Description
MENA’s water security priorities are creating new infrastructure opportunities
Water security remains a strategic priority across MENA as governments respond to population growth, urbanisation, climate pressures and declining groundwater reserves. Investment is continuing across desalination, water treatment and reuse, transmission and storage infrastructure, supported by national strategies including Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, the UAE Water Security Strategy 2036, Qatar National Vision 2030 and Oman’s Water Vision 2040.
The market recorded $166.4bn in water and wastewater contract awards between 2017 and 2026. In 2025, contract awards increased 48.5% to $31.54bn, despite the number of contracts falling 20.4% to 223. This reflects a market increasingly shaped by fewer, larger projects, including major desalination and wastewater developments.
There is also a substantial future pipeline. MENA has $140.42bn of planned, known and unawarded water and wastewater projects, creating opportunities across desalination, wastewater treatment and reuse, transmission and storage, sewerage networks and PPP-financed schemes.
For companies targeting this market, understanding the size of the pipeline is only the starting point. The commercial opportunity lies in knowing which projects are progressing, when contracts are expected, who is driving procurement and where investment priorities are changing.
Market consolidation and changing delivery priorities
The water and wastewater sector is adapting to tighter budgets and rising execution costs. Utilities are balancing water security targets with cost discipline by consolidating smaller packages into fewer, larger contracts.
Key areas of focus include:
- Non-revenue water reduction and network rehabilitation.
- Wastewater reuse and treated effluent for agriculture and industry.
- Renewable-powered desalination to manage energy intensity.
- Digitalisation of utility operations and asset management systems.
- Independent water project (IWP), independent sewage treatment plant (ISTP), and independent water and wastewater treatment plant (IWTP) financing under public-private partnership (PPP) frameworks.
Companies operating in the sector need to manage changing regulations, financing requirements, technology adoption and shifts in government spending priorities.
What’s included in the MENA Water & Wastewater Projects Market 2026 report?
The report provides a comprehensive view of the region’s water infrastructure market, combining strategic market analysis with detailed project-level intelligence.
The report covers 12 MENA markets including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Iraq, Egypt, Algeria, Bahrain, Jordan, Lebanon and Morocco. It tracks projects across planned, under-development, tendering, awarded and active execution stages, giving you visibility from early pipeline development through to delivery.
With 500+ pages of analysis, 250+ charts, tables and project timelines and detailed coverage of thousands of active and planned developments, the report gives you the information needed to identify real opportunities and act on them. Its project intelligence is powered by the MEED Projects database, providing detailed information on developers, operators, contractors, procurement stages and project activity that is not available through public sources alone.
How will the MENA Water & Wastewater Projects Market 2026 report benefit you?
- Identify high-value project opportunities across desalination, water treatment, wastewater and reuse, transmission and storage
- Track projects from pipeline to execution, including planned, tendering, awarded and active developments
- Identify upcoming contracts and procurement activity across key MENA water markets
- Understand client investment priorities and the development strategies shaping future water infrastructure
- Track leading clients, developers, contractors, investors and technology providers active across the region
- Assess market opportunities and risks including financing constraints, contractor capacity, rising project costs and changing regulations
- Understand procurement and contracting models, including IWP, ISTP, IWTP and PPP structures
- Benchmark competitors and identify potential partners through project and contractor intelligence
- Monitor the transition towards energy-efficient SWRO desalination, wastewater reuse, digital utilities and climate-resilient infrastructure
- Support market-entry and expansion decisions with forward-looking investment, project and policy analysis
- Strengthen business development strategies by focusing resources on markets, clients and projects with the strongest potential
Who will benefit from the report?
- Contractors
- Construction companies and suppliers
- Water sector investors and developers
- National water and wastewater companies and utilities
- Government ministries, policy makers and legislators
- Desalination and water treatment technology providers
- Engineering consultants
- Equipment manufacturers
- Independent water project (IWP) and PPP investors
- Financial institutions and project financiers
- Bankers and economists
- Investment funds and analysts
- Research organisations and universities
- Environmental and sustainability consultants
Including organisation like:
- National Water Company of Saudi Arabia
- Saudi Water Authority
- Dubai Municipality
- Dubai Electricity & Water Authority
- NEOM
- Qatar Public Works Authority (Ashghal)
- Nama Water Services
- Office National de l’Electricité et de l’Eau Potable (ONEE)
- Egypt Holding Company for Water & Waste Water
- Ministry of Construction and Housing, Iraq
- Kuwait Oil Company
- Sharakat
- National Center for Privatization & PPP
- Water Transmission Company
- Petrojet
- China State Construction Engineering Corporation
- Alkhorayef Water & Power Technologies
- Hyundai E&C
- PowerChina
- Orascom Construction
- Vinci
- Suez Group
- Meridiam Infrastructure
- ACCIONA
- Veolia
- Larsen & Toubro
- Consolidated Contractors Company
- ACWA Power
- Sidem
- Fisia Italimpianti
- GS Inima Environment
- Mott MacDonald Group
Why MEED’s project intelligence matters
The report combines MEED’s proprietary Projects database, decades of regional infrastructure expertise and strategic market analysis to provide a more complete view of the MENA water and wastewater market.
Unlike market analysis based primarily on public announcements, MEED’s exclusive project intelligence tracks project pipelines, procurement activity, contractors, investment trends and project developments at a granular level. This helps you distinguish market ambition from actionable project activity and identify where commercial opportunities are most likely to emerge.
Whether you are bidding for contracts, evaluating investment opportunities, entering a new MENA market or developing your regional growth strategy, the MENA Water & Wastewater Projects Market 2027 gives you the market visibility and proprietary project data needed to make decisions with greater confidence.
All the MEED Premium Intelligence Reports (PIR) are delivered via email in digital version.
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