Industry

Saudi Arabia was the eighth-largest producer of cement in the world in 2014; however, the slowdown of the economy and the energy price hikes of December 2015 have impacted the sector. While major government-led infrastructure projects are still going ahead – though some are delayed and others may be downsized or cancelled at a later date – the...

A rising population and fast-expanding energy-intensive industries will continue to fuel Saudi Arabia’s growing demand for water and electricity in the coming years. In early 2016 Abdullah bin Abdul Rahman Al Hussein, the minister of electricity and water at the time, said that the country expects peak electricity to hit 90,000 MW in 2022. As...

With some analysts expecting Saudi Arabia’s population to expand by just over 8m to reach 39.1m by 2030, along with continued growth in the Kingdom’s energy-intensive industries, demand for electricity and desalinated water is set to rise considerably in the coming years. Estimates suggest that more than SR500bn ($133.3bn) will need to be...

How can energy storage for solar generation, particularly in emerging markets, be improved?

At an industry conference in June 2015, Ali Al Naimi, Saudi Arabia’s former minister of petroleum and mineral resources, hinted that his country could phase out the use of fossil fuels by the middle of this century. While some have called this projection unrealistic, it demonstrates the significant political will driving the Kingdom’s...

With a vision that it can create jobs and spur growth in other areas of the economy, the Moroccan government has focused considerable attention on developing the kingdom’s industrial sector in recent years. Under the framework of several strategic government plans, key manufacturing segments, including automotive and aeronautic components and...