The agreement comes amid escalating military attacks on Saudi infrastructure, including an Oct. 13 strike on a Saudi Aramco administrative building in Dhahran, the Associated Press reported. Three days earlier, an attack on Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport killed at least 13 people. The companies' announcements did not address whether the conflict has affected construction at the Rabigh site.

Saudi Energy, formerly Saudi Electricity Co., said the project reached financial close Oct. 4 with approximately $2.58 billion in longterm financing from a consortium of local, regional and international lenders. Commercial operations are targeted for May 2029.

Construction was already underway under an earlier limited notice to proceed when the joint venture finalized the EPC agreement, according to Elsewedy Electric. The company's reported disclosure also cited more than five million safe work hours, although a separate company announcement reported more than three million. Neither statement acknowledged the discrepancy.

Elsewedy did not provide a breakdown distinguishing field construction from engineering, procurement, equipment fabrication or other activities. The reported progress figure also does not establish which major equipment packages have reached fabrication or delivery milestones.

Under the agreement, the joint venture is responsible for engineering and design, equipment procurement, civil construction, installation, commissioning, performance testing and connection to Saudi Arabia's national electricity grid.

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How the work is divided between Elsewedy and Sinohydro has not been disclosed, nor have the companies identified the construction packages remaining under the newly executed agreement.

"Together with Sinohydro, we bring the full scope of this project, from engineering through to commissioning under one accountable team," Elsewedy Electric PSP CEO Hesham Hegazy said in a statement announcing the agreement.

Six Siemens SGT6-5000F gas turbines and two Siemens SST-5000 steam turbines will anchor two combined-cycle generating blocks, with six heat-recovery steam generators. Bypass stacks and diverter dampers will allow simple-cycle operation.

Additional scope includes cooling and balance-of-plant systems and expansion of a 380-kV electrical substation, with the design providing for future installation of carbon-capture equipment. ACWA Power and Saudi Energy each hold a 40% interest in project developer Al Mourjan Two Electricity Co.

Unlike the expansion, the existing 2,060-MW Rabigh 2 generating station was built under a separate contract. ENR reported in 2013 that the original project carried a $2.6-billion contract with Samsung C&T as EPC contractor. According to ACWA Power's project records, the plant entered commercial operation in 2018.

An Oct. 13 attack struck an administrative building belonging to Saudi Aramco in Dhahran, causing a fire. Saudi authorities reported no casualties, and officials said oil production and export infrastructure were not damaged.

The strike followed attacks on Oct. 10 and 11 on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, where Saudi Arabia is undertaking the $7.2-billion King Salman International Airport redevelopment, as ENR previously reported. The attacks damaged existing passenger terminals and forced the suspension of airport operations. Saudi authorities have not confirmed whether active construction areas or newly built infrastructure were damaged.

Rabigh lies on Saudi Arabia's western coast, outside the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz.

The contractors' announcements did not identify any disruption to construction activity or changes to the May 2029 commercial-operation target.