RIYADH: The Shaping Mega Projects 2026 summit opened in Riyadh on Monday, bringing together more than 300 delegates representing the developers, investors, contractors and delivery partners behind Saudi Arabia’s giga and mega projects.
The three-day event comes as the Kingdom enters the critical delivery phase for its Vision 2030 plan for national development and diversification.
Investment, project delivery and procurement were at the center of discussions on the opening day, under the theme “Saudi Al-Mustaqbal: Turning Vision 2030 into Value.”
Leaders from Diriyah Company, Red Sea Global, King Salman Park Foundation and the National Centre for Privatization and PPP (public-private partnerships) outlined emerging opportunities for investment and the ways in which businesses can engage with the Kingdom’s development pipeline.
The Leaders Vision Panel, moderated by Ed James, editor of the Middle East Economic Digest, examined investment opportunities across construction, energy, manufacturing, logistics, tourism and the digital economy. The panelists included Mohammed Saad, president of DevCo, the construction and development arm of Diriyah Company; Dale Chadwick, acting CEO of King Salman Park Foundation; and Ben Edwards, group head of cost, commercial and procurement at Red Sea Global.
A “Big Discussion” session then focused on the mobilization of public and private capital through financing models, public-private partnerships and blended finance. The participants were Tariq Alghaziri, executive vice president of the National Centre for Privatization; Jonathan Looker from engineering and development consultancy Mott MacDonald; Hesham Ouf from real estate development group Roshn; Wesley Thomson from real estate consultants Knight Frank; and Ali Al-Kuwari from the Qatar Exports Company.
The program then shifted from investment strategy to project delivery, as major developers outlined their schedules and areas of focus.
Roger Fatovic, Roshn’s group chief projects delivery officer, joined the editor-in-chief of Middle East Economic Digest, Colin Foreman, for a fireside chat about the group’s development pipeline and delivery priorities. He highlighted in particular the importance of strengthening relationships with local suppliers and manufacturers to help avoid supply-chain disruptions as construction activity expands.
Josep Forroll, the chief development strategy officer of Diriyah Company, which is working to transform the historic birthplace of the Kingdom into a global cultural, tourism and lifestyle hub, outlined its progress, from planning to delivery, and highlighted opportunities for contractors, consultants and investors.
Diriyah Company has become one of the Kingdom’s largest real estate developers, Forroll said, with SR16 billion ($4.3 billion) in sales to date. He also highlighted developments completed so far, including a golf course, an experience center, and the luxury dining and cultural destination Bujairi Terrace, which has already welcomed almost 6 million visitors.
Red Sea Global’s Edwards provided an update on The Red Sea and Amaala projects, covering resort openings, infrastructure development, upcoming procurement packages and opportunities across the wider destination ecosystem.
He highlighted progress at Shura Island and Red Sea International Airport, which is now operational, alongside hotels, residential communities, marinas, golf facilities, retail and other supporting infrastructure that is being developed across the destinations.
Procurement was another a major focus on the opening day of the summit, with an event marketplace and workshops offering suppliers a chance to meet senior decision-makers.
A “Meet the Procurement Leaders” session — hosted by Charles Phillips, regional director for the Gulf region at sustainable transport certification business ModeScore, and Jade Marjurum, global procurement and supply chain service lead at project-management company Mace Consult — brought together procurement and commercial experts from major developers and government organizations.
The participants included Bandar Almaqait, senior manager of supply chain at Roshn Group; Edwards and his colleague Mohammed Al-Fardan, the head of procurement at Red Sea Global; Abdulkarim A. Dada, vendor relations management director at real estate company Soudah Development; Ammar Bustami, who is involved with strategic procurement and supplier relationship management at entertainment, sports and cultural destination Qiddiya; and Andrew Cubitt, chief commercial officer at mixed-use real estate development New Murabba.
The session was structured around direct, rapid-fire networking opportunities, giving suppliers and vendors a chance to engage with executives responsible for procurement, commercial operations and supply chains.
“We’ve got a number of key commercial leaders from different organizations,” Phillips said, as he encouraged the participants to establish new connections. He described the purpose of the session as a chance to create opportunities to “connect and collaborate.”
Workshops included a session led by legal specialists from the National Centre for Privatization on the legal frameworks in Saudi Arabia for private sector participation projects.
Roshn’s Almaqait led a workshop focusing on the group’s project pipeline and procurement opportunities that aimed to offer suppliers greater insight into potential areas of engagement.
The procurement discussions come as Saudi Arabia continues to advance its infrastructure, tourism, residential, entertainment and economic development projects under Vision 2030, which is creating demand for contractors, suppliers, manufacturers and specialist service providers.
The second day of the summit, which is taking place at The Venue by Roshn Group, will focus on “Executing Vision at Scale,” including discussions about major event-driven and urban developments, including Expo 2030 Riyadh, the Sports Boulevard, and Jeddah Economic City and its centerpiece, Jeddah Tower.