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  • Libya announces $2.7bn Misurata Port expansion

    Administrator

    21 January 2026

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    Libya has announced the $2.7bn expansion of Misurata Port, led by Terminal Investment Limited.

    The consortium comprises Switzerland's Mediterranean Shipping Company and Qatari firm Maha Capital Partners.

    The project is being implemented under a public-private partnership model, and is the first of its kind in the country's non-oil sector

    The expansion aims to increase the port's container-handling capacity to 4 million containers a year.

    Misurata Free Zone (MFZ) is Libya’s largest free zone, spanning an area of 2,576 hectares.

    According to an MFZ statement, the expansion includes:

    • Expanding container-handling capacity to accommodate larger vessels and more complex logistics chains;  
    • Integrating port operations with MFZ’s industrial ecosystem to support small and medium-sized entities, manufacturing and value-added services;
    • Deploying modern terminal equipment and digital systems;  
    • Enhancing safety, performance and environmental standards in line with global benchmarks;
    • Creating long-term employment opportunities.

    The Libyan Prime Minister’s Office said the expanded port is expected to generate around $600m in annual operating revenues, create about 8,400 direct jobs and support nearly 60,000 indirect jobs.

    The investment scope includes:

    • Five ship-to-shore (STS) gantry cranes
    • 10 mobile harbour cranes 
    • Eight rubber-tired gantry (RTG) cranes  
    • 32 reach stackers
    • Eight other pieces of equipment, like trucks and forklifts

    The project's first phase will raise container-handling capacity to 1.5 million 20-foot equivalent units (TEU), increase throughput by 7% and develop and manage berths to 2,000 metres in total.

    It also includes installing six RTG cranes and three STS cranes, developing 56 acres of container yards, building a 2,096-square-metre (sq m) refrigerated container warehouse and constructing an additional 7,500 sq m facility.

    An advanced terminal operating system will also be implemented.

    The second phase will add a further 2.5 million TEUs of capacity, construct a 2,500-metre breakwater, build a new 1,200-metre berth and a new 60-acre container yard, and deepen the port to 17 metres.

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/15471059/main.jpg
    Yasir Iqbal
  • Ras Al-Khaimah awards sewage PPP contract

    Administrator

    20 January 2026

    A consortium of Abu Dhabi National Energy Company (Taqa), France’s Saur and the local Etihad Water & Electricity (Etihad WE) has signed a contract to develop and operate a wastewater treatment plant in the UAE’s northern emirate of Ras Al-Khaimah.

    The Rakwa wastewater infrastructure project is Ras Al-Khaimah’s first public-private partnership (PPP) for a sewage treatment plant.

    It is being developed in partnership with Ras Al-Khaimah’s Public Services Department and Investment & Development Office.

    The $120m project entails developing a wastewater treatment plant with a capacity of 60,000 cubic metres a day (cm/d), expandable to 150,000 cm/d. 

    On 9 January, MEED exclusively reported that the consortium was set to be awarded the contract. The consortium is being led by Ajman-based Emirates Utilities Development Company, a subsidiary of Etihad WE.

    US/India-based Synergy Consulting is the financial advisory consultant to Taqa and EtihadWE on this project.

    MEED previously reported that two bidding consortiums had submitted bids for the contract. The other bidding consortium comprised the UAE’s Metito Utilities and Omani firm Sogex.

    The scope of the build, own, operate and transfer scheme will include extensive sewerage and distribution works in addition to the main treatment plant.

    Future PPP project

    For its part, Etihad WE is preparing to procure another utility PPP project in Ras Al-Khaimah.

    The project involves expanding the capacity of an existing seawater reverse osmosis plant in Ghalilah, which became operational in 2015. 

    The state-owned utility recently appointed Austria’s ILF Consulting Engineers to provide technical advisory services for the project, which is expected to be tendered this year.

    If successfully procured, it will be the first independent water project in Ras Al-Khaimah.

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

    Saudi Arabia courts real estate investment; EVs and battery production are key regional tech themes; Muscat holds a steady growth course despite headwinds

    Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the January 2026 edition of MEED Business Review includes:

    > ECONOMIC ACTIVITY INDEX: UAE and Qatar emerge as markets to watch
    To see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click here
    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/15465691/main.jpg
    Mark Dowdall
  • Dubai tenders Al-Maktoum airport metro link

    Administrator

    20 January 2026

     

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    Dubai's Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) has invited consultants to bid for the design contract for the Route 2020 extension.

    The extended line will start from the Expo 2020 metro station and connect with Al-Maktoum International airport's West Terminal.

    The extension to the line will run for about 3 kilometres (km) and will feature two stations.

    MEED understands that the invitation to bid was issued earlier in January with a submission deadline of mid-March.

    The existing Route 2020 metro link is a 15km-long line branching off the existing Red Line at Jebel Ali metro station. The line comprises 11.8km of elevated tracks, 3.2km of tunnels, and has five elevated stations and two underground stations.

    In 2016, the RTA awarded the AED10.6bn ($2.9bn) design-and-build contract for the project to a consortium of Spain's Acciona, Turkiye's Gulermak and France's Alstom.

    Dubai's plans for its metro network do not stop with connecting the extension of the Route 2020 metro line to Al-Maktoum International airport. There are long-term plans for further extensions.

    Other metro projects

    In October last year, MEED exclusively reported that the RTA had selected US-based engineering firm Aecom to provide consultancy services for the upcoming Dubai Metro Gold Line project, also known as Metro Line 4.

    The Gold Line will start at Al-Ghubaiba in Bur Dubai. It will run parallel to – and alleviate pressure on – the existing Red Line, before heading inland to Business Bay, Meydan, Global Village and residential developments in Dubailand.

    The other metro lines in the pipeline are the Purple Line and the Pink Line, both of which are in the early stages of development.

    Firms are also bidding to update the emirate’s rail masterplan. Also in October 2025, MEED reported that 10 firms had submitted offers to undertake the project.

    The rail masterplan study will update and modify the RTA’s rail network, which includes the Dubai Metro and Dubai Tram. These plans will support Dubai’s 2040 urban masterplan, which aims for all residents to be within a 30-minute metro or light-rail trip to their place of work. 

    The existing network includes the Red and Green lines of the Dubai Metro and the Dubai Tram, which connects Al-Sufouh and Dubai Marina to the metro network. The last rail project to start operations in Dubai was the Red Line extension that opened for Expo 2020.

    There are also existing and planned rail lines connecting Dubai to other emirates that are being developed and operated by Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Rail. These include passenger and freight services as well as a high-speed rail connection.

    In December 2024, the RTA awarded a AED20.5bn main contract for the Dubai Metro Blue Line project to a consortium of Turkish firms Limak Holding and Mapa Group and the Hong Kong office of China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation.

    The Blue Line consists of 14 stations, including three interchange stations at Al-Jaddaf, Al-Rashidiya and International City 1, as well as a station in Dubai Creek Harbour. By 2040, daily ridership on the Blue Line is projected to reach 320,000 passengers. It will be the first Dubai Metro line to cross Dubai Creek and will do so on a 1,300-metre viaduct.

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

    Saudi Arabia courts real estate investment; EVs and battery production are key regional tech themes; Muscat holds a steady growth course despite headwinds

    Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the January 2026 edition of MEED Business Review includes:

    > ECONOMIC ACTIVITY INDEX: UAE and Qatar emerge as markets to watch
    To see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click here
    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/15465636/main.jpg
    Yasir Iqbal
  • Consultants appointed for Oman mountain destination

    Administrator

    19 January 2026

    London-headquartered engineering firm TP Bennett, Australia’s Robert Bird Group and local firm NJP Oman have been appointed to the design team for Al-Jabal Al-Aali – previously known as the Omani Mountain Destination – a new development on Jabal Al-Akhdar, 150 kilometres from Muscat.

    The destination, being developed by Oman’s Ministry of Housing & Urban Planning, will be the country’s highest-altitude development, at 2,400 metres above sea level.

    Canadian engineering firm AtkinsRealis has prepared the masterplan for the $2.4bn destination, which will include 2,537 housing units, 2,000 hotel rooms, and a health and wellness village called ‘The Vessel’. 

    There will also be a biodiversity centre, health and wellness areas, a high-altitude sports training centre, amphitheatres, museum and parks, and public spaces.

    The development will also include Wadi Al-Harbi Park. It will be served by a new cable-car system and other transport infrastructure under way in the area, including a new access road from the north.

    Oman has launched a series of cities and destinations as part of its Vision 2040.

    These projects form part of the Oman National Spatial Strategy (ONSS), which Sultan Haitham Bin Tariq approved in March 2021 to guide urban growth in the sultanate for the next 20 years.

    The ONSS, which sits within the Ministry of Housing & Urban Planning, is responsible for ensuring projects are located appropriately and for overseeing the development of a new generation of cities across the sultanate.

    The Al-Jabal Al-Aali project began as an idea when Sultan Haitham visited his assets in the area shortly after becoming sultan in 2020. After the visit, he decided to use his land to create a global destination.

    The altitude is crucial because it offers a cooler retreat for those seeking to escape the Gulf’s extreme summer heat.

    Traditionally, property ownership on the mountain was restricted to people from Jabal Al-Akhdar. Under the new development, property will be sold to other Omanis as well as foreign nationals.

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

    Saudi Arabia courts real estate investment; EVs and battery production are key regional tech themes; Muscat holds a steady growth course despite headwinds

    Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the January 2026 edition of MEED Business Review includes:

    > ECONOMIC ACTIVITY INDEX: UAE and Qatar emerge as markets to watch
    To see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click here
    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/15464386/main.gif
    Yasir Iqbal
  • Gas production from Jafurah is an inflexion point for Saudi Arabia

    Administrator

    19 January 2026

    Commentary
    Indrajit Sen
    Oil & gas editor

    Aramco starting gas production from the massive Jafurah unconventional resource base in December was a watershed moment for Saudi Arabia in its journey towards self-sufficiency in meeting burgeoning demand for natural gas from the kingdom’s industrial and household sectors.

    For Aramco, bringing the greenfield Jafurah gas processing plant online, with a production capacity of 450 million cubic feet a day (cf/d), is a significant leap forward in its quest to increase gas production and processing capacity by 80% by 2030, using 2021 as the baseline.

    Aramco had earlier stated it expected to start gas production at Jafurah in 2025, with the intention of progressively ramping up to 2 billion cf/d of sales gas, 420 million cf/d of ethane, and 630,000 barrels a day (b/d) of high-value liquids by 2030. The Saudi energy giant’s unconventional gas programme at peak production is expected to generate electricity equivalent to displacing 500,000 b/d of oil.

    Located in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province, the Jafurah basin is the largest liquid-rich shale gas play in the Middle East, spanning approximately 17,000 square kilometres. The reserve is estimated to contain 229 trillion cubic feet of gas and 75 billion stock-tank barrels of condensate.

    The gas processing plant commissioned in December represents the first phase of a mammoth $100bn capital expenditure programme that Riyadh has tasked Aramco with delivering to produce gas from the sprawling unconventional resource base.

    Aramco has moved swiftly through the subsequent expansion phases of the Jafurah gas development programme since receiving budget approval from Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman in February 2020.

    Engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) works on the second and third Jafurah expansion phases are at an advanced stage of execution. Aramco awarded 16 contracts, worth a combined total of about $12.4bn, for the second expansion phase in June 2024.

    The selection of contractors for the third expansion phase of the Jafurah development came within weeks of Aramco officially awarding EPC contracts for the second expansion phase. A consortium of Spanish contractor Tecnicas Reunidas and China’s Sinopec Group won the EPC contract for the third expansion phase, estimated to be worth $2.24bn, in July 2024.

    Looking ahead, Aramco is expected to award the main EPC contract for the fourth Jafurah expansion phase in the first quarter of this year, although the tendering exercise for the project has faced delays.

    Meanwhile, the bid evaluation process for the fourth expansion phase is under way as Aramco prepares to issue the main tender for EPC works on the fifth phase of the programme, having already completed the solicitation-of-interest process with contractors in November.

    In addition to progressing the successive expansion phases of the Jafurah gas development programme, Aramco also took a key step to financially de-risk the multi-phase scheme in late October by completing an $11bn lease-and-leaseback deal for gas processing facilities at the Jafurah field with a consortium led by funds managed by Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), part of US asset manager BlackRock.

    With strategic targets set and the backing of the Saudi government, Aramco is moving at pace and scale to unlock the enormous potential of the Jafurah unconventional gas reservoir and secure the kingdom’s economic future.

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/15454918/main1649.jpg
    Indrajit Sen
  • Chinese firm’s Riyadh skyscraper debut signals a shift

    Administrator

    16 January 2026

    Commentary
    Yasir Iqbal
    Construction writer

    Riyadh is in the middle of a skyline surge. The cranes are easy to spot. What’s easier to miss is the quieter change happening behind the scenes: who is actually designing these towers.

    In January, China Southwest Architectural Design & Research Institute (CSWADI) won a design contract for a two‑tower, roughly 110,000‑square‑metre mixed‑use development in northern Riyadh. The project sits near the bustling business district of King Abdullah Financial District and is guaranteed to be a highly visible feature on Riyadh’s skyline once built.

    The more interesting angle is what this represents. Chinese contractors are prominent players in the region’s construction industry. But a Chinese architecture and engineering consultancy leading the design of a skyscraper in Riyadh is a different move, possibly one of the first times a Chinese firm is properly leading the project from the outset in the Saudi capital.

    In hindsight, it makes sense. China has spent decades building skyscrapers at a pace the rest of the world has not matched. The sheer volume has created serious practical expertise that has shaped Chinese firms into strong players on the international stage.

    The shift is visible in the global consulting market as well. Western firms still dominate the top tier, especially for the statement architecture. But Chinese engineering and design groups have been climbing steadily in global rankings, helped by an integrated model that combines architecture with engineering and delivery discipline.

    For Riyadh, that approach bodes well as it boasts a strong pipeline of towers. The question, of course, is local fit. Can a firm shaped by China’s high-speed tower culture produce buildings that feel right for Riyadh? If it can, this will not look like a one-off. It will look like the start of a broader shift in who gets to shape the city’s skyline.

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/15454486/main.jpg
    Yasir Iqbal
  • Oman Ibri 3 solar IPP reaches financial close

    Administrator

    16 January 2026

    Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar) and its consortium partners have achieved financial close on the Ibri 3 solar independent power project (IPP) in Oman.

    The project is the sultanate’s first utility-scale solar photovoltaic plant integrated with battery energy storage.

    In a statement, Masdar said financing has been secured from Natixis Corporate & Investment Banking and First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB). The facilities will cover a substantial portion of the project’s total cost of about $300m.

    The Ibri 3 project will comprise a 500MW solar photovoltaic plant and a 100MWh battery energy storage system. It is being developed for Nama Power & Water Procurement (Nama PWP).

    The consortium developing the project includes Masdar, Korea Midland Power, and local firms Al-Khadra Partners and OQ Alternative Energy.

    The firms signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) with Nama PWP on 22 September, in a ceremony attended by Salim Bin Nasser Al-Aufi, energy and minerals minister.

    China Power Engineering Consulting Group (CPECC) signed the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract for the project in November.

    Once operational, the plant is expected to generate enough electricity to power around 33,000 homes. It will also avoid approximately 505,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions each year.

    The plant will be built in the wilayat of Ibri in Al-Dhahirah Governorate. It will be located on a 10 million-square-metre site next to the 500MW Ibri 2 solar IPP, which was inaugurated in January 2022.

    The project supports Oman Vision 2040, which includes a target to generate 30% of electricity from renewable sources by 2030.

    Commercial operations are scheduled for the first quarter of 2027.

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/15454675/main.jpg
    Mark Dowdall
  • Qatar enters 2026 with heady expectations

    Administrator

    16 January 2026

     

    Heading into 2026, Qatar is armed with the most optimistic real GDP growth forecast of any country in the region – a heady 6.1% growth rate, outstripping the closest GCC rival by a full percentage point, according to the IMF. It also represents a significant jump from Qatar’s 2.9% real GDP growth rate in 2025, for reasons that are fairly apparent.

    The near-term macroeconomic picture for Qatar is also extremely robust. Globally, natural gas demand returned to growth in 2024, and expansion continued in 2025. Natural gas prices likewise remain robust – more so than oil prices – and are now being supported by rising energy use associated with the global artificial intelligence data-centre build-out. Momentum in the non-hydrocarbon sector has also been steadily building, with growth surging to 4.4% year-on-year in the third quarter of 2025.

    The decisive catalyst, nevertheless, remains liquefied natural gas (LNG). Amid stable prices and rising demand, Qatar continues to expand capacity at pace. The phased start-up of the North Field East expansion – with its first train expected to enter service in mid-to-late 2026, and additional capacity coming online through 2027 – is expected to lift LNG output to 126 million tonnes a year, reinforcing gas’s dominance of Qatar’s export earnings while delivering higher cash flow and multiplier effects across the economy.

    Between Qatar’s hydrocarbon receipts and inbound investment on the one hand, and its relatively modest import requirements on the other, Doha is currently nurturing a double-digit current account balance. This is underpinned by LNG exports and steady demand from Asian partners, with China remaining Qatar’s largest trading counterpart. Despite its wide trade surplus, the country’s fiscal balance is nevertheless walking a tightrope between surplus and deficit as Doha commits every spare riyal to strategic spending.

    Capital expenditure

    Project spending in the country has been buoyant for the past five years, with an average of more than $20bn in contract awards annually and rising above $22bn in each of the past two years. This is a sharp step up from an average of $14bn in annual awards from 2016 to 2020. At the same time, project awards have outstripped completions, driving the total value of work under execution in the country up by $39bn over the past five years.

    In total, Qatar now has more than $100bn-worth of projects under execution – a level of active project work that is 25% higher than the UAE’s in terms of value per capita. Of this, roughly 80% is in the energy and industrial sectors, with the remainder divided among other sectors.

    In the energy sector, approximately $45bn in value is split across the North Field East, North Field South and North Field Production Sustainability schemes, highlighting the enormous investments being made in expanding gas production capacity. While Qatar has never stepped back from continuous hydrocarbon investment, current market conditions are clearly boosting confidence in both current and future investment in the gas sector.

    Looking ahead, there are similarly expansive developments to come, with a further $100bn-worth of projects moving through pre-execution. In addition to further gas sector work, including the $18bn North Field West scheme, there is also $38bn in upcoming transport projects, including $28bn in prospective rail expansion plans across both the Doha Metro and passenger and freight rail. This is in addition to $11bn in rail schemes currently under way across the Doha Metro and Lusail Light Rail.

    While Qatar’s economic diversification plans entail far more than just projects, the scale of project activity is turbocharging non-hydrocarbon growth. A buoyant projects sector attracts expertise, skilled workers and families, and boosts real estate, retail, leisure and the services economy.

    A year ago, MEED noted that Doha’s economy was re-emerging from its post-World Cup slump, and this trend has continued. As of mid-2025, accommodation and food services were expanding at double-digit rates. Inflation, by contrast, remains subdued. Consumer prices are estimated to have risen by just 1.4% in 2025 and, while a modest pick-up to 2.6% is expected in 2026, price stability remains one of Qatar’s quieter advantages.

    In 2026, the budget announced by the Ministry of Finance commits a further QR62.8bn ($17.2bn) of the QR220.8bn ($60.5bn) total spend to capital expenditure, up by 5% from QR210.2bn in 2025. It projects a modest deficit to be financed through debt issuance – a deliberate choice, rather than a necessity – demonstrating Doha’s firm commitment to counter-cyclical strategic spending.

    Anchoring this spending are both Qatar’s diversification-oriented National Vision 2030 and ongoing critical infrastructure plans. Ashghal’s five-year infrastructure programme (2025-29) totals QR81bn ($22.2bn). Social infrastructure plans also anticipate $7bn in school and hospital projects being awarded either this year or next – clear commitments to the education and social-welfare pillars of the 2030 vision.

    Governance shifts

    In the political landscape, the constitutional referendum of November 2024 marked a turn away from elected legislative representation after the 2021 elections led to social frictions. In October 2025, the Shura Council reverted to full appointment by the emir. The result is a structure that once again prioritises top-down policy execution, favouring agility over participatory experimentation.

    Businesses operating in the country face slightly stricter conditions. The Qatarisation Law, fully effective from April 2025, obliges private firms to prioritise Qatari nationals, tightening the labour market. The January 2025 introduction of a 15% global minimum tax for multinationals, meanwhile, aligns Qatar with OECD standards.

    Judicial reforms, including a specialised enforcement court and digitised auctions, aim to shorten dispute-resolution timelines, while an anti-corruption strategy spanning 2025 to 2030 seeks to institutionalise transparency across the public and private sectors.

    A keen eye for potential corruption is necessary as the Ministry of Finance schedules the launch of 4,464 tenders worth more than QR65bn under the Government Procurement Plan for 2026 – many structured to encourage public-private partnerships.

    Qatar’s two brushes with broader Middle East conflict in the past year – both the Iranian strike on the Al-Udeid Air Base in June in retaliation for US strikes on Iran, and the Israeli strike on a Doha suburb in September targeting Hamas political leaders – have, meanwhile, seen the country emerge with stronger security guarantees from the US.

    While there remains a chance that the US installation at Al-Udeid could draw Qatar back into tensions with Iran, for now the geopolitical ripples from last year have died down.

    The main thing on the horizon for Doha is exactly what the government has set out: ambitious spending, LNG growth, project sector expansion and an unswerving focus on using today’s gas receipts to build an economic ecosystem that endures.

    MEED’s February 2026 report on Qatar also includes:

    BANKING: Qatar banks search for growth
    OIL & GAS: QatarEnergy achieves strategic oil and gas goals in 2025
    POWER & WATER: Dukhan solar award drives Qatar’s utility sector
    CONSTRUCTION: Infrastructure investments underpin Qatar construction

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/15443749/main.gif
    John Bambridge
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