Latest news and stories about construction in work in Portugal for expats and residents.
Two foreign workers, aged 26 and 28, were found dead following a landslide at a Pestana Hotel Group construction site in Porto Covo, where they were working in a trench.
Registration for the 'Integrar para a Construção' training programme, which offers 500 spots for immigrants to gain skills in Portugal's construction sector, closes on July 5th.
Construction employment is 30% below 2008 levels and there is a shortage of around 90,000 workers in the sector. There is an in-depth report on the topic in the latest edition of Expresso, and we speak with the newspaper's executive editor, João Silvestre, about the matter.
Three construction workers died this Monday, October 12, in a workplace accident inside a water reservoir at a private residence in Quinta do Lago, Loulé, Faro district, according to the GNR and Civil Protection. The workers were carrying out waterproofing tasks when they were found unresponsive. Despite resuscitation attempts, their deaths were declared at the scene. Three other individuals received assistance. The Authority for Working Conditions (ACT) is investigating the incident, which involved 30 personnel and 13 vehicles. In separate incidents, another worker died after being buried at a hotel construction site in Porto Covo, with one person still missing, and a worker died in Almada following a water pipe burst.
Saint-Gobain Portugal invites industry professionals to focus on innovation and sustainability throughout the 2026 Sustainability Month initiative.
A seminar focused on the steel industry held in Ponta Delgada.
The Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum has launched a programme that aims to train and integrate 500 people into the construction sector by the first half of 2027. The initiative, called 'Integrar para a Construção' (Integrate for Construction), combines technical training with on-the-job training and is aimed at migrants and beneficiaries of international protection.
Mota-Engil announced today that its ongoing railway contract in Nigeria has been extended by 562 million euros. The company also secured a new airport contract in Peru worth up to 120 million euros. The extension in Nigeria was granted by the Ministry of Transport for the Kano-Maradi railway line. In Peru, Mota-Engil Peru S.A. won a contract for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of the Juliaca International Airport, valued at approximately 119 million euros. These operations increase the group's order book by 685 million euros, strengthening its presence in transport infrastructure across Africa and Latin America.
Companies are competing for professionals, who are seeing their salaries increase. Some firms have been offering benefits such as company cars to retain employees, fearing they will be unable to fill vacancies.
Portugal's largest construction company, Mota-Engil, which has Chinese capital, is close to finalising the purchase of 40% of Odebrecht Engenharia & Construção, which exited judicial recovery in March.
In Brazil, where it already has an order book exceeding €2 billion, Mota-Engil is identified as a potential buyer of 40% of Odebrecht. The two companies recently won a new road concession together in the Brazilian market and are studying new alliances for further projects.
Industrialized construction will allow for doing “the same work in fewer hours” and increasing productivity in the sector, said the CEO of the Casais Group, António Carlos Rodrigues, today. Speaking on “Construction Industrialization: Productivity, Sovereignty and Future” at a lunch-debate at the International Club of Portugal, the Casais CEO listed the advantages of the model...
This Monday, the INE will take the pulse of the construction and employment sectors. Galp will release its preliminary operational data for the second quarter. Also defining the day are the rise in fuel prices, the meeting of 25 heads of state and government in Paris, and the meeting of foreign ministers.
Engineers classify the changes as “generally positive”, although they consider that “the [public procurement] code remains a dense and complex document”. “Decision-makers should have gone further”
The construction company, founded 80 years ago in Amarante and which began by doing business in Angola, now has a record order book. To Expresso, its chairman, Carlos Mota Santos, points out that “the engineering and construction sector is one of the sectors where economic cycle reversals are reflected with less immediacy” and believes that the group will continue to grow.
The Competition Authority (AdC) has decided not to oppose the acquisition of HCI – Construções by Visabeira, stating that the operation is not likely to create significant barriers to competition. The AdC board concluded that the merger will not hinder effective competition in the national market. The deal involves Visabeira Construções acquiring exclusive control of HCI, which was previously jointly held by Visabeira and H-MBO. HCI operates in the civil construction and public works sector in Portugal, while the Visabeira group maintains a diverse international portfolio including telecommunications, energy, and construction.
Home News AIMA to train immigrants for construction jobs in Portugal AIMA to train immigrants for construction jobs in Portugal Portugal is launching a new training initiative aimed at helping immigrants enter the construction sector, as the industry continues to face shortages of skilled workers
Visabeira has notified the Competition Authority (AdC) regarding the purchase of the remaining capital it did not already own in HCI Construções, which was responsible for building iconic structures such as the EDP headquarters, the Champalimaud Foundation, and the Hospital da Luz. The concentration operation consists of the acquisition, by Visabeira Construções, S.A., of exclusive control...
A construction firm founded by Brazilians is growing its operations in Portugal, yet is currently struggling with a lack of available workers.
Workers are returning from Luxembourg to Portugal to pursue employment opportunities in the construction sector.
The victim was working on a construction site at the Oeiras Golf Residence when a landslide caused the man to be buried.
Mota-Engil announced this Wednesday that it has signed a contract with Petrobras worth approximately 113 million euros through its subsidiary in Brazil. The construction group, through Mota-Engil Brasil, closed a new agreement with Petróleo Brasileiro S.A. (Petrobras) for the execution of engineering, preparation, removal, and final disposal (EPRD) services.
Tiago Mendonça, president of the Construction Foundation, says it is time for Portuguese engineering to demonstrate its capability and take advantage of high-speed rail projects to gain strength.
Architects Luís Lima and Patrícia Gomes have launched the Matterpieces project, which transforms construction waste into sustainable materials for flooring, wall coverings, and design objects. By repurposing materials like glass, tiles, and bricks that would otherwise end up in landfills, the duo has already diverted 90 tonnes of waste and generated 100,000 euros in revenue last year. They are now looking to expand into international markets, targeting the mid-to-high-end segment where sustainability is highly valued.
Investing in Smart Markets is increasingly important for the growth and value creation of our companies. The initiative by PTPC – Portuguese Technological Platform for Construction / AEC Cluster, within the scope of the DIGITALBuilt Consortium it leads, to carry out a working mission to Paris (OECD and IFC / World Bank) is very timely, aiming to gain direct contact with the critical investments Europe faces. Improving our economy's reputation abroad depends on showcasing our skills, and the PTPC – AEC Cluster is a clear reference in this agenda. Companies must act as global players, transforming knowledge into tradable assets. Luiz Mello of the OECD and the director of the IFC / World Bank highlight the importance of focusing on strategic projects such as critical investments, housing, and the reconstruction of Ukraine. The PTPC / AEC has made innovation the engine of its strategy, with the BUILT Colab serving as a key reference for building new strategic partnerships for Portuguese companies.
Despite the conflict in the Middle East, Mota-Engil is studying a bid for the High-Speed rail project in Saudi Arabia, in partnership with local companies, covering an extension of five thousand kilometres, in phases and exclusively for public works. “We are currently the largest Western railway builder, and in that sense, we are looking...”
Investment in the construction sector grew by 5.5% in 2025, reaching 28 billion euros, while gross value added (GVA) rose by 1.7% to 9.9 billion, according to the Association of Civil Construction and Public Works Industrialists (AICCOPN). The association highlights that this positive performance was accompanied by an improvement in building and rehabilitation permits, which saw a 1.8% increase in overall volume. This result reflects a 3.3% rise in family housing permits, contrasting with a 2.7% decline in non-residential building authorisations. The licensing of units in new buildings saw a notable year-on-year growth of 20.1% in 2025, totalling 41,592 dwellings. Despite these favourable signs, AICCOPN warns of persistent pressures on production costs. The New Housing Construction Cost Index ended the year with a 4% increase, driven primarily by labour costs, which rose by 7.7%, while materials saw a more moderate variation of 0.9%. Cement consumption increased by 0.7% year-on-year, which the association considers a moderate trend consistent with the maintenance of ongoing projects. In the public works segment, 2025 was considered an exceptional year, as public tenders reached 10 billion euros, up 21% compared to 2024, and the total value of contracts reported on the Base Portal was 7.6 billion euros, a year-on-year growth of 48%. However, AICCOPN notes that January indicators show more contained figures—450 million euros in tenders (-41%) and 190 million in contracts signed (-46%). The association views this as a typical seasonal and administrative fluctuation for the month, which does not jeopardise the continuity of the investment cycle observed at the end of 2025. Construction production increased by 1.3% in January.
