Giga-projects Saudi Arabia still needs consultants despite PwC ban Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund may have banned the global professional services giant PwC from any new advisory work for the next year, but the kingdom still needs all the help it can get, according to analysts. The country is spending billions of dollars on infrastructure and other projects as it attempts to diversify its […] March 13, 2025
Giga-projects Diriyah secures $1.6bn loan to back cultural destination Diriyah Company has secured a SAR6 billion ($1.6 billion) loan from Banque Saudi Fransi (BSF) to develop Wadi Safar, a 62 sq km cultural and tourism destination west of Riyadh. Wadi Safar is intended as an “exclusive residential development”, a statement read, “that will feature a selection of ultra-luxury hospitality, sports and leisure, and retail assets”. It […] March 13, 2025
Analysis Construction Saudi construction surge draws interest from around the world Brazil’s ProMarmo, a small family-owned supplier of marble, onyx and granite, has just two branches, both in the southern Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sol. After more than 20 years in business, the company is considering opening its third branch in none other than distant Saudi Arabia. Growing numbers of small construction companies, contractors […] March 6, 2025
Giga-projects Billionaire calls for review of Egyptian mega-projects Egyptian billionaire Naguib Sawiris said his country’s mega-projects should be reconsidered to save money as they require a lot of foreign currency. “I will be polite and I would say we have an overambitious president who is doing mega projects that are requiring a lot of foreign currency and we should have a second look […] February 27, 2025
Tourism Qiddiya to open Mercedes F1 experience centre An experience centre dedicated to high-performance Mercedes sports and F1 cars is being planned for Saudi Arabia’s Qiddiya sports and entertainment city, 20 miles west of Riyadh. The Mercedes-AMG World of Performance will cover 45,000 square metres across nine floors and include immersive attractions and exhibits focused on the car brand and its successful F1 […] February 20, 2025
Analysis Construction Ambitious plans accelerate Gulf construction costs Construction costs in Saudi Arabia and the UAE are in danger of accelerating over the next few years as both countries pour billions into infrastructure, energy and housing projects, observers have warned. Rises in the prices of steel, cement, glass, aluminium and components for air conditioning systems are driving the growth of building materials costs, […] February 18, 2025
Markets Mecca project developer targets $533m from Saudi listing Umm Al Qura for Development and Construction (Umm Al Qura), the developer of Masar, a mixed-use project in Mecca, expects to raise between SAR1.8 and SAR2 billion ($480-$533 million) through an initial public offering (IPO) on the Saudi stock exchange. The company has set the IPO price range between SAR14 and SAR15 per share. This month […] February 17, 2025
Infrastructure Neom spends $37bn on infrastructure development Saudi Arabia’s $500 billion giga-project Neom has spent more than SAR140 billion ($37 billion) on infrastructure development so far, a senior company executive has said. Several real estate projects are still under development, with work on infrastructure and utilities continuously progressing, chief development officer Denis Hickey told PIF Private Sector Forum last week. The developer has two […] February 17, 2025
Tech $5bn Neom data centre latest deal announced at Leap Saudi Arabia’s $500 billion futuristic giga-project Neom has signed a $5 billion deal to develop what it claims will be the world’s first fully sustainable data centre. The agreement was signed with the Saudi IT and technology company DataVolt. The data centre will be located at Oxagon, with the first phase having a capacity of […] February 11, 2025
Construction Dubai contractor Alec anticipates $500m IPO Dubai is hoping to raise up to $500 million from the initial public offering of Alec Engineering and Contracting, according to media reports. Alec, part of the Investment Corporation of Dubai’s portfolio, is behind some of the Gulf’s largest projects including the Wynn Resort in Ras Al Khaimah and the Qiddiya water theme park in […] February 5, 2025
Construction Contracts in Saudi Arabia rise 25% in value in 2024 The value of contracts issued by Saudi Arabia rose by almost a quarter year on year in 2024 to reach a record high of $146.8 billion. The kingdom accounted for more than half of all contracts issued across the GCC, which reached a new high of $273.2 billion, according to a report by the Kuwait-based […] January 30, 2025
Analysis Construction Mena construction industry braced for rise in disputes Construction professionals working in the Middle East and North Africa are bracing themselves for a surge in disputes, driven by delays, cost overruns and changes in scope, research has found. In a survey of Mena businesses including contractors and developers, more than 80 percent of the 95 respondents said they anticipated a rise in disputes […] January 28, 2025
Giga-projects Italian insurer guarantees $3bn Saudi giga-project loan Sace, an Italian state-owned insurance company, has guaranteed a multi-currency loan of $3 billion provided by nine international banks to support projects in Neom, Saudi Arabia’s $500 billion giga-project. The announcement coincided with an official visit by Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni to Saudi Arabia, where she and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman signed an […] January 27, 2025
Giga-projects Rising fuel and feedstock prices could fund Vision 2030 Higher feedstock and fuel prices introduced in Saudi Arabia are likely to play a part in funding the kingdom’s trillion-dollar Vision 2030 programme, according to a leading ratings agency. From the start of the month, the price of methane, the main component of natural gas and commonly used as a fuel in cement kilns, rose […] January 10, 2025
Construction ‘Few other nations have dared to attempt this’ Architects and engineers tell AGBI about the positives and pitfalls of Saudi Arabia's push to build it all, 'all at once' January 9, 2025
Analysis Giga-projects End of ‘blank cheque’ culture for Saudi consultancy Saudi consultancy worth $3.2bn Working on Vision 2030 Aims for 40% Saudi nationals Saudi Arabia remains a boom town for the global consultancy industry, but experts have warned it is no longer the land of milk and honey for internationa... January 8, 2025
Economy Saudi Arabia estimates 2025 budget funding at $37bn Saudi Arabia will need estimated funding of SAR139 billion ($37.02 billion) in 2025 to cover the potential budget deficit. Finance minister Mohammed Al Jadaan has approved the borrowing plan, the National Debt Management Cente said in a statement. The ministry anticipates a budget deficit of SAR101 billion for the year, with nearly SAR38 billion of […] January 6, 2025
Giga-projects Neom’s air taxi partner Volocopter files for insolvency Volocopter, the German air taxi developer backed by Saudi Arabia’s Neom giga-project, has filed for insolvency, blaming difficulties in securing fresh funding. The company, whose high-profile backers include Mercedes-Benz, Honeywell, Daimler, Intel and Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Group, said its operations would continue during the insolvency proceedings as it seeks new investors. The insolvency raises concerns […] December 31, 2024
Real Estate Seven awards $346m contract for new entertainment venue Saudi Arabian developer Seven is investing SAR1.3 billion ($346 million) to develop a new entertainment destination in the Jazan region. The development has been awarded to Riyadh-based Alfanar Projects. Located adjacent to the North Corniche Park along Jazan’s waterfront, it will span more than 60,000 sq m, with 73,000 sq m of built-up space. Designed […] December 18, 2024
Construction Diriyah begins second-phase work with $202m contract Diriyah Company, backed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, has awarded a SAR758.5 million ($202.2 million) contract to China Harbour Engineering Company for bulk excavation works in the second phase of the Diriyah giga-project. The excavation will span 6.3 sq km, covering much of the second phase of the 14 sq km development. More than 600 […] December 18, 2024
Giga-projects Neom invests in Danish robotics company Neom Investment Fund (NIF) has invested in a Danish robotics company that specialises in automation technology for the construction industry. NIF, the investment arm of Saudi Arabia’s $500 billion futuristic giga-project Neom, will put funding into GMT Robotics, which builds robotic systems for the rebar concrete-reinforcing sector. The value of the investment was not revealed. […] December 13, 2024
Analysis Sustainability Red Sea coral to get extra protection from tourists Saudi Arabia has vowed to implement a series of measures to protect its Red Sea coral reef over the next five years as it pushes ahead with major tourism projects in the area. But experts have warned that Saudi coral remains at risk, even with major spending policies. According to the National Red Sea Sustainability […] December 12, 2024
