webinar
Hosted by: Edward James, head of content and analysis at MEED
A well-known and respected thought leader in Mena affairs, Edward James has been with MEED for more than 19 years, working as a researcher, consultant and content director. Today he heads up all content and research produced by the MEED group. His specific areas of expertise are construction, hydrocarbons, power and water, and the petrochemicals market. He is considered one of the world’s foremost experts on the Mena projects market. He is a regular guest commentator on Middle East issues for news channels such as the BBC, CNN and ABC News and is a regular speaker at events in the region.
Colin Foreman, editor of MEED
Colin Foreman is editor and a specialist construction journalist for news and analysis on MEED.com and the MEED Business Review magazine. He has been reporting on the region since 2003, specialising in the construction sector and its impact on the broader economy. He has reported exclusively on a wide range of projects across the region including Dubai Metro, the Burj Khalifa, Jeddah Airport, Doha Metro, Hamad International airport and Yas Island. Before joining MEED, Colin reported on the construction sector in the Middle East and Hong Kong.
Exclusive from Meed
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Jordan tenders advisory for wastewater treatment plant9 September 2026
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Medina’s KEC signs real estate project development deal9 September 2026
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Morocco signs agreement for synthetic fuel complex9 September 2026
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Iraq solar package on track to come online in December9 September 2026
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Saudi water sector hits sharp slowdown8 September 2026
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Related Articles
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Jordan tenders advisory for wastewater treatment plant9 September 2026
The Water Authority Jordan (WAJ) has issued an invitation to prequalify for advisory services for the rehabilitation and expansion of the Shallala wastewater treatment plant in Irbid, northern Jordan.
The Shallala plant was commissioned in 2013 with a design capacity of about 14,000 cubic metres a day (cm/d).
The rehabilitation and expansion project will increase its treatment capacity to about 30,500 cm/d to meet projected wastewater flows through 2050.
The PIU Support and Construction Supervision Consultancy Services tender was released on 19 August.
The submission deadline is 21 September.
The consultancy will support the project implementation unit and provide construction supervision services for the project. The project has an estimated value of $69m and is being financed by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.
The planned works include rehabilitating the existing activated sludge and treatment units and constructing a new treatment train.
The scope also includes installing biogas combined heat and power units, improving sludge handling and dewatering systems, and installing odour control and chemical containment systems.
WAJ is also undertaking the upgrade and expansion of the Ain Ghazal wastewater treatment plant in Amman.
The existing facility had a capacity of 330,000 cm/d and is being upgraded to 726,712 cm/d to accept and treat expected incoming flows until 2045.
The local Arab Towers Contracting Company was appointed as the main contractor for the project last year.
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/19498520/main.jpg -
Medina’s KEC signs real estate project development deal9 September 2026
Medina’s Knowledge Economic City (KEC) has signed an agreement with Riyadh-based Kaden Investment Company to develop a mixed-use project in Medina.
The project will have an estimated gross floor area of about 230,000 square metres (sq m).
According to a statement filed by KEC with the Saudi Exchange (Tadawul), the project – called Multaqa Al-Madinah 2 – will be built on a 92,000 sq m plot located directly north of the first phase of the Multaqa Al-Madinah development.
It is expected to include about 1,527 residential units across three residential zones, along with commercial and office space totalling about 31,108 sq m of net leasable area.
It will also feature parking, recreational and service facilities, landscaping and other supporting infrastructure.
KEC and Kaden intend to deliver the project through a closed-ended real estate investment fund regulated by Saudi Arabia’s Capital Market Authority.
Under the proposed structure, KEC will contribute the land as an in-kind contribution and hold 75% of the fund units, while Kaden will contribute cash and hold the remaining 25%.
Kaden will also serve as the development manager.
KEC said the land has been initially valued at about SR692.3m ($184.6m), while the total equity required for the project is estimated at around SR833m.
Once final agreements are signed, KEC expects to receive SR67.7m in cash and fund units valued at approximately SR624.6m.
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/19492407/main.png -
Morocco signs agreement for synthetic fuel complex9 September 2026
Switzerland-based Synhelion has signed an agreement with the Government of Morocco with the aim of developing a large-scale commercial synthetic fuel plant in the country’s southern Tan-Tan province.
The memorandum of understanding (MoU) relates to a facility with the capacity to produce 100,000 tonnes a year of fuel, according to a statement released by the company.
Synhelion has secured land for the project site and established a subsidiary in Morocco to develop the fuel complex.
Gianluca Ambrosetti, one of Synhelion’s co-chief executives, said: “Morocco’s exceptional renewable energy resources and its clear industrial strategy make it an ideal location for scaling our synthetic fuel technology.
“With the MoU signed, the land reservation secured and our branch in place, we are moving from evaluation to execution and toward our first commercial-scale plant in the region.”
Synhelion specialises in producing hydrocarbon fuels using renewable energy. Its products include synthetic jet fuel, gasoline and diesel.
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/19489903/main.jpg -
Iraq solar package on track to come online in December9 September 2026

The 1,000MW solar photovoltaic project in Artawi – also called Ratawi – in southern Iraq is on track for its second phase to come online on 8 December, according to industry sources.
This phase has a capacity of 250MW and will bring the project’s total online capacity to 500MW.
The first phase of the project, also with a capacity of 250MW, came online in March this year.
The third and fourth phases, each with a capacity of 250MW, are expected to be brought online next year.
The solar project is part of the broader Gas Growth Integrated Project (GGIP), which has an estimated total value of $27bn and a first phase worth an estimated $10bn.
The solar project’s ownership differs from the headline GGIP ownership structure, with its ownership equally divided between France’s TotalEnergies and QatarEnergy.
The wider GGIP consortium includes TotalEnergies, Iraq’s Basra Oil Company and QatarEnergy, which hold stakes of 45%, 30% and 25%, respectively.
China Energy Engineering Corporation is part of a consortium that is executing the main engineering, procurement and construction contract for the project.
It announced that the first 250MW of capacity had been connected to the grid on 4 March this year.
The consortium also includes China Energy Engineering Group Tianjin Electric Power Construction Company and Chengdu-headquartered Southwest Electric Power Design Institute Company.
The project scope includes:
- Construction of a substation
- Installation of a 132kV booster station
- Installation of solar panels
- Installation of transformers
- Laying of transmission lines
- Construction of related infrastructure
In February 2025, Basra Investment Commission director Alaa Abdul Hussein said the solar plant had an estimated total value of $820m.
The GGIP programme is focused on developing four major projects in Iraq:
- The Common Seawater Supply Project (CSSP)
- The Ratawi gas processing complex
- The 1GW solar power project for Iraq’s electricity ministry
- A field development project at Ratawi, known as the Associated Gas Upstream Project (AGUP)
All four of these projects are currently under execution, though there have been some delays related to the regional war that started when the US and Israel attacked Iran on 28 February.
The conflict has caused significant disruption to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, which Iraq uses to export crude oil and import equipment and materials for projects.
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/19489818/main.jpg -
Saudi water sector hits sharp slowdown8 September 2026

Saudi Arabia’s water sector has recorded a sharp slowdown in contract awards this year, with $3.94bn of new contracts awarded as of early September.
According to regional project tracker MEED Projects, this is well below the $10.7bn recorded in 2025, $13bn in 2024 and a record $15.3bn in 2023.
The slowdown comes as several major projects remain in the procurement process, with some yet to reach financial close or contract award, while tender deadlines for other schemes have been pushed back.
Among the largest is the estimated $2bn Riyadh-Qassim independent water transmission pipeline. The 859-kilometre project will have a transmission capacity of 685,000 cubic metres a day (cm/d). Vision Invest was selected as the preferred bidder last December; however, more than eight months later, an official developer’s agreement has not yet been signed.
Similarly, the Arana and Hadda independent sewage treatment plant (ISTP) projects have yet to reach the financial close originally targeted for the second quarter. The two schemes will provide a combined treatment capacity of 350,000 cm/d.
Delays extend further down the procurement pipeline. The latest developer bid deadline for the estimated $150m Riyadh East ISTP is 29 September, almost a year after the request for proposals (RFP) was issued in October 2025.
Procurement for the main contracts for the Jubail-Buraidah and Ras Mohaisen-Baha-Mecca independent water transmission system projects could also slip into 2027, amid delivery-model changes by Water Transmission Company.
New awards
The market received a boost in September when Saudi Arabia’s National Water Company (NWC) announced it had signed a SR1.3bn ($347m) deal with a Saudi-Chinese consortium for package 10 of its long-term operations and maintenance programme.
The consortium – comprising China’s Jiangsu United Water Technology and Saudi-based Armada Holding – will rehabilitate, operate and maintain nine sewage treatment plants (STPs) with a combined design capacity of more than 337,000 cm/d. Based on the latest procurement timeline, it is unclear whether the selected consortium for package 11 will be formally announced this year. Packages 12 and 14 remain under tender while package 16 is next in line, with its RFP not expected to be issued before November.
NWC is the second-largest awarding entity by value in 2026, accounting for $1.09bn, or about 28% of the total. Saudi Aramco is the largest, with $2.15bn, meaning the two organisations account for more than 82% of awards so far this year.
Aramco’s activity has been led by two major oil field developments. In June, it awarded the $1.5bn Safaniya onshore surface facilities project: package 1 to a joint venture of Tecnimont and Consolidated Contractors Company. The package includes a water treatment and injection plant supporting upstream production.
It also awarded the second phase of its Zuluf water treatment project to a joint venture of Almar Water Solutions and AlJomaih Energy & Water. The project will add a 308,000-cm/d treatment facility at Tanajib in the Eastern Province, supplying water for injection at the offshore Zuluf oil field.
The concentration of awards in industrial projects this year has been notable. Against the slowdown in municipal water infrastructure procurement, much of the value awarded so far has been linked to the water requirements of oil and gas and mining developments.
The third-largest award is the $350m Taif Ar Rjum water pipeline project, being developed by Saudi Arabian Mining Company (Maaden) in Mecca. The project will support the Ar Rjum gold mining and processing facility and is being developed under a build-own-operate-transfer model.
By project type, treatment projects make up the largest share of awards, at $2.85bn or about 72% of the total. Transmission projects account for $980m and cooling projects for a further $110m, while no major desalination or water storage contracts have been awarded so far this year.
Project pipeline
The slowdown in awards appears to reflect the timing of projects moving through procurement rather than a fundamental weakening in demand for water infrastructure.
Saudi Arabia continues to face rising demand for desalination, wastewater treatment and water transmission as population growth and industrial expansion drive demand for water.
Sharakat, formerly Saudi Water Partnership Company, set out the next phase of the kingdom’s water investment programme in its latest seven-year statement, published in March.
The plan points to a significant expansion in desalination capacity. Capacity from Sharakat-procured projects is expected to increase from about 3.88 million cm/d in 2025 to roughly 7.18 million cm/d by 2031.
The increase will be supported by seven new independent water plants (IWPs) with a combined capacity of about 2.8 million cm/d, in addition to projects already operating, under construction or in procurement.
However, several of the planned projects have yet to move into active procurement, while others have seen their expected timelines pushed back.
Among the schemes affected are the Ras Al-Khair, Tabuk, Shuqaiq and Jizan IWPs, which have all progressed through prequalification, but have seen changes to their expected procurement schedules.
The largest is phase two of the Ras Al-Khair IWP, a 600,000-cm/d reverse osmosis desalination plant that has been in development for more than a decade.
The revised schedule indicates that the $400m Al-Shuqaiq 4 IWP is expected to be the first of the seven new plants to reach commercial operation. Its main contract had been expected to be tendered later this year, but it is now understood that the first RFP will not be issued until early 2027.
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