Value of major construction projects GCC 2019, by project

The value of the largest construction project in the Gulf Cooperation Council region was the Etihad Rail in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with an expected value of about 5.6 billion U.S. dollars in 2019. The GCC region was expected to lead the economic development of the Middle East and North Africa region in 2019 due to its diversification and business development reforms. The GCC region was undergoing major projects in 2019 such as the Dubai Expo 2020 and the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar.

GCC country breakdown

The total value of construction contracts awarded in the Gulf Cooperation Council region in 2018 was 46 billion U.S. dollars. The United Arab Emirates led in the region in terms of the value of awarded construction contracts, followed by Saudi Arabia and Qatar. The main investment in the UAE was the construction of buildings and housing sites. Whereas Saudi Arabia’s construction industry led in the region in the infrastructure development sector. Qatar’s construction sector led in the GCC in its focus on investment in the energy sector.

Construction by industry

Overall, the construction of buildings was the main investment focus of the GCC region at almost 70 billion U.S. dollars. This was followed by investment in energy and infrastructure.