Saudi wind farm’s progress heralds a new era in clean energy

Saudi Arabia has moved a step closer to becoming the Middle East’s pace-setter in green energy and sustainability, with the delivery of the first consignment of turbines for a 400-megawatt wind-power plant. (Shutterstock))
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Updated 06 October 2020
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Saudi wind farm’s progress heralds a new era in clean energy

  • Key construction milestone crossed with delivery of 20 turbines for Kingdom’s utility-scale wind farm in Al-Jouf
  • Kingdom’s renewable energy sector could create up to 750,000 jobs over the next decade, say business leaders

DUBAI: Saudi Arabia has moved a step closer to becoming the Middle East’s pace-setter in green energy and sustainability, with the delivery of the first consignment of turbines for a 400-megawatt wind-power plant.

Manufactured by the Danish company Vestas, 20 turbines for the $500 million Dumat Al-Jandal wind farm arrived recently at Duba port.

Saudi Arabia’s first utility-scale wind-power source, Dumat Al-Jandal is being developed by a consortium led by EDF Renewables of France in partnership with Abu Dhabi-based Masdar. Once operational, it will the largest wind farm in the Middle East.

Construction work commenced last August and commercial operations are due to start in the first quarter of 2022. Masdar and EDF Renewables respectively own 49 and 51 percent of the Dumat Al-Jandal project.

“We are proud to be among the first contributors to the Kingdom’s clean energy transition, working in collaboration with Nesma Holding,” said Yousif Al-Ali, executive director of Masdar. “When operational, Dumat Al-Jandal will displace 885,000 tons of carbon dioxide each year, while generating electricity to power 70,000 homes.”

The turbines comprise towers, blades and nacelles, which will be assembled at the project site, 900 kilometers north of Riyadh in the Al-Jouf region. The project will include 99 Vestas wind turbines, each with a hub height of 130 meters and rotor diameter of 150 meters.

Vestas, which has over 40 years of experience in the wind industry and 115 gigawatts of installed capacity worldwide, brings expertise to support the region in its transition to a decarbonized and decentralized energy system.




Saudi Arabia’s first utility-scale wind-power source, Dumat Al-Jandal is being developed by a consortium led by EDF Renewables of France in partnership with Abu Dhabi-based Masdar. (Supplied/Masdar)

“Saudi Arabia is ready to make that transition and to become a beacon of green energy and sustainability for the rest of its neighboring countries to follow suit,” said Muhamed Bou-Zeid, general manager of Vestas Middle East and North Africa.

He described the delivery of the first batch of wind turbines as a major milestone in Dumat Al-Jandal’s development as well as in Saudi Arabia’s National Renewable Energy Program.

“The ongoing progress at the wind farm site has largely been made possible by the Kingdom and its governmental authorities, which have graciously and wholeheartedly supported the consortium under the auspices of the National Renewable Energy Program,” he told Arab News.

The Renewable Energy Project Development Office of Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Energy awarded the project to the EDF Renewables-Masdar consortium in January 2019 after a competitive tender.

INNUMBERS

Saudi Wind Farms

* 400MW Capacity of Dumal Al-Jandal plan.

* $500m Estimated investment.

* 2019 Start of project construction.

* 16GW KSA’s wind-energy target for 2030.

Its tariff of $21.3 per megawatt-hour (MWh), the lowest bid submitted, was reduced to $19.9/MWh at financial close, making Dumat Al-Jandal the most cost-efficient wind-energy project in the world.

“Not only will Dumat Al-Jandal provide power to support the Kingdom’s economic growth plans, but it will deliver valuable employment, training and economic opportunities to Saudis, especially in Al-Jouf,” Al-Ali said. “The project will advance Saudization goals of employing Saudi nationals and leave a positive impact on Al-Jouf.”

Materials for the farm will be bought locally, creating employment and training opportunities for Saudis to develop expertise and technological knowledge. “In this way, the project will help accelerate the Kingdom’s transition to a knowledge-based economy,” he added.

According to the US-Saudi Arabian Business Council, the development of Saudi Arabia’s renewable energy sector could create up to 750,000 jobs over the next decade, as the Kingdom pushes to generate 7 percent of its total electricity output from renewables by 2030.

It will also benefit from a 20-year power purchase agreement with the Saudi Power Procurement Company, a subsidiary of the Saudi Electricity Company, the Kingdom’s power generation and distribution company.




Renewable energy projects, including wind and solar, are planned across more than 35 parks in Saudi Arabia by 2030. (AFP via Getty Images/File Photo)

“Dumat Al-Jandal is committed to achieving a lasting positive community impact through procuring skills and materials in Saudi Arabia, supporting local jobs and businesses, and accelerating knowledge transfer,” said Mohamed Jameel Al-Ramahi, chief executive officer of Masdar.

Saudi Arabia’s renewable energy program aims to contribute to a sustainable future, preserve non-renewable fossil fuel resources and safeguard the Kingdom’s international energy leadership, according to the King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy. That way, the program aims to ensure greater long-term global energy market stability.

Renewable energy projects, including wind and solar, are planned across more than 35 parks in Saudi Arabia by 2030. “The Kingdom is blessed with an abundance of energy sources such as wind, sun and fossil fuels,” Al-Ali said.

“Such a diversified supply of energy can be used strategically to generate significant returns. For example, if solar and wind energy technologies can be used to generate electricity, the Kingdom can benefit by using fossil fuels in other applications that enhance economic performance.”

The project is aligned “perfectly” with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030, as it would significantly increase the contribution of renewable energy within the country’s overall energy mix and foster diversification of energy resources, Al-Ali said.




The Renewable Energy Project Development Office of Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Energy awarded the project to the EDF Renewables-Masdar consortium in January 2019 after a competitive tender. (Supplied/Masdar)

Osama bin Abdulwahab Khawandanah, chief executive officer of the Saudi Power Procurement Company, responsible for purchasing the entire output, said Dumat Al-Jandal was its first wind-energy project that would produce electricity at scale. 

“As a key project under the King Salman Renewable Energy Initiative, it is playing a crucial role in diversifying Saudi Arabia’s power mix sustainably,” he said. “The wind farm reflects our strong partnership with the private sector and the commercial viability of wind energy. This enables us to establish a competitive renewable energy sector in the Kingdom while reducing our carbon emissions in line with Vision 2030.”

Masdar continues to advance strategic projects to support the country’s renewable energy sector. At the beginning of 2019, the organization had set a target of doubling its renewable capacity — then at 4 gigawatts — within five years. With key projects such as Dumat-Al Jandal, it now expects to exceed that target before the end of 2020 ­— that is, within two years.

“There is no doubt that the Saudi market is one of the most important, not only in the region but globally,” Al-Ali told Arab News. “The Saudi market is highly attractive to clean energy developers because it is characterized by sufficient flexibility and attractive policies, which let developers submit competitive tenders and bids.”

Masdar has submitted proposals for other solar and wind-energy projects across Saudi Arabia, he said. “This reflects our commitment to the Saudi market and our confidence in the Kingdom’s ability to become a hub for large-scale renewable energy projects that are commercially viable.”

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Twitter: @CalineMalek


Linguistic code-switching new norm for young Saudis

Updated 16 July 2025
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Linguistic code-switching new norm for young Saudis

  • Expert tells Arab News that ‘multi-dimensional issue’ deserves recognition

RIYADH: In Saudi Arabia’s increasingly globalized society, especially among young people in major cities, there is an easy blending of languages, often switching between Arabic and English in the same conversation.

This phenomenon, known as code-switching, has become a linguistic norm that reflects shifting social dynamics, culture and identity.

A 2024 study conducted by Kais Sultan Mousa Alowidha at Jouf University found that bilingual Saudis often switch between Arabic and English depending on the context, particularly in casual or professional settings.

The blending of languages can be seen not as a dilution of heritage, but a reflection of its outward-looking generation. (Supplied)

Saudi students who have studied or grown up abroad find themselves flipping between languages almost unconsciously.

Abdullah Almuayyad, a Saudi senior at the University of Washington, Seattle, who has spent more than half his life in the US, spoke to Arab News about his experiences with both languages.

“Comfort really depends on context,” he said. “Day-to-day I’m equally at ease in either language, but the setting matters.”

HIGHLIGHTS

• The King Salman Global Academy for Arabic Language in Riyadh has launched several initiatives to strengthen Arabic fluency, both for native speakers and non-native learners.

• A 2024 study from Jouf University found that bilingual Saudis often switch between Arabic and English depending on the context, particularly in casual or professional settings.

In business settings, he defaults to English because of his education and professional exposure, but casual or family settings feel more natural in Arabic.

“Sometimes my friends tease me because I’ll begin a sentence in Arabic, hit a complex business concept, and flip to English mid-stream.”

This mental switching, he explained, is often tied to topic-specific language associations.

Some topics are assigned to a specific language in his brain. “Once the topic surfaces, the corresponding language follows automatically.”

At an institutional level, efforts to preserve and promote Arabic are gaining traction in Saudi Arabia.

The King Salman Global Academy for Arabic Language in Riyadh has launched several initiatives to strengthen Arabic fluency, both for native speakers and non-native learners.

Through academic partnerships, digital tools, and training programs, the academy is playing a key role in ensuring Arabic remains a vibrant and accessible language.

The institute reflects a broader national push to reinforce cultural identity amid the linguistic shifts brought on by globalization.

Majd Tohme, senior linguist at SURV Linguistics in Riyadh, told Arab News that code-switching is “a very multi-dimensional issue.”

He emphasized that the debate should not hinge on whether code-switching is good or bad.

“What we need to ask ourselves is, does code-switching work in the everyday context? And if it works, isn’t that the purpose of any linguistic pattern?”

He added that language purism might miss the point entirely.

“You don’t have to get involved in that language puritanism … and code-switching is not really something new. Languages are living organisms that evolve,” he explained.

Many words we consider native today, he noted, have foreign origins, such as from Persian or European languages, particularly in science and technology.

Still, there are concerns about the erosion of Arabic. Tohme acknowledged the threat but said it is not exclusive to Arabic.

“It is a threat to all languages,” he said, especially in the era of globalized communication where the internet has become a shared space dominated by English.

“You now have one internet that the world is sharing,” he explained. “It’s like one huge playground where you have 8 billion people trying to communicate with each other.”

And yet, there are signs of balance.

Almuayyad, for instance, actively challenges himself and his peers to preserve Arabic fluency.

“In eighth grade, even though my friends and I preferred English, we agreed to speak only Arabic until it felt natural,” he said. “Later, when my Arabic caught up, I switched and spoke only English with friends who wanted practice.”

For many, especially in Saudi Arabia’s larger cities, bilingualism no longer means choosing between one language over the other.

The constant nudge to challenge each other keeps both languages active and growing.

The Jouf University study found that bilingual Saudis strongly identify with both languages and do not believe that speaking English negates their cultural identity.

It also concluded that code-switching is often required in larger cities due to the abundance of non-Arabic speakers in public and professional environments.

Therefore, code-switching, especially in the Kingdom, appears to be less about identity loss and more about functionality.

As Saudi Arabia opens up globally and embraces multiculturalism under Vision 2030, this blending of languages could be seen not as a dilution of heritage, but a reflection of its outward-looking generation.

According to Tohme, the psychological impact of going abroad for a few years then returning to your home country also cannot be understated.

Students develop a certain nostalgia for home while spending so many years abroad speaking extensively in a foreign language. They may develop the determination to make a conscious effort to strengthen their Arabic-language skills again.

Almuayyad is someone who can relate to that and says if he had spent his whole life in the Kingdom, his language development might not have been that different.

“I see a lot of people in Saudi who use English freely because global media and online content are so dominant,” he explained.

Yet, he admits that growing up in one place can limit the push to step outside of your linguistic comfort zone. “My exposure to two cultures forced me to practice that stretch constantly.”

 


Saudi deputy FM meets European Commissioner in Brussels

Waleed Elkhereiji (L) and Dubravka Suica in Brussels. (Supplied)
Updated 15 July 2025
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Saudi deputy FM meets European Commissioner in Brussels

  • The two sides discussed ways to enhance cooperation in various fields and other topics of common interest

BRUSSELS: Saudi Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Waleed Elkhereiji met European Commissioner for the Mediterranean Dubravka Suica in Brussels on Tuesday.

The two sides discussed ways to enhance cooperation in various fields and other topics of common interest, the Foreign Ministry said on X.

Haifa Al-Jadea, head of the Kingdom’s mission to the EU, was among the officials in attendance.

 


Saudi Arabia satisfied with Syrian measures to achieve stability after clashes

Syrian security forces take a position in the Mazraa area, near Sweida on July 14, 2025. (AFP)
Updated 15 July 2025
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Saudi Arabia satisfied with Syrian measures to achieve stability after clashes

  • Kingdom condemned continued Israeli attacks on Syrian territory, interference in its internal affairs, and the destabilization of its security and stability

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia expressed its satisfaction with measures taken by the Syrian government to achieve security and stability, maintain civil peace, and achieve sovereignty over all Syrian territory on Tuesday.

The Kingdom also condemned continued Israeli attacks on Syrian territory, interference in its internal affairs, and the destabilization of its security and stability, in flagrant violation of international law and the Syria-Israel Disengagement Agreement signed in 1974.

The condemnation comes after Israel launched strikes on Tuesday against Syrian government forces in the Druze-majority region of Sweida, saying it was acting to protect the religious minority.

Damascus had deployed troops to Sweida after clashes between Druze fighters and Bedouin tribes killed more than 100 people.

Israel announced its strikes shortly after Syria’s defense minister declared a ceasefire in Sweida city, with government forces having entered the city in the morning.

The Kingdom renewed its call on the international community to stand by Syria, support it during this stage, and confront ongoing Israeli attacks and violations against Syria, Saudi Press Agency reported.


KSrelief distributes food baskets to displaced people in Lebanon, Sudan and Afghanistan

Updated 15 July 2025
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KSrelief distributes food baskets to displaced people in Lebanon, Sudan and Afghanistan

  • The aid agency distributed 120 food baskets to Afghan refugees who returned from Pakistan and settled in Omari camp near the Torkham border crossing
  • Over the past decade, KSrelief has run thousands of humanitarian initiatives in nearly 92 countries

RIYADH: The Saudi aid agency KSrelief has distributed hundreds of food baskets to families in need in Sudan, Lebanon, and Afghanistan as part of ongoing efforts to alleviate the food security crisis in various countries.

KSrelief announced that 4,250 individuals will benefit from 700 food baskets distributed to displaced families affected by the armed conflict in Sudan, specifically in Al-Kamalin district of Gezira state.

In Afghanistan, the aid agency distributed 120 food baskets to Afghan refugees who returned from Pakistan and settled in Omari camp near the Torkham border crossing. At least 720 Afghans benefited from food baskets as part of a dedicated security and emergency project in Afghanistan for the 2025-2026 period.

Approximately 2,785 displaced Syrians living in Lebanon have received 577 food baskets from KSrelief volunteers in the western Beqaa Valley. This initiative is part of a project aimed at distributing food aid to support the most needy families in Lebanon, which has been significantly impacted by drought this summer.

Over the past decade, KSrelief has run thousands of humanitarian initiatives in 92 countries. Since its establishment in 2015, the aid agency has distributed food baskets to numerous countries, including Somalia, Mali, Bangladesh, Libya, and Palestine, among others.


Diriyah Dates Season celebrates sector’s growth and heritage

Updated 15 July 2025
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Diriyah Dates Season celebrates sector’s growth and heritage

  • Governor praises initiatives as exports hit $453m, production tops 1.9m tonnes
  • Ministry of Culture is also represented with a booth showcasing artisans specializing in palm-based crafts as part of the Year of Handicrafts

RIYADH: Diriyah Gov. Prince Fahd bin Saad bin Abdullah has praised the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture for developing the date production sector in the Kingdom and enhancing the quality of dates as a national product.

He highlighted the ministry’s support programs for farmers and initiatives that add value to dates, aligning with Vision 2030 goals, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

His remarks came during the inauguration of the Diriyah Dates Season and accompanying exhibition, which runs until July 24.

The event, organized by the National Center for Palms and Dates, aims to boost the sale of Saudi dates locally and globally, and provide an insight into Diriyah’s heritage through cultural and social activities.

The exhibition features booths for date vendors, processed date products, palm by-products and items from family-run cottage industries. It also has restaurants, cafes, food trucks, workshops for adults and children, a date auction zone and a horse parade.

The Ministry of Culture is also represented with a booth showcasing artisans specializing in palm-based crafts as part of the Year of Handicrafts.

The Kingdom’s palm and date sector is growing rapidly. According to figures from the General Authority for Statistics production surpassed 1.9 million tonnes in 2024, with SR1.7 billion ($453 million) worth of dates exported to 133 countries, up significantly from the previous year.

This growth reflects the Kingdom’s strong production capacity and government efforts to improve quality, expand global outreach and develop supply chains.