Laing O’Rourke looks to the future of its Middle East business

Laing O’Rourke has appointed an external advisor, Lumina capital advisors to identify a new owner for its Middle East business.

Group CEO Cathal O’Rourke announced today that Laing O’Rourke had made the decision to seek new owners for its Middle East operations following a period of exceptionally strong growth for the business.

In recent years, the Middle East business has delivered data centres for repeat clients including Khazna and Equinix, cementing its position as one of the region’s most respected construction companies having previously delivered iconic developments such as Atlantis The Palm, Ski Dubai and Al Raha Beach.

Laing O’Rourke’s people are also highly regarded in the Middle East, with a strong reputation for delivery excellence built up over 50 years in the region.

Laing O’Rourke’s FY26 results saw the Group announce a record order book of £17.2 billion alongside another consecutive year of growth across its global operations.

With leading positions on a number of long-term infrastructure projects including Sizewell C, the Great Grid Upgrade and the New Hospitals Programme in the UK, as well as the delivery of AUKUS and the Olympics in Australia, the Group is now firmly focused on realising the full potential of these opportunities.

Group CEO Cathal O’Rourke said:

“Laing O’Rourke was built on a simple but powerful idea – that there is a better way of doing things for our people, our clients, our delivery partners and the planet.

“We have a proud 50-year legacy of doing just that in the Middle East – delivering some of the region’s most iconic projects, and most recently working with repeat clients in the data centre sector.

“The quality of our people and their work have built our reputation for delivery excellence in the Middle East and across our Group, resulting in three consecutive record order books.

“Given this enviable set of circumstances, now is the right time to secure a new owner for the Middle East business to build on that strength moving forward.”

Key projects delivered in the region:

Laing O’Rourke’s 50-year history in the region has delivered iconic projects using its pioneering industrialised construction methods.

Key projects include:

• Al Raha Beach
• Atlantis, The Palm
• Expo 2020
• Khazna Data Centres