JEDDAH: ABB, the leading power and automation technology group, has won orders worth around $150 million from the Saudi Electricity Company (SEC) to expand five existing substations, helping to ready the country’s transmission system for a 50 percent expansion of power generation capacity to accommodate a growing economy.
SEC, Saudi Arabia’s national power transmission and distribution operator, is increasing the capacity of the substations, with three located in the central region and one each in the eastern and western regions.
The orders were booked in the second quarter of 2015.
Economic growth in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, primarily driven by oil and gas, necessitates a strong power infrastructure to secure a reliable electricity supply to growing industrial and commercial sectors in the region, as well as to households.
To meet this rising demand, Saudi Arabia is boosting its power generation capacity from less than 60 gigawatts (GW) to about 91 GW by 2020, and to more than double existing capacity over the longer term.
ABB is supporting these efforts through several projects across the country, including an additional $60 million order booked in the second quarter from SEC for 65 power transformers.
“We are privileged to continue supporting the development of Saudi Arabia’s power infrastructure,” said Claudio Facchin, president of ABB’s Power Systems division.
“These substations will strengthen the grid and enhance transmission capacity, enabling electricity to reach more consumers and support this growing market, in line with our Next Level strategy.”
The extension orders include design, supply, installation and commissioning of new switchgear bays at five existing transmission substations as well as modification of associated automation, control, protection and auxiliary power supply systems and connected transmission substations.
ABB’s gas-insulated switchgear has been in successful operation for more than three decades in one of these substations.
The ability to extend equipment working since the 1980s using state-of-the-art technology demonstrates the flexibility of this equipment to be adapted to changing demands.
ABB is the world’s leading supplier of turnkey air-insulated, gas-insulated and hybrid substations with voltage levels up to 1,100 kilovolts.
These substations facilitate the efficient and reliable transmission and distribution of electricity with minimum environmental impact, serving utility, industry and commercial customers as well as sectors like railways, urban transport and renewables.
ABB wins $150m orders to strengthen Saudi power grid
ABB wins $150m orders to strengthen Saudi power grid
Canada deepens investment ties with Qatar, expands economic engagement with Egypt
RIYADH: Canada and Qatar moved to formalize a more in-depth and investment-focused partnership during an official visit by the country’s Prime Minister Mark Carney to Doha.
The visit was the first by a sitting Canadian leader, with both governments agreeing to elevate bilateral ties through new economic, security, and financial frameworks.
At the center of the meeting was an agreement to launch a foreign ministers–level strategic dialogue and advance a pipeline of trade, investment, and defense cooperation initiatives aligned with Canada’s diversification priorities and Qatar National Vision 2030.
Several memorandums of understanding were signed, including accords on joint economic cooperation, information technology, and security collaboration for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which Canada will co-host.
The visit underscored the rapid expansion of Qatar–Canada relations, which have gained momentum following high-level exchanges in recent years, including a 2024 visit by Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani to Ottawa.
Both sides emphasized trade and investment as a central pillar of the relationship, with Qatar committing to significant strategic investments in Canadian nation-building projects and the North American nation pledging to send a delegation of investors, including major pension funds, to explore opportunities in Qatar.
“Qatar is an effective, expansive, and increasing diplomatic force in the world today. They are a critical partner to Canada in many shared pursuits of peace and stability, from Ukraine to the Middle East,” Carney said.
“It is a relationship forged over many years by profound acts of friendship, including the Qataris’ effort to evacuate more than 200 Canadians from Afghanistan in 2021. Now we’re elevating our relationship — with an ambitious, new strategic partnership across trade, commerce, investment, AI, and defense — to deliver greater stability, security, and prosperity for our peoples,” he added.
As part of the economic agenda, the two governments agreed to conclude negotiations on a Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement by summer 2026 and to begin talks on a Double Taxation Agreement.
They also committed to expanding bilateral air services and establishing a Joint Economic Commission to support cooperation across sectors, including mining, agriculture, telecommunications, transportation, and science.
Financial cooperation featured prominently alongside the diplomatic talks.
Sheikh Bandar bin Mohammed bin Saoud Al-Thani, governor of the Qatar Central Bank and chairman of the Qatar Investment Authority, met with Canada’s Finance Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne to discuss cooperation in banking and finance and ways to deepen institutional collaboration.
Separately, Canada’s economic engagement in the region extended to Egypt, where Cairo’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Immigration, and Egyptian Expatriates Affairs, Badr Abdelatty, met with a delegation of business leaders from the North American country.
The talks focused on strengthening trade and investment ties, with Egyptian officials encouraging Canadian companies to expand investments in energy, agriculture, and water resources.
According to Egypt’s Foreign Ministry, Abdelatty highlighted recent economic and financial reforms aimed at improving the investment climate and reaffirmed government support for the Egyptian-Canadian Business Council in attracting Canadian capital and boosting Egyptian exports.
The discussions were built on outcomes from political consultations held in April, which included an Egyptian business delegation’s visit to Ottawa.
