UAE tops GCC projects market in Q2 2025
A. SREENIVASA REDDY (ABU DHABI) The UAE has emerged as the top-performing projects market in the GCC region during Q2 2025, overtaking Saudi Arabia as the region's leading destination for project awards, according to the latest Kamco Invest report. The UAE's share of total GCC contract awards surged to 49.2% in Q2 2025, up from 38.9% a year earlier, despite a regional downturn in project activity.The total value of project awards in the UAE reached $14 billion during Q2 2025. The country maintained its lead in the region, having already overtaken Saudi Arabia in Q1 2025. For the first half of 2025, total contract awards in the UAE amounted to $44.4 billion, down 12.1% year-on-year — a relatively modest decline compared to the broader regional contraction.'This notable shift reflects the successful implementation of wide-ranging structural reforms and carefully targeted investments aimed at accelerating the country's economic diversification agenda,' the Kamco Invest quarterly report stated.Among sectors, the Gas Sector emerged as the most dominant, accounting for 37.6% of the UAE's total project awards during Q2 2025, with contracts valued at $5.3 billion. Although this marked a decline of $300 million compared to the same period last year, the Gas Sector retained the top spot, followed by the Construction Sector with $4.9 billion and the Transport Sector with $1.7 billion.In terms of growth, the Industrial Sector recorded a year-on-year increase of 35.8% in awarded contracts, while the Chemical Sector rebounded to $150 million in Q2 2025 from zero awards a year earlier.Key developments during the quarter included a $400 million, three-year contract awarded to ADNOC Gas to supply 0.7 million tonnes of LNG to Europe's SEFE (Securing Energy for Europe). ADNOC Gas also announced the final investment decision for the $5 billion Rich Gas Development Scheme. The first tranche, worth $2.8 billion, was awarded to UK-based Wood for the development of the Habshan facility, which is expected to generate $400 million in EPCm revenue for the contractor. The other two tranches, valued at $1.2 billion and $1.1 billion, were awarded to Petrofac for the Das Island liquefaction facility and Kent for the Asab and Bu Hasa facilities, respectively.
Despite the UAE's gains, the overall GCC projects market saw a sharp 58% decline year-on-year in Q2 2025, falling to $28.4 billion—the lowest in 14 quarters. The decline was led by a 72.5% plunge in Saudi Arabia's project awards, which stood at $9.8 billion during the period. For the full first half, total GCC project awards dropped 38.9% to $86 billion, compared to $140.7 billion in H1 2024.
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