Kuwait bolsters Gulf projects index

09 November 2011

Seven new projects added to Kuwait’s index in early November

Contract awards

Biggest contract: $228m

Contract awarded to Canada’s Enerflex by the Oman Oil Company Exploration and Production to build a gas processing plant in the sultanate

$228m: Value of major contract awards

1: Number of contracts awarded

For further information visit www.meed.com/contracts

Strong growth in Kuwait resulted in the Gulf projects index increasing by 0.3 per cent to $2.5 trillion for the week up until 8 November.

The total value of projects planned or underway in Kuwait rose by 2.2 per cent to $172bn as seven new projects worth a total of $1.8bn were added to its index. The biggest of these new projects is the Electricity and Water Ministry’s estimated $400m Subiya power plant expansion scheme.

Oman’s projects index recorded the second largest increase in the Gulf, with the value of projects in the sultanate growing by 1.3 per cent to about $105bn. The main contributor to the growth was the addition of six new projects worth about $1.3bn, including the estimated $1bn Salalah Medical City deal.

Project updates
 Project NameProject Status
OmanSalalah Medical CityPlanned
UAETramway System II (Phase II)On hold
Saudi ArabiaJubail ammonia plant energy optimization projectConstruction
QatarGTL Plant DebottleneckingDesign
KuwaitAl-Mutlaa CityStudy
For further information visit www.meed.com/meedprojects

Saudi Arabia, the region’s biggest projects market, continued its steady growth as its index recorded growth of 0.2 per cent for the week. The growth can be attributed to the launch of 11 new projects worth an estimated total of $1.1bn. These include an estimated $300m soda ash and calcium chloride plant and the estimated $147m Al-Qassim University Hospital project.

With about $648bn of projects planned or underway, the kingdom’s projects market is now more than $41bn larger than the region’s second largest projects market, the UAE.

Upcoming tender deadlines
 ClientContractSubmission date
UAEAbu Dhabi Airports Company Midfield terminal13-Nov
OmanTransport and Communications Ministry Railway design   05-Dec
KuwaitDirectorate General of Civil AviationNew runway13-Dec
UAEAbu Dhabi Health Services Company (Seha) Al-Ain hospital15-Dec
Saudi Arabia Saline Water Conversion CorporationYanbu power lines24-Dec
For further information visit www.meed.com/tenders

Qatar and the UAE were the only countries to witness a decline in the value of their projects markets. Qatar’s projects sector recorded a fall of 0.1 per cent as the estimated budget on its Barzan Gas Development contract was reduced by about $300m. The UAE’s projects sector recorded a minor decline as the estimated $680m Etihad Towers development in Abu Dhabi was completed.

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