The Saudi contracting sector recorded remarkable activity during October 2026, with the awarding of 23 projects with a total value of approximately 24.65 billion riyals, amid the Eastern Province topping the list of regions in terms of the financial value of projects, and the oil and gas sector taking the largest share of investments, according to the “Contracting Sector Outlook” report issued by the Saudi Contractors Authority.
The report, which is based on data from the “SCAVO” platform specializing in tracking projects, showed that the value of projects awarded during October amounted to 24.648 billion riyals, distributed across 23 projects. The construction sector came first in terms of the number of projects with 9 projects, while the oil and gas sector accounted for the largest share of the total value with investments exceeding 17.4 billion riyals.
October records the second highest value of projects during 2026
On a monthly performance level since the beginning of the year, the report data showed that May topped the list of months in terms of the value of projects awarded, with about 30.04 billion riyals, followed by June with a value of 29.5 billion riyals, then October with about 24.65 billion riyals, coming in third place in terms of value during the first ten months of the year.
Regarding the number of projects, June recorded the highest tally with 25 projects, while the number reached 23 projects in both September and October, compared to 18 projects in August, 13 projects in May, 11 projects in March and July, 9 projects in April, 5 projects in February, and 4 projects in January.
The total value of projects awarded monthly ranged between 2.81 billion riyals in February and 30.04 billion riyals in May, reflecting the varying size of projects offered and the nature of investments across different sectors throughout the year.
Oil and gas account for 70% of project value
Regarding the distribution of projects according to economic activities, the oil and gas sector topped the list in terms of investment value, after the value of the projects assigned to it reached 17.41 billion riyals, distributed over 8 projects, representing about 70.6% of the total value of the awards during the month.
In contrast, the construction sector came in first place in terms of the number of projects, with 9 projects, valued at 3.78 billion riyals, accounting for about 39% of the total number of projects.
The infrastructure sector came in next place with a value of 2.15 billion riyals through 3 projects, while the water and energy sector recorded two projects worth 750 million riyals, while the industry sector witnessed the awarding of one project worth 562.5 million riyals.
The projects awarded during October extended to 13 sub-activities, with the exploration and production facilities activity topping the list of activities in terms of the number of projects and financial value, after recording 6 projects whose value exceeded 9.6 billion riyals, reflecting the large weight of investments related to oil and gas activities within the Saudi contracting market.
Eastern Province acquires 52% of assigned projects
In terms of geographical distribution, the Eastern Province accounted for the largest share of projects awarded during October, with 12 projects, representing about 52% of the total projects, thus leading the regions of the Kingdom in terms of the number of projects.
Riyadh region came in second place with 5 projects, followed by Madinah with 2 projects, while Makkah, Asir and Najran each recorded one project.
In terms of investment value, the Eastern Province strengthened its leading position with a total of 18.96 billion riyals, far ahead of the Riyadh region, which recorded 4.83 billion riyals, while the value of projects in Makkah amounted to 562.5 million riyals, and Madinah to 150 million riyals.
The data also showed a difference in the nature of projects between regions; in the Eastern Province, projects were distributed across the construction, building, industry, and oil and gas sectors at rates of 27.27%, 9.09%, and 72.73% respectively, while Riyadh projects were distributed between construction at a rate of 60% and infrastructure at a rate of 40%.
2029 accounts for the largest share of project completion dates.
Regarding implementation timelines, the report showed that the projects awarded during October are spread over four years, from 2027 to 2030, with the largest number and highest value concentrated in 2029.
Two projects are expected to be completed during 2027 with a total value of 161.25 million riyals, while three projects are expected to be completed in 2028 with a value of 696.75 million riyals.
Aramco leads the list of project owners with 13.1 billion riyals.
The year 2029 will have the largest share, with the expected completion of 14 projects with a total value of 17.02 billion riyals, while 4 projects are expected to be completed during the year 2030 with a value of 6.77 billion riyals.
These distributions show that the implementation of the projects assigned during October extends over several years, with the largest part of their investment value concentrated in the projects scheduled for completion during 2029.
At the level of project owners, Saudi Aramco came in first place in terms of financial value and the number of projects awarded during October, after it obtained 6 projects with a total value of 13.125 billion riyals.
Al-Khafji Joint Operations came next with one project valued at 3.99 billion riyals, followed by the Royal Commission for Riyadh City with two projects valued at 2.0025 billion riyals, then Center 3 Human with one project valued at 1.875 billion riyals, and finally Yokogawa Engineering - Middle East and Africa with one project valued at 750 million riyals.
The most prominent major projects awarded during October
The report identified five prominent projects in terms of financial value, led by the additional onshore expansion program for the Safaniya field, belonging to Saudi Aramco in the Eastern Province, within the oil and gas sector, which includes the first package for the gas-oil separation facility (GOSP).
The list also included the Dorra Gas Field Development Project, specifically the onshore package, which is jointly owned by Khafji Joint Operations, Kuwait Gulf Oil Company and Saudi Aramco.
The projects also included the development of intersections 9, 10 and 11 on King Salman Road in Riyadh, belonging to the Royal Commission for Riyadh City, in addition to the “Center 3 Humanine” (DC301) data center project, and the production platform units (PDMs) project in the Abu Sa’fah, Berri, Manifah and Safaniyah fields belonging to Saudi Aramco.
10 projects expected to be awarded during November 2026
Regarding project activity in the following month, the report indicated that 10 new projects are expected to be awarded during November 2026, with more than half of them expected to be concentrated in the construction sector, and about half of these projects distributed in the Riyadh and Eastern regions.
The list of entities expected to launch projects during November includes the Saudi Arabian Football Federation, the Royal Commission for Riyadh City, the Public Investment Fund, Expo 2030 Riyadh, and Saudi Aramco.
The report is based on data from the “SCAVO” platform, a platform specializing in tracking projects within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It represents a partnership between the Saudi Contractors Authority and the company “Ventures Onsite”, and aims to provide project data and help contractors and those interested in accessing investment opportunities and information from project owners and decision-makers.
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