Al-Falih announces package of renewable energy projects

Minister of Energy, Industry and Mineral Resources Khalid Al-Falih speaks at the Saudi Arabia Renewable Energy Investment Forum (SAREIF) in Riyadh on Monday. (SPA)
Updated 18 April 2017
Follow

Al-Falih announces package of renewable energy projects

RIYADH: Minister of Energy, Industry and Mineral Resources Khalid Al-Falih launched a tender process for the Kingdom’s 300 megawatts Sakaka solar project. He said more wind and solar projects are in the pipeline. 

Launching the major project at the Saudi Arabia Renewable Energy Investment Forum (SAREIF) at the Four Seasons Hotel, Al-Falih told more than 800 local and foreign delegates that the National Center for Renewable Energy Data has also been established. 

The Sakaka project in Al-Jouf, which is expected to come online by 2019, involves the development, design, financing, construction, testing, completion and operation of a greenfield solar PV plant. 

The project is expected to have a total capacity output not exceeding at any time 300 MW capacity of electricity generation. The project forms part of the Round 1 of the National Renewable Energy Program.

Some 51 companies have expressed interests for the Sakaka project.

He also announced that final touches are being given to another wind project for 400 megawatts in Domat Al-Jandar. Under the new initiatives to obtain renewable energy from wind and solar projects, the minister said it would target 1,200 megawatts through 30 projects in the next seven years. The initiative plans to derive 10 gigawatts of power from renewable energy to the national grid. 

“So the percentage of renewable energy by 2023 will be 10 percent of the total installed capacity in the Kingdom.”

Al-Falih said the National Center for Renewable Energy Data of King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy would serve as the central authority to provide high-quality data on the renewable energy sector in the Kingdom to investors or investors.

The inaugural ceremony followed a panel discussion moderated by Eithne Treanor, OPEC’s official on air-conference and webcast moderator.

Abdulaiz Al-Judaimi, senior vice president of Aramco, highlighted the importance of the company’s role in diversifying the Kingdom’s energy sources.

 “Saudi Aramco’s participation in the forum stems from its crucial role in diversifying the Kingdom’s energy mix through various projects and initiatives that aim at promoting the use and adoption of renewable energy to reduce emissions and to achieve a better environmental performance, while meeting the Kingdom’s future energy demand,” Al-Judaimi said

Saudi Aramco has already delivered on its renewable energy initiatives and demonstrated the integration of solar PV (photovoltaic), and solar CPV (concentrating photovoltaic) at its current facilities with several pilot projects, including one of the world’s largest solar carport systems.

In addition to the vast solar energy resources in the Kingdom, wind energy is among the best worldwide with wind capacity twice the global minimum in numerous areas in Northern and Northwest regions of the Kingdom. The recent inauguration of the first wind turbine in Turaif demonstrates Saudi Aramco’s strategy of integrating renewable energy into its operations. The wind turbine will create enough power to supply 250 homes, which has the potential to displace 19,000 barrels of oil equivalent, and generate 2.75MW of energy, thereby reducing demand for electricity from the national grid.

The introduction of renewable energy will reduce the Kingdom’s greenhouse gas emissions and will contribute to global climate efforts, as outlined in the Paris Climate Agreement.

Committing the Kingdom to renewable energy also achieves part of the National Transformation Plan (NTP) and Vision 2030. Through NTP, the Kingdom is targeting 3.45GW of renewable energy by 2020 and 9.5GW by 2023. The 9.5GW will result in avoiding 16-18MM ton CO2/year by 2023.


Saudi aid agency KSrelief delivers food to needy

Updated 59 min 5 sec ago
Follow

Saudi aid agency KSrelief delivers food to needy

  • The distribution is a part of the 2025 emergency food and clothing aid project in Lebanon

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s aid agency KSrelief has distributed 360 food packages to vulnerable individuals in Lebanon’s cities of Tripoli and Jbeil, benefiting 1,800 people.

The distribution is a part of the 2025 emergency food and clothing aid project in Lebanon, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the charity distributed 1,780 sacrificial animals in the Al-Madinah and Al-Wadi districts of Yemen’s Marib governorate on Sunday.

The initiative benefited 3,560 families under an Eid Al-Adha project in Yemen.


Newly appointed Saudi ambassador to Mexico presents his credentials

Updated 11 June 2025
Follow

Newly appointed Saudi ambassador to Mexico presents his credentials

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s newly appointed ambassador to Mexico has presented his credentials to the North American state’s foreign ministry, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Fahad bin Ali Al-Manawer handed over a copy of his credentials to Ambassador Jonathan Chait Auerbach, the director general of protocol at the ministry, at a reception held on Tuesday. 
The diplomats also reviewed relations between their nations at the meeting.
Al-Manawer took his oath of office in from to the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in March, in a ceremony attended by the Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan.


Saudi FM attends Oslo Forum in Norway

Updated 10 June 2025
Follow

Saudi FM attends Oslo Forum in Norway

  • Forum hosts global leaders and conflict mediators
  • Prince Faisal bin Farhan will meet foreign officials

RIYADH: Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan arrived in the Norwegian capital on Tuesday to take part in the Oslo Forum.

The annual event, organized by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in collaboration with the Center for Humanitarian Dialogue in Switzerland, hosts global leaders and conflict mediators.

Prince Faisal will meet foreign officials to strengthen relations with the Kingdom and discuss various regional and international issues, the Saudi Press Agency reported.


What pilgrims are sharing online after their Hajj journey

Updated 10 June 2025
Follow

What pilgrims are sharing online after their Hajj journey

  • Worshippers take to social media to share profound experiences with loved ones
  • Posting online becomes a way to process the weight of Hajj for many

RIYADH: For many pilgrims, the spiritual journey of Hajj does not end when they leave the holy sites. It continues — quietly, intentionally — in the days and weeks that follow.

Across Saudi Arabia, young pilgrims are using social media to process the weight of Hajj and share the experience with loved ones.

Noor Ahmad, 21, did not plan to post during her pilgrimage. But after she returned, the urge to share came naturally.

After returning from Hajj, I decided to share a few captured moments. But how can a photo truly capture the depth and majesty of the experience?

Noor Ahmad

“After returning from Hajj, I decided to share a few captured moments,” she said. “But how can a photo truly capture the depth and majesty of the experience?”

She described how people responded in varied ways. “Those who had gone before felt nostalgic and started sharing their own stories. Others — those who hadn’t been yet — expressed their longing. It became this moment of connection.”

For Noor, the decision to post was not about aesthetics. “It’s a monumental event. Maybe I could inspire someone who’s hesitant to go. Maybe they’ll see what I saw — and want to experience it for themselves.

“It was my way of saying thank you”

Shatha Al-Jadaan, 25, took a different approach to sharing, after taking a digital detox.

I enjoy sharing meaningful moments, and after seeing the tremendous effort put into Hajj on every level, I felt my post was a small, sincere gesture of appreciation.

Shatha Al-Jadaan

“During Hajj, I decided to partially fast from social media. I used only the essentials,” she said. “After I returned, I posted a thread to my close friends explaining where I’d been and shared some of the most meaningful moments.”

The response was full of prayers and warmth. “People were kind, supportive, and curious. But what mattered most to me was that I used the thread to say thank you — to the organizers, to the volunteers, and to Allah.”

She spoke about how she found value in using digital platforms to document something greater than herself.

“I enjoy sharing meaningful moments, and after seeing the tremendous effort put into Hajj on every level, I felt my post was a small, sincere gesture of appreciation.”

Salem Al-Khudair, 28, recorded a voice note to his family group chat while performing the rites.

“I just couldn’t find the words to write. So I recorded myself speaking right after standing in Arafat. I sent it to my family WhatsApp group. My mom was emotional. My dad said, ‘May God accept from you.’ That was enough.”

In an age of curated content, Hajj posts tend to stand out for their sincerity. Pilgrims often strip away the filters, metaphors and trend-driven formats, and just speak from the heart.

Noura Al-Dosari, 23, uploaded a private Instagram story highlight with no captions. “Just visuals. No filters. No hashtags,” she said. “It wasn’t for followers. It was for me. For reflection. A digital bookmark of who I became.”

Some write long captions, others simply post a photo of their ihram folded neatly back into a drawer.

But all of them carry a silent message: I went. I came back different.

Many pilgrims use their posts to recall moments of physical hardship that brought emotional breakthroughs — the heat, the long walks, the brief but powerful connections with strangers.

Others use it to highlight the seamless organization of the pilgrimage as a reminder of how far the experience has evolved.

Amani Al-Saad, 26, used X to share a short story about a volunteer who helped her carry her bag in Muzdalifah. “She didn’t speak much, but she smiled at me and said, ‘This is what we’re here for.’ That stuck with me. I wrote about it as a reminder to myself — that sometimes the smallest moments hold the most meaning.”

While digital connections are increasingly common, most pilgrims emphasize that the real processing happens offline — in quiet conversations with family, in their prayer rooms, or on long drives home.

“I didn’t post to perform,” said Al-Jadaan. “I posted to remember.”

 


National Water Co. ready for post-Hajj season

Updated 10 June 2025
Follow

National Water Co. ready for post-Hajj season

  • The company added the plan included securing water storage and coordinating with water production and distribution systems

MADINAH: The National Water Co. has confirmed it is operationally ready for the post-Hajj season.

The company said it would distribute more than 630,000 cubic meters of potable water daily to pilgrims at the Prophet’s Mosque and throughout Madinah and said its readiness built on ongoing efforts to serve pilgrims and visitors.

The plan involves more than 1,200 employees, including technical, administrative and engineering staff, working to provide water and environmental services.

The company added the plan included securing water storage and coordinating with water production and distribution systems, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

Water will be supplied daily during the post-Hajj season through continuous pumping to the central area and religious sites. Chemical and biological tests will be conducted to ensure compliance with water quality standards.

The company said its smart operation system continues to manage and monitor Madinah’s water network, overseeing water pressure and quality in pipelines and reservoirs.