UAE Overtakes Saudi Arabia in Project Awards as Kingdom Eases Up
The flag garden in front of a construction site in Dubai.
Photographer: Andrew Aitchison/In Pictures/Getty Images
The United Arab Emirates is on track to surpass Saudi Arabia in the value of awarded construction projects this year as the kingdom slows down on some developments and refocuses its priorities.
The UAE has awarded an estimated $31 billion in projects so far in 2025, outpacing Saudi Arabia’s $20.6 billion, according to data provided by Middle East intelligence platform MEED. If the UAE maintains its lead through year-end, it will be the first time it comes out ahead since 2018.