NMDC Group has taken another decisive step in its transformation into a full spectrum energy infrastructure contractor with the launch of NMDCCC, a new onshore EPC joint venture with Consolidated Contractors Company. The vehicle, established under NMDC Infra and wholly owned by NMDC Group, squarely targets the rapidly expanding onshore oil and gas market in the UAE, a segment that is entering one of its most active investment cycles in decades.

The partnership combines two complementary skill sets. NMDC brings scale, balance sheet strength, local execution depth, and an established footprint across marine, EPC, and infrastructure. CCC contributes decades of experience delivering complex onshore energy and chemicals projects across the Middle East, including gas processing, pipelines, utilities, and large scale industrial facilities. Together, NMDCCC positions itself as a credible Tier 1 EPC contender for UAE onshore oil and gas developments that increasingly demand integrated delivery, speed, and execution certainty.

At the center of the opportunity sits the UAE’s aggressive energy expansion agenda, led by ADNOC and its operating companies. Multi billion dollar programs covering gas processing, sour gas, compression, pipelines, utilities, and downstream integration are either sanctioned or moving rapidly toward FID. For contractors, the market is no longer about isolated packages but about the ability to execute multiple scopes in parallel while managing supply chain risk and local content requirements.

Why this JV matters now

The timing of NMDCCC is not accidental. UAE onshore energy capex is shifting from offshore heavyweights to land based mega projects, where scale, manpower, and local execution matter more than ever. Recent years have seen ADNOC rebalance spending toward gas self sufficiency, LNG feedstock security, and decarbonization driven brownfield upgrades. This favors contractors with onshore EPC pedigree rather than pure marine or offshore specialists.

For NMDC Group, the JV adds depth to its EPC portfolio and accelerates its move inland, complementing its offshore and marine dominated backlog. For CCC, it secures a strong local partner with balance sheet capacity and long term alignment with UAE national objectives. The result is a platform that can bid competitively for EPC and EPCm scopes while absorbing execution risk that clients increasingly want transferred.

Target project types and contract positioning

Based on EPCIntel.com analysis, NMDCCC is well positioned to pursue a broad range of onshore oil and gas contracts across the UAE. These include gas processing plants, compression and boosting stations, sour gas handling facilities, pipelines and terminals, and large utilities packages tied to upstream and downstream developments.

Typical contract sizes in this segment range from USD 500 million for discrete EPC packages to USD 2 billion plus for integrated facilities. ADNOC’s recent contracting strategy favors fewer, larger EPC awards to contractors that can self perform, manage interfaces, and localize procurement and construction.

NMDCCC’s structure under NMDC Infra also allows it to plug into existing NMDC supply chains, fabrication capabilities, and project controls, reducing execution risk and turnaround times. This is particularly relevant as long lead equipment, skilled labor, and logistics remain constrained across the Middle East.

Indicative capex and EPC package breakdown

• For a typical UAE onshore gas processing or energy infrastructure project with a total capex of USD 3 billion to USD 5 billion, EPCIntel estimates the following capital allocation across major packages that NMDCCC is likely to target:

• Process units and mechanical systems typically account for 30 to 35 percent of total capex, or USD 1.0 billion to USD 1.6 billion. This includes compressors, reactors, separators, heat exchangers, and packaged systems.

• Civil, structural, and buildings usually represent 15 to 20 percent, translating to USD 600 million to USD 900 million. This scope aligns strongly with CCC’s historic execution strengths.

• Electrical, instrumentation, and control systems capture around 15 percent, or USD 500 million to USD 750 million, increasingly driven by automation, digitalization, and energy efficiency requirements.

• Pipelines, terminals, and offsites make up 15 to 20 percent, equivalent to USD 600 million to USD 1.0 billion, depending on project layout and export infrastructure.

• Utilities, infrastructure, and balance of plant typically represent the remaining 10 to 15 percent, or USD 400 million to USD 700 million.

• NMDCCC’s value proposition lies in bundling these scopes under a single EPC umbrella, reducing interface risk for clients and improving schedule certainty.

Strategic fit with UAE Vision 2031

Beyond commercial logic, the JV aligns closely with UAE Vision 2031 objectives around energy security, local value creation, and sustainable industrial growth. By anchoring NMDCCC within NMDC Infra, the structure supports Emiratization, local procurement, and long term capability building rather than short cycle project execution.

Leadership comments from NMDC underline this positioning, framing NMDCCC as both a growth lever and a strategic enabler for national energy ambitions. The focus on mitigating supply chain risk and reducing turnaround time resonates with ADNOC’s push to compress schedules and bring capacity online faster.

Outlook

NMDCCC enters the market at a moment when UAE onshore EPC demand is deep, diversified, and sustained. If executed well, the JV has the potential to secure a meaningful share of upcoming EPC awards while reshaping NMDC Group’s earnings mix toward higher margin, repeatable onshore work.

For the broader contractor landscape, the message is clear. The UAE onshore EPC market is consolidating around players that can offer scale, integration, and local execution credibility. With NMDCCC, NMDC and CCC have made a clear statement that they intend to be among them.