Editor’s note: This profile was updated in March 2026 to reflect the completion of Sidara’s acquisition of John Wood Group plc. Wood shares were delisted from the London Stock Exchange on 11 March 2026. Wood continues to operate under its existing brand as a privately held subsidiary of Sidara.
John Wood Group plc, trading as Wood, completed its acquisition by Sidara — the engineering and consulting arm of Dubai-based Dar Al-Handasah — on 10 March 2026, ending its status as an independently listed company after decades on the London Stock Exchange. Wood’s shares were cancelled from the LSE’s Official List on 11 March 2026, with shareholders receiving 30 pence per share in cash. The company continues to operate under the Wood brand as part of the Sidara group, with Neil Bruce appointed CEO and Talal Shair as Chair following the transaction’s completion.
Wood Group Company Overview
Founded in Aberdeen, Scotland, in 1982 and built on North Sea oil and gas engineering heritage, Wood grew through a series of acquisitions — most significantly the 2017 combination with Amec Foster Wheeler — into one of the world’s largest engineering and consulting companies. At the time of the Sidara acquisition, Wood employed approximately 35,000 people across more than 60 countries, providing engineering, project management, operations support, and consulting services to clients in oil and gas, chemicals, power, and infrastructure sectors.
The acquisition by Sidara was announced in August 2025 and approved by Wood shareholders at a Court Meeting on 17 November 2025. The deal valued Wood at approximately £1.7 billion and was structured as a recommended cash acquisition via a Court-sanctioned scheme of arrangement. For Sidara — which describes the deal as the most ambitious in its history — the acquisition significantly extends its global engineering footprint, particularly in the North Sea, North America, and Asia-Pacific markets where Wood has established client relationships and technical depth.
Core Engineering & Consulting Capabilities
Wood’s core business model is consulting-led rather than lump-sum EPC — distinguishing it from contractors like Saipem or Fluor that carry significant construction fleet risk. Its work spans front-end engineering and design (FEED), engineering, procurement, and construction management (EPCM), operations and maintenance, and asset management consulting across the full energy and industrial asset lifecycle.
In upstream oil and gas, Wood holds long-term frame agreements with major North Sea operators including Equinor, Shell, and Repsol Sinopec — providing brownfield engineering, modifications, and operations support for offshore platforms and onshore processing facilities. This recurring, reimbursable work model generates stable revenue with limited capital risk, making Wood’s earnings profile more predictable than pure EPC contractors. The Norwegian offshore market that drives a significant share of Wood’s upstream workload is covered in our profile of Vår Energi’s offshore Norway project portfolio.
Energy Transition & Decarbonisation Work
Wood has been an active participant in Europe’s energy transition engineering market, providing FEED and EPCM services for carbon capture, hydrogen, and offshore wind projects. Key engagements include engineering services for the H2H Saltend hydrogen production and decarbonisation project in the Humber region of the UK — one of the UK’s flagship industrial cluster decarbonisation initiatives — and consultancy work on the Dogger Bank offshore wind farm, the world’s largest offshore wind project by installed capacity.
In carbon capture and storage, Wood has delivered engineering studies and FEED work for multiple North Sea CCS projects, leveraging its offshore platform engineering experience to support CO₂ injection and storage infrastructure design. The CCS opportunity in the North Sea that Wood is positioning for is illustrated by our report on Eni’s carbon storage plans for the Hewett field. The broader competitive landscape for European energy transition engineering is covered in our roundup of the top engineering and construction companies powering Europe’s energy transition.
The Sidara Acquisition: What It Means
Sidara is the engineering and consulting division of Dar Al-Handasah — one of the largest privately owned professional services groups in the Middle East, with operations spanning architecture, engineering, project management, and consulting across infrastructure, energy, and industrial markets. The acquisition of Wood gives Sidara a significant presence in North Sea and North American energy markets, where Dar Al-Handasah previously had limited direct exposure.
For Wood, the transition to private ownership under a well-capitalised strategic owner removes the short-term earnings pressure of public market reporting and provides longer-term investment capacity. Former CEO Ken Gilmartin stepped down as part of the ownership transition, with Neil Bruce — former CEO of SNC-Lavalin (now AtkinsRéalis) — appointed as CEO of the combined entity. Wood continues to operate under its own brand and management structure within the Sidara group.
In December 2025, Wood separately agreed to sell its UK Transmission & Distribution business to United Infrastructure for £57.5 million as part of an ongoing divestment of non-core operations — consistent with the strategic focus on core energy and industrial engineering services that drove the Sidara deal.
Wood Group Company Snapshot
| Founded | 1982 (Aberdeen, Scotland) |
|---|---|
| Ownership (from March 2026) | Sidara (Dar Al-Handasah group) |
| Acquisition completed | 10 March 2026 |
| LSE delisting | 11 March 2026 |
| Acquisition value | ~£1.7 billion (30p per share) |
| Headquarters | Aberdeen, Scotland, UK |
| CEO (post-acquisition) | Neil Bruce |
| Employees | ~35,000 |
| Countries of operation | 60+ |
| Core services | Engineering, EPCM, operations & maintenance, consulting |
| Key markets | Oil & gas, chemicals, power, renewables, infrastructure |
Has Wood Group been acquired?
Yes. John Wood Group plc was acquired by Sidara — the engineering and consulting arm of Dubai-based Dar Al-Handasah — with the scheme of arrangement completing on 10 March 2026. Wood shares were delisted from the London Stock Exchange on 11 March 2026. Shareholders received 30 pence per share in cash. Wood continues to operate under its existing brand as a subsidiary of the Sidara group.
Who owns Wood Group now?
Wood Group is now owned by Sidara, the engineering and consulting division of Dar Al-Handasah Consultants, one of the largest privately owned professional services groups in the Middle East. Talal Shair serves as Chair of the combined entity, with Neil Bruce appointed as CEO following the acquisition. Former CEO Ken Gilmartin stepped down as part of the ownership transition.
What does Wood Group do?
Wood provides engineering, EPCM, operations and maintenance, and consulting services to clients across oil and gas, chemicals, power, renewables, and industrial infrastructure sectors. It operates in over 60 countries with approximately 35,000 employees, with its core business model built around reimbursable consulting and engineering services rather than lump-sum EPC contracting.
What energy transition projects is Wood Group working on?
Wood has been involved in multiple major energy transition projects, including engineering services for the H2H Saltend hydrogen and decarbonisation project in the UK’s Humber region, consultancy for the Dogger Bank offshore wind farm, and FEED and engineering studies for several North Sea carbon capture and storage projects.
Why did Wood Group delist from the London Stock Exchange?
Wood delisted following the completion of its acquisition by Sidara via a Court-sanctioned scheme of arrangement. The deal was announced in August 2025, approved by Wood shareholders in November 2025, and completed in March 2026. The transition to private ownership under Sidara removes short-term public market reporting pressure and provides longer-term investment capacity.