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Construction

Construction news, real estate, property, and infrastructure news from the Middle East. All the important stories, exclusive interviews, plus authoritative opinion and analysis on the construction market.

Accumulated losses for DSI, constructor of the Cayan Tower, Dubai, increased to AED5.3 billion in the first half of 2023 Cayan Tower Dubai Marina skyline blue sky

Appeal court green lights Drake & Scull restructure

Dubai’s court of appeal  has approved a plan to restructure the troubled Dubai construction contractor Drake & Scull International (DSI). In what has been a lengthy battle through the courts, a previous verdict had called for the company to be placed into liquidation. This has now been overruled, and the court has given DSI one […]

Residential construction in Dubai

Dubai’s Union Properties reports $5m profit for Q3

The Dubai developer Union Properties (UP) has reported a net profit of AED20 million ($5.45 million) for the third quarter of the year, backed by continued strong demand in the emirate’s real estate sector. UP, best known for its Motor City development in Dubai, transformed a AED966 million net loss in 2021 to a AED30 […]

Haven is the first of three new residential communities to be developed in Dubai as part of a joint venture between Aldar and Dubai Holding

Aldar nets $844m in sales from Dubai project sell-out

Aldar Properties sold 786 villas and townhouses at its first residential development in Dubai, generating over AED3.1 billion ($844 million) in sales in one day. The developer launched 468 units in the first phase of Haven and another 318 units due to high demand, the Abu Dhabi-headquartered developer said in a statement. Overseas and expatriate […]

Tecom to expand logistics facilities as profit rises 34%

Tecom Group plans to develop new Grade A storage and logistics facilities as demand for high-quality commercial space surges across Dubai. The Dubai-based business park operator will add 200,000 sq ft of total gross leasing area for logistics and storage in Dubai Science Park.  The expansion comes as the company posted a 34 percent year on […]

Saudi Aramaco oil facility - the kingdom has made output cuts

Saudi GDP shrinks following oil output cuts

Real GDP growth in Saudi Arabia contracted by 4.5 percent in the third quarter, as ongoing Opec+ oil output cuts affect the broader economy. Government data released this week showed oil activities decreased by 17.3 percent in the third quarter from a year earlier. However the General Authority for Statistics said there was an expansion […]

Dubai Creek Tower

Apartment prices rise on news of Dubai Creek Tower revamp

The price of Dubai apartments with a view of what is intended to be the world’s tallest building have risen by nearly 10 percent since the project’s redesign was announced in August. Property developer Emaar hopes to start work on the revamped $1 billion Dubai Creek Tower next year. Sidharth Kumar, a real estate agent […]

Saudi Real Estate Refinance Company said the issuance had garnered interest from institutional investors

Saudi construction under pressure to deliver on its promise

The Saudi construction sector is growing as the state showers money on giga-projects while oil prices are high, but the industry is under increasing government pressure to deliver, industry players say.  A market that was previously dominated by favoured government contractors such as Binladin Group and the now defunct Saudi Oger has been liberalised. This […]

Aldar has launched 11 developments this year, including Gardenia Bay on Yas Island

Aldar plans European moves after unveiling record sales

Aldar Properties is planning to expand into Europe after posting record sales for the year so far, its chairman said on Monday. Sales at the Abu Dhabi-based real estate developer reached nearly AED8 billion ($2.2 billion) in the third quarter, driving a 48 percent increase in net profit. For the year to September 30, sales […]

Masa Residences in Ras Al Khaimah is scheduled to be completed by the last quarter of 2026

Durar launches $191m luxury project on Al Marjan island

The Dubai-based developer Durar has launched a new AED700 million ($190.58 million) branded residential tower on Al Marjan Island, Ras Al Khaimah, as the emirate sees heightened development activity in the luxury segment. Work on the residential project, called Masa Residences, will start by January 2024 and is scheduled to be completed by the last […]

Haven is the first of three new residential communities to be developed in Dubai as part of a joint venture between Aldar and Dubai Holding

Aldar to break ground on first Dubai project next year

Aldar Properties, Abu Dhabi’s largest developer, has launched its first Dubai residential project, Haven, with construction of the first phase starting in the second quarter of 2024. The project will be developed with its joint venture partner Dubai Holding on the land opposite Al Habtoor Polo Resort in Dubailand. Aldar’s Haven will be built in […]

UAE Swiss trade Julien Thiel, CEO of Deasyl (left) and Yousif bin Saeed Lootah, CEO of Lootah Biofuels Lootah Biofuels enters into a partnership with the Swiss Deasyl during ADIPEC

UAE-Swiss trade golden age adds technology to luxury

The trade relationship between the UAE and Switzerland is enjoying a golden era, with the European nation now the top non-oil destination for Emirati exports. Gold, jewellery and luxury watches traditionally dominated non-oil bilateral trade but innovation is growing in importance, according to Swiss Business Hub Middle East. It said that technology was increasingly important […]

Seagliders will connect key Neom destinations along 468 km of coastline, carrying both passengers and freight

Neom investment fund backs US futuristic transport firms

The newly launched investment arm of Saudi Arabia’s $500 billion futuristic giga-project Neom has made its first commitments, backing two US-based transport companies. The Neom Investment Fund (NIF) announced on Wednesday that it had made a $100 million investment in the global autonomous driving company Pony.ai. A joint venture will be set up between the […]

Morocco African Development Bank (AfDB) funds will go to earthquake relief

Morocco signs $280m deals with African Development Bank

Morocco has signed three agreements with the African Development Bank (AfDB) worth more than MAD2.9 billion ($280 million). The deals will improve access to healthcare, support increased social security coverage and provide emergency help in the wake of September’s devastating earthquake in Al Haouz, according to an announcement by the government. The first agreement, worth […]

The Red Sea Four Seasons resort will have 149 rooms and suites, plus 31 residential properties

Red Sea Global links up with Kingdom for $530m resort

Red Sea Global and Kingdom Holding Company have agreed a SAR2 billion ($530 million) joint venture to develop and own a Four Seasons resort at the Red Sea giga-project. The luxury development, scheduled to open in early 2025, will be built on Shura Island, the main hub of the 22-island giga-project. The Four Seasons resort […]

The first residents of Oxagon, a Neom project, are due to move in next year

Neom and Denmark’s DSV in $10bn logistics partnership

Saudi Arabia’s Neom and Danish freight forwarder DSV have entered into a $10 billion logistics joint venture (JV) that will serve the $500 billion giga-project in the kingdom’s northwest. The JV will provide supply chain management including delivering goods and materials to Neom, the companies said in a joint statement. Neom, owned by Saudi Arabia’s […]

Developer Aldar says occupancy rates at the towers at ADGM in Abu Dhabi have reached 99%

Aldar says occupancy in its prime office space at 97%

Aldar Properties, the largest developer in Abu Dhabi, said occupancy levels in prime grade A commercial properties have reached 97 percent on rising demand and limited supply. The properties include four buildings at Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), Aldar HQ, and International Tower in the Capital Gate district. Occupancy rates at the towers at ADGM, […]

The King Abdullah University report says Saudi Arabia's coastal areas will be most at risk and suggests a range of approaches to mitigate this

Warning over climate impact of Saudi giga-projects

Saudi Arabia’s vast giga-projects could have a damaging impact on the environment if they are not managed properly, a report from a Saudi university has found.  “While diversifying the economy, giga-projects will increase the number of people living or visiting coastal areas, placing an additional burden via waste generation and disposal, water desalination and energy […]

Water, Waterfront, Port

DP World to invest $1bn to upgrade Tanzanian port

Dubai’s DP World has signed a 30-year concession agreement with the Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA) to operate and modernise Dar es Salaam Port. The deal aims to improve transport and logistics services throughout Tanzania and the wider East Africa region, according to the state-run Wam news agency. DP World will invest more than $250 million […]

DP World is using renewable energy generated by the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority

Maharashtra port next on list for DP World

Global ports operator DP World has signed an agreement with Indian port operator Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA) to invest INR200 billion ($2.4 billion) to develop a port in the Indian state of Maharashtra. The proceeds will be used to develop the terminals at Vadhvan port that will be primarily driven by green hydrogen, JNPA’s […]

El Gouna in Egypt, one of Orascom Development's sites in the country

Orascom ‘treading water’ in Egypt but remains bullish

The value of Orascom Development’s strong growth in Egypt has been almost wiped out as a result of continued currency devaluations. But group CEO Omar El Hamamsy remains bullish on the future of the North African country. The conglomerate, that is based in Switzerland and develops infrastructure at scale, has grown 60 percent in Egypt […]

An artists's impression of part of KEC's planned Islamic World District

Chinese builder picked for $1bn Medina projects

Agreements worth nearly $1 billion have been signed with a Chinese construction major to build two mixed-use projects in Saudi Arabia’s Knowledge Economic City (KEC) in Medina. A filing by KEC to the Saudi Stock Exchange on Wednesday revealed that a $400 million deal has been agreed with China Gezhouba International Engineering Group Company (CGGC) […]