Saudi Tender Watch — Issue 1

Saudi Tender Watch

Weekly opportunities for international business

Issue 1 · 17–23 Aug 2026

Priority action during the period

Shortlisted developers and their financing, EPC and equipment partners needed to complete submissions for SPPC’s Round 3 combined-cycle gas turbine programme by 23 August 2026.

Round 3 CCGT independent power projects

Saudi Power Procurement Company

Who should pursue — shortlisted international developers, equity investors, EPC contractors, gas-turbine manufacturers, technical advisers and project-finance banks.

Saudi Power Procurement Company’s third conventional independent power round sought developers for high-efficiency combined-cycle gas turbine plants under a build-own-operate structure. Winning consortiums will be responsible for financing, construction, ownership and long-term operation, while the facilities are intended to accommodate future carbon-capture systems.

International developer consortiums were eligible to participate and submissions closed on 23 August. Although the prime competition is now closed, the next stage should create substantial roles for EPC partners, turbine and balance-of-plant suppliers, lenders, insurers and advisers supporting the shortlisted groups.

Why it matters — the programme combines long-term generation ownership with major EPC, turbine, financing and advisory mandates and is designed for future carbon-capture integration.

NREP Round 7 — 5.3GW solar and wind

Saudi Power Procurement Company

Who should pursue — qualified developers and their solar, wind, EPC, grid-equipment, storage, advisory and project-finance partners.

The seventh round of the National Renewable Energy Programme covers six solar and wind projects totalling 5,300MW across Al-Jouf, Hail, Asir and Madinah. The programme represents one of the kingdom’s largest simultaneous renewable-development competitions and will require extensive generation, grid-connection and balance-of-plant work.

SPPC extended the bid deadline during the coverage period. Its qualified-developer list includes Masdar, EDF Power Solutions, Engie, Sembcorp, Jinko Power, TotalEnergies, KEPCO, Marubeni and PowerChina, demonstrating direct international access at developer level and significant downstream demand.

Why it matters — confirmed international competition across 5.3GW creates a broad pipeline for generation technology, EPC, grid equipment, financing and long-term operating services.

BESS Group 1 — four battery storage projects

Saudi Power Procurement Company

Who should pursue — battery and PCS manufacturers, transformer and switchgear suppliers, fire-safety and controls specialists, EPC subcontractors and project-finance banks.

Saudi Arabia signed storage-service agreements on 20 August for four projects totalling 2,000MW and 8,000MWh, representing combined investment of more than SAR4.35bn, or $1.16bn. Three projects in Makkah and Hail went to a consortium involving Saudi Energy, ACWA Power and Al-Sharif Contracting.

Al-Khushaybi in Qassim was awarded to France’s Engie and Haji Abdullah Alireza. The development contest is closed, but equipment and construction procurement should accelerate, while SPPC’s larger follow-on group of six projects totalling 12,000MWh provides a further market to monitor.

Why it matters — the $1.16bn award validates Saudi Arabia as a major utility-scale storage market and provides an immediate equipment pipeline alongside a larger follow-on round.

Phosphate railway track-doubling

Saudi Arabian Railways (SAR)

Who should pursue — trackwork, signalling and telecoms suppliers, bridge and drainage contractors, testing firms, mining-logistics specialists and guarantee providers.

Saudi Arabia Railways awarded a roughly 100-kilometre track-doubling package between Nariyah yard and Ras Al-Khair in the Eastern Province to Alomaier Trading and Contracting. The works are valued at more than SAR4bn, or about $1.1bn, and Switzerland’s ARX is serving as project consultant.

The package supports higher phosphate freight capacity between the kingdom’s mining areas and eastern industrial and export facilities. It is understood to be the first of four packages under the wider programme. Foreign eligibility for the original works competition was not established publicly, so international companies should pursue the awardee and future package teams.

Why it matters — the award is the first step in a wider multi-package mining railway expansion, creating follow-on demand for track, structures, signalling and freight infrastructure.

Jafurah Phase 5 gas expansion

Saudi Aramco

Who should pursue — compressor and rotating-equipment manufacturers, process vendors, piping and E&I contractors, inspection firms, logistics providers and banks.

Saudi Aramco moved closer to awarding the fifth expansion phase of the Jafurah unconventional gas programme, with a frontrunner reported on 19 August after commercial submissions in July. The principal scope covers three gas-compression plants, each designed for approximately 200 million cubic feet a day.

No contract value has been disclosed and the main competition is closed. The programme’s procurement history indicates international EPC participation, consistent with previous Jafurah phases. Suppliers should prepare for the winning contractor’s vendor registration, local-content planning and package tendering.

Why it matters — the impending EPC decision should trigger a major supply-chain cycle across compression, process equipment, piping, electrical systems and construction services.

King Salman Bay marine infrastructure

Red Sea Global

Who should pursue — shortlisted marine contractors and specialist dredging, quay-wall, geotechnical, precast, equipment and logistics subcontractors.

Red Sea Global received bids on 31 July for approximately 11 kilometres of dredging, earthworks and quay-wall construction at King Salman Bay, north of Jeddah. Details released during the coverage period showed strong international participation across the five bidding teams.

Reported groups included Belgium’s Deme with Greece’s Archirodon, Netherlands-based Van Oord, Qatar’s Urbacon with Egypt’s Negida, and a Saudi-Chinese pairing of Modern Building Leaders and China Harbour Engineering. The main bid is closed, but the scale and composition of the teams point to substantial specialist procurement after award.

Why it matters — the bidder composition demonstrates genuine international access and should generate large dredging, marine civil and equipment packages for the selected team.

Before bidding, check

Saudi registration, RHQ rules, local content, prequalification, JV requirements