Iraq awards Hyundai E&C contract for Common Seawater Supply Project under GGIP
The decision, taken during the 32nd cabinet session chaired by Prime Minister Mohammed S. Al-Sudani, includes ratifying price negotiation results and bypassing procurement procedures under Government Contracts Implementation Instructions No. 2 of 2014, to address measures taken between 2018 and 2021 in accordance with financial authorities, the official statement noted.
The Common Seawater Supply Project (CSSP) is one of the four sub-projects of the $10 billion Gas Growth Integrated Project (GGIP) led by a consortium comprising TotalEnergies (45 percent), Basrah Oil Company (30 percent) and QatarEnergy (25 percent). The facility will be located between Khor Zubair and Umm Qasr ports and will have an initial capacity to treat 5 million barrels of seawater per day.
The filtered water will be piped to the Zubair, Rumaila, Majnoon, West Qurna and Ar-Ratawi fields to maintain reservoir pressure while replacing the fresh water currently drawn from the rivers and groundwater. This shift is expected to free up 250,000 cubic metres of freshwater daily for agriculture and irrigation and reduce water stress in the area.
In May 2019, South Korean media reported that Hyundai E&C had received a letter of intent from the Basrah Oil Company (BOC) for a $2.4 billion sea water supply facility. A Reuters report in June 2019 said the award was awaiting final ministerial approval at the time.
GGIP moves forward
The award comes amid a series of GGIP-related announcements this year.
Last week, the Shanghai-listed China Petroleum Engineering Co., Ltd., (CPE), a subsidiary of China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), announced that its wholly owned subsidiary China Petroleum Pipeline Engineering Company (CPP) received letter of award from BOC for the Basra Province Seawater Pipeline EPC Project.
The company said in a Chinese–language stock exchange statement that the contract, valued at $2.524 billion, is yet to be signed. The scope of work includes the construction of trunk pipelines from seawater treatment facilities to various interconnecting stations, branch pipelines from interconnecting stations to oilfield distribution stations, and pipeline ancillary surface facilities. The contract period is 54 months inclusive of 42 months for the design, procurement, construction, and commissioning phase, and 12 months for operation, maintenance, and training.
In June 2025, CPE said in a stock exchange statement that CPP was awarded the $294 million Ar -Ratawi Gas Midstream Pipeline project by TotalEnergies. One of the four sub-projects of GGIP, Ar-Ratawi Gas Midstream Project (GMP) aims to eliminate flaring and recover the gas from several oil fields. Collected and processed, the gas will then be transported by pipeline to supply the local power plants, thereby improving the electricity supply to this region, which is regularly affected by power cuts.
CPE stated that project will be executed under the engineering, procurement, supply, construction and commissioning (EPSCC) model over a 36-month period. It involves construction of approximately 114 kilometres of a 26-inch sour gas pipeline, an 83-kilometre 20-inch sour gas pipeline, three export pipelines, and supporting valve stations to link Majnoon and West Qurna II oil fields to the Ar-Ratawi gas processing plant.
The GGIP project focuses on recovering flared gas from three oil fields, supplying gas to power plants, developing a 1 Gigawatt (GW) solar power plant for the Basra regional grid, and constructing a seawater treatment plant to support water injection for enhanced oil recovery in the region.
In March 2025, Zawya Projects reported that Iraq has commenced construction of a 1,000 megawatt (MW) solar photovoltaic (PV) power plant as part of GGIP. The plant is equally owned by TotalEnergies and QatarEnergy.
(Writing by Majda Muhsen; Editing by Anoop Menon)
(anoop.menon@lseg.com)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Tahawul Tech
11 hours ago
- Tahawul Tech
SANS Institute returns with fourth edition of SANS Cyber Leaders Forum to Riyadh
The fifth edition of SANS Riyadh Cyber Leaders delivers intensive training for cybersecurity managers and SOC leaders. The SANS Institute is set to return to the Kingdom's capital with the fourth edition of its Cyber Leaders Forum from August 24 to 28, 2025. Taking place at the Hyatt Regency Riyadh Olaya, the event will offer five days of high-impact leadership and technical training, tailored for security managers and SOC leaders facing today's complex cyber threats. This year's forum builds on Saudi Arabia's rising status as a global cybersecurity frontrunner. In 2025, the Kingdom secured the top position in the IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook's cybersecurity indicator, a milestone achieved through concerted national efforts led by the National Cybersecurity Authority and the Saudi Information Technology Company (SITE). Their strategic initiatives have not only boosted local cyber resilience but have also reinforced international partnerships and technology localisation. 'Saudi Arabia's position as a global cybersecurity leader is no coincidence, it's the result of strategic vision and long-term commitment,' said Ned Baltagi, Managing Director, Middle East, Africa, and Turkey at SANS Institute. 'At SANS, we're proud to support this progress by bringing world-class training to Riyadh through our Cyber Leaders event, helping to develop the next generation of cybersecurity leadership in the Kingdom.' Leadership-focused courses for strategic security professionals The Riyadh training event will feature specialised courses aligned with the needs of InfoSec leaders. These include: LDR512: Security Leadership Essentials for Managers , aimed at helping professionals strengthen strategic planning and leadership abilities. LDR514: Security Strategic Planning, Policy, and Leadership™ , offering tools for building comprehensive cybersecurity plans and policies. LDR551: Building and Leading Security Operations Centers™ , focused on SOC development and aligning operations to enterprise risk profiles. Each course incorporates 17 hands-on labs and Cyber42 leadership simulations, ensuring participants gain both conceptual knowledge and practical skills. Attendees can join either in person or via live online sessions. Community Night Talk: Focus on crypto mining threats The Cyber Leaders Community Night Talk will take place on August 25 from 5:30 PM to 6:30 PM. Delivered by expert instructor Jan D'Herdt, the session will explore the detection of unauthorised cryptocurrency mining in corporate environments—an emerging risk with serious implications for enterprise networks. This open-access session offers a practical platform for cybersecurity professionals in Saudi Arabia and beyond to enhance their threat detection capabilities. Online attendance is also available through SANS Accounts.
Khaleej Times
12 hours ago
- Khaleej Times
Dubai Airport's new AI corridor allows passengers to clear immigration without stops: Alkhaleej
Dubai Airport (DXB) is now home to an AI-powered corridor, allowing multiple travellers to pass through immigration controls within seconds. The new service allows up to 10 people to pass through at the same time, without having to stop or present identification documents, according to local newspaper Alkhaleej. The airport systems now recognise passenger data even before they arrive at border crossings, said Lieutenant General Mohamed Ahmed Al Marri, Director-General of the General Directorate of Identity and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) in Dubai. The new AI-powered corridor also speeds up process es and doubles the capacity of airports, as multiple passengers can be processed at once. In addition, AI also helps in detecting violations as it refers any suspicious passport directly to forgery experts, Al Marri added. The new service is the first of its kind worldwide and comes as part of an integrated system that puts the experience of "boundless travel" within travelers' reach, Al Marri stated. DXB maintained its position as the world's busiest airport in terms of international passenger traffic for 2024, according to a report by Airports Council International (ACI) World. Travellers' impressions Many passengers who walked through the corridor expressed their admiration for the quick clearing service. 'I travelled with my family and the experience was smooth and exceptional. The procedures have become much faster thanks to this corridor, as travel can now be completed in record time without the need to stop at passport control counters,' said Mohammed Amer from Syria. Another traveller called Mahmoud Balou from Canada praised Dubai's efforts to adopt the latest technologies that help cut waiting time and prevent congestion, making the travel experience more enjoyable and seamless, according to the Alkhaleej report.
Khaleej Times
14 hours ago
- Khaleej Times
Kuwait: 4 visas under new online system explained; fees, duration, how to apply
Everybody is welcome. This was the message Kuwaiti officials conveyed as they announced acomprehensive plan for boosting tourism and attracting visitors by facilitating the process of issuing visas. During a recent press conference, a Kuwaiti official from the General Department of Residency Affairs highlighted how the revamped visa procedures have simplified the process for visitors planning to travel to the Gulf nation. The overhaul provides four types of online visas for all nationals except for Israelis, Lieutenant Colonel Abdulaziz Al-Kandari, Assistant Director of Electronic Services at the department said. Here are the four new options made available by the Kuwaiti authorities: 1. Tourist visa There are four categories of tourist visas under the new system: 1 - Nationals of 52 countries are eligible for a visa without restrictions. They are only required to have a passport valid for more than six months from the date of entry. These countries are: Spain-Portugal-Czech Republic-Denmark-Sweden-The Vatican-Germany-Norway-Finland-Japan-Greece-Ireland-Australia-Estonia-Italy-Andorra-Iceland-Brunei-UK-Belgium-Bulgaria-Bhutan-Poland-US-Romania-San Morino-Slovakia-Slovenia-Singapore-Switzerland-France-Croatia-Cambodia-Canada-South Korea-Latvia-Laos-Luxembourg-Malta-Malaysia-Monaco-New Zealand-Hungary-The Netherlands-Hong Kong-Austria-Ukraine-Georgia-Cyprus-Liechtenstein-Lithuania-Turkey) 2 - Professionals with financial capacity for travel and tourism, and who are residents of GCC countries, US, UK and Schengen nations. They must have: Passport valid for over 6 months For GCC residents: Valid residency that clearly shows the profession and is valid for over 6 months Eligible professions include judges and prosecutors, businessmen, managers, doctors and pharmacists, lawyers, members of the diplomatic corps, university professors, shareholders, directors and officers, engineers, consultants, journalists and media professionals, system analysts and computer programmers, pilots 3 - Nationals of other countries (Not activated yet) This category includes those who prove their financial capacity by methods specified by the Kuwaiti authorities. They are required to have: Passport valid for more than six months from the date of entry Proof of financial solvency through a recent bank statement Confirmed hotel reservation for the entire duration of stay An insurance amount of money will be charged via the visitor's credit card (Visa or MasterCard) at the time of visa payment. This amount is collected in case of violation and refunded upon departure. 4 - Visa applicants pertaining to international and local events and activities. Requirements for this category will be determined according to each event or activity at the time. Tourist visas come in two forms: Single entry for 1, 2, or 3 months with a validity of 30 days. Multiple entries for 3, 6 months or 1 year with a stay not exceeding 30 days per entry. 2. Family visit visa To get this visa, applicants are required to provide a proof of family relationship in a document in Arabic or translated into Arabic by a certified translation office. This document can be a marriage contract or a birth certificate. The relationship can be up to the fourth degree of blood relation or third degree by marriage. Family visit visas come in two forms: Single entry for 1, 2, or 3 months with a validity of 30 days Multiple entries for 3, 6 months, or 1 year, with a stay not exceeding 30 days per entry. 3. Business visa It is granted to individuals whom a private entity—such as a company or organisation—wishes to invite for a visit for business purposes. It comes in two forms: Single entry for 1 month with a validity of 30 days Multiple entries for 3, 6 months, or 1 year, with a stay not exceeding 30 days per entry. 4. Government visa Granted to individuals whom a government entity wishes to invite to visit Kuwait from abroad for purposes related to that government entity. There are no specific requirements to obtain a government visit visa; rather, the government entities determine the need for the visit. It comes in two forms: Single entry for 1, 2, or 3 months, with a validity of 30 days. Multiple entries for 3, 6 months, or 1 year, with a stay not exceeding 30 days per entry. Fees, how to apply The fee for the new visas is 3 Kuwaiti dinars (around Dh36). For a detailed, step by step guide on how to apply, check this video: #CGCKuwait — Ù�رÙ�ز اÙ�Ø°Ù�اصÙ� اÙ�ØÙ�Ù�Ù�Ù� (@CGCKuwait) August 14, 2025
