Tribune News Network
Doha
Minister of State for Energy Affairs HE Saad Sherida Al Kaabi on Thursday took part in a special event held to mark the start of the implementation of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries’ electrical interconnection project with thesouth of Iraq.
The event was held in the city of Dammam in Saudi Arabia, under the patronage of Saud bin Nayef bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the Emir of the Eastern Province, and their excellencies the ministers concerned with electricity affairs in the GCC countries, in the presence of members of the Electricity and Water Cooperation Committee, and their excellencies the Secretary General of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf and the Minister of Electricity of Iraq.
This interconnection project, expected to be completed in late 2024, is the first to be implemented outside the electrical grid system of the GCC countries and will meet some of the demand for electric power in southern Iraq with about 500 megawatts per hour. It is funded by both Qatar Fund for Development and theKuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development.
Commenting on the occasion, Kaabi stressed the importance of the interconnection project, pointing to the role it will play in deepening the foundations of integration, complementarity, and cooperation between the GCC countries and the Republic of Iraq, and in strengthening the Gulf electrical interconnection project, which represents one of the most important infrastructure interconnection projects approved by Their Majesties and Highnesses, the leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council to support economic and social development in the GCCcountries.”
Kaabi said, “We, in Qatar, realise the importance of extending bridges of cooperation and common action at the Arab level. We spare no effort in supporting major strategic initiatives of this nature, which are pivotal in bolstering the region’s energy security and have a positive impact on its stability and sustainable development across all societal spheres.”
The first phase of the GCC electrical interconnection project was inaugurated on December 14, 2009, connecting the electricity networks of Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain. This was followed by the UAE in 2011 and Omanin 2014.
This strategic project has achieved important technical and economic benefits for the GCC countries, including annual savings of $200-300 million, with cumulative savings of approximately $3 billion since the commencement ofoperations.
