In a recent column for Construction Week, engineering consultancy WME’s Group Managing Director Peyman Mohajer affirmed positively that the industry can look forward to the coming year with “increased confidence”. As we inch towards the close of this year, this statement continues to strongly reflect the past bustling construction activity in the industry.
Construction Week lists – in no particular order or ranking – the major contracts secured for diverse projects in the sector for the month of November 2021. The contracts have been won for Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Qatar, UAE, Iraq, and Egypt, covering varied scopes of work including district cooling, design, construction, and more.
Some of the companies that stood out with their contract awards for the month were AECOM, Hassan Allam Construction, Saipem, Hill International, Foster + Partners, among others.
The Middle East’s top construction contracts of November 2021 were:
- First integrated logistics park at Jeddah Islamic Port
Agreement signed between: A.P. Moller – Maersk and Saudi Ports Authority (Mawani)
Scope of work: To set up an integrated logistics park at the Jeddah Islamic Port
A.P. Moller – Maersk, global integrator of container logistics has signed an agreement with Saudi Ports Authority (Mawani) committing to an investment of $136m (SAR510m) over a period of 25 years to accelerate this project. The greenfield project spread over an area of 205,000m2 will be the first of its kind at the Jeddah Islamic Port offering an array of solutions with an aim to connect and simplify the supply chains of importers and exporters in the Kingdom.
Maersk will also be investing heavily in renewable energy to power this facility and eventually achieve carbon-neutrality.
The project is expected to create more than 2,500 direct and indirect jobs in Saudi Arabia.
2. District cooling of Dubai International Airport
Project cost: $299m
Contract awarded by: Dubai International Airport
Contract awarded to: Empower
Scope of work: District cooling services
The Emirates Central Cooling Systems Corporation (Empower), the world’s largest district cooling services provider, signed this month, an agreement to acquire the district cooling systems of Dubai International Airport.
The district cooling systems were acquired for a total value of $299m (AED1.1bn), through a combination of internal accruals and debt financing from local and international banks.
3. SPARK appoints SAPCO to deliver power services to investors
Contract awarded by: SPARK Utilities
Contract awarded to: SAPCO
Scope of work: Manage power infrastructure at Saudi Aramco Power Company (SPARK)
SPARK Utilities has appointed SAPCO as operation and maintenance services provider to manage power infrastructure and services at Saudi Aramco Power Company (SPARK)
With the first phase of development nearly complete, SPARK has established SPARK Utilities; a subsidiary company to distribute power, water, and gas distribution within the city and to manage the utilities infrastructure at international standards.
4. Foster + Partners wins contract to design luxury residential project in Dubai
Contract awarded by: Alpago Group
Contract awarded to: Foster + Partners
Scope of work: Design
Alpago Group, a Dubai-based conglomerate specialising in the ultra-high-end segment in the Middle East and Europe, recently appointed British firm Foster + Partners to design its newest luxury residential project in Dubai.
Located at the West Beach, The Palm, the 10-unit ‘Palm Flower’ development by Alpago Properties features one residential unit per floor. Each unit encompasses from 9,000 to 18,300 square-feet and features an expansive double-height living space.
5. Downtown Sulaymaniyah in Iraq
Contract awarded by: Hiwa Rauf Investment & Development (HRID)
Contract awarded to: Hill International
Scope of work: To support the selection of an international design consultant and manage, review and verify, as well as cost manage Downtown Sulaymaniyah in Iraq.
The 100,000m2 Downtown Sulaymaniyah will consist of residential, commercial, hotel and retail facilities.
Planned facilities include a maximum of 1,200 residential units, four-star hotels with approximately 150 keys, a 60,000m2 retail area, and a commercial area with about 9,000 m2 of lettable space. The project will also include landscaping and green areas.
6. Armenia’s largest solar power plant
Agreement signed between: Masdar and Government of the Republic of Armenia
Scope of work: To develop a 200-megawatt (MW) solar photovoltaic (PV) plant
The Ayg-1 project will be Armenia’s largest utility-scale solar plant and will be developed by Masdar – in cooperation with – the Government of the Republic of Armenia.
The Ayg-1 project will be developed on a design, finance, build, own, and operate (DFBOO) basis and the project company will be 85% owned by Masdar, with the Armenian National Interests Fund, (ANIF, a government owned investment vehicle) holding 15%. In July, the Armenian Government announced that Masdar was the winning bidder for the project, having submitted a tariff of US$0.0290 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) in a competitive process.
7. New cruise infrastructure in Bahrain
Agreement signed between: AD Ports Group, Diyar Al Muharraq and the Eagle Hills Diyar Company
Scope of work: To develop and operate new cruise infrastructure in Bahrain
Building on the country’s potential to become the fourth high-performing cruise destination in the Arabian Gulf, the initial stage of the collaboration will involve a series of feasibility studies aimed at identifying avenues of investment, as well as the development of new infrastructure and services.
In addition to locating a viable site for the proposed cruise terminal, which will substantially enhance Bahrain’s current cruise offerings, AD Ports Group has also been awarded the responsibility of overseeing the new facility’s daily operation upon its completion.
8. 250km sewage line along with 4,825 collection basins in Jordan
Agreement signed between: Hassan Allam Holding and Water Authority of Jordan
Scope of work: Construction
Hassan Allam Holding recently inked a new agreement with the Water Authority of Jordan, which will see its subsidiary Hassan Allam Construction execute the group’s first ever project in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.
The project will see the construction of a 250km sewage line along with 4,825 collection basins and their accompanying connections.
Furthermore, the project will seek to improve sanitation services to the Irbid region’s 200 thousand citizens and forms part of the government’s strategy to fortify northern Jordan’s sanitation network.
Construction works on the project are set to begin in January 2022.
9. Jafurah gas field
Contract awarded by: Saudi Aramco
Contract awarded to: Saipem
Scope of work: Construction of a hydrocarbon collection system and the transport of gas and condensate to the new Jafurah plant
The project, which is on the Jafurah Development Program in Saudi Arabia, involves the construction of a hydrocarbon collection system and the transport of gas and condensate to the new Jafurah plant, in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia.
Saipem will also build a system to transport water associated with the separation of the treated gas.
The EPC (Engineering, Procurement, Construction) contract includes the engineering, supply of materials, construction, and commissioning of approximately 835km of pipelines for the transportation of gas, condensate and production water.
10. Ashghal’s Local Roads and Drainage Program
Contract awarded by: Qatar’s Public Works Authority [Ashghal]
Contract awarded to: AECOM
Scope of work: Four-year secondment contract
Infrastructure consulting firm AECOM recently was awarded a four-year secondment contract with Ashghal, Qatar’s Public Works Authority.
As part of the contract, AECOM will second 200 professional staff members to work within Ashghal’s Roads Projects Department. They will provide management and oversight of Ashghal’s Local Roads and Drainage Program, which is responsible for developing infrastructure that raises the standard of living for all residents
AECOM’s secondees will support the further modernisation and expansion of Qatar’s surface transport network, improving its accessibility, safety, and sustainability for all users.