Saudi Arabia is implementing mega infrastructure projects, including roads, bridges and rail projects worth $77 billion (SR288.75 billion), local media said quoting a report.
The projects currently implemented to develop roads and bridges in the GCC countries are estimated at $109 billion (SR408.75 billion), the report released by Ventures Middle East said.
Saudi Arabia captured the five biggest construction projects (contracts) in the Middle East region during August 2013.
The Saudi Electricity Company (SEC) recently awarded a $3.3 billion contract to South Korea's Hyundai Heavy Industries to build Shaqiq power plant at the capacity of 2,640 megawatt (MW), located 580 km south of Jeddah, the report added.
Last month, the Ministry of Housing approved eight contracts worth $1 billion (SR375 billion) for the construction of housing projects in a number of cities, including Madinah, Jeddah, Dammam, Qatif, and Kharj, the report said.
Likewise, the Higher Commission for Riyadh Development (HCRD) also signed contracts valued at more than $22 billion for a Riyadh metro project, which is the biggest in the region. Contractors plan to build a 176 km long metro line in a five-year period, it said.
Plans are under way to build new petrochemical projects with their values touching $70 billion. Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Saudi Aramco), Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC) and Farabi Petrochemical Company (Farabi) will lead investments in these projects, the report said quoting petrochemical sources.
The petrochemical projects will be constructed near the oil refineries to get their required feedstock. They will be located in Jazan, Yanbu and Ras Tanura, the report said.
The Kingdom also recently kicked off major industrial and petrochemical projects in Jubail and Yanbu industrial cities with costs reaching SR327 billion.
The projects are supposed to raise the Kingdom's share to global petrochemical market to more than 12 percent and its petrochemical products to nearly 100 million tons annually, the report said.
Arab News
6 October
