TAQA Transmission and TAQA Distribution have bids due on 5 January 2027 for the Mirfa–Liwa water transmission and distribution scheme in Abu Dhabi's Al Dhafra region, originally estimated at US$775 million. The deadline was extended from 11 November 2026, under a request for proposals reported on 20 October 2026.
A second attempt
The scheme was first tendered in December 2024 and drew bids in January 2025. The new tender is reportedly a design-build-operate contract, which would extend the winner's role to running the assets. The scope includes a 128 MIGD pumping station at Mirfa, about 125 km of transmission pipeline to Muzairah with branches to Madinat Zayed and Liwa, and four distribution clusters.
Part of a busier 2026
The tender lands in a year of awards. TAQA Water Solutions' US$163 million rehabilitation of the STEP terminal pumping station was reported on 1 June 2026, a 1 million m³ emergency lagoon followed in June, and Saur won a three-zone wastewater O&M contract in October. In July, TAQA issued a US$750 million five-year blue bond for water projects.
Desalination is less settled
The reverse osmosis plants financed in 2023 are finishing. Mirfa 2, which closed its financing at AED 2.3 billion, is reported operational by its partner ENGIE, while Shuweihat 4's Q2 2026 commercial operation had not been announced as of 11 November 2026. Saadiyat, the next named plant, has a letter of award to Acciona from 27 February 2025; its status is contested, with 2025 reports of possible cancellation and MEED still naming Acciona as developer in April 2026.
The regulatory reset
Network investment is also about to be reset. RC2, the price control that projected AED 16.2 billion of network investment for 2023 to 2026, ends on 31 December 2026, and its successor had not been issued as of 11 November 2026.
Which projects are funded and at what stage, how the independent water projects are financed, and where developers, contractors and lenders fit are set out in the brief. The full report, Water Infrastructure Investment and Project Pipeline in Abu Dhabi, is available for USD 249. For a free overview, see Abu Dhabi City Snapshot.