Utilities

Amid ongoing reform of subsidies, the gradual privatisation of public assets, and ambitious plans to expand seawater desalination facilities and improve sanitation infrastructure, Saudi Arabia’s utilities sector will undergo significant changes over the coming years. In order to diversify its energy mix, the Kingdom is pursuing a series of ambitious goals to increase its solar and wind capacity, while also developing its first nuclear power station. In May 2016 a royal decree dissolved the Ministry of Water and Electricity, which had previously overseen the sector. The electricity segment now falls under purview of the newly revamped Ministry of Energy, Industry and Mineral Resources, while water is overseen by the recently established Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture. This chapter contains interviews with Fahad Al-Sudairi, Acting CEO of Saudi Electricity Company (SEC); Mohammed Al Mowkley, CEO, National Water Company; and Khaled Al Qureshi, CEO, Water and Electricity Company.