Egypt-Saudi Arabia power grid interconnection project expected to be completed ahead of schedule

Egypt 's Minister of Electricity Mohamed Shaker said on Monday that the Egypt-Saudi Arabia power grid interconnection project is expected to be completed ahead of schedule in 2017.

In 2013, Egypt and Saudi Arabia signed a power grid interconnection cooperation agreement with a total investment of 6 billion riyals, with the aim of accelerating electricity trade between the two countries.

Mohamed Shaker said at a press conference on Monday that the grid interconnection project will help the two countries realize electricity trade, especially by replenishing each other during peak electricity periods and speeding up the export of surplus electricity.

In October this year, the Egyptian Parliament also approved a loan agreement for the power interconnection project, with the Kuwait Arab Economic Development Fund providing a Kuwaiti dinar 30 million financing loan.

According to Mohamed Shaker, Saudi Arabia and Egypt are the two largest power grids in the Arab world. The interconnection between the two countries will be achieved through three substations, located in Badr, Egypt, and Medina and Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. The three substations will be connected by overhead cables and submarine cables in the Gulf of Aqaba, thus achieving the interconnection of the two countries' power grids.