MEED names 2026 MENA projects winners and top awardees

MEED has announced the 2026 winners of its Projects Awards, naming 17 regional category winners, 10 special award recipients and Cairo Monorail as Project of the Year at a Dubai gala. The awards highlight major infrastructure, energy, transport and sustainability projects across the Middle East and North Africa.

Why it matters: - The awards spotlight the projects that are setting the standard for delivery, scale and impact across the Middle East and North Africa. - The winning projects span infrastructure, energy, transport, healthcare, water, education and heritage. - The recognition also highlights growing emphasis on decarbonisation, energy security and sustainable construction.

What happened: - MEED announced the winners of the MEED Projects Awards 2026 in association with Mashreq. - The winners were revealed at a gala dinner at the Joharah Ballroom, Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai, on 10 November. - MEED named 17 MENA category winners, one MEED Project of the Year and 10 special award recipients. - Cairo Monorail - The New Administrative Capital and 6th of October Lines was named MEED Project of the Year. - The Cairo Monorail project also won Transport Project of the Year. - The project was delivered by The Arab Contractors (Osman Ahmed Osman & Co.) and Orascom Construction.

The details: - The 17 MENA winners were chosen from national winners announced in September. - Each category had one regional winner. - The 10 special awards were selected by MEED’s editorial team. - MEED said the special awards recognise landmark delivery, heritage, energy security and decarbonisation. - Ed James, Head of Content and Research at MEED, said the winners show a projects market delivering at scale and with purpose. - Arun Mathur, Global Head of Contracting Finance at Mashreq, said Mashreq remains committed to supporting infrastructure and construction across MENA. - Mashreq also said the awards reflect ambition, discipline and innovation in project delivery.

Between the lines: - The winner list shows the region’s project market is still centred on large public and quasi-public works, especially in transport, energy and urban development. - The special awards suggest clients and contractors are being judged on more than cost and speed, with sustainability, design and long-term value gaining weight. - Egypt, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait dominated the regional list, underscoring where major project activity remains concentrated.

What's next: - MEED said the complete list of winners is available on the MEED Projects Awards 2026 website. - The awards program will continue to position benchmark projects as reference points for future delivery across the region.

The bottom line: - Cairo Monorail emerged as the standout project, while the broader winner list points to a region still investing heavily in transport, energy, water and landmark development.