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Sustainability, ESG (environmental, social and governance) integration, artificial intelligence and resilient and adaptive infrastructure systems are among the global trends that are causing design firms to “reinvent their business models, improve operational efficiency and improve return on investment for clients,” according to this year’s 225 international design firms.
Companies are juggling geopolitical and economic uncertainties in the form of rising construction and material costs, and supply chain disruptions on an international scale that can directly affect project financing and delivery times, notes Hamzeh Awwad, CEO of AJi Group. “These issues are often more acute than in our home markets, where regulatory frameworks and economic conditions tend to be more stable and familiar,” he says.
With the World Economic Forum estimating a $15 trillion investment gap for global infrastructure by 2040, and an estimated $3.3 trillion a year needed to support projected global economic growth, Australia-based design firm Aurecon has preemptively appointed a Head of Engineering, Eminence and Innovation to spearhead our relentless technical challenges and collaboration around complex infrastructure, collaboration and non-stop collaboration of people. excellence,” says CEO Louise Adams. “We are operating in a dynamic but complex world, which presents a multitude of challenges for engineers as well as opportunities.”
TOP 225 Deck Credit: Rendering courtesy of Dewan Architects + Engineers; Top 250 Cover credit: Photo courtesy of Kalyon Insaat Sanayi ve Ticaret As
Revenue for the top 225 international designs rose 7.7% from 2023 to 2024, from $82.9 million to $89.3 million. Average international revenue is up 6.9%, totaling $63.9 million. Of the 211 companies that submitted surveys in 2025 and 2024, 71.1% reported higher revenue for the former and 93.6% of those reporting profitability status made a profit on international work last year.
Backlogs for the top 225 design firms have also remained strong for most firms, but the percentage of those showing an increase has declined over the past few years. Of the 185 companies that reported on the state of the portfolio in the 2025 survey, 65.4% said it is better than last year. This proportion was 69.3% and 74.1% in the 2024 and 2023 surveys, respectively.
The Middle East saw the largest growth between 2023 and 2024, with international design revenue increasing by nearly 30% in the region, almost doubling from 2021. Significant growth was also recorded in the US (10.7%), Africa (9%) and Europe (7.6%). Revenues dropped significantly in the Caribbean (17.4%) and Latin America (15%).
“Many countries, particularly in the Persian Gulf region, Africa and with emerging economies, are actively pursuing economic diversification strategies to reduce dependence on traditional sectors such as oil and gas and the extraction and export of natural resources,” notes Pace’s Associate Director, Abdullah Abdulaziz Al Shaiji.
For the Top 225 overall, telecom market revenue increased 61.7% in 2024, and the company’s international average total rose to $24.28 million from $16.01 million in 2023. All listed companies saw double-digit percentage revenue increases in other markets, including sewer/waste (20.2%, 7%, power industrial, 20.2%), 7. (16.2%) and water supply (15.8%). Revenues for the top 225 oil and gas companies fell by 21.1% between 2023 and 2024.
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“We are operating in a dynamic but complex world, which presents a multitude of challenges for engineers as well as opportunities.”
Louise Adams, CEO, Aurecon
With 2050 seen as a key net-zero emissions deadline for the global energy transition, the top 225 companies involved in the energy sector say they are seeing first-hand how reimagined production is driving market innovation.
“There is a clear and growing movement towards nuclear power as a key component of the global energy transition and energy sovereignty,” says Assystem Deputy CEO Stéphane Aubarbier, citing the 2023 UN Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai, with more than 20 countries pledging to triple nuclear power capacity by 2050, as one of several catalysts for the trend.
Geopolitical instability around the world has also had a “growing impact on the priorities of national governments and how public funds are allocated,” says Murat Koru, president of Proyapı Engineering and Consultancy Inc. “In recent years, the rise of military conflicts and the perception of increased global insecurity have led many governments to reassess their budgets,” he says. “As a result, spending on transportation infrastructure in some regions has been reduced or deferred in favor of initiatives deemed more urgent for national security or defense readiness.”
This shift in priorities in response to regional conflicts is reflected in the revenue numbers of the top 250 international contractors this year, with supply chain disruptions and cost volatility shaking some global markets and others to the point of diminished returns.
Overall, Top 250 revenue rose 0.5% from 2023 to 2024 to $501.2 billion. That marginal growth, in turn, pushed average international revenue down 2.7 percent to $464.36 billion from $477.07 billion in 2023. Among filing companies that reported a profit or loss, 91.3 percent said they were profitable in 2024.
“The global economic recession that started with the pandemic in 2020, and especially the recent war in countries close to our areas of operation, creates uncertainty and supply chain disruptions,” says BCM Holding President Baran Çoktin. He adds that the uncertainty “affects input and logistics costs in the construction sector, increasing them and reducing profit margins”.
Even as contractors innovate to push projects forward, Çoktin says risks associated with unpredictable policy and political changes and high labor and land costs can scare investors into inaction. He predicts that most of next year’s recruiting expenses will be “primarily labor [and] material costs due to economic crises” and in transport “due to the increase in oil products”.
After explosive double-digit growth over the past two years, 2024 earnings data show the manufacturing and industrial process sectors contracted the most, by 3.3% and 10.6%, respectively. The top 250 contractors doing business in the oil and gas sector saw a 13.6% drop in revenue, while those in hazardous waste saw a 10.6% decline. But revenue in the sewer and waste sector rose 18.4% for listed companies, with revenue also up 14.2% for telecoms and 12.2% for water supply companies.
Behind the numbers, many of the top 250 contractors said they are leaning toward a business strategy that prioritizes refining core services such as tunnels, oil and gas infrastructure and site development over expansion into new sectors and shrinking markets.
During its more than 25 years in operation, Egyptian Maintenance Co. has developed a reputation for overcoming challenges that has allowed it to become “a trusted partner for integrated maintenance services,” says President and CEO Khaled Ibrahim. He adds that “high-profile projects in sectors such as oil and gas, petrochemicals and water treatment have significantly enhanced our market presence.”
“Military conflicts and the perception of increased global insecurity have led many governments to reassess their budgets.”
Murat Koru, president of Proyapı
Revenues of the top 250 in the Caribbean region increased by 37.7% between 2023 and 2024. The Middle East and Australia regions also saw double-digit revenue growth of 17.7% and 13.9%, respectively, with declines in Latin America of 9.9% between 2023 and 2024, after growing from 270.22% to 270.22%.
Companies in this year’s Top 250 survey reported an increase in the total value of new international contracts – up 7.6% to $727.3 billion from $676.1 billion in the 2024 survey. Portfolios also remained strong, with 55.4% of companies reporting a change in portfolio status, indicating growth during the last year
However, general disruptions in the global supply chain have created a ripple effect of increased costs in the form of material delays and price fluctuations. President Donald Trump’s trade policy, and accompanying tariffs, have also added to staggering costs in material purchases. Some contractors have taken a wait-and-see approach to how the rates will progress, but others are preparing for how they will affect long-term operations.
In his company’s infrastructure work, Guillermo Lorenzo, General Manager of Infrastructure, Engineering and Services at COMSA Corp., says there is a “collaborative commitment to sustainability and digitization, and the need to innovate and optimize processes to maintain competitiveness.”
Any “period of international uncertainty is not good for economic activity,” he adds. However, the international construction industry “is successfully coping with the shocks of the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine, and we are confident that we will do so again if new difficulties arise,” predicts Lorenzo.
