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MEED's Top 100 GCC projects: The full list from 1 -


100
Supplement: The MEED Projects Top 100

The GCC’s 100 biggest projects account for more than half the total value of all projects under way in the
region. They are changing the face of the Middle East and laying foundations for sustainable growth.

1 King Abdullah Economic City

• Client: Emaar, The Economic City


• Sector: Real estate
• Stage: Under construction
• Budget: $93bn
• Completion date: Q4 2029
• Location: Rabigh, Western Region, Saudi Arabia

Part of Saudi Arabia’s plans to diversify its economy by building a string of new cities around the country,
King Abdullah Economic City will cover an area of 168 square kilometres and, it is hoped, provide up to
1 million jobs and homes for 2 million people. The city is located on the Red Sea coast, close to Mecca,
Medina and Jeddah, and will have a sea port able to handle up to 10 million 20-foot equivalent units, as
well as industrial and business districts, a waterfront resort area and residential zones. Among the other

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major elements to the project are a $5bn aluminium smelter, a $4bn education zone offering primary-
and secondary-level schooling, as well as a university and a $1bn international airport at Rabigh. Up to
25,000 hotel rooms are planned for the city, spread across more than 120 hotels. The central business
district will include a 140,000 sq metre financial district.

2 Madinat al-Hareer (City of Silk)

• Client: Government of Kuwait


• Sector: Real estate
• Stage: Design
• Budget: $77bn
• Completion date: Q4 2030
• Location: Subiya, Kuwait

The mixed-use City of Silk development will cover an area of 250 sq km. It was originally planned to
provide homes for up to 700,000 people, although this figure is expected to be revised as a result of the
economic slowdown. The project is located in Subiya, in northern Kuwait. Among the major elements of
the project is a 200-plus-storey, 1,001-metre-high Mubarak al-Kabir tower, which will be the world’s
tallest when built. The city will be divided into four zones: The City of Commerce; the City of Leisure &
Recreation; the City of Ecology; and the City of Diplomacy & Education. The project’s main local
sponsors, Tamdeen Real Estate and Ajial Real Estate, have proposed a wholly owned state company be
set up to develop the project.

3 Capital District

• Client: Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council


• Sector: Real Estate
• Stage: Under construction
• Budget: $40bn
• Completion date: Q1 2015
• Location: Abu Dhabi, UAE

The Capital District will be an administrative and educational hub for the UAE, housing federal ministries
and foreign embassies, as well as think tanks, universities and schools in the centre of the federal capital.
It is located to the south of the existing Abu Dhabi city centre and is being developed as part of the Abu
Dhabi 2030 economic strategy. At the heart of the new district will be a federal precinct that will serve as
the national seat of government. There will also be a central business district, providing space for
150,000 office workers, a 65,000-seat stadium, exhibition and conference space, as well as up to 1,000
hotel rooms. The residential neighbourhoods will cover 3 sq km and offer housing for 68,000 people.

4= Al-Reem Island

• Client: Sorouh Real Estate; Tamouh Investments; Reem Investments


• Sector: Real Estate
• Stage: Under construction
• Budget: $37bn
• Completion date: Q1 2023
• Location: Abu Dhabi, UAE

The Al-Reem Island development in Abu Dhabi will cover an area of 6.3 sq km. Bunya has been set up to
act as the municipality of Al-Reem Island. It will provide road and bridge infrastructure and coordinate
with other local authorities for the supply of utilities including water, electricity, district cooling, telecoms
services and waste management. It will also manage the master community and common-use facilities.
Bunya is co-owned by Tamouh Investments, the master developer that owns 60 per cent of the island;
Reem Investments, which owns 20 per cent of the island and is the master developer of Shams Abu

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Dhabi; and Sorouh Real Estate, which owns the remaining 20 per cent and is the master developer of
Najmat Abu Dhabi.

4= Yas Island Development

• Sector: Real Estate


• Stage: Under construction
• Budget: $37bn
• Completion date: Q4 2018
• Location: Abu Dhabi, UAE

Located to the east of Abu Dhabi city, the 25 sq km Yas Island is being developed into a residential,
recreation and entertainment centre aimed at local and international tourists. The development includes
the world’s first Ferrari theme park and the Yas Marina Circuit, which hosts an annual Formula 1 race.
There will also be golf courses, a water park, marinas with up to 1,400 berths and up to 20 hotels. The
$150m Yas Mall, due to be completed in 2013 will be one of the largest in the region, with more than
500 stores over four floors. The residential units will be a mix of low-rise apartments and villas and will
be available to own or rent. Construction work on the island began in 2007 and the project is expected to
take seven years to complete. In total, 17 sq km of the island is being developed.

6 Business Bay

• Client: Dubai Properties Company


• Sector: Real Estate
• Stage: Under construction
• Budget: $30bn
• Completion date: Q2 2015
• Location: Dubai, UAE

Business Bay is designed to be a commercial and business hub for Dubai and is located alongside an
extension of the Dubai Creek. The 4.6 sq km project will have 240 buildings with commercial and
residential areas. Designed to accommodate a population of up to 191,000, a further 110,000 people are
expected to work there. Several planned projects are on hold, including those with links to sports stars
Michael Schumacher, Boris Becker and Niki Lauda. Among the elements that have gone ahead are the
$150m Prime Tower, the $110m Bay Gate and the $100m Polaris Tower.

7= Jizan Economic City

• Client: Saudi Binladin Group; MMC Corporation Berhad


• Sector: Mixed Development
• Stage: Execution
• Budget: $27bn
• Completion date: Q4 2036

The second of Saudi Arabia’s planned new cities, Jizan Economic City is a joint venture between Saudi
Binladin Group and Malaysia’s MMC Corporation Berhad, which will develop and manage the city over 30
years. It is being built on a 100 sq km site 60 km northwest of the existing Jizan city on the Red Sea
coast. It is being developed as an industrial and logistics hub, connecting the wider region with global
export markets. It will feature a port, an industrial zone, commercial and cultural centres, residential
areas, and academic and vocational training institutions.

7= Saadiyat Island

• Client: Tourism Development & Investment Company

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• Sector: Real Estate


• Stage: Under construction
• Budget: $27bn
• Completion date: Q4 2018
• Location: Abu Dhabi, UAE

Saadiyat Island, northeast of Abu Dhabi city, is being developed as a cultural and tourism destination for
the emirate. The island has been divided into a number of zones, including Saadiyat Beach, Saadiyat
Lagoons and Saadiyat Cultural District. It will include outposts of the Louvre and Guggenheim museums,
as well as a performing arts centre and the Zayed National Museum. The Saadiyat Beach Golf Club is
already open and a number of five-star hotels, including a St Regis and a Rotana, will open in coming
years. The museums are due for completion in 2012 and 2013.

9= GCC Railway Network

• Client: GCC Technical Committee


• Sector: Transport
• Stage: Study
• Budget: $25bn
• Completion date: Q4 2017
• Location: GCC

The 2,177km-long GCC rail network will link all six Gulf states by rail for the first time, potentially
boosting intra-regional trade and providing a welcome alternative to air or sea travel for both goods and
passengers in the region. The network will run down the Gulf coast from Kuwait, through Saudi Arabia,
to the UAE and Oman, with branches linking Bahrain and Qatar. GCC transport ministers approved the
feasibility study for the railway in October 2008, although a number of other key decisions have yet to be
taken, including the precise route of the line.

9= Kingdom City

• Client: Emaar Properties; Kingdom Holding Company


• Sector: Real Estate
• Stage: Planned
• Budget: $25bn
• Completion date: Q4 2017
• Location: Saudi Arabia

The Kingdom City project is located north of Jeddah city centre on a 2 sq km site close to King Abdulaziz
International Airport. The joint-venture partners on the scheme plan to develop the land with mixed-use
commercial, residential and resort facilities, including offices, residential units, a school, hotels and retail
facilities. A bridge will be built across Obhur Creek, linking the site to the city centre and airport. A
landmark tower, known as the Kingdom Tower, has been designed for the centre of the project and will
be one of the tallest buildings in the world on completion.

9= Qatar National Railway System

• Client: Qatar Railway Development Company


• Sector: Transport
• Stage: Design
• Budget: $25bn
• Completion date: Q2 2015
• Location: Qatar

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Qatar is planning what will be one of the most comprehensive rail networks in the Gulf on completion. It
will include: a passenger and freight railway linking Ras Laffan in the north with Mesaieed in the south
via Doha; a high-speed link between the New Doha International Airport and Doha city centre that will
link to Bahrain by a planned causeway; a freight rail link, which will form part of the GCC rail network; a
metro network in Doha; and a light rail network in Lusail. Germany’s DB International and Qatari Diar
Real Estate Investment Company have completed concept designs.

12 Masdar City

• Client: Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar)


• Sector: Real Estate
• Stage: Execution
• Budget: $22bn
• Completion date: Q1 2018
• Location: Abu Dhabi, UAE

The scheme to build a zero-waste, zero-carbon and car-less city in Abu Dhabi is one of the most
ambitious projects in the region. On completion the city, being developed on a 6 sq km site, is expected
to be home to 50,000 people and 1,500 businesses. It will have low-rise buildings with solar panels on
the roofs and traditional local building methods will be used to create low-energy buildings with natural
air conditioning from wind towers. There will be automated travel pods to allow residents to move
around the city and a light rail system linking Masdar to nearby Abu Dhabi city.

13= Downtown Burj Khalifa

• Client: Emaar Properties


• Sector: Real Estate
• Stage: Under construction
• Budget: $20bn
• Completion date: Q1 2020
• Location: Dubai, UAE

Named after the world’s tallest skyscraper that lies at its centre, the Downtown Burj Khalifa project is
located at the first interchange on Sheikh Zayed Road in Dubai. The mixed-use development covers an
area of 2 sq km previously used by the Dubai military and also includes The Dubai Fountain, Burj Park,
Emaar Square and The Dubai Mall. Some elements of the scheme have already been completed,
including the main tower, the mall and some residential buildings. However, other parts of the scheme
are currently on hold, such as the Standpoint Towers and Burj Place.

13= Duqm New Town

• Client: Oman Tourism Development Co; Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Eng Co
• Sector: Real Estate
• Stage: Planned
• Budget: $20bn
• Completion date: Q4 2020
• Location: Oman

South Korea’s Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Company and its joint-venture partner are
redeveloping the existing port city, located 450km south of Muscat, into a tourism, business and
industrial hub. The plans include the creation of a marine resort, business centres, a hospital, shopping
malls, hotels and residential units. The project is part of the wider economic strategy for the country,
called Vision Oman 2020, which is aimed at reducing the country’s reliance on oil revenues over the
coming decade.

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13= Nuclear Power Plant

• Client: Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation


• Sector: Power & Water
• Stage: Under construction
• Budget: $20bn
• Completion date: Q2 2020
• Location: UAE

In December 2009, the UAE awarded the contract to build its first nuclear power plants to a South
Korean consortium, surprising many observers who had expected the French or US-led teams to prevail.
The four 1.4GW plants will help to meet the anticipated sharp increase in power demand in the coming
decades – the UAE expects its electricity requirements to rise from 15.5GW in 2008 to 40GW in 2020. As
yet, the financing arrangements for the plant are unclear, but it is likely to be a combination of private
and public funding.

13= Taweelah Chemicals Industrial City

• Client: Tacaamol
• Sector: Industry
• Stage: Front-end engineering and design
• Budget: $20bn
• Completion date: Q3 2015
• Location: Abu Dhabi, UAE

This industrial city will have 12 plants, including facilities for the production of aromatics, olefins and
fertilisers. The aromatics plant alone is estimated to have a budget of $2.5bn. The city is located in the
new industrial zone being developed close to Port Khalifa in the Taweelah area of Abu Dhabi. An
engineering, procurement and construction award is due by the third quarter of 2011. Tacaamol is a joint
venture of Abu Dhabi National Chemicals Company (Chemaweyaat), which owns 51 per cent, and
International Petroleum Investment Company (IPIC), which holds the remainder.

17 Downtown Jebel Ali

• Client: Limitless/Nakheel Corporation


• Sector: Real Estate
• Stage: Under Construction
• Budget: $19bn
• Completion date: Q4 2015
• Location: Dubai, UAE

Limitless, part of the Dubai World group, is developing the area between Jebel Ali Free Zone and the new
Al Maktoum International Airport into a mixed-use residential and business district. Downtown Jebel Ali is
designed to cover more than 6.5 sq km and house a population of 200,000 people once complete. The
project comprises four areas, each divided into business, residential and entertainment districts. Each
zone will also have its own metro station. However, while some areas, such as The Galleries are now
being leased, a significant portion of the project is on hold.

18 Sudair Industrial City

• Client: Saudi Industrial Property Authority (Modon)


• Sector: Industry
• Stage: EPC bid
• Budget: $15.97bn
• Completion date: Q4 2029

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• Location: Saudi Arabia

The industrial park in Sudair, 120km north of Riyadh, will cover 264 sq km, making it 70 per cent bigger
in terms of area than King Abdullah Economic City. The city will accommodate about 1 million residents
once complete and is designed to alleviate growing congestion in Riyadh and reduce migration to the
capital city. It will include commercial, residential, technological, sports and leisure areas, and will be
intersected by several key services, including the north-south railway and the country’s main east-west
oil pipeline. Work has already begun on the first phase of the project.

19 Al-Raha Beach Development

• Client: Aldar Properties


• Sector: Real Estate
• Stage: Under construction
• Budget: $15bn
• Completion date: Q4 2029
• Location: Abu Dhabi, UAE

Al-Raha Beach is a residential, business and entertainment complex stretching along 11 km of coastline
in Abu Dhabi, close to the city’s airport. Once it is complete, the area will provide homes for up to
120,000 people in a series of 11 districts. The Al-Dana business precinct, currently on hold, will be home
to Abu Dhabi’s new World Trade Centre building. In addition there are a series of residential districts,
including Khor al-Raha, Al-Rumaila and Al-Lissaily. The development is one of the first areas in the
emirate where non-UAE nationals can invest in leasehold property.

19= Mina Zayed Port Redevelopment

• Client: Aldar Properties


• Sector: Real Estate
• Stage: Design
• Budget: $15bn
• Completion date: Q1 2018
• Location: Abu Dhabi, UAE

With the planned relocation of most of Abu Dhabi’s shipping traffic to the new Khalifa Port & Industrial
Zone near Taweelah, the emirate has the opportunity to redevelop its existing port, Mina Zayed. The port
covers an area of just over 5 sq km at the northern tip of Abu Dhabi island, close to Saadiyat Island and
development plans include the construction of hotels, residential districts and commercial and retail
centres. It will also be home to the Twofour54 media park, which will act as a hub for media companies
in the emirate and will cover 600,000 sq m of the area.

19= Upper Zakum Full Field

• Client: Zakum Development Company (Zadco)


• Sector: Oil & Gas
• Stage: Front-end engineering & design
• Budget: $15bn
• Completion date: Q4 2017
• Location: Abu Dhabi, UAE

Zadco is carrying out a three-stage project to increase oil production at the Upper Zakum field to 750,000
barrels a day (b/d), from its current 500,000 b/d. The first phase involves the construction of an early
production facility to increase production capacity by 100,000 b/d by 2015. Phase two covers permanent
production facilities to boost production by a further 150,000 b/d by 2016. The third phase covers a

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number of smaller projects to sustain production at 750,000 b/d. Paris-based Technip is carrying out the
front-end engineering and design studies for all three phases.

19= Fourth Refinery

• Client: Kuwait National Petroleum Company


• Sector: Oil & Gas
• Stage: Front-end engineering & design retender
• Budget: $15bn
• Completion date: Q4 2016
• Location: Kuwait

The scheme to build a new refinery at Al Zour, in the south of Kuwait, has been planned for years but
has repeatedly suffered delays. Kuwait National Petroleum Company awarded the five main contracts in
2008 to South Korean, US and Japanese contractors. However, before building work could begin, the
deals were cancelled on instructions of Kuwait’s Supreme Petroleum Council after questions in parliament
over the way the contracts were awarded. If it goes ahead, the project for a 615,000-barrel-a-day
refinery will be the largest facility of its kind built in a single phase.

23 New Doha International Airport

• Client: New Doha International Airport Steering Committee


• Sector: Transport
• Stage: Under construction
• Budget: $14bn
• Completion date: Q4 2013
• Location: Qatar

With the ongoing expansion of Qatar Airways and the general growth in air traffic throughout the region,
Qatar needs a far larger airport. The new international airport is being built on a 22 sq km site just a few
kilometres east of the city’s existing airport and will have six times as much capacity. When complete, it
will be able to handle 50 million passengers a year, along with 2 million tonnes of cargo and 320,000
aircraft landings and take-offs. The project will be developed in three phases, with 40 per cent of the
work being carried out on land reclaimed from the sea.

24 The World

• Client: Nakheel Corporation


• Sector: Real Estate
• Stage: Under Construction
• Budget: $13.9bn
• Completion date: Q1 2020
• Location: Dubai, UAE

The World is a man-made archipelago of 300 islands constructed in the shape of the earth’s continents.
The development is located 4km off the coast of Dubai and covers an area 9km long and 6km wide. The
islands in the archipelago range in area from 14,000 sq metres to 42,000 sq m. The World is estimated
to have a total beachfront coastline of 2.3km, which is more than three times the length of Dubai’s
original coastline. In February, local developer Kleindienst Group became the first company to break
ground on The World when it started work on Germany island.

25 Qasr Khuzam

• Client: Khuzam Real Estate Development Company

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• Sector: Real Estate


• Stage: Execution
• Budget: $13.3bn
• Completion date: Q2 2014
• Location: Saudi Arabia

Qasr Khuzam is designed to rejuvenate a 4 sq km area of central Jeddah. The project will involve the
demolition of existing structures and the construction of residential units, shopping malls, other
commercial buildings, hospitals and schools. It is being developed in four phases which will run in
parallel. Phase one includes the development of Al-Balad area, phase two covers the Al-Sabeel area,
phase three the Khuzam area, and phase four the Al-Nuzlah area. The development company is jointly
owned by the local Dar al-Arkan Real Estate Development Company and Jeddah Development & Urban
Recreation Company.

26 Jubail Export Refinery

• Client: Jubail Refining & Petrochemical Company


• Sector: Oil & Gas
• Stage: Planned
• Budget: $12.8bn
• Completion date: Q4 2013
• Location: Saudi Arabia

Saudi Aramco and France’s Total signed a memorandum of understanding in May 2006 to develop the
400,000-barrel-a-day refinery at Jubail Industrial City. The refinery will process heavy crude oil and
convert it into diesel, petrol, aircraft fuel and petrochemicals products. Aramco will own 62.5 per cent of
the Jubail Refining & Petrochemical Company and Total will hold 37.5 per cent. However, 25 per cent of
the firm is due to be offered to the Saudi public before the end of 2010, with Aramco and Total each
retaining 37.5 per cent.

27 Palm Jumeirah

• Client: Nakheel Corporation


• Sector: Real Estate
• Stage: Under Construction
• Budget: $12.3bn
• Completion date: Q1 2015
• Location: Dubai, UAE

Palm Jumeirah was the first of the Dubai mega-projects to capture the imagination of people around the
world when it was launched in 2001. The scheme to build a palm-shaped archipelago consists of 16
fronds, a 4km-long trunk and an 11km-long crescent divided into three sections. At its launch, it doubled
the length of the emirate’s shoreline. It has since been followed by two further palm-shaped projects,
both now on hold.

28 Princess Nora bint Abdulrahman University for Women

• Client: Finance Ministry


• Sector: Education
• Stage: Under Construction
• Budget: $11.5bn
• Completion date: Q2 2012 Location: Saudi Arabia

Construction work began on the 3 sq km campus in the north of Riyadh in February 2009. The work has
been divided into three main packages. The first two packages, covering the construction of faculty

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buildings, were awarded to Saudi Oger and Saudi Binladin Group, worth $3.3bn and $2.7bn respectively.
A third package, worth $2.1bn, was won by the local El-Seif Engineering & Contracting and covers
infrastructure works.

29 Shah Gas Development

• Client: Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc)


• Sector: Oil & Gas
• Stage: Under Construction
• Budget: $11.3bn
• Completion date: Q1 2015
• Location: Abu Dhabi, UAE

The work on the Shah field is aimed at producing up to 1 billion cubic feet a day (cf/d) of gas to help
boost Adnoc’s output to a targeted 6 billion cf/d. The gas will primarily be used as feedstock for new
power, desalination and petrochemical plants in Abu Dhabi and the northern emirates, but some will be
reinjected into Abu Dhabi’s oil fields to maintain reservoir pressure. The gas produced at the field will be
stripped of its sulphur, which will be transported separately for processing and distribution at facilities in
Habshan and Ruwais. The natural gas will travel on the same route.

30 Integrated Gas Development

• Client: Abu Dhabi Gas Industries (Gasco)


• Sector: Oil & Gas
• Stage: Under Construction
• Budget: $11bn
• Completion date: Q3 2013
• Location: Abu Dhabi, UAE

The Integrated Gas Development covers the production and transfer of more than 700 million cubic feet
a day (cf/d) of high-pressure gas from the offshore Umm Shaif and Khuff reservoirs to new onshore
processing facilities at Habshan and Ruwais through Das island. The additional gas will increase total gas
flow from Das island to Habshan to 1 billion cf/d and is destined for use by power stations and other
industrial users in Abu Dhabi and the northern emirates. The project is also expected to deliver 12,000
tonnes a day (t/d) of natural gas liquids and 5,000 t/d of sulphur.

31 National Railway Project

• Client: Union Railway


• Sector: Transport
• Stage: Design
• Budget: $10.9bn
• Completion date: Q4 2015
• Location: UAE

The National Transport Authority plans to set up a railway network across the UAE that will stretch from
Ruwais Industrial Area in Abu Dhabi to Port Saqr in Ras al-Khaimah. It will also connect Jebel Ali port and
free zone, Dubai city, Sharjah, Furairah port and Khorfakkan on the Gulf of Oman coast. The project will
be carried out in two phases. The first will serve Abu Dhabi and parts of Dubai. The second will serve
other parts of Dubai, the northern emirates and the east coast. The UAE has formed a new government-
owned entity, Union Railway Company, to oversee the work.

32 Dubai Metro

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• Client: Dubai Roads & Transport Authority


• Sector: Transport
• Stage: Under Construction
• Budget: $10.6bn
• Completion date: Q3 2015
• Location: Dubai, UAE

The metro trains running on the undulating track alongside Sheikh Zayed Road are already a familiar
sight in Dubai. The metro is the first such scheme in the GCC region and is the flagship project of the
emirate’s Roads & Transport Authority as it tries to reduce traffic congestion in the city. The planned
network consists of four lines: the Red, Green, Blue and Purple lines. Of these, the Red line is already
partially open, the Green line is being built and the Blue line is still in the planning stage. However, the
Purple line, which will link Dubai’s two airports, is now on hold.

33 Dubai Marina

• Client: Emaar Properties


• Sector: Real Estate
• Stage: Under Construction
• Budget: $10.2bn
• Completion date: Q4 2010
• Location: Dubai, UAE

Dubai Marina is located close to Dubai Media City, The American University of Dubai and the Emirates
Golf Club, and will provide housing for up to 100,000 people once complete. Emaar announced the
development in July 2000 and work is still ongoing on many parts of the project. Among the most
advanced portions of the scheme are the $534m Dubai Marina Mall & Marina Plaza, the latter due to be
handed over in the autumn, the $240m Dubai Marina Residential Towers 7WX and the $130m Marina
Wharf. The completed structures will cover 6.1 sq km and the development will be served by a 35-
kilometre-long road network.

34 Ruwais Refinery Expansion Project

• Client: Abu Dhabi Oil Refining Company (Takreer)


• Sector: Oil & Gas
• Stage: Under Construction
• Budget: $10.1bn
• Completion date: Q2 2014
• Location: Abu Dhabi, UAE

Abu Dhabi Oil Refining Company (Takreer) plans to expand production of the Ruwais refining complex by
400,000 barrels a day (b/d) to take it to more than 800,000 b/d. The refinery will also be integrated with
neighbouring petrochemicals complexes and supply up to 1.1 million tonnes a year of propylene to the
nearby plastics complex run by Abu Dhabi Polymers Company (Borouge). The project is divided into
seven packages: a crude distillation unit, a residual fluid catalytic cracking complex, offsites and utilities,
storage tanks, site preparation, non-process buildings and marine facilities.

35= Al-Uqair Tourism Development

• Client: Saudi Commission for Tourism & Antiquities


• Sector: Tourism
• Stage: Design
• Budget: $10bn
• Completion date: Q4 2027
• Location: Saudi Arabia

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As part of a wider programme to expand the country’s tourism industry, the Saudi Commission for
Tourism & Antiquities is planning to develop a purpose-built city on the country’s east coast. The resort
will be able to accommodate about 200,000 residents with facilities likely to include hotels, marinas,
sports grounds and amusement parks. The 100 sq km project will primarily be aimed at Saudi nationals
and visitors from other GCC states and will be completed in stages. Industry sources indicate the project,
still in its design stage, has been put on hold until early 2011.

35= Emal Project

• Client: Emirates Aluminium International


• Sector: Industry
• Stage: Under Construction
• Budget: $10bn
• Completion date: Q3 2013
• Location: Abu Dhabi, UAE

Emal is being developed as a greenfield aluminium smelter with associated power generation facilities at
the Khalifa Port & Industrial Zone, in Taweelah, close to the Dubai border. The completed first phase
involved the construction of an aluminium smelter with a production capacity of 700,000 tonnes a year of
aluminium and a 2GW combined cycle power plant. The second phase will double the aluminium
production capacity and add a further 1.5GW of power. Once completed, the project is expected to be
the world’s largest single-site aluminium smelter.

35= Jubail Petrochemical Complex

• Client: Saudi Aramco; Dow Chemical Company


• Sector: Petrochemicals
• Stage: Feed
• Budget: $10bn
• Completion date: Q4 2015
• Location: Saudi Arabia

This project replaces another plastics and chemicals production complex that Saudi Aramco and Dow
Chemical Company had planned to develop at Ras Tanura. That scheme was cancelled in April 2010 and
moved to Jubail Industrial City. The change of location will allow cost savings of up to 40 per cent as the
Royal Commission for Jubail & Yanbu will provide the basic infrastructure needed for the project. The
complex will use ethane gas from the Jubail export refinery being built by Saudi Aramco Total Refining &
Petrochemicals Company (Satorp).

35= Khalifa Port & Industrial Zone

• Client: Abu Dhabi Ports Company


• Sector: Transport
• Stage: Under Construction
• Budget: $10bn
• Completion date: Q4 2012
• Location: Abu Dhabi, UAE

Khalifa Port & Industrial Zone will replace Abu Dhabi’s existing port, Mina Zayed, which is being
redeveloped as real estate. The new port will have a container terminal and piers to handle raw materials
and bulk cargo. The attached industrial area will house heavy and basic industries. The first phase of the
port will have a container and break-bulk terminal with a capacity of 2 million 20-foot equivalent units
and 6 million tonnes of general cargo a year. The development of the port has included $1.5bn of
dredging and reclamation work and a $1.36bn contract for the terminal.

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35= King Abdullah Sports City

• Client: Saudi Aramco


• Sector: Real Estate
• Stage: Design
• Budget: $10bn
• Completion date: 2014 Q4
• Location: Saudi Arabia

King Abdullah Sports City, similar in concept to Dubai Sports City, will include a 100,000-capacity football
stadium and several other indoor sports arenas. It will be developed on a 9 sq km plot of land to the
north of Jeddah and will give Saudi Arabia the ability to host major sporting events. The project will also
include a specialist hospital to treat athletes, youth hostels and other accommodation. Although Aramco
is known for its oil & gas activities, it has played a key role in other major construction projects in Saudi
Arabia, including King Abdullah University for Science & Technology.

35= Meydan City

• Client: Meydan
• Sector: Real Estate
• Stage: Under Construction
• Budget: $10bn
• Completion date: Q4 2012
• Location: Dubai, UAE

Meydan was formed by Dubai Racing Club to develop its Nad al-Sheba site. The project includes a 60,000
-capacity grandstand, horse racing and training tracks, stables and a series of other leisure facilities,
including restaurants, the Meydan Museum & Gallery, an Imax Theatre and a golf course. The site will
also house the offices of the Dubai Racing Club and the Emirates Racing Authority, as well as a number
of five-star hotels and other residential and commercial developments. At the eastern end of the
grandstand is the Meydan Marina, which is linked to Dubai Creek and can accommodate more than 80
boats.

35= Urjuan Mixed-use Development

• Client: Barwa Al Khor


• Sector: Real Estate
• Stage: Planned
• Budget: $10bn
• Completion date: Q3 2014
• Location: Qatar

Located some 57km north of Doha, this 5.5 sq km development in Al Khor City will be able to
accommodate up to 63,000 permanent and temporary residents in more than 24,500 housing units made
up of hotel rooms, chalets, townhouses, villas and apartments. Other facilities planned for the area
include shopping malls, office towers, a marina, a tennis academy and an 18-hole golf course. The
developer, Barwa Al Khor, is a subsidiary of the local Barwa Real Estate Company. An engineering,
procurement and construction award for the development is due to be made in the third quarter of 2011.

35= Yanbu Export Refinery

• Client: Saudi Aramco


• Sector: Oil & Gas
• Stage: Execution
• Budget: $10bn

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• Completion date: Q1 2014


• Location: Saudi Arabia

In 2006, Saudi Aramco and the US’ ConocoPhillips agreed to conduct a detailed evaluation of the
development of a 400,000-barrel-a-day refinery in Yanbu. Following a change in corporate strategy,
ConocoPhillips has since withdrawn from the scheme, leaving Aramco in sole charge. The state oil giant
has held talks with other potential partners, but so far no final agreements have been made. A series of
engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) awards are expected to be made in the third quarter of
2010, as Aramco is keen to capitalise on low EPC costs.

43 Al-Zabirah Aluminium Project

• Client: Saudi Arabian Mining Company (Maaden); Alcoa


• Sector: Industry
• Stage: Execution
• Budget: $9.7bn
• Completion date: Q1 2014
• Location: Saudi Arabia

The plans of Saudi Arabian Mining Company (Maaden) for an integrated aluminium mine-to-metal project
is one of the largest vertically integrated schemes of its kind in the world. Operations feature a power
plant, a 90-million-tonne bauxite reserve in Al-Zabirah in the north of the country, an alumina refinery
with a capacity of 1.6 million tonnes a year (t/y), and an aluminium smelter with a 720,000 t/y capacity.
The bauxite mined at Al-Zabirah will be transported by rail to Ras al-Zour, where the alumina plant,
smelter and power generation facilities will be located.

44 Knowledge Economic City

• Client: Seera City Real Estate Development Company


• Sector: Real Estate Real Estate
• Stage: Design Budget: $9.5bn
• Completion date: Q4 2020
• Location: Saudi Arabia

Knowledge Economic City is being built on the outskirts of Medina, in the west of Saudi Arabia. It will
cover an area of 4.8 sq km, have a built-up area of about 9 sq km and house 150,000 residents. The city
will be focused on knowledge-based industries, including information technology and life sciences. It will
also be home to a centre for Islamic civilisation studies and a mosque for 10,000 worshippers. The
project will be linked by monorail to Medina’s Grand Mosque and benefit from the expansion of the
nearby Prince Mohammed Bin Abdulaziz Airport.

45 Barzan Gas Development

• Client: Qatar Petroleum (QP); ExxonMobil Global Services


• Sector: Oil & Gas
• Stage: Prequalification
• Budget: $9.4bn
• Completion date: Q3 2016
• Location: Qatar

The Barzan Gas Development forms part of Qatar’s plan to increase the country’s use of natural gas from
the North Field to fuel its power plants, to meet rising demand for electricity. The project has grown four-
fold from its initial target of 1.7 billion cubic feet a day (cf/d) of gas, with plans for six gas trains to be

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developed by 2015. The $1.7bn first phase will deliver 1.7 billion cf/d of gas by 2012, the second, $2bn
phase will provide 1.8 billion cf/d and the third, $3bn phase will deliver up to 2.5 billion cf/d.

46= Al-Shamiyah Mecca Development

• Client: Al-Shamiyah Urban Development Company


• Sector: Real Estate
• Stage: Design
• Budget: $9.3bn
• Completion date: Q4 2018
• Location: Saudi Arabia

As a part of the Saudi government’s plan to further develop the Mecca area to cater for large numbers of
visiting pilgrims, Al-Shamiyah Urban Development Company plans to develop an area of 7.4 sq km to
create housing for 134,000 people. The development will be located to the north of the city and will
include villas, apartments, hotels, business facilities, retail areas, schools and hospitals. An engineering,
procurement and construction contract award is due to be made in the first quarter of 2011.

46= Jumeirah Village

• Client: Nakheel Corporation


• Sector: Real Estate
• Stage: Under Construction
• Budget: $9.3bn
• Completion date: Q4 2014
• Location: Dubai, UAE

Jumeirah Village is a residential complex spread over an area of more than 8 sq km. The development is
divided into 17 districts, which between them will have more than 1,200 villas and 940 one- and two-
bedroom townhouses. The public amenities planned include parks, sports fields, schools and mosques, as
well as a tram system. While parts of the development are under construction, many others are currently
on hold, including the $800m Plaza Mayor and the $817m High Rise Boulevard.

48 Pan-Arab Grid

• Client: Egypt Electricity Ministry; Saudi Arabia Electricity Ministry


• Sector: Power & Water
• Stage: Design
• Budget: $8.5bn
• Completion date: Q4 2014
• Location: Egypt, Saudi Arabia

As part of long-standing plans to link the power grids of Arab countries, Egypt and Saudi Arabia plan to
build a 1,370km link between the two countries. The link will include a 25km subsea cable, which will
cross the Gulf of Aqaba. It will provide each country with spare power capacity during peak periods of
demand. Estimates suggest the benefits could be worth as much as $10bn over 20 years. Once the
connection is complete, Gulf states could trade surplus electricity with customers in Europe.

49 Al-Zour North Power Plant

• Client: Electricity & Water Ministry


• Sector: Power & Water
• Stage: EPC bid
• Budget: $8.4bn

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• Completion date: Q4 2014


• Location: Kuwait

This project covers four power and water desalination plants at Al-Zour North in Kuwait. The first two
plants are due to each have a production capacity of 1.5GW of power and 102 million gallons a day (g/d)
of desalinated water. The third will produce up to 800MW of power and 51 million g/d of water, while a
fourth plant will produce 1GW of power and 25 million g/d of desalinated water. The first plant will be an
independent water and power project, while the second will be an engineering, procurement and
construction project.

50 Manifa Arabian Heavy Crude Programme

• Client: Saudi Aramco


• Sector: Oil & Gas
• Stage: Execution
• Budget: $8.283bn
• Completion date: Q1 2015
• Location: Saudi Arabia

This multibillion-dollar programme covers the development of the offshore Manifa heavy oilfield and the
construction of gas/oil separation plants and crude stabilisation units and separators. The scheme also
involves the construction of a $2.4bn central processing core hydrocarbon facility. According to the scope
of the project, this unit will have the capacity to process up to 900,000 barrels a day of Arabian Heavy
Crude and 120 million cubic feet a day of sour gas.

51= Abu Dhabi Airport Expansion

• Client: Abu Dhabi Airports Company


• Sector: Transport
• Stage: Execution
• Budget: $8.2bn
• Completion date: Q1 2015
• Location: Abu Dhabi, UAE

Abu Dhabi’s plans to take a larger share of the global airline market will see it increase its airport’s
capacity from 7 million passengers a year to more than 40 million a year. Cargo handling capacity will
also increase to 2.5 million tonnes a year. The most expensive element of the project is the $6.8bn
Midfield Terminal.

51= Saudi Kayan Petrochemicals

• Client: Saudi Kayan Petrochemical Co


• Sector: Industry
• Stage: Under Construction
• Budget: $8.2bn
• Completion date: Q1 2013
• Location: Saudi Arabia

This petrochemicals facility will produce polyethylene, polypropylene, ethylene glycol and amines and,
once complete, will be one of the biggest olefins units in the world. The $2.2bn offsites and utilities work
has been completed, as has the $1.5bn cracker. The cracker will supply the complex’s downstream units.

53= Al-Khor Barwa City

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• Client: Barwa Al Khor


• Sector: Real Estate
• Stage: Under Construction
• Budget: $8bn
• Completion date: Q4 2035
• Location: Qatar

Al-Khor Barwa City is located 45 kilometres north of Doha. The project will cover 2.7 sq km and will
comprise 128 apartment buildings, a hospital, mosques, shopping complexes and health facilities. The
first phase includes the building of 6,000 residential units.

53= Al-Marjan Island Development

• Client: Rakeen Development


• Sector: Real Estate
• Stage: Under Construction
• Budget: $8bn
• Completion date: Q4 2017
• Location: Ras al-Khaimah, UAE

Al-Marjan Island is a tourism development in the southwest of Ras al-Khaimah. It is the first man-made
island project in the emirate. The scheme will comprise a cluster of five islands covering 2.7 sq km and
contain hotels, villas, a marina and a water park.

53= Jeddah Central Development

• Client: Jeddah Central District Company


• Sector: Real Estate
• Stage: Design
• Budget: $8bn
• Completion date: Q4 2032
• Location: Saudi Arabia

The revitalisation of the 6 sq km central district of Saudi Arabia’s second city will lead to the old city
being divided into waterfront and historic areas. An engineering, procurement and construction award is
due in the first quarter of 2011.

53= King Abdulaziz International Airport

• Client: General Authority for Civil Aviation (Gaca)


• Sector: Transport
• Stage: Under Construction
• Budget: $8bn
• Completion date: 2035
• Location: Saudi Arabia

King Abdulaziz International Airport is increasing its capacity from its current 13 million travellers a year
to 80 million by 2035. The project is being carried out in three stages, taking capacity to 30 million a year
in stage one, 45 million in stage two, then 80 million.

53= Prince Abdulaziz Bin Mosaed Economic City

• Client: Al-Mal Investment Company


• Sector: Real Estate

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• Stage: Design
• Budget: $8bn
• Completion date: Q4 2025
• Location: Saudi Arabia

This new city in the central region of Hail will act as a transport, logistics and supply chain hub for the
region and is expected to create 55,000 jobs and be home to 300,000 people. Its airport will serve
3 million travellers a year and the railway station 2 million a year.

58 Bahrain Rail Masterplan

• Client: Government of Bahrain


• Sector: Transport
• Stage: Planned
• Budget: $7.9bn
• Completion date: Q4 2025
• Location: Bahrain

The 103km monorail network is being developed in four phases and will eventually run from Muharraq,
through Manama and Seef to Isa Town. The first phase will link the airport to the Qatar-Bahrain
Causeway by light rail line and a tramway connect Juffair with Seef.

59 Rawabi Rumah Development

• Client: Al-Shoula Holding


• Group; Emaar Properties
• Sector: Real Estate
• Stage: Planned
• Budget: $7.2bn
• Completion date: Q4 2014
• Location: Saudi Arabia

The masterplanned community will be located near Riyadh and covers a 31 sq km area. The residential
developments will include villas, town houses and apartments, as well as office space, leisure facilities, a
medical university with capacity for 5,000 students and a hospital, which will support research projects.

60 Sipchem Petrochemicals Complex

• Client: Saudi International Petrochemical Company


• Sector: Petrochemicals
• Stage: Feed
• Budget: $7.1bn
• Completion date: Q4 2013
• Location: Saudi Arabia

One of several new petrochemicals plants destined for Jubail, this facility will include an ethane/propane
cracker, which will provide feedstock for the production of a vinyl acetate monomer unit. The
development will also have an associated 1,650-tonne-a-day ammonia plant.

61= Abu Dhabi Metro

• Client: Abu Dhabi Department of Transport


• Sector: Transport
• Stage: Planned

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• Budget: $7bn
• Completion date: Q4 2020
• Location: UAE

The Department of Transport plans to build a metro system for the UAE capital with two circular lines.
The first will serve Abu Dhabi International Airport, Al-Raha Beach, Abu Dhabi Island, Saadiyat Island and
Yas Island. The second will connect Abu Dhabi Island, Mussafah and Mohammed bin Zayed City.

61= Jizan Refinery Project

• Client: Saudi Aramco


• Sector: Oil & Gas
• Stage: Study
• Budget: $7bn
• Completion date: Q4 2015
• Location: Saudi Arabia

The export-oriented refinery will have a 400,000-barrel-a-day capacity and be located at Jizan Economic
City. Saudi Aramco will build the refinery in two phases. The first will be a simple hydro-skimming facility
to provide basic fuel products. More complex units, such as a hydrocracker, will be added in the second
phase.

61= Kuwait City Rapid Transit

• Client: Kuwait City Metropolitan Rapid Transit


• Sector: Transport
• Stage: Study
• Budget: $7bn
• Completion date: Q4 2016
• Location: Kuwait

The scheme involves the construction of a 171km-long metro network with more than 60 stations along
four lines running across Kuwait City. Some 65 per cent of the network will be above ground on an
elevated track. The project also includes an interchange station, electricity substations and maintenance
workshops.

61= New Doha Port

• Client: Government of Qatar


• Sector: Transport
• Stage: Design
• Budget: $7bn
• Completion date: Q4 2027
• Location: Qatar

The new port will be built to the north of Mesaieed, will cover 20 sq km and be built in three phases. The
first will have a capacity of 2 million 20-foot equivalent units (TEUs) a year and 2 million tonnes of
general cargo. When the project is completed, the port’s capacity will be more than 12 million TEUs a
year.

61= King Abdullah Financial District

• Client: Rayadah Investment Company


• Sector: Real Estate

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• Stage: Execution
• Budget: $7bn
• Completion date: Q4 2013
• Location: Saudi Arabia

The King Abdullah Financial District will be spread over 3.5 sq km in the Saudi capital, with a built-up
area of 1.6 sq km. It will house the headquarters of the Saudi Stock Exchange (Tadwul) and the Capital
Market Authority. The project also includes a financial academy for 5,000 students, hotels and
restaurants.

61= Riyadh Multi-purpose Scheme

• Client: Kingdom Holding Company


• Sector: Real Estate
• Stage: Design
• Budget: $7bn
• Completion date: Q4 2016
• Location: Saudi Arabia

The planned multi-purpose scheme will be developed on the Riyadh-Dammam motorway in the
northeastern outskirts of the city. The will include mixed-use residential and commercial buildings, hotels
and equestrian clubs.

61= Saudi Landbridge

• Client: Saudi Railways Organisation


• Sector: Transport
• Stage: EPC bid
• Budget: $7bn
• Completion date: Q4 2014
• Location: Saudi Arabia

This 950km line for cargo and passengers services will connect Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea and Gulf coasts. It
consists of two lines, one running from Jeddah Islamic Port to Riyadh and another linking Jubail
Industrial City with the rest of the network.

61= Haramain High-Speed Railway

• Client: Saudi Railways Organisation


• Sector: Transport
• Stage: Execution
• Budget: $7bn
• Completion date: Q1 2014
• Location: Saudi Arabia

To ease road traffic between Mecca and Medina, especially during the pilgrimage season, the
government plans to build a high-speed rail link between the two holy cities via Jeddah, Rabigh and King
Abdullah Economic City. Up to 100 trains a day will run on the line.

69 Dubai Sports City

• Client: Dubai Sports City


• Sector: Real Estate
• Stage: Execution

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• Budget: $6.9bn
• Completion date: Q4 2012
• Location: UAE

Dubai Sports City forms part of Dubailand, the ambitious tourism, leisure and entertainment megaproject
that is now largely on hold. When completed, Dubai Sports City itself will feature four stadiums, a golf
course and a number of other sports facilities.

70= Water Garden City

• Client: Albilad Real Estate Investment Company


• Sector: Real Estate
• Stage: Design
• Budget: $6.6bn
• Completion date: Q4 2020
• Location: Bahrain

Water Garden City is a development in the Seef district of Manama. The project will cover a 2.2 sq km
area and will include residential units, a beach park, a marina, schools, office space, retail outlets and
leisure facilities.

70= Pearl GTL

• Client: Shell (Qatar Shell GTL)


• Sector: Oil & Gas
• Stage: Under Construction
• Budget: $6.6bn
• Completion date: Q4 2011
• Location: Qatar

The project covers the development of an offshore block in Qatar’s North field to produce about
1.6 billion cubic feed a day of gas, pipelines to convey the gas to Ras Laffan, primary and secondary
processing of the gas and, finally, the gas-to-liquids plant of two trains, each with a capacity of 70,000
barrels a day.

72= Lusail Development

• Client: Qatari Diar Real Estate Investment Company


• Sector: Real Estate
• Stage: EPC bid
• Budget: $6.3bn
• Completion date: Q1 2013
• Location: Qatar

The Lusail scheme is the largest real estate project in Qatar and will eventually cover an area of about
35 sq km by the Al-Qutaifiyah Lagoon, to the north of Doha. It is being developed in phases over 10-15
years and will accommodate up to 200,000 residents once complete.

72= Borouge 3 Expansion Project

• Client: Abu Dhabi Polymers Company Limited (Borouge)


• Sector: Petrochemicals
• Stage: Execution
• Budget: $6.3bn

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• Completion date: Q4 2014


• Location: UAE

To meet increasing demand, Abu Dhabi Polymers Company (Borouge) is planning a multibillion-dollar
expansion of its facilities at Ruwais. The Borouge 3 project will take the firm’s capacity to 4.5 million
tonnes a year and includes an ethane cracker, as well as polypropylene and polyethylene plants.

74= Riyadh Ajmakan

• Client: Al-Rajhi Development; Al-Shoula Holding Group


• Sector: Real Estate
• Stage: Design
• Budget: $6.2bn
• Completion date: Q4 2020
• Location: Saudi Arabia

This real estate project in the Al-Khozama district of Riyadh covers 1.8 sq km and will include offices and
other commercial buildings, more than 2,000 villas, a palace, a five-star and a three-star hotel, and a
120,000-sq-m shopping mall. A construction award is due to be made by the end of 2010.

75= Arzanah

• Client: Capitala Sector: Real Estate


• Stage: Under Construction
• Budget: $6bn
• Completion date: Q4 2016
• Location: Abu Dhabi, UAE

Arzanah is a 1.4 sq km development, located close to the Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi. It is
expected to be able to accommodate about 27,000 people once complete and will include residential,
retail and commercial precincts as well as sports and leisure facilities.

75= Bubiyan Island

• Client: Public Works Ministry


• Sector: Real Estate
• Stage: Planned
• Budget: $6bn
• Completion date: Q4 2015
• Location: Kuwait

The Kuwaiti government is planning to develop Bubiyan island into a major tourist resort. The island lies
to the northeast of Kuwait Bay and covers an area of roughly 530 sq km. It will be developed on a build-
operate basis. The scheme will include hotels, chalets, camping sites, jetties and recreational facilities.

75= Dubai Maritime City

• Client: Nakheel Corporation


• Sector: Real Estate
• Budget: $6bn
• Stage: Design / On Hold
• Completion date: Q4 2015
• Location: UAE

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This hub for maritime companies is being built on an artificial island located between Port Rashid and the
Dubai dry docks and will be connected to the mainland by causeway. Plans for the scheme include the
Maritime Centre District tower cluster, ship building and repair facilities, a marina, and an education hub.

75= Education City

• Client: Qatar Foundation for Education, Science & Community Development


• Sector: Education
• Stage: Execution
• Budget: $6bn
• Completion date: Q2 2012
• Location: Qatar

Plans for the 10 sq km education hub on the western outskirts of Doha include the Sidra Medical &
Research Centre and a number of branch campuses from renowned international universities, including
Northwestern, Carnegie Mellon, Weill Cornell, Georgetown and Texas A&M.

75= Ras Laffan Olefins Complex

• Client: Qatar Petroleum; ExxonMobil


• Sector: Petrochemicals
• Stage: Study
• Budget: $6bn
• Completion date: Q4 2015
• Location: Qatar

The olefins complex in the Ras Laffan Industrial City in the north of Qatar will source its ethane and
propane feedstock from the North Field. It aims to sell its products to customers in Asia and Europe. It is
the first project in the country to include a capability for ethylene glycol production.

80 Rabigh Power Plant Expansion

• Client: Saudi Electricity Company


• Sector: Power & Water
• Stage: Under Construction
• Budget: $5.798bn
• Completion date: Q2 2014
• Location: Saudi Arabia

With the kingdom’s electricity consumption growing at 5.5 per cent a year, Saudi Electricity Company has
embarked on a major expansion of its Rabigh facilities. Comprising several phases, this includes 960MW
of generating capacity being added in phase five, a further 2.8GW in phase six, and 720MW in phase
seven.

81 Tareeq al-Mawazee

• Client: Dallah Albaraka Group


• Sector: Real Estate
• Budget: $5.6bn
• Stage: EPC Award
• Completion date: Q4 2018
• Location: Saudi Arabia

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Tareeq al-Mawazee is a mixed-use scheme being developed alongside one of the main roads into Mecca.
The project involves the redevelopment of a 1 sq km site. Once complete, the scheme will feature
residential, commercial, retail and hospitality districts, on some of the kingdom’s most expensive land.

82=Musheireb

• Client: Dohaland
• Sector: Real Estate
• Stage: Execution
• Budget: $5.5bn
• Completion date: Q4 2017
• Location: Qatar

The Musheireb development is located in the centre of Doha, close to the Emiri Diwan and the Souq
Waqif. The regeneration of the area encompasses a residential and mixed-use quarter, a retail quarter, a
heritage quarter, and a commercial area called the Headquarters Gateway. The first stage of phase one
is under construction, with later stages still being designed.

82= Port of Arabia (Mina al-Arab)

• Client: RAK Properties


• Sector: Real Estate
• Stage: Execution
• Budget: $5.5bn
• Completion date: Q1 2017
• Location: UAE

As part of its efforts to promote real estate, tourism and leisure facilities in Ras al-Khaimah, the emirate’s
government has allocated a 1.5 sq km area of land to RAK Properties for development. The scheme will
include themed residential districts, 20 hotels, and entertainment facilities. It is being developed in
phases over 10 years.

84= Al-Falah Development

• Client: Aldar Properties


• Sector: Real Estate
• Stage: Execution
• Budget: $5.2bn
• Completion date: Q4 2013
• Location: Abu Dhabi, UAE

Located to the east of Abu Dhabi International Airport and the Abu Dhabi-Dubai highway, this project is
spread over 12 sq km and comprises five villages, each with its own school and mosques. The town
centre will contain civic buildings, a mall, a hospital, office space, a hotel and a sports and leisure
complex.

84= Al-Uqair South Power Plant

• Client: Saudi Electricity Company


• Sector: Power & Water
• Stage: Planned
• Budget: $5.2bn
• Completion date: Q4 2019
• Location: Saudi Arabia

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This scheme in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia has been divided into four phases, each of which will
provide an extra 1.26GW of electricity-generating capacity. Saudi Aramco is a 7 per cent shareholder in
the scheme, with the state taking a direct stake of 74 per cent and private investors holding 19 per cent.

84= Sabah al-Salem New University

• Client: Kuwait University


• Sector: Education
• Stage: EPC bid
• Budget: $5.2bn
• Completion date: Q1 2014
• Location: Kuwait

This university campus at Shadidiyah is being developed to bring all the university’s faculties spread
across the capital on to one site. The campus will be co-educational and able to accommodate up to
30,000 students. It will have more than 25 faculty buildings, as well as a 600-bed hospital for the medical
faculty.

87= Awali Field Redevelopment

• Client: Tatweer Petroleum


• Sector: Oil & Gas
• Stage: Exploration
• Budget: $5bn
• Completion date: Q1 2018
• Location: Bahrain

The Awali oil field was discovered in 1932 and was the first oil field developed in the Gulf. The project to
boost production will take output to about 75,000 barrels a day (b/d) within five years and on to more
than 100,000 b/d.

87= Dorra Gas Field Development

• Client: Khafji Joint Operations Company


• Sector: Oil & Gas
• Stage: Study
• Budget: $5bn
• Completion date: Q2 2015
• Location: Saudi Arabia, Iran

The offshore Dorra field is estimated to contain non-associated gas reserves of at least 60 trillion cubic
feet. If exploration work proves fruitful, the production will be shared equally between Kuwait, Saudi
Arabia and Iran.

87= Dubai Festival City

• Client: Al-Futtaim Group


• Sector: Tourism
• Stage: Under Construction
• Budget: $5bn
• Completion date: Q1 2012
• Location: Dubai, UAE

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The tourism and commercial complex of Dubai Festival City was launched as the main location for the
Dubai Shopping Festival, which is held in March each year. It is located in the Rashidiya area of the city,
adjacent to the Garhoud Bridge and is being developed with 15 different zones.

87= Duqm Refinery

• Client: Oman Oil Company; International Petroleum Investment Company


• Sector: Oil & Gas
• Stage: Planned
• Budget: $5bn
• Completion date: Q4 2014
• Location: Oman

The refinery and petrochemicals complex at Duqm will be the third in Oman, alongside the Mina al-Fahal
refinery and the Sohar refinery. It is being developed in partnership with Abu Dhabi-based International
Petroleum Investment Company.

87= International City

• Client: Nakheel Corporation


• Sector: Real Estate
• Stage: Execution
• Budget: $5bn
• Completion date: Q1 2020
• Location: UAE

The mixed-use International City is being developed at Al-Warsan in Dubai and will be divided into five
districts, comprising two residential zones, a central business district, the DragonMart warehousing zone,
and the Forbidden City entertainment district.

87= Metropolitan Development Strategy for Arriyadh

• Client: Arriyadh Development Authority


• Sector: Real Estate
• Stage: Study
• Budget: $5bn
• Completion date: Q4 2030
• Location: Saudi Arabia

The Arriyadh plan aims to create two suburban cities and five smaller centres around Riyadh to help cope
with its annual growth rate of about 8 per cent. The suburban cities will each house 500,000 people with
the sub-centres housing 1.25 million people in total.

87= Nujoom Islands

• Client: Al Hanoo Holding Company


• Sector: Real Estate
• Stage: Execution
• Budget: $5bn
• Completion date: Q4 2015
• Location: UAE

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The Nujoom Islands scheme, near the Hamriyah Free Zone in Sharjah, will have about 33 km of beach-
front land, divided into residential plots, hotels and commercial zones. The infrastructure work, including
the dredging works and canals, has already been completed.

87= Pearl Qatar

• Client: United Development Company


• Sector: Real Estate
• Stage: Execution
• Budget: $5bn
• Completion date: Q3 2013
• Location: Qatar

This man-made island at West Bay, north of Doha, is spread over an area of more than 3.25 sq km and
will be connected to the mainland by a bridge. It is the first development in Qatar to allow non-GCC
nationals to buy freehold property and will create more than 40km of new coastline.

87= Sabah al-Ahmed Township

• Client: Public Authority for Housing Welfare


• Sector: Real Estate
• Budget: $5bn
• Stage: Under Construction
• Completion date: Q4 2020
• Location: Kuwait

The Sabah al-Ahmed Township is one of a series of township projects planned for Kuwait by the Public
Authority for Housing Welfare. The project, located 50km south of Kuwait City, will house 110,000
people. About 20 per cent of the township will be high-rise towers, with the rest being villas for Kuwaiti
families.

87= Water Recycling Plant

• Client: Government of Qatar; Darco Water Technologies


• Sector: Water Reuse
• Stage: Planned
• Budget: $5bn
• Completion date: Q2 2014
• Location: Qatar

Singapore-based Darco Water Technologies has formed a joint venture with the government of Qatar to
build a wastewater recycling plant to serve small towns and villages in rural Qatar. An engineering,
procurement and construction award is due to be made by the second quarter of 2011.

87= NCP Petrochemicals Complex

• Client: National ChevronPhillips


• Sector: Petrochemicals
• Stage: Execution
• Budget: $5bn
• Completion date: Q2 2011
• Location: Saudi Arabia

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This petrochemicals complex will be the third developed at Jubail by the US’ National ChevronPhillips. Its
product slate will include ethylene, hexane-1, propylene, polypropylene, polyethylene, polystyrene and
styrene. The development comes amid a boom in the local petrochemicals sector.

98= Borouge 2 Expansion

• Client: Abu Dhabi Polymers Company (Borouge)


• Sector: Industry
• Stage: Execution
• Budget: $4.9bn
• Completion date: Q4 2010
• Location: UAE

This project is a key part of the growth strategy being pursued by Abu Dhabi Polymers Company
(Borouge). The new facilities next to Borouge’s existing complex in Ruwais, will include an ethane
cracker, polypropylene plants, and the world’s biggest olefins converter.

99 Bahrain International Airport Expansion

• Client: Bahrain Airport Company


• Sector: Transport Budget: $4.7bn
• Stage: Planned
• Completion date: Q4 2015
• Location: Bahrain

Bahrain’s main transport gateway is being given a significant overhaul, with the rebuilding of its existing
terminal and the construction of a second. The project, once complete, will boost the airport’s capacity
from 5 million travellers a year to 12 million.

100= Muscat & Salalah International Airport Expansion

• Client: Transport & Communication Ministry


• Sector: Transport Budget: $4.6bn
• Stage: Under Construction
• Completion date: Q1 2013
• Location: Oman

The project to increase the capacity of Oman’s main airport to 7 million passengers a year comprises five
phases. The first includes upgrading the existing runway, building a new 4.3km-long runway, and
improving taxiways, access roads and other airside facilities.

100= Jeddah South Power Plant

• Client: Saudi Electricity Company


• Sector: Power & Water
• Budget: $4.6bn
• Stage: Planned
• Completion date: Q2 2022
• Location: Saudi Arabia

This five-phase expansion of the Jeddah South Power Plant near Mecca will add 4.4GW of power
generating capacity. The first three phases involve the installation of 630MW each, at a cost of $650m a
time. The final two phases will add 1.2GW each at $1.3bn apiece.

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The MEED Quality Awards for Projects 2011


On 22 March, Bahrain will host MEED’s Quality Awards for Projects 2011 ceremony, recognising best
practice in project delivery in the Middle East

The aim of the awards is to raise standards in the region’s projects sector by celebrating best practice in
all branches of the Gulf’s construction industry.

The awards recognise teams that have demonstrated quality in construction, design and project delivery.
Winning an award sends a message to the market that quality is essential in all parts of the project
management process, from health and safety to training, and from innovation to sustainable
development.

The winners will be the teams behind major projects completed in the GCC from January 2008 up to 28
October 2010.

The awards provide a multinational, merit-based approach to benchmarking best practice in the region’s
project market, promoting values that lead to improvements in business and industry, social and cultural
arenas.

MEED’s Quality Awards are one of the only reward schemes in the Middle East purely based on the
quality of its entrants, and the winners will be regarded as being the best of the best in the region.

Categories
The MEED Quality Awards for Projects is accepting entries in the following categories:

• Oil and Gas Project of the Year


Including: Refineries, offshore, distillation, infrastructure and pipelines
• Industrial Project of the Year
Including: Manufacturing, mining and metals
• Power and Water Desalination Project of the Year
Including: Energy, power, hydro-electric, desalination and other infrastructure
• Water Reuse Project of the Year
Including: Water usage, public supply, waste and recycling, and sewage treatment
• Leisure and Tourism Project of the Year
Including: Culture and heritage, leisure, entertainment and tourism
• Transport and Logistics Project of the Year
Including: Ports, airports and rail
• Road Project of the Year
Including: Roads, bridges, tunnels and causeways
• Mixed Development Project of the Year
Including: Commercial and residential
• Social Project of the Year
Including: Public spaces, education and healthcare
• Building Project of the Year
Outstanding project in any sector that has shown best practice throughout the development
• Sustainable Project of the Year
Any project that has shown a tangible and proven approach to sustainability
• Outstanding Achievement of the Year
Awarded to an individual who had contributed to best practice over the previous year
• MEED Project of the Year 2011
Awarded to the project from any category that is considered the outstanding example of what
quality in construction represents

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Related Press Releases


• Abu Dhabi Ports Company unveils the 417 sq km Khalifa Industrial Zone

• Chemaweyaat awards Madeenat Chemaweyaat Al Gharbia master plan services contract to


Halcrow

• RAK Properties begins Mina Al Arab villas and town houses hand over

• Total announces inauguration of world's largest ethane cracker in Ras Laffan, Qatar

• RAK Properties, Commercial Bank International sign mortgage financing agreement

http://www.meed.com/supplements/2010/the-gccs-top-100-projects/meeds-top-100-gcc-pr... 1/24/2011

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