Spanish firms were awarded new foreign construction contracts worth €17.9 billion in 2013, an increase of 4% year-on-year. This represents the second best year ever for international orders.

Spain’s largest construction firms received 30% of their foreign contract awards last year in Central and South America. According to Seopan, the industry trade organization, orders from this region rose 8.7% from 2012 to €5.4 billion.

Europe was the second biggest region for international activity, with Spain’s construction firms receiving €4.2 billion in orders, or 23% of total foreign contracts.

The Middle East was the third largest area of business for Spanish firms. Representing 18% of the total, contracts from this region rose almost nine times from 2012 to €3.2 billion. A major standout is the huge contract for construction of the Riyadh subway, worth €6.1 billion, which was awarded to a consortium led by Spain’s FCC . This is the largest foreign project ever won by a Spanish firm.

North America was the fourth largest foreign market, representing 17% of the total. Spanish companies received orders worth €3.1 billion from the United States and Canada.

Spanish construction companies also gained ground in Africa, where they were awarded contracts worth €1.6 billion. In Asia orders amounted to €218 million.

At year-end 2013, the international order book for Seopan members amounted to €70.6 billion and represented 81.9% of their combined total order books.