South Korean construction companies' overseas orders in the first eight months of the year surpassed 20 billion dollars.

According to the International Contractors Association of Korea on Sunday, local builders secured 21-point-nine billion dollars worth of overseas orders between the January-August period, up 19-point-nine percent from a year earlier.

Local builders' overseas orders for the eight-month period exceeded 20 billion dollars for the first time since 2018, when it posted 20-point-four billion dollars.

The strong performance was attributed to Hyundai Engineering and Construction's five billion dollar contract in June with Saudi Arabia's state oil firm Aramco to build a petrochemical plant in the Middle Eastern country.

Thanks to the deal, local builders’ overseas orders from the Middle East more than doubled to seven-point-41 billion dollars from a year ago, accounting for the largest 33-point-eight percent of the total overseas orders.

If the pace continues, Korean builders are expected to win overseas orders worth over 30 billion dollars this year as well.