GCC Infrastructure Report, 2026
From Saudi Arabia's ring road expansion to the UAE's 120 km federal corridor, here are the biggest road projects coming to the GCC, and why they matter for contractors, suppliers, and road marking companies across Qatar and the Gulf.
$250B+
Total GCC road and rail infrastructure pipeline
$46B
UAE's combined road and rail spending plan
6
Gulf states investing in mega road projects
The Gulf Cooperation Council is in the middle of the largest road infrastructure cycle in its history. Driven by Saudi Vision 2030, the UAE's federal mobility plan, Qatar National Vision 2030, and preparations for marquee events like FIFA World Cup 2034 and Riyadh Expo 2030, GCC governments are pouring tens of billions into highway construction, expressway upgrades, and cross-border road corridors.
For road marking contractors in Qatar and across the Gulf, this is more than an infrastructure story. Every kilometer of new asphalt needs thermoplastic road marking, cold plastic markings, lane lines, pedestrian crossings, reflective road studs, and safety signage. The scale of what is coming will reshape the road marking market for the rest of the decade.
Quick Take
GCC economies are projected to grow by around 4.4% in 2026, driven largely by non-oil activity. Roads are the connective tissue of that growth, linking new cities, ports, industrial zones, and tourism corridors.
Launched by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman under the Royal Commission for Riyadh City, this program is rebuilding the capital's main and ring roads to handle 200,000 vehicles per day on several corridors. The second phase alone covers eight projects, including the Prince Turki bin Abdulaziz Al-Awwal Road, Al-Thumama Road, and multiple new interchanges, bridges, and tunnels.
Value
$2.1 billion
Client
RCRC
Focus
Urban expressway upgrades
Announced as part of the UAE's $46 billion road and rail spending plan, the fourth federal highway will stretch approximately 120 km with up to 12 lanes and a capacity of 360,000 trips per day. A parallel 68 km corridor with 10 interchanges and up to eight lanes each way is already under review, worth AED 6 billion. Work has also started on the AED 750m Emirates Road upgrade between Sharjah and Dubai.
Value
AED 6 billion
Length
120 km federal corridor
Capacity
360,000 trips per day
Qatar's Public Works Authority (Ashghal) continues to dominate local contract activity. The ongoing Expressway Program, valued at roughly $8.1 billion across its full scope, has already delivered flagship corridors like the Dukhan Highway Central, Lusail Expressway, and New Orbital Highway. In 2026, Ashghal's pipeline of junction improvements, link roads, and expressway modernization represents the single largest volume of road contract activity in Qatar.
Program value
$8.1 billion
Delivered
900 km of new roads
Client
Ashghal
Saudi Arabia's Roads General Authority is upgrading the 564 km Saudi-Oman highway through the Empty Quarter, the 66 km Dhahran-Uqair-Salwa road connecting to Qatar and the UAE, and key routes to Kuwait including the Khafji-Nairyah-Riyadh road. The goal: position the Kingdom sixth globally in the Roads Quality Index and cut road fatalities to fewer than five per 100,000 people by 2030.
Saudi-Oman highway
564 km
Dhahran-Salwa link
66 km artery to Qatar
Target
Top 6 Roads Quality Index
NEOM's $500 billion gigaproject is generating a dense internal road and tunnel network. At Trojena, crews have completed excavation of the 680 meter B3 tunnel linking the Lake Access Road to the Vault vertical village. Oxagon, The Line, and Sindalah each require dedicated access roads, service corridors, and traffic management systems, creating a multi-year road marking and road safety pipeline.
Parent project
$500 billion NEOM
Tunnel completed
680 m B3 at Trojena
Region
Tabuk Province
Every new expressway, interchange, and cross-border corridor needs road marking that meets the highest standards of durability, reflectivity, and compliance. In Qatar, Ashghal specifications require thermoplastic road marking on expressways, with glass beads for night-time retroreflectivity and strict tolerances on line width, thickness, and skid resistance.
The boom in GCC road construction is driving demand across several service lines:
From Ashghal-compliant thermoplastic lines to full car park line marking in Doha, we deliver durable, code-compliant road marking across Qatar.
Request a QuoteThe GCC road construction pipeline is the largest it has ever been, spanning urban ring roads, federal highways, cross-border logistics corridors, and gigaproject access networks. Saudi Arabia's $2.1 billion Riyadh program, the UAE's AED 6 billion fourth federal corridor, Qatar's ongoing Ashghal expressway activity, and NEOM's internal road network together represent a multi-decade opportunity for contractors, suppliers, and specialist service providers across the Gulf.
For road marking companies in Qatar, staying close to Ashghal tenders, Aspire Zone developments, and private sector car park projects is the clearest path to capturing a share of this growth. The roads are being built. The question is who marks them.
Sources
MEED, Ventures Onsite, Blackridge Research, Saudi Gulf Projects, The Global Economics, King & Spalding, Zawya, Global Highways, Ashghal public project listings.
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