The awards celebrate GCC’s dynamic projects industry, which is valued at nearly $3 tn according to projects tracking database MEED Projects
Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 17 December 2020 – MEED-GlobalData has revealed the winners of its 10th annual MEED Project Awards at an awards ceremony in Dubai. The awards celebrate the GCC’s best projects completed in 2018 and 2019.
25 organizations from UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Oman were commended for their achievements across 19 unique categories – including Commercial Property Project of the Year, Digital Infrastructure Project of the Year, Healthcare Project of the Year and more – in delivering some of the GCC’s best projects, reiterating the efforts that the entire region is taking to develop projects that are strategically vital to the growth of the region, driving the GCC’s projects market forward.
The 2020 edition of the awards received over 130 entries from leading organisations, project owners, contractors and consultants. ASGC received the coveted Education Project of the Year Award, while King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Saudi Arabia received the Sustainability Medal 2020 for its Innovative Hybrid Solar Desalination Cycle. Projects were judged on aspects from the design concept through to engineering, construction and project delivery, as well as environmental and societal impact. Aluminium Bahrain B.S.C. was presented with the Industrial Project of the Year, while other key players in the projects industry including ACWA Power, Saudi Water Partnership Company, ALEC Engineering and Contracting were also awarded at the ceremony.
As part of the editors special awards, Sachin Watarkar of Lalbuksh Voltas Engineering Services & Trading LLC was awarded Engineer of the Year. Khatib & Alami, AF Construction and Kuwait Oil Company were also recognized as part of the awards.
“Over the past two decades, the GCC has delivered some of the most outstanding projects ever built,” says MEED editorial director Richard Thompson. “These projects are delivering national visions and are laying down the foundations for the future success of this region. And with nearly 6,700 projects planned or underway across the region, with a combined value that is close to $3tn, there is a vast pipeline of future projects.”
“But the world is changing, and the key success factors of future projects will be different to those of the past,” says Thompson. “The drive to limit the effects of climate change will see increasing focus on decarbonisation and energy efficiency, while commercial and economic pressure will demand ever-greater value from projects through their whole life cycle. The demand for smart cities and smart infrastructure requires greater flexibility from our built environment, at the same time as the fourth industrial revolution and a new generation of young people is forcing the digitalisation of the way projects are delivered.”
“Change is already underway,” says Thompson. “And the winners and shortlisted finalists of the MEED Project Awards 2020 shine a spotlight on the projects that are at the cutting edge of that change. The MEED Project Awards celebrates the greatest achievements of the GCC projects industry, and promotes innovation and best practice in project delivery. Even amid the Covid-19 pandemic and through challenging economic conditions, this year’s entries were of the highest calibre we have seen in the ten years of these awards, and they have demonstrated brilliance in architecture, engineering and construction. Congratulations to all of the organisations behind the winning projects, which come from a diverse range of sectors from travel and tourism, to oil and gas and even digital architecture.”
The complete list of winners include:
| Category | Project Name | Company |
| 2020 MEED Project of the Year | Noor Abu Dhabi | EWEC & Sterling and Wilson Solar |
| Commercial Property Project of the Year | The Galleria Al Maryah Island | Gulf Related |
| Digital infrastructure Project of the Year | SWCC Water Dispatch Centre | Khatib & Alami |
| Education Project of the year | Mohammed Bin Rashid Library | ASGC |
| Healthcare Project of the year | Mediclinic Parkview Hospital | ASGC |
| Healthcare Project of the year | Mediclinic Parkview Hospital | Stantec |
| Hotel Project of the Year | The Address Sky View | Arabian Construction Company (ACC) |
| Industrial Project of the year | Aluminium Bahrain B.S.C. Line 6 Expansion Project | Aluminium Bahrain B.S.C. |
| Innovation Medal 2020 | 3D Printed Single Family House under the Building Technology Stimulus Initiative for the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Housing | Consolidated Contractors Company |
| International Project of the year | Ismailia Road tunnels (Tahia Masr Road Tunnels) | The Petroleum Projects and Technical Consultation Company (Petrojet) |
| Mega Project of the Year | Noor Abu Dhabi Solar Plant | Sterling and Wilson Solar |
| Oil & Gas Project of the Year | ENOC Processing Company Refinery Expansion | ENOC Group |
| Power Generation Project of the Year | Noor Abu Dhabi | EWEC |
| Power Transmission Distribution & Substation Project of the Year | Construction of 400KV underground cable and overhead lines from 400KV Sohar IPP-3 GS to 400 KV Sohar freezone GS | Larsen and Toubro (India) Limited and Larsen and Toubro (Oman) |
| Residential Project of the Year | The Residences at Marina Gate I & II | ALEC Engineering and Contracting |
| Road Project of the Year | Haradh & Hawiyah Highway Improvements | China Harbour Engineering Arabia |
| Small Project of the Year | SELA 2 | TP3 & Sela-Sport |
| Social, Cultural & Heritage Project of the Year | Atturaif Living Museum | Buro Happold |
| Sustainability Medal 2020 | An Innovative Hybrid Solar Desalination Cycle | King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Saudi Arabia |
| Tourism & leisure Project of the Year | CLYMB Abu Dhabi | AECOM |
| Transport Project of the Year | Dubai International Airport Improvement Works | ASGC |
| Water Project of the Year | Shuaibah 3 Expansion 2 Independent Water Project | ACWA Power |
| Water Project of the Year | Shuaibah 3 Expansion 2 Independent Water Project | Saudi Water Partnership Company |
| Water Project of the Year | Shuaibah 3 Expansion 2 Independent Water Project | Abengoa |
| Editor’s Special Awards | ||
| Engineer of the Year | Sachin Watarkar | Lalbuksh Voltas Engineering Services & Trading LLC |
| MEED Award for Excellence in Civil Engineering | Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah Wastewater Treatment and Sludge Management, KSA | Khatib & Alami |
| MEED Award for Enabling Diversification | Expo 2020 Thematic Districts & Plaza Pavilions. | AF Construction |
| MEED Award for Environmental Protection | Kuwait Environmental Remediation Program (KERP) | Kuwait Oil Company |
The MEED Projects Awards is supported by Construction Partner Al Bawani, Steel Manufacturing Partner Emirates Steel, Supporting Partner Khatib & Alami, Strategic Partners DUPOD by Amana, VVIP Partners AFC, ALEC, Al Salam Palace Museum, Samsung Engineering and VIP Partners ACE, ASGC, ENOC Group, GHD and Petrojet.
About MEED
MEED is a senior management media brand, its flagship subscription products are the MEED Business Review publication and website, www.meed.com. As well as organising the MEED Projects Awards, Gulf Capital SME Awards, Daman Corporate Health Awards and the Arabian Hotel Investment Conference (AHIC).
MEED also has two high-value content businesses, MEED Projects and MEED Premium Insight Reports. MEED Projects is the Middle East’s premium project tracking database and MEED Premium Insight Reports offer tailored research and in-depth analysis. Established in 1957, MEED, has been integral to delivering business information and news, intelligence and analysis on the Middle East economies and activities ever since.
MEED celebrated its 60th birthday in 2017. From small beginnings in a London flat on 8 March 1957, MEED has grown with the region, to become the Middle East’s most-trusted source of business information.