Kuwait Awards 1.07 Billion Dinars of Tenders in the First Half and Saves 120 Million Dinars
Kuwait’s Central Agency for Public Tenders awarded 154 tenders and practices worth 1.070 billion dinars in the first half of 2026, achieving a saving of 120.334 million dinars against an estimated value of 1.190 billion dinars, KUNA reported on 23 September. On our calculation, the saving is 10.1 percent of the estimate.
Four oil contracts, 44 percent of the value
The oil sector accounted for 4 of the 154 awards but 474.163 million dinars of their value. On our calculation, that is 44.3 percent of the total. Kuwait Oil Company alone took 461.483 million dinars across 3 tenders, 43.1 percent of everything awarded in the half. Government bodies took the other 150 awards, worth 596.285 million dinars. On our calculation, the average oil award was about 118.5 million dinars, against about 4.0 million dinars for a government award, roughly 30 times larger.
| Awarding body | Awards | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Kuwait Oil Company | 3 | 461.483 |
| Ministry of Electricity, Water and Renewable Energy | 35 | 430.405 |
| Directorate General of Civil Aviation | 5 | 35.404 |
| Ministry of Public Works | 7 | 16.533 |
| Kuwait National Petroleum Company | 1 | 12.680 |
Million dinars. Central Agency for Public Tenders, half-year statistics for 1 January to 30 June 2026. Totals: oil sector 474.163 across 4 awards; government bodies 596.285 across 150.
Power and water lead the government side
The Ministry of Electricity, Water and Renewable Energy took 72.2 percent of the government bodies’ award value on our calculation, with 35 awards. By project type, electrical and mechanical works led with 39 awards, 25 percent of the total count. Information technology and communications projects followed with 26, or 17 percent, and labour supply contracts with 17, or 11 percent.
Why it matters: The half-year awards went mainly to Kuwait’s oil sector and its electricity and water ministry, with Kuwait Oil Company and the Ministry of Electricity, Water and Renewable Energy taking 83 percent of the value between them, while the tendering process saved 10.1 percent against its estimates, on our calculation.
Outlook: The agency’s second-half statistics will show whether the power and water ministry keeps its lead on the government side, and whether the savings against estimates are sustained.
Sources: Central Agency for Public Tenders, KUNA.
