In Pictures: Gulf’s construction sector has a packed project portfolio and here are some of them

The Gulf has been a construction powerhouse with trillions of dollars of ongoing and planned projects. We will, however, see a shift in some project-related trends and here are 10 likely ones:

GREEN FUEL | With a lot of focus on climate change by decarbonizing energy sources and reducing use of fossil fuels, the region’s oil producers are pinning hopes on green hydrogen, blue hydrogen and ammonia to continue to be at the helm of the global energy ecosystem. Huge investments has already been announced.

Mubadala Investment Company, ADNOC and ADQ formed the Abu Dhabi Hydrogen Alliance, while Oman’s Ministry of Energy and Minerals is establishing a national hydrogen alliance - Hy-Fly - to place Oman firmly on the map for the deployment of clean hydrogen. Oman’s OQ announced it is developing one of the biggest green fuel projects in the world

Saudi Arabia aims to develop the world’s largest green hydrogen project after an agreement between Air Products, ACWA Power and NEOM for a $5 billion green hydrogen-based ammonia production facility. And an Abu Dhabi Ports’ subsidiary announced a green ammonia production facility, in which Helios Industry plans to invest over $1 billion.

PHOTOVOLTAIC PROJECTS | According to the World Energy Council, the GCC will require 100 GW of additional power over the next 10 years to meet demand, and as per International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), solar photovoltaic (PV) technology is now “the most competitive form of power generation” in the Gulf.

In Saudi Arabia, power purchase agreements were signed for seven solar photovoltaic contracts recently that have a combined capacity of nearly 3,000 MW. Upcoming PV projects include QP Industrial Cities Solar Project in Qatar; a Floating Solar PV Plant in Dubai and 500 MW Solar PV Power Plant in Umm Al Quwain; the PV schemes at Shagaya Renewable Energy Complex in Saudi Arabia; and a 15 MW Photovoltaic Solar Project in Al Dhahirah, Oman.

PETROCHEMICAL PROJECTS | The region’s oil majors growth blueprint indicates they are placing more emphasis on boosting their downstream activities. ADNOC announced that it intends to transform into a global downstream major by investing $45 billion to convert Ruwais Industrial Complex into the ‘Downstream Silicon Valley’ of the world.

Saudi Aramco’s downstream strategy is to raise its overall refined output to 8 mbd to 10 million barrels a day, and petrochemicals production to 34 million tonnes a year (excluding Sabic production) by start of next decade.

The Borouge 4 petrochemicals plant in UAE; the Amiral Petrochemical Complex and Advanced Global Investment Company’s Petrochemical project in Jubail, Saudi Arabia; the Petrochemical Complex at Ras Laffan Industrial City and Polyvinyl Chloride Plant in Qatar; Genoil Refinery in Duqm, Oman, Al Zour Petrochemical Complex Olefins 3 in Kuwait, Aromatics Complex in Bahrain are upcoming projects in the region.

SOCIAL INFRASTRUCTURE | They remain a major contributor for the region’s construction industry with the governments being proactive in improving the living standards. Some of the projects worth mentioning are the Roshn development in Riyadh; Murooj Jeddah; a 25,000 low-cost housing scheme in Bahrain, Al Riyadh City and the Baniyas North Housing Development in Abu Dhabi, and the South Jahra Labour City in Kuwait. In addition, there are many education and healthcare initiatives to support these housing developments.

GREEN CORRIDORS | Changing the urban landscape and exponentially increasing recreational areas as well as nature reserves are another focus area . As per the Dubai 2040 Urban Plan, nature reserves and rural natural areas will constitute 60 per cent of Dubai’s total area. Green corridors will be established to link the service areas, residential communities and workplaces; and facilitate the movement of pedestrians, bicycles and sustainable mobility in coordination with developers and government departments.

Saudi Arabia also announced it will work to restore, conserve, and manage a billion hectares of land by 2040. The Saudi Green initiative aims to plant 10 billion trees – the same as rehabilitating 40 million hectares of degraded land. As part of this, 30 per cent of the kingdom will be protected areas and efforts will be made to protect coastal environments.

Some of the upcoming landscaping and recreational projects include Green Riyadh, the Coral Garden in Fujairah, Sharjah Botanical Garden, a cycle track from Qotah area to Maliha in the UAE, the Sanad Garden in Bahrain, and the development of cycle and jogging tracks in Al Warqa, Qatar.

REPURPOSING BUILDINGS | The repurposing of existing buildings is one area we expect to see lot of interest and activity. Refurbishment also calls for making buildings more energy-efficient and environment-friendly. With a lot of offices being downsized and with people permanently working from home, demand for commercial buildings will be affected.

A repurposing of commercial buildings is being considered by asset owners to save it from losing further money. Restoration of historical sites and buildings is also gaining attention as part of improving the tourism and cultural landscapes.

SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT | With FIFA 2022 already changing the entire landscape of Qatar, other GCC countries are also investing heavily in their sports infrastructure. UAE recently chosen to host the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Cricket in 2021, and Qatar announcing its interest to host a future Olympics, the region is already in the radar to be a host for many major future sporting events.

Entertainment is also another area drawing lot of investments. Saudi Entertainment Ventures had announced that it will develop entertainment complexes in across the Kingdom. Other major projects include Sports and Entertainment Center in Egaila, Kuwait; the Entertainment Hub in DIFC; the Entertainment Arena in Al Diriyah Festival City and a Sports Boulevard in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; and The Sports City at Sakhir, Bahrain.

INDUSTRIAL | The recently announced ‘Operation 300Bn’ aims to raise the UAE industrial sector’s contribution. Saudi Arabia launched its ‘Made in Saudi’ programme, which aims to grow the local footprint and boost exports to priority markets. Oman launched several new industrial parks, including Mudhaibi Industrial City, Ibri Industrial City, and Oman Nano City in Sur Industrial City.

NEOM, THE SMART CITY | Saudi Arabia’s Neom with a value of $500 billion by itself is more than the combined projects in many countries. Neom will be a smart cognitive city, where technology will be fueled with data and intelligence to interact seamlessly with its population. Construction is already underway on many packages within Neom. However, details of the work are yet to be announced, but the larger-than-life scheme is expected to offer busy days ahead for the construction industry participants.