NRG Matters — Meta’s HQ to electrify 95% of its buildings; IRENA signs renewable energy deals with Masdar, ADFD

Meta wants to be carbon neutral by 2030 (Shutterstock)
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Updated 16 June 2022
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NRG Matters — Meta’s HQ to electrify 95% of its buildings; IRENA signs renewable energy deals with Masdar, ADFD

RIYADH: The International Renewable Energy Agency has signed agreements with the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development and the Abu Dhabi Future Energy Co., known as Masdar, in the fields of renewable energy. 

Zooming in, in a bid to meet the climate goal of carbon neutrality by 2030, Meta’s home and technology hub Menlo Park is planning to electrify 95 percent of its buildings.

Looking at the bigger picture

  • The International Renewable Energy Agency has signed agreements with the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development and the Abu Dhabi Future Energy Co., known as Masdar. The first agreement enables the fund’s investment of $400 million to IRENA’s Energy Transition Accelerator Financing Platform, according to a statement. The deal with Masdar paves the way for renewable energy projects through technical advisories and equity investments.
  • Russia’s deputy prime minister, Alexander Novak, has said Europe will face a $400 billion cost increase due to higher energy prices, according to Reuters.  As EU countries agreed on an embargo on Russian oil supplies, Novak predicted that this plan could lead to a shortage of oil products in the European market.

 Through a micro lens

  • TotalEnergies has joined forces with Gabonese logging firm Compagnie des Bois du Gabon to develop a new forest management model. The new model combines sustainable harvesting, biodiversity conservation, and long-term carbon storage, according to a statement. 
  • Meta’s home and technology hub Menlo Park has partnered with BlocPower in a new form of public private partnership to electrify 95 percent of its buildings, CNBC reported. This happens in an effort to meet the climate goal of carbon neutrality by 2030. 

 


Closing Bell: Saudi main market ends week in red at 11,189

Updated 05 February 2026
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Closing Bell: Saudi main market ends week in red at 11,189

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Tadawul All Share Index closed lower at the end of the trading week on Thursday, falling 1.34 percent, or 152.54 points, to finish at 11,188.73. 

The benchmark index opened at 11,320.52 and trended lower throughout the session, finishing well below its previous close of 11,341.27.  

Market breadth was sharply negative, with only 28 gainers compared with 236 decliners. Trading activity saw a volume of 239 million shares exchanged, with total turnover reaching SR5.5 billion ($1.47 billion). 

In the parallel market, Nomu closed higher, rising 0.23 percent to 23,865.95, although decliners continued to outnumber advancers. The MT30 index closed at 1,508.60, down 1.46 percent, shedding 22.38 points by the end of the session. 

Among the session’s top gainers, Dar Al Majed Real Estate Co. led advances, rising 5.43 percent to close at SR9.91. 

Al Aziziah REIT Fund added 4.67 percent to SR4.48, while Al Majed Oud Co. gained 2.81 percent to SR161.20. AFG International Co. advanced 2.45 percent to SR17.17, and Al Mawarid Manpower Co. rose 1.37 percent to SR125.70.

On the losing side, Saudi Research and Media Group posted the steepest decline, falling 6.88 percent to SR107. Cherry Trading Co. dropped 6.23 percent to SR28.88, while Saudi Arabian Mining Co. slipped 5.41 percent to SR72.55.  

Almasane Alkobra Mining Co. declined 5.38 percent to SR102, and Power and Water Utility Co. for Jubail and Yanbu ended 4.56 percent lower at SR31.36. 

On the announcements front, Saudi Industrial Investment Group released its interim financial results for the twelve-month period ended Dec. 31, 2025, reporting a return to profitability on an annual basis despite posting a quarterly loss.  

The company recorded a net loss of SR104 million in the fourth quarter, compared with a net profit of SR201 million in the same quarter of the previous year, which it attributed mainly to lower selling prices, higher operating costs, and increased general and administrative expenses.  

For the full year, however, the group posted a net profit attributable to shareholders of SR197 million, compared with SR161 million a year earlier, supported by higher sales volumes and improved operational performance at several subsidiaries. The stock last traded at SR14.77, down 3.59 percent. 

Separately, Saudi Exchange Co. announced the approval of a request by Merrill Lynch Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to terminate its market-making activities for Saudi Arabian Oil Co., effective Feb. 8.

The exchange said the termination relates specifically to the market-making agreement for Saudi Aramco shares and was approved in line with applicable market-making regulations.