Top Infrastructure Projects You Should Track in KSA in 2026
Saudi Arabia’s construction sector is navigating a period of adjustment in 2026, with moderated project awards and recalibrated giga-project timelines. Yet the fundamentals remain exceptionally strong. The active project pipeline across the Kingdom is estimated at nearly US$1.6 trillion, of which US$342 billion is already under construction and a further US$1.3 trillion sits in the pre-execution pipeline.
For contractors, consultants, and investors, 2026 is the year the pipeline converts to procurement at scale. This article identifies the infrastructure projects driving that activity: what they are, where they stand, and what they mean for the market.
The 2026 Infrastructure Landscape
Activity across the construction sector is concentrated in four verticals: infrastructure, power and water, housing, and tourism. Momentum is being shaped by two hard event deadlines. Riyadh Expo 2030 and the FIFA World Cup 2034 are driving sustained investment in hospitality, mobility, and urban infrastructure, and creating procurement urgency that trickles down to every sub-sector.
A significant policy shift taking effect in 2026 is the new full foreign-ownership policy for construction companies. This is expected to attract additional international contractors and expand delivery capability across the market, introducing new competition and new capacity into a pipeline that is already stretching the supply chain.
Giga-projects continue to be the primary engine: NEOM, the Red Sea Project, Qiddiya City, the Diriyah Project, and New Murabba all remain active and are generating ongoing sub-package tender activity across every infrastructure sub-sector.
Top Projects Expected to Be Awarded to Contractors in 2026
The following projects represent the highest-value packages expected to reach contract award in 2026:
King Salman International Airport
King Salman International Airport is set to become one of the largest airports in the world, replacing and expanding the existing King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh.
The six-parallel-runways package, valued at US$5.5 billion, is the single largest infrastructure procurement in KSA in 2026 and is currently in the tender-for-construction stage. The airport will connect directly to the Riyadh Metro network, positioning it as both a global aviation hub and a central node in the city’s wider mobility system.
The Rise Tower
The Rise Tower is a proposed supertall skyscraper planned for Riyadh that would far exceed any structure currently built.
While still in early design phase, it signals Riyadh’s ambition to position itself among the world’s most iconic skylines ahead of Expo 2030.
Qiddiya City
Qiddiya City is an entertainment, sports, and arts destination being developed by Qiddiya Investment Company. The stadium is being designed to meet FIFA and World Athletics standards, forming a key part of Saudi Arabia’s preparations for the FIFA World Cup 2034.
The project is one of several giga-project sports venues progressing toward construction award in 2026 under tight event-delivery timelines.
EV Metals Battery Chemicals Complex
The EV Metals Battery Chemicals Complex is a proposed industrial facility in Yanbu Industrial City on Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coast, designed to produce battery-grade chemicals for the global electric vehicle supply chain.
The facility represents part of Saudi Arabia’s broader strategy to move up the value chain in critical minerals and clean energy manufacturing, leveraging the Kingdom’s mineral resources and industrial infrastructure. This project is an early indicator of a growing industrial infrastructure category in KSA tied directly to the global energy transition.
Conclusion
Saudi Arabia’s infrastructure construction pipeline in 2026 is funded, active, and converting from planning to procurement at scale. Get in touch with SCAVO to learn more about these and many other upcoming projects in Saudi Arabia.
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