meed-logo

line1 line2 line3
SIGN IN / REGISTER

Masdar eyes major Saudi expansion

13 September 2023

 

Register for MEED's guest programme 

The Saudi branch of the UAE-based clean energy firm Masdar aims to bid for every single renewable energy project that is tendered in the kingdom, according to its managing director and country manager Abdulaziz al-Mubarak.

The company, along with French utility developer EDF and local consortium partner Nesma, has been shortlisted for contracts to develop two solar photovoltaic (PV) independent power producer (IPP) schemes under the fourth round of the kingdom’s National Renewable Energy Programme (NREP).

This month, alongside EDF, it signed a multi-utility contract for the Amaala tourism development in Saudi Arabia.

The team won the contract after two years of bidding and negotiations.

Unlike most IPP projects that Masdar and its partners have previously implemented, the scope of the Amaala contract covers four technologies: power generation through a solar power farm; a battery energy storage system to enable 24-hour solar power dispatch; renewable energy-powered water desalination through reverse osmosis; and a wastewater treatment plant.

Only one other development, the Red Sea project, has implemented the same model.

“The Amaala multi-utility project allows us to partner with the best technology providers,” Al-Mubarak tells MEED.

In addition to EDF’s expertise, another French firm, Suez, is expected to join the project.

“The requirement of Amaala is unique,” the executive explains, referring to the completely off-grid nature of the utility infrastructure that will support the development. “It is not a straightforward IPP and Masdar as a developer is a strong suit for this project.”

Developing the entire sustainable infrastructure under one contract is expected to lead to greater operational efficiencies throughout the project’s lifecycle.

“Bundling the technologies, which will be completely off-grid, is as close as you can get to an ideal sustainable solution,” adds Al-Mubarak.

The Amaala multi-utility project is expected to reach commercial operation in 2025, and the developer consortium aims to issue a limited notice to proceed as soon as an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor is finalised.

“We will not wait to reach financial close before mobilising for the project’s construction phase,” the executive says, without elaborating on a potential EPC contractor and battery energy provider.

Bundling the technologies, which will be completely off-grid, is as close as you can get to an ideal sustainable solution
Abdulaziz al-Mubarak, Masdar

C&I opportunities

Masdar expects to quadruple its employee headcount in Saudi Arabia by mid-2024, roughly two years after its local office was inaugurated in Riyadh.

In addition to responding to an accelerated pace of renewable energy tenders, both through the principal buyer, Saudi Power Procurement Company, and other clients such as Neom, Masdar intends to play a major role in Saudi Arabia’s nascent renewable energy commercial and industrial (C&I) sector.

Emerge, a joint venture with EDF, signed a cooperation agreement with Al-Watania Agriculture Company in May this year to develop a 30MW solar PV project in Al-Jouf.

It is one of several captive renewable energy projects that Masdar is actively pursuing in the kingdom.

“We are in negotiations with several large organisations to implement a total capacity of roughly 200MW,” explains Al-Mubarak.

MEED understands these C&I opportunities range from a few megawatts to up to 30MW. A recent regulation has enabled C&I projects in Saudi Arabia, creating multiple opportunities, especially for companies looking to decrease their energy consumption or offset their carbon emissions.

Al-Mubarak adds: “As a leading utility developer in Saudi Arabia, Masdar can offer techno-commercial competitive proposals. We are also very focused on local technology and knowledge transfer and have a robust training programme in place.”

Masdar, in partnership with EDF, has won one contract each in the second and third rounds of NREP. The 400MW Dumat al-Jandal wind project has been completed and work on the 300MW South Jeddah solar IPP is approaching completion. 

Robust market

According to Al-Mubarak, Saudi Arabia will continue to be an exciting market for Masdar in the coming years due to its robust ecosystem, talent, outstanding credit rating and transparent contracting regime.

As such, the possibility of Saudi Arabia continuing its track record of achieving world-record-low tariffs in solar and wind project tenders cannot be ruled out.

“World-record-low levelised electricity costs are a result of the input for each project. The kingdom offers robust contractual agreements, good pre-development work, and a robust local EPC ecosystem that these projects can tap,” explains Al-Mubarak.

With plans to install a total renewable energy capacity of up to 58,700MW by 2030, the kingdom could play a significant role in fulfilling Masdar’s vision to reach 100,000MW of renewable energy installed capacity by the end of the decade.

Al-Mubarak, however, stops short of specifying how much Saudi Arabia is expected to contribute to this overall target.

https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/11143157/main1905.jpg
Jennifer Aguinaldo

Register for MEED's guest program now to access this article.

Click here to register
Exclusive from Meed
Related Articles
  • Egypt seeks consultant for major inland waterway study

    18 November 2025

    Egypt’s Transport Ministry has issued an expressions of interest (EOI) request, through the River Transport Authority, to appoint a consultancy firm for a study on a proposed inland waterway linking Lake Victoria to the Mediterranean.

    The consultant will carry out basin-wide data collection and prepare a strategic environmental and social assessment for the project.

    The assignment includes hydrological, topographic, bathymetric and geotechnical surveys across the Nile Basin.

    The consultancy is expected to run for about 15 months, starting in February or March 2026.

    Firms must submit EOIs by 6 December.

    The study forms part of the Vic-Med project, a multi-country plan to establish a continuous inland waterway from Lake Victoria to the Mediterranean Sea.

    The masterplan project aims to reduce transport costs for landlocked countries and provide a lower-carbon alternative to road freight along the Nile corridor

    The work is part of phase two, part one of the feasibility study, funded through a $2m grant from the New Partnership for Africa's Development – Infrastructure Project Preparation Facility (NEPAD–IPPF), the African Development Bank’s (AfDB) fund for early-stage project development.

    The first phase, completed in July 2019 with $650,000 in AfDB funding, developed the project’s legal and institutional framework and launched two regional inland water transport programmes.

    The second phase, valued at $11.7m, covers updated feasibility studies and expanded technical assessments supporting detailed engineering design and cost-benefit analysis in the next stage. 

    This phase also covers the establishment of a regional operating unit for the project in Cairo.

    READ THE NOVEMBER 2025 MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – click here to view PDF

    Mena players up the ante in global LNG production race; Investment takes UAE non-oil economy from strength to strength; Project finance activity draws international lenders back to market

    Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the November 2025 edition of MEED Business Review includes:
    To see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click here
    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/15108707/main.jpg
    Mark Dowdall
  • Kuwait to make decision on four oil pipeline packages

    18 November 2025

     

    Kuwait is evaluating bids on four packages for a major pipeline project after prices were submitted earlier this month, according to industry sources.

    The four separate packages cover pipeline work in the north, south, east and west regions of the country, sources said.

    Although the total of all bids submitted by Kuwait-based Alghanim International General Trading & Contracting is the lowest at KD419m ($1.4bn), the company submitted the lowest individual bid on only one package, located in northern Kuwait.

    Its bid for the north Kuwait package was KD149.8m ($488.3m).

    Mechanical Engineering & Construction Company submitted the lowest bids for pipeline work on two packages located in the south and east of the country. 

    Both of these bids were valued at KD97,868,394 ($319m).

    Al-Dar Engineering & Construction Company is the low bidder on the fourth package, for pipe work in western Kuwait, submitting a bid of KD64,825,398 ($211.3m).

    Together, all four contracts are expected to be worth about $1.4bn when awarded.

    The scope of all four packages focuses on developing new flowlines and connecting pipelines for oil-producing wells and water wells.

    In some cases, companies are also required to replace old flowlines.

    The contracts are based on work orders, so when KOC needs to connect wells it will issue a request for work execution, industry sources said. 

    Kuwait is trying to boost project activity in its upstream sector.

    The country’s national oil company, Kuwait Petroleum Corporation, is aiming to increase oil production capacity to 4 million barrels a day (b/d) by 2035.

    In August, Kuwait announced that it was producing 3.2 million b/d.

    Earlier this month, KOC said it was planning to spend KD1.2bn ($3.92bn) on its exploration drilling programme through 2030.

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/15106496/main.png
    Wil Crisp
  • Indian firm wins Oman chemicals project EPC contract

    17 November 2025

    Register for MEED’s 14-day trial access 

    Indian contractor Nuberg EPC has won a contract to perform engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) works on a project to build chlor alkali and calcium chloride plants in Oman for privately-owned Al-Ghaith Chemical Industries.

    The project involves expanding Al-Ghaith’s existing chlor alkali plant in Sur Industrial City, by adding 120 tonnes a day (t/d) of capacity, taking the unit’s total output capacity to 190 t/d. The project also involves building a calcium chloride plant that will have a production capacity of 80 t/d.

    Nuberg EPC said the contract is being executed on a lump sum turnkey basis, with its scope covering design, front-end engineering and design (feed), detailed engineering, procurement, fabrication, construction, commissioning and handover.

    Project execution is already under way, with completion targeted within 19 months, Nuberg EPC said.

    The project marks the second phase of Al-Ghaith’s integrated chemicals complex in Sur and represents a first-of-its-kind large-scale chlor alkali expansion in Oman.

    Nuberg EPC also performed EPC works on the original chlor alkali plant, which has a capacity of 70 t/d.

    In addition to the Oman project, Al-Ghaith has, in the previous decade, also brought on board Nuberg EPC for its chlor alkali and calcium chloride plants in Abu Dhabi. Those contracts covered the commissioning of a 60 t/d chlor alkali plant that was later expanded to 120 t/d, and the execution of a 125 t/d calcium chloride plant and a 50 t/d carbon dioxide plant.

    Nuberg EPC has also executed the expansion of a 45 t/d chlor alkali plant and a greenfield 80 t/d calcium chloride plant for Oman Chlorine in Sohar, increasing the total chlor alkali output capacity to 75 t/d.

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/15104096/main5048.jpg
    Indrajit Sen
  • Egypt starts production from strategic gas field

    17 November 2025

    Egypt has started gas production from the West Burullus field in the Mediterranean Sea, after connecting the first wells to the national gas grid, according to a statement from the country’s Petroleum & Mineral Resources Ministry.

    Productivity testing showed an output rate approaching 45 million cubic feet a day (cf/d).

    Kareem Badawi, Egypt’s Petroleum & Mineral Resources Minister, said he intends to accelerate development of the field and confirmed that work is under way to connect two additional wells, with the aim of increasing production to 75 million cf/d in the coming months.

    He added that the ministry aims to cut the county’s gas import bill by boosting domestic production.

    The operator of the concession is Cheiron, an Egyptian independent exploration and production company.

    Egypt’s oil ministry said in its statement that the West Burullus field development project represents a model for future integrated projects and investment plans.

    It said that a range of domestic and foreign companies are involved in bringing the field into production.

    In February, a banking consortium led by Banque du Caire, alongside Arab International Bank, Al-Baraka Bank Egypt and Saib Bank, arranged $75m in syndicated medium-term financing for Cheiron Egypt Delta, a subsidiary of the Cheiron Group.

    This financing will help cover part of the investment costs for the gas field development project.

    At the time, Cheiron said that the financing will provide up to 45.5% of the total $165m investment required for the project.

    READ THE NOVEMBER 2025 MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – click here to view PDF

    Mena players up the ante in global LNG production race; Investment takes UAE non-oil economy from strength to strength; Project finance activity draws international lenders back to market

    Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the November 2025 edition of MEED Business Review includes:
    To see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click here
    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/15102295/main3406.jpg
    Wil Crisp
  • Major Iraq refinery project stalls

    17 November 2025

     

    Construction has yet to start on Iraq’s Al-Faw Investment Refinery project due to a range of problems, according to industry sources.

    In May last year, a statement released by the Iraqi Prime Minister’s Office said that Iraq’s state-owned Southern Refineries Company and China National Chemical Engineering Company (CNCEC) had signed a contract to develop the project.

    Iraq’s Oil Ministry previously said the project would be worth $7bn-$8bn.

    One source said: “This project is failing to make progress despite the efforts of senior political figures in the country.”

    A meeting was chaired by Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani in August this year to discuss and try to resolve the problems that are stopping the commencement of construction, according to industry sources.

    It is believed that financing remains a key obstacle for the project.

    The Al-Faw project is part of the Iraqi government’s plan to increase Iraq’s refining capacities, attract foreign investment and increase the production of petroleum products domestically.

    The refinery will have a capacity of 300,000 barrels a day and will produce oil derivatives for both domestic and international markets.

    The project will be carried out in two stages.

    The first phase will involve refining operations, while the second will involve constructing a petrochemicals complex with a capacity of 3 million tonnes a year.

    The project also includes the construction of a 2,000MW power plant and the establishment of the Al-Faw Academy for Refinery Technology, to train 5,000 Iraqi workers that will eventually work at the facility.

    Hualu, a subsidiary of CNCEC, signed a preliminary principles agreement for the project in December 2021.

    At the time, Iraq’s Oil Ministry said that the project would have a value of $7bn-$8bn.

    Due to material price inflation since December 2021, some insiders believe that the project value may now be significantly higher.

    READ THE NOVEMBER 2025 MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – click here to view PDF

    Mena players up the ante in global LNG production race; Investment takes UAE non-oil economy from strength to strength; Project finance activity draws international lenders back to market

    Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the November 2025 edition of MEED Business Review includes:
    To see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click here
    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/15102287/main.jpg
    Wil Crisp