JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia aims to exceed its target to generate 9.5 gigawatts of electricity from renewable energy annually, to highlight its long-term commitment to green energy, a senior government official said.
“We plan to exceed 9.5 gigawatts,” Turki Al-Shehri, head of the energy ministry’s Renewable Energy Project Development Office told the Sino-Saudi investment forum in Jeddah on Thursday.
“The whole idea of this is to give investors a sense of comfort that the Kingdom has a long-term vision for renewable energy,” he later told Reuters.
The government has said it plans to generate 9.5 gigawatts (GW) of electricity from renewable sources a year by 2023 through 60 projects, involving an estimated investment of between $30 billion and $50 billion.
Shehri declined to give further details on when the government expects to exceed the target or other details, saying such an announcement would be made by the energy minister.
Expressions of interest in Saudi’s first utility-scale solar project had come from China more than any other country, he said.
Saudi Arabia aims to exceed renewable energy target
Saudi Arabia aims to exceed renewable energy target
Closing Bell: Saudi main index rises to 10,894
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Tadawul All Share Index extended its upward trend for a third consecutive day this week, gaining 148.18 points, or 1.38 percent, to close at 10,893.63 on Tuesday.
The total trading turnover of the benchmark index stood at SR6.05 billion ($1.61 billion), with 144 listed stocks advancing and 107 declining.
The Kingdom’s parallel market Nomu also rose by 81.35 points to close at 23,668.29.
The MSCI Tadawul Index edged up 1.71 percent to 1,460.89.
The best-performing stock on the main market was Zahrat Al Waha for Trading Co., with its share price advancing 10 percent to SR2.75.
Shares of CHUBB Arabia Cooperative Insurance Co. increased 8.27 percent to SR23.04, while Abdullah Saad Mohammed Abo Moati for Bookstores Co. saw its stock climb 6.17 percent to SR50.60.
Conversely, the share price of Naseej International Trading Co. declined 9.90 percent to SR31.48.
On the announcements front, Arabian Drilling Co. said it secured three contract extensions for land rigs with energy giant Saudi Aramco, totaling SR1.4 billion and adding 25 active rig years to its backlog.
In a Tadawul statement, the company said one rig is currently operational, the second will begin operations by the end of January, and the third — currently suspended — is expected to resume operations in 2026.
Since November 2025, Arabian Drilling has secured seven contract extensions amounting to SR3.4 billion, representing 55 committed rig years.
The three contracts have durations of 10 years, 10 years, and five years, respectively.
“Securing a total of SR1.4 billion in new contracts and expanding our backlog by 25 rig-years demonstrates both the trust our clients place in us and our ability to consistently deliver quality and reliability,” said Ghassan Mirdad, CEO of Arabian Drilling, in a statement.
Shares of Arabian Drilling Co. rose 3.15 percent to SR104.70.
Separately, Alkhorayef Water and Power Technologies Co. said it signed a 36-month contract valued at SR43.35 million with National Water Co. to operate and maintain water networks, pumping stations, wells, reservoirs, and related facilities in Tabuk.
In October, Alkhorayef Water and Power Technologies Co. announced it had been awarded the contract by NWC.
In a Tadawul statement, the company said the financial impact of the deal began in the fourth quarter of 2025.
The share price of Alkhorayef Water and Power Technologies Co. declined 0.49 percent to SR120.70.
