10 contracting companies in Kuwait implement projects worth $17 billion

The projects that are being implemented by 10 contracting companies in Kuwait are worth about $17 billion, according to MEED magazine.

The magazine reported that Syed Hamid Behbehani & Sons Company topped the ranking of contracting companies this year with contracts worth $3.4 billion for projects in the implementation phase, followed by two other local companies, the Ahmadiyya Contracting and Trading Company with $2.6 billion and Mohammed Abdul Mohsen Al-Kharafi & Sons Company with $2.1 billion, reports a local Arabic daily.

The Turkish Limak Company came in fourth place with contracts under implementation worth 1.7 billion dollars, followed by Al-Ahlia International General Trading and Contracting Company in fifth place with 1.5 billion, then Al-Hani Contracting and Trading Company and Al-Ghanim Trading and Contracting Company in the sixth and seventh places respectively with 1.2 billion each.

Finally, three local companies, United Gulf Contracting, Badr Al Mulla & Brothers Company, Al Ghanim and Jabour Company, ranked eighth, ninth and tenth, with contracts worth $1.1 billion each.

MEED pointed out that the performance of the construction market in Kuwait has been consistent over the past three years, with the value of contracts awarded reaching $2 billion in both 2019 and 2020, rising to $3 billion in 2021, a level lower than the awards in 2017 and 2018 which amounted to 3 and 5 billion dollars respectively.

The magazine added, “This may be a result of the completion of work on these old projects, and therefore we see that the market will face pressure as a result of the shrinking of the size of awards.”

The magazine indicated that the most active international company is the Turkish company Limak, as it is working on its contract to build the new terminal at Kuwait International Airport at a value of $1.7 billion, pointing out that the rest of the top ten are local contractors, which confirms the lack of international interest in the Kuwaiti market.

The sources stated that this may change in the future if Kuwait is able to move forward with major infrastructure projects such as its part of the railway network in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries.