Global EPC Project Leaders Forum to Explore Delivering Mega Projects
Saudi Arabia’s infrastructure programme has moved well beyond ambition and into execution at scale. Across transport, aviation, urban development, energy, water and industrial zones, the Kingdom is managing a portfolio of projects so large and interconnected that traditional engineering, procurement and construction models are under sustained pressure.
The Global EPC Project Leaders Forum 2026, taking place on 11 and 12 February 2026 at the JW Marriott Riyadh, positions itself not as another industry gathering, but as a strategic checkpoint for those tasked with actually delivering Vision 2030 on the ground. Now entering its premier edition, the forum arrives at a moment when Saudi Arabia’s giga and mega projects are transitioning from concept and early works into complex phases of procurement, integration and delivery.
For EPC leaders, consultants, contractors and technology providers, the challenge is no longer whether these projects can be delivered, but how they can be delivered at pace, at scale and with acceptable levels of risk, cost control and long-term operational value.
Why EPC Execution Has Become the Critical Bottleneck
Saudi Arabia’s construction pipeline is unlike anything currently underway elsewhere. Projects such as the King Salman International Airport expansion, The Mukaab, New Murabba Stadium and the multi-faceted NEOM developments are not standalone schemes. They are interdependent systems, often running concurrently, competing for labour, materials, financing and specialist expertise.
This concentration of activity has elevated EPC execution to a strategic concern rather than an operational one. Procurement delays ripple across programmes. Supply chain constraints in steel, concrete, specialist equipment or digital systems can affect multiple projects at once. Regulatory alignment, localisation requirements and evolving sustainability standards add further layers of complexity.
The Global EPC Project Leaders Forum 2026 is designed around these realities. Its focus is not on showcasing individual projects in isolation, but on examining the frameworks, partnerships and delivery models that allow multiple mega projects to progress simultaneously without eroding value or resilience across the wider ecosystem.
Mega Projects as Systems, Not Sites
One of the forum’s central themes is the idea that Saudi Arabia’s flagship developments must be managed as integrated systems rather than discrete construction sites. Airports, stadiums, urban districts and industrial zones increasingly share utilities, digital platforms, logistics corridors and operational interfaces.
For EPC leaders, this shifts the emphasis towards early coordination, shared data environments and collaborative risk management. Decisions taken on one project can influence asset performance, maintenance strategies and carbon footprints across an entire district or region.
Sessions at the forum will explore how EPC contractors and owners are adapting governance structures to reflect this interconnectedness. That includes programme-level procurement strategies, shared digital twins, standardised specifications and cross-project performance metrics that extend well beyond traditional construction milestones.
Procurement Innovation Under the Spotlight
Procurement has emerged as one of the most sensitive pressure points in Saudi Arabia’s infrastructure expansion. Conventional lump-sum and design-bid-build approaches are often ill-suited to projects where scope evolves, technology advances mid-delivery and external conditions shift rapidly.
The 2026 agenda places procurement innovation front and centre, examining alternative contracting models, risk-sharing mechanisms and supplier engagement strategies. These discussions are grounded in practical experience from projects already underway in the Kingdom, rather than theoretical frameworks.
By bringing together project owners, EPC contractors, consultants and technology providers in the same room, the forum aims to surface where procurement processes are enabling delivery and where they are quietly undermining it. For investors and policymakers, this insight is critical in understanding how capital can be deployed more effectively across long-duration programmes.
Digital Transformation From BIM to Living Assets
Digital transformation is no longer a future aspiration for Saudi mega projects. It is already embedded, though not always consistently, across planning, design and construction phases. The challenge now lies in integration and continuity.
Forum sessions will trace the journey from BIM models used during design to digital twins that support construction sequencing, asset commissioning and long-term operations. The emphasis is on interoperability, data governance and the human systems required to extract value from increasingly complex digital environments.
Rather than promoting specific platforms, the forum’s digital track focuses on lessons learned. Where have digital tools reduced risk and rework. Where have they introduced new dependencies or skill gaps. And how can EPC organisations build digital maturity without slowing delivery on live projects.
Decarbonisation and Net Zero as Delivery Constraints
Sustainability commitments in Saudi Arabia are reshaping EPC decision-making in real time. Net zero targets, material optimisation strategies and lifecycle carbon assessments are no longer peripheral considerations. They influence design choices, supplier selection and construction methodologies from the outset.
The Global EPC Project Leaders Forum 2026 treats decarbonisation as an execution challenge rather than a branding exercise. Discussions will examine how EPC contractors are balancing embodied carbon reduction with cost certainty, schedule discipline and local content requirements.
This includes practical insights into low-carbon materials, modular construction, energy-efficient site operations and the role of data in measuring and verifying emissions performance. For global contractors operating in multiple jurisdictions, these conversations also offer a comparative lens on how Saudi Arabia’s approach aligns with or diverges from international norms.
Financing, Risk and Regulatory Alignment
Behind every giga project lies a complex web of financing structures, regulatory approvals and risk allocation mechanisms. As project values increase, so does the sensitivity of lenders and public stakeholders to execution risk.
The forum’s programme includes focused sessions on how EPC strategies intersect with financing requirements. Topics include milestone structuring, performance guarantees, compliance frameworks and dispute avoidance. These discussions are particularly relevant for international firms navigating Saudi Arabia’s evolving regulatory landscape while maintaining alignment with global governance standards.
By addressing these issues openly, the forum creates space for more transparent dialogue between project sponsors, EPC contractors and financiers. That dialogue is essential if Saudi Arabia’s infrastructure expansion is to maintain momentum without escalating risk premiums or contractual friction.
A Platform Built Around Peer-Level Exchange
Unlike large exhibitions or marketing-driven conferences, the Global EPC Project Leaders Forum 2026 is structured around senior-level engagement. With more than 300 delegates from over 15 countries expected, the emphasis is on depth of conversation rather than volume of footfall.
Keynote addresses and panel discussions will feature more than 25 global and regional EPC leaders, senior officials, project managers and technology innovators. Their contributions are grounded in active project delivery across energy, water, housing, transport, petrochemicals and industrial zones.
Alongside the formal agenda, curated networking sessions and local exhibitions provide opportunities to explore solutions addressing supply chain efficiency, construction technology integration and programme management challenges. For many attendees, these informal exchanges are where partnerships are tested and future collaborations begin.
The Global EPC Project Leaders Forum Beyond 2026
Saudi Arabia’s infrastructure build-out will extend well beyond the next decade. Decisions made today around procurement models, digital frameworks and delivery partnerships will shape the Kingdom’s built environment for generations.
The Global EPC Project Leaders Forum 2026 matters because it recognises that execution, not announcement, is now the defining challenge. By convening those directly responsible for delivery, it creates a shared space to confront hard lessons, recalibrate strategies and align expectations across the ecosystem.
For construction professionals, investors and policymakers alike, the forum offers more than insight into individual projects. It provides a lens into how one of the world’s most ambitious infrastructure programmes is being engineered in practice, and what that means for the future of global EPC delivery.
