News and Analysis
Middle East business news and analysis and commentary across all sectors and countries.
News
Doosan wins $3.4bn power plant contract
Saudi Electricity Company selects South Korean company for 2,800MW oil-fired power plant
Al-Futtaim forms $1.6bn joint venture for Doha retail park
Development will be located near Doha International Airport
Egypt considers solar and gas hybrid plans
Projects could generate 300MW power
Kuwait University extends bid deadline for construction project
Winner will build service tunnels at the new Sabah al-Salem campus
Riyadh awards Ras al-Zour contracts
Local/Chinese consortium wins power package and South Korea’s Doosan to build desalination plant
Egypt to open financial bids for wind farm
Winning bidder to be selected by early-2011
Chinese to build Iranian railway
The Chinese Railroads Minister will travel to Tehran on 12 September to sign the contract
National Bank of Kuwait's rights issue to begin on 5 October
Issue aimed at supporting expansion plans
Gulf Technical Construction Company wins Abu Dhabi construction deal
Local firm will build labour accommodation building in Al-Dhafra
Petrochina invites bids for Halfaya oil field
The contract will last for two years
Bids opened for Oman power plant gas supply pipelines
Gulf Petrochemical Services & Trading bids low for pipeline contract
Dubai metro attracts 30 million user in first year
Trial runs of the trains on the Green line have now started
Second delay for Dubai Holding’s $555m loan repayment
Repayment delayed until 30 November
Kuwait extends bid deadline for university project
Submission date for construction contract is moved to 26 September
Local company selected for Saudi Arabia transmission contract
Contract includes installation of transmission lines in Mecca North
Analysis
Dubai Financial Market merger boosts Nasdaq Dubai
Some early signs of success from the Nasdaq Dubai-DFM merger could bolster arguments for further consolidation among Gulf stock markets
Saudi Arabia insurance companies: Sharpening the competitive edge
Legislative change and stronger regulation has driven massive growth in the kingdom’s insurance sector
Reshaping the Kuwait economy
Adel al-Roumi, president of the Partnerships Technical Bureau, is seeking to overhaul Kuwait’s economy by inviting the private sector to take on more responsibility
GCC food price concerns loom
Control over the cost of comestibles once again rises to the top of the agenda in the Gulf. The key to stabilising the region’s agribusiness could be in foreign land investment
Political tensions threaten security
The security situation in Iraq is much improved, but political deadlock threatens to undermine those gains
Agenda
Saudi Arabia: The Gulf’s construction heavyweight
Riyadh’s plans to spend $385bn over the coming five years will see it dominate the region’s projects market
Tenders
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Iran: Alumina
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Iraq: Oil storage and filling station
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Kuwait: Network project
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Bahrain: Housing construction (B)
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Iraq: Aluminium rods
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UAE: Rolling stock
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Kuwait: Correspondence, resource and licence system
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Iraq: Electrical cables
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Qatar: Industrial city bus services
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Bahrain: Housing construction (A)
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Iraq: Transformers
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Libya: Geochemical analysis
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Kuwait: Water production field lifting pipes
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Kuwait: Transformer station cleaning works
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Jordan: Solar water heater promotion consultancy
Comment
Saudi Arabia provides a bonanza for GCC contractors
The kingdom’s $385bn spending plan will ensure much-needed work.Gaining a foothold in the market will be a challenge for outsiders
Last Word
Only NOCs can fill the energy gap the Gulf of Mexico disaster will create
The oil’s stopped leaking in the Gulf of Mexico. But the ramifications of the Deepwater Horizon disaster will affect the oil industry for decades.
