In the Middle East market, China's infrastructure strength has once again gained critical recognition. In early 2026, China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC) successfully signed a contract for the North Kaboud Wastewater Treatment Plant project in Kuwait, with a total amount of up to 3.3 billion US dollars. Of particular note is that this mega project was not obtained through open bidding, but was directly awarded a "non competitive direct contract" by Kuwait, marking the transformation of Chinese companies from traditional price competitors to comprehensive solution providers trusted by partners with their excellent technical solutions and long-term trust accumulation. This heavyweight order is not only a new milestone for Chinese companies to explore high-end overseas markets, but also an important witness to the deepening strategic cooperation between China and Science and Technology.

Direct signing of large orders, hard power wins absolute trust

The North Kabud sewage treatment plant project won by China Construction is the largest sewage treatment facility in Kuwait so far, with a daily processing capacity of 1 million cubic meters. The contract covers design, construction, and operation and maintenance for up to 10 years, making it a one-stop "turnkey" project. The ability to bypass the public bidding process and directly sign contracts is based on 18 months of in-depth preliminary technical cooperation. During this period, the Chinese construction team proposed an innovative solution that combines advanced water treatment processes with renewable energy systems to address Kuwait's unique national situation of being "rich in oil and short of water", accurately solving the core pain points of low water resource recycling and utilization rate and outdated existing facilities in the local area. Kuwait has even exempted some of the mandatory regulations on local labor employment, which fully reflects the high trust and recognition of Chinese enterprises' technical capabilities and contractual strength. This deep cooperation model based on technological compatibility and long-term adaptation has set a new benchmark for Chinese enterprises in the high-end market of the Middle East.

Deeply cultivating science and technology, central enterprise clusters support the 2035 vision

The success of China Construction is not an isolated case, it is a microcosm of a group of Chinese state-owned enterprises deeply cultivating the Kuwaiti market and systematically participating in the country's national construction. Just recently, at the end of December 2025, China Communications Construction Group signed a contract worth approximately 4.164 billion US dollars with Kuwait for the first phase EPC project of the Grand Mubarak Port. This project is a key pillar of Kuwait's "2035 Vision" national transformation plan, aimed at enhancing port capacity and promoting economic diversification. The Prime Minister of Kuwait personally attended the signing ceremony. As early as March 2025, China Energy Construction Gezhouba Group also won the South Saad Abdullah New City infrastructure project worth approximately 557 million US dollars. From ports and new cities to water and environmental protection, Chinese central enterprises are leveraging cluster dynamics to fully meet Kuwait's economic and social development needs. Behind this is China's complete industrial system and strong collaborative capabilities in the industrial chain, which can provide a full lifecycle solution from planning and design, equipment manufacturing to construction and operation. This systematic advantage is unmatched by a single engineering enterprise. Keywords: international news and information, latest international news

Beyond engineering, exporting Chinese standards and win-win concepts

The overseas practice of Chinese enterprises has long gone beyond simple engineering construction and turned to the output of technical standards, localized integration, and sustainable win-win. In the implementation of the project, Chinese enterprises actively use digital technologies such as BIM forward design to organically combine the engineering experience accumulated in China with international standards and local norms, so as to ensure the technological progressiveness and environmental adaptability of the project. At the same time, we attach great importance to localized development, train and cultivate a large number of local technical workers and management personnel, drive upstream and downstream cooperation in the industrial chain, and leave behind a talent pool and industrial capabilities that cannot be taken away for the country where the project is located. Taking the North Kabud sewage treatment plant as an example, the completion of the project will greatly enhance Kuwait's water resource recycling level, alleviate environmental pressure, create a large number of job opportunities, and effectively improve people's livelihoods. This model that emphasizes the combination of "hard infrastructure" and "soft power" and pursues common development is precisely the core advantage of China Construction in winning respect and establishing long-term cooperative relationships in the Middle East and even global markets. As the strategic partnership between China and Kuwait continues to deepen, more Chinese companies will join hands with Kuwait in a wider range of fields in the future to jointly draw a new blueprint for mutual benefit and win-win outcomes.Editor/Gao Xue