Saudi Arabia can achieve clean water entirely by renewable energy-powered desalination, executives say

Saudi Arabia can achieve clean water entirely by renewable energy-powered desalination, executives say
A desalination plant in eastern Saudi Arabia. (AFP/File)
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Updated 17 October 2024
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Saudi Arabia can achieve clean water entirely by renewable energy-powered desalination, executives say

Saudi Arabia can achieve clean water entirely by renewable energy-powered desalination, executives say
  • Kingdom already has several desalination plants powered by renewable energy

RIYADH: A nationwide supply of clean water produced entirely by renewable energy-powered desalination in Saudi Arabia is possible, according to top industry executives.

Mohammed Al-Hajjaj, CEO of Engie Saudi Arabia, spoke to Arab News about how advances in technology and affordability meant that fully renewable desalination is a possibility.

“In recent years, we have seen significant advances in energy storage, making it not only feasible and practical, but also increasingly affordable,” he said on the sidelines of the Solar & Storage Live KSA exhibition in Riyadh on Wednesday.

“We anticipate that in the coming years, technological advances will enable the integration of full desalination powered entirely by renewable energy sources, combined with energy storage solutions.”

Al-Hajjaj pointed out that several universities and research institutions in Saudi Arabia were developing technology to achieve fully renewable desalination in the Kingdom.

Saudi Arabia already has several desalination plants that are powered by renewable energy — including the 90,000 m3/day Al-Khafji and the 600,000 m3/day Jazlah.

Several more are in development, including Engie’s 450,000 m3/day Yanbu 4 and 570,000 m3/day Jubail 3B.

Significant development is needed to increase the capacity of green desalination in the country, which produced an average of 13.2 million m3/day of desalinated water in 2023.

As well as building solar-power desalination plants, Saudi Arabia has big ambitions to decarbonize its entire energy grid and achieve a 50/50 mix of renewable and gas by 2030.

Francois-Xavier Boul, Engie’s managing director MENA (Middle East and North Africa), echoed Al-Hajjaj’s optimism over renewable desalination.

He said: “With the grid becoming greener and greener, you can see a day where that becomes possible.”

One factor that has historically incurred additional costs for renewable energy systems is large-scale battery storage.

Due to intermittency issues — when solar panels are not harvesting energy from sunlight overnight, or when wind levels fall causing turbines to stop spinning — battery storage systems are one way of achieving round-the-clock renewable energy.

Building large battery systems does add costs, but on a positive note for renewable energy utilities providers and governments looking to cut emissions, those costs are plummeting.

A 2023 report from the US National Renewable Energy Laboratory predicted that battery prices would continue to fall through to at least 2050.

Developers from around the world gathered in Riyadh on Wednesday for the Solar & Storage Live KSA exhibition.

The event brought together global renewable companies intending to cultivate new opportunities in Saudi Arabia’s path to net zero.

With ambitious targets to increase renewable energy capacity, the Kingdom is a fertile ground for developers.

Some of the world’s largest solar projects are being built in the country, including the 1.5-GW Sudair, 2-GW Shuaibah 2, 2-GW Ar Rass 2, and 2-GW Haden.

Saudi Minister of Energy Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman announced in December 2023 a significant acceleration in the country’s renewable energy program.

The Kingdom will add 20 GW of renewable energy capacity every year, aiming to achieve a total of 130 GW by 2030.

The new target is a significant step up from the previous target of 58.7 GW. To achieve it, the country’s Ministry of Energy will be responsible for meeting 30 percent of the new capacity, while the Public Investment Fund is developing 70 percent with ACWA Power.


Kingdom strengthens cultural ties at Delhi book fair

Kingdom strengthens cultural ties at Delhi book fair
Updated 15 sec ago
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Kingdom strengthens cultural ties at Delhi book fair

Kingdom strengthens cultural ties at Delhi book fair

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Literature, Publishing and Translation Commission is taking part in the New Delhi World Book Fair, being held at Pragati Maidan from Feb. 1-9.

Its involvement is part of ongoing efforts to strengthen cultural cooperation between the Kingdom and India, reported the Saudi Press Agency on Sunday.

The commission aims to highlight Saudi Arabia’s role in the global cultural and literary landscape, raise awareness of its heritage and highlight its publications and contribution to the international literary scene. It also seeks to promote cultural and intellectual exchange between the two countries.

The commission’s pavilion features its literary and cultural initiatives, including “Tarjim” which supports Saudi Arabia’s translation movement. It also hosts sections dedicated to the King Salman Global Academy for the Arabic Language and the King Fahd National Library.

Saudi Arabia was previously guest of honor at the 2024 New Delhi World Book Fair, where it organized various programs and events reflecting the Kingdom’s cultural and creative landscape.


Syrian Arab Republic president arrives in Saudi Arabia for first foreign visit

Syrian Arab Republic president arrives in Saudi Arabia for first foreign visit
Updated 8 min 31 sec ago
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Syrian Arab Republic president arrives in Saudi Arabia for first foreign visit

Syrian Arab Republic president arrives in Saudi Arabia for first foreign visit
  • The president is accompanied by the country’s foreign minister, Asaad Hassan Al-Shibani

DUBAI: Syrian Arab Republic’s President Ahmed Al-Sharaa arrived in Saudi Arabia on Sunday in his first foreign trip since he assumed power, local media has reported.

Syrian state news agency Sana earlier reported the president was accompanied by the country’s foreign minister, Asaad Hassan Al-Shibani. 

Al-Sharaa will meet Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh, SANA reported. 

A picture posted on X by the Syrian presidency showed Al-Sharaa and his foreign minister en-route to Saudi Arabia. 

Al-Sharaa has been appointed Syrian Arab Republic’s president, almost two months after his group helped topple Bashar Al-Assad.

Last month, Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan has visited Damascus and said the kingdom was engaged in talks with Europe and the US to help lift economic sanctions imposed on Syrian Arab Republic that had decimated its economy.


KSrelief’s humanitarian and relief efforts continue

KSrelief’s humanitarian and relief efforts continue
Updated 02 February 2025
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KSrelief’s humanitarian and relief efforts continue

KSrelief’s humanitarian and relief efforts continue

RIYADH: The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center’s (KSrelief) humanitarian and relief efforts continue with the distribution of food, hygiene supplies as well as the provision of emergency transport services.

In in Ma’arrat Misrin of Syria’s Idlib Governorate, KSrelief handed out 672 food boxes and 672 hygiene kits as part of the second phase of the food aid and hygiene kit distribution project for populations affected by the earthquake in 2025.

In Lebanon’s Akkar Governorate and Miniyeh district, the aid agency during the past week distributed 175,000 bags of bread to Syrian and Palestinian refugees as well as residents of host communities. The initiative was part of the fourth phase of Al-Amal Charitable Bakery Project in the country.

In the Battagram and Buner districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, as well as the Sukkur district in Sindh province of Pakistan, 2,160 food packages were given to families in flood-affected areas as part of the Food Security Support Project 2025

Meanwhile, KSrelief delivered 125 tonnes of dates to Sudan as a gift from the Kingdom.

In north Lebanon, the KSrelief-funded ambulance service of Subul Al-Salam Social Association in the Miniyeh district carried out 61 missions during the past week, including transporting patients to and from hospitals and treating burn injuries.


Female participation in Riyadh camel racing event

Female participation in Riyadh camel racing event
Updated 02 February 2025
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Female participation in Riyadh camel racing event

Female participation in Riyadh camel racing event
  • The increase in the number of participating women camel riders has also contributed to a rise in the prizes

RIYADH: The number of women taking part in camel racing at the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Camel Festival this year has doubled compared to 2024, reported the Saudi Press Agency.

The increase has led the organizing committee to add a second race which includes 18 Saudi female camel riders.

Organized by the Saudi Camel Federation, the festival’s second edition kicked off on Jan. 27 at the Janadriyah Camel Race Track in Riyadh. It will end on Wednesday, Feb. 5 with total prize money of more than SR70 million ($18.7 million) awarded.

The increase in the number of participating women camel riders has also contributed to a rise in the prizes. (SPA photo)

During last year’s festival, 15 female camel riders competed, representing Britain, France, Germany, Iran, Jordan, Oman, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Yemen.

This year has seen 30 female riders from 12 countries take part: Algeria, Bahrain, Britain, France, Germany, Oman, Poland, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, the UAE, US and Yemen.

The increase has contributed to a rise in the prize pot, with the first-placed female rider receiving SR60,000.


Multidisciplinary art residency captures spirit of Jeddah’s Al-Balad

Multidisciplinary art residency captures spirit of Jeddah’s Al-Balad
Updated 01 February 2025
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Multidisciplinary art residency captures spirit of Jeddah’s Al-Balad

Multidisciplinary art residency captures spirit of Jeddah’s Al-Balad
  • Bait Shouaib Residency brings together diverse creatives to reflect on ‘movement’ in historic district

JEDDAH: Athr Foundation’s Bait Shouaib Arts Residency in Al-Balad district brought together a filmmaker, curator and two artists, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration over an eight-week program.

The Moving Narratives cycle explored the theme of movement through diverse lenses and transformed the historic Bait Shouaib into an active participant in the creative process.

The exhibition, which was open last month as part of this year’s Islamic Arts Biennale, welcomed visitors to witness interpretations of Jeddah’s cultural and historical essence through contemporary art.

Hayfa Algwaiz created a site-specific mobile installation in Bait Shouaib’s stairwell, or minwar. (Supplied)

Residency director and senior program manager at Athr Foundation, Ibrahim Romman, highlighted the program’s impact and told Arab News: “Each resident’s exploration of ‘movement’ became an invitation to reflect on how stories, spaces and identities shift and intersect.

“Together, their work offered a richly layered response to the theme, presenting interdisciplinary perspectives that bridged the historical with the contemporary.”

Sudanese artist Rund Alarabi has created a poetic video installation bridging the cultural and architectural legacies of the port cities of Jeddah and Suakin, Sudan.

Vietnamese curator Nhat Q. Vo centered his project around Al-Shafi’i Mosque. (Supplied)

Her project delves into the undocumented and intangible aspects of collective memory. She told Arab News: “Living between Frankfurt, Khartoum and Jeddah has fed my practice with various materials and unraveled new ways of misunderstanding. This has led me to question what I consider to be given and rethink my understanding of global and local consensus.”

Featuring sensory elements such as soundscapes composed of everyday cooking utensils, her installation forges an intimate connection to cultural memory. “Sound and moving images act as vessels that challenge our understanding of reality. They highlight overlooked aspects of our existence by infiltrating beyond our preconceived assumptions,” she said.

Filmmaker Nada Al-Mojadedi drew inspiration from Hejazi folklore to craft an immersive narrative that seamlessly blends performance, textiles and moving images. Her dual-room installation transformed her studio into a theatrical set, inviting visitors to journey through time.

Sudanese artist Rund Alarabi’s video installation bridged the architectural legacies of the port cities of Jeddah and Suakin, Sudan. (Supplied)

Al-Mojadedi explained: “I wanted to blur the lines between performer and observer, offering an intimate reflection on identity and memory.”

Speaking about her approach to the theme, she added: “For me, movement transcends the physical; it embodies the unseen — a constant, evolving force of imagination, a ‘quantum dance’ through time and space. This concept guided my exploration of Hejazi folklore, where I intertwined heritage with newly crafted urban legends.

“Immersing myself in Al-Balad’s vibrant life and stories, and inspired by my connection to Bait Shouaib and a visiting butterfly, I created Haleema, a Hejazi urban legend inspired by the untold stories of women who once lived in these spaces.”

Reflecting on her creative process, Al-Mojadedi said: “My work layers the personal with the performative, reimagining space as both a site of storytelling and an active participant in the narrative. Being part of this residency was an enriching experience that allowed us to delve into the dynamic cultural tapestry of Al-Balad and contribute our individual narratives to its enduring story.”

Similarly, another artist, Nhat Q. Vo, a Vietnamese curator and cultural worker, explored the transient histories of Jeddah’s migrant worker communities, centering his project around Al-Shafi’i Mosque, a hub of cultural exchange.

“When I arrived in Al-Balad, I was drawn to its physical environment and the untold stories of the laborers who sustain Historic Jeddah. At first, the language barrier made it difficult to connect, but my discovery of Al-Shafi’i Mosque changed everything.

“The sight of people gathering for iftar, united by faith despite their differences, inspired me to represent their stories through their shared rituals rather than words.”

Speaking about how architecture informed his creative approach, he said: “Architecture became a vessel for these narratives, a place where diverse communities converge. Using over 70 meters of fabric to replace the plastic sufra at the mosque, I allowed the material to absorb the traces of shared meals and human connection.

“The fabric, marked by food crumbs, oil stains and creases, became a tangible record of collective memory. For me, the real inspiration comes from the people whose lives and routines shape the rich tapestry of these spaces.”

Riyadh-based artist and architect, Hayfa Algwaiz, has created a site-specific mobile installation in Bait Shouaib’s stairwell, or minwar, exploring the interplay between movement, space and architectural elements.

Activating the stairwell as a dynamic participant in her narrative, she said: “The subtle movement of the mobile mirrored the ephemeral qualities of light, air and transition experienced in Al-Balad. By focusing on a single element, I was able to honor the historic significance of the space while introducing contemporary artistic interpretations.”

Elaborating on her approach, she said: “As an artist and architect, I strive to bridge the past and the present by focusing on elements that connect them, such as the framed openings in historic structures like Bait Shouaib. These openings, adorned with intricate ornamentation, are constants that I deconstruct and reconstruct to reflect our contemporary times.

“In Saudi Arabia’s rapidly changing urban landscape, I aim to spark a dialogue around what should be preserved and what can evolve. By reinterpreting traditional materials, spatial layouts and ornamentation into modern expressions, I hope to honor our cultural identity while embracing the future.”

Animated by natural airflow, her installation reflects the residency’s ethos of bridging tradition with innovation.

“Architecture has the potential to transform into a living, breathing entity, and I sought to capture that essence,” she said.