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Saudi Electricity Company Reports 22% Net Profit Growth in Q2 2025

Revenue for Q2 grew by 24% to reach SAR27.7 billion - SPA
Revenue for Q2 grew by 24% to reach SAR27.7 billion - SPA
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Saudi Electricity Company Reports 22% Net Profit Growth in Q2 2025

Revenue for Q2 grew by 24% to reach SAR27.7 billion - SPA
Revenue for Q2 grew by 24% to reach SAR27.7 billion - SPA

Saudi Electricity Company (SEC) continued to deliver robust financial and operational performance in the second quarter and first half of 2025, said an SEC press release issued on Sunday.

Revenue for Q2 grew by 24% to reach SAR27.7 billion, while gross profit rose by 42% to SAR7.4 billion. Operating profit increased by 21% to SAR6.8 billion, and net profit reached SAR5.3 billion—marking a 22% year-on-year increase.

For the first half of 2025, SEC reported a revenue growth of 23%, totalling SAR47.2 billion. Gross profit rose by 40% to SAR10.2 billion, operating profit increased by 20% to SAR9.1 billion, and net profit grew by 19% to SAR6.3 billion compared to the same period in 2024.

According to the release, this strong financial performance was primarily driven by higher allowed revenue due to the growth of the regulated asset base of the electricity network and increased electricity production revenues in response to rising energy demand.

These gains were partially offset by higher operating and maintenance expenses due to network expansion, asset growth, and increased loads, as well as a rise in provisions for accounts receivable and a decrease in other income.

SEC noted that the expansion of its regulated asset base reflects the continued growth in its transmission and distribution networks to meet increasing electricity demand, support renewable energy integration, and advance energy storage projects. The company is also maintaining strategic investments in digital transformation and operational excellence initiatives.

Acting CEO of SEC Engineer Khalid Al-Ghamdi stated: “Our positive performance in the first half of 2025 reflects the company’s continued growth across its business portfolio and asset base. It aligns with our strategy to provide reliable and secure electricity across the Kingdom, improve service quality for our customers, and advance sustainability and operational excellence. We are committed to further strengthening our position and leveraging the significant opportunities emerging from the energy transition in Saudi Arabia, in line with the ambitions of Vision 2030—enabled by the dedication of our talented national workforce and our unwavering commitment to serving the nation.”

As of the end of H1 2025, the renewable energy capacity connected to the grid exceeded 9.2 GW, and the company successfully commissioned 8.0 GWh of battery energy storage systems across four sites: Bisha, Jazan, Khamis Mushait, and Najran.

SEC is currently developing an additional 14 GWh of storage capacity, expected to be operational and grid-connected next year, further strengthening grid reliability and renewable energy integration.

Reaffirming its commitment to embedding sustainability throughout its operations and enhancing its ESG practices, SEC achieved a significant leap in its Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) rating from S&P Global, earning 65 out of 100 in 2025. This marks a 30% increase over 2024 and an 85% improvement over 2023.

This accomplishment places SEC at the top of all companies in Saudi Arabia and as the regional leader in the energy sector across the Middle East and North Africa, surpassing the global utilities sector average by 66%, reinforcing its global leadership in sustainability performance.

Electricity demand continued to rise in H1 2025, with peak load growing by 3% to 75.1 GW, and total electricity consumption increasing by 10% to reach 160.5 terawatt-hours.

SEC successfully met record-breaking peak loads in Makkah, Madinah, and the holy sites during the 1446 AH Hajj season without a single service interruption—thanks to the company’s full mobilization of resources to serve pilgrims and ensure their comfort.
The company also made strong progress in service expansion and infrastructure development. SEC connected around 110,000 new customers, bringing the total customer base to 11.4 million.

The length of the distribution network grew by 6% to exceed 827,000 circuit kilometers, while transmission and fiber optic networks grew by 6% and 9%, respectively, reaching 103,800 and 101,000 circuit kilometers.

As part of its efforts to enhance service reliability and customer experience, SEC continued digital infrastructure upgrades and automated distribution substations, connecting them to control centers via fiber optic networks.

The automation rate of distribution substations reached 38.4%, and customer satisfaction rose to 85.8%, underscoring improvements in service quality and communication effectiveness.

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Business

Saudi Finance Minister at Davos: Fiscal Discipline Drove Our Credit Upgrades

Finance Minister Mohammed Al-Jadaan and senior Saudi officials at a panel at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Tuesday.
Finance Minister Mohammed Al-Jadaan and senior Saudi officials at a panel at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Tuesday.
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Saudi Finance Minister at Davos: Fiscal Discipline Drove Our Credit Upgrades

Finance Minister Mohammed Al-Jadaan and senior Saudi officials at a panel at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Tuesday.
Finance Minister Mohammed Al-Jadaan and senior Saudi officials at a panel at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Tuesday.

Saudi Finance Minister Mohammed Al-Jadaan said on Tuesday strict fiscal discipline lay behind the Kingdom’s string of credit rating upgrades, arguing that Saudi Arabia has built a buffer against oil price shocks after restructuring its economy to lift the non-oil sector’s share to 56%.

Speaking to CNBC on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Al-Jadaan said dialogue, not confrontation, remains the only viable path to rebalancing global geoeconomic power.

He stressed that the Kingdom’s receipt of three credit rating upgrades last year was no coincidence, describing it as an international vote of confidence in the government’s fiscal discipline.

Global rating agencies and the International Monetary Fund are now clearly seeing the results of structural transformation, he remarked, noting that the Saudi budget is no longer hostage to energy price volatility, but instead rests on strong institutional foundations.

He also reaffirmed that Saudi-US relations remain “strategic” and ongoing at all levels of leadership and the ministerial level, adding that a previously cited figure of one trillion dollars in Saudi investment in the United States is not only realistic but could be exceeded.

The US market represents a core growth area, offering the Kingdom financial returns as well as knowledge and expertise transfers that serve national interests, the minister added.

In the face of the threat of global tariff hikes, Al-Jadaan called for resolving trade disputes through multilateral institutions, stressing that companies need certainty and that constructive dialogue with Washington and other strategic partners is essential to safeguarding global trade stability.

Investment discipline

Responding to questions about budget deficits alongside massive investments, Al-Jadaan outlined a different fiscal philosophy, describing the deficit as a deliberate policy design rather than a result of financial strain.

The Kingdom is borrowing to finance tomorrow’s growth, not today’s operating expenses, he said.

He pointed to last year’s three credit upgrades as evidence of the policy’s success, saying fiscal space is being managed with high discipline to channel resources toward jobs and gross domestic product, particularly as the non-oil economy now accounts for about 56% of total output.

Breaking the historical link

Asked about the US administration’s preference for oil prices around $50 a barrel, Al-Jadaan said Saudi Arabia has succeeded over the past decade in decoupling its economy from oil volatility, with non-oil revenues now making up 30% of total revenues.

He warned that excessively low prices could discourage global investment and trigger sharp price spikes in the future due to supply shortages, stressing that Saudi Arabia’s priority is market stability that balances the interests of both investors and consumers.

On monetary policy, Al-Jadaan underlined the Kingdom’s firm commitment to the riyal’s peg to the US dollar, calling it a cornerstone of stability and investor expectations.

He downplayed the impact of ongoing investigations into the US Federal Reserve on the Saudi economy, saying the Kingdom has policy tools beyond monetary policy that have kept inflation at very safe levels.

He added that markets determine long-term borrowing costs based on supply and demand, rather than short-term Federal Reserve decisions, helping reduce currency volatility risks and boost investor confidence.

Al-Jadaan announced a landmark step, starting on February 1, when the stock and real estate markets will be further opened to foreign investors.

The rise in institutional investor ownership in 2025 is a vote of confidence in the Saudi market's value, despite challenges, he stressed.

He warned, however, that the greatest risk facing any economy is complacency, stressing that Saudi Arabia is working institutionally to ensure sustainable results and that reforms no longer depend on daily interventions but have become a default approach whose benefits are felt by citizens and investors alike.

Business

Saudi Crown Prince’s Directives Cut Riyadh Property Prices by 3%

A general view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (SPA)
A general view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (SPA)
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Saudi Crown Prince’s Directives Cut Riyadh Property Prices by 3%

A general view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (SPA)
A general view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (SPA)

Real estate prices in Saudi Arabia’s capital fell 3% in the final quarter of last year, reversing a 1% rise in the previous quarter, in a shift that highlights the on-the-ground impact of policy moves ordered by Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, to rein in soaring property costs across the Kingdom, particularly in Riyadh.

According to an index issued by the General Authority for Statistics on Tuesday, the real estate price index in Saudi Arabia fell 0.7% in the fourth quarter of last year compared with the same period of 2024.

The decline was driven mainly by weaker performance in the residential sector, which carries the most significant weight in the index, as its annual rate of change fell 2.2%.

The commercial sector continued to see a slight slowdown in growth momentum, while maintaining positive annual growth of 3.6%.

A real balance

Real estate specialists told Asharq Al-Awsat that the Crown Prince’s directives have become evident on the ground after property prices in Riyadh surged to unprecedented levels, prompting government intervention to curb the increases and enable citizens to own their first homes without excessive financial burdens.

Real estate analyst Khaled Al-Mobid said the 0.7 % decline in the real estate price index in the fourth quarter of 2025 reflects the market’s entry into a phase of real balance after years of rapid price increases, describing it as a healthy indicator that supports, rather than weakens, market sustainability.

“What we are witnessing today is not a loss in value, but a logical price correction, particularly in the residential sector, due to increased supply, improved regulation, and greater awareness among market participants, whether buyers or investors,” Al-Mobid told Asharq Al-Awsat.

He added that this balance creates better opportunities for end users, redirects investment toward appropriate products at fair prices, and curbs short-term speculation, serving the real estate economy over the medium and long term.

Housing stability

Real estate specialist Ahmed Omar Basudan told Asharq Al-Awsat that the sector has seen declines in many regions of the Kingdom, as buyers await the effects of government decisions issued under the Crown Prince’s direction.

He cited recent measures, including the announcement of the names of beneficiaries of subsidized land grants in northern Riyadh, located in some of the area’s best neighborhoods.

Basudan said the decision to fix residential rental prices in Riyadh for five years also contributed to the decline in the capital’s real estate market, as tenants are experiencing a period of housing stability, reducing demand for purchases at this stage.

He added that recent amendments to fees on undeveloped land and vacant properties, which have been implemented and are now being collected, also played a role, prompting landowners to move quickly to sell some plots at competitive prices to avoid bearing those fees.

Data from the General Authority for Statistics showed that residential real estate prices fell in the fourth quarter of last year compared with the same quarter of 2024, with the sector declining 2.2%. The drop was driven by a 2.4% fall in residential land prices, a 2.5% decline in apartment prices, a 1.3% decrease in villa prices, and a 0.2% drop in residential floor prices.

Quarterly comparison

The real estate price index fell 0.4% in the fourth quarter of last year, at a slower pace than in the third quarter.

The index was affected by a 0.4% decline in the residential sector, driven by a 0.7% drop in residential land prices, a 0.4% fall in apartment prices, and a 0.2% decrease in residential floor prices, while villa prices rose 0.8%.

At the regional level, the annual real estate price index fell 0.7% nationwide in the fourth quarter of last year, with Riyadh recording a 3% decline, compared with a 1% increase in the third quarter.

The Eastern Province posted the highest real estate price increase at 4%, followed by Makkah at 2.5%, Tabuk and Jazan at 1.1% each, and Al-Jawf at 0.4%.

By contrast, Hail, the Northern Borders region, and Madinah recorded the steepest declines, at 8.9%, 6.8%, and 6.1%, respectively.

Business

Saudi Industry Minister Meets with Global Leaders at World Economic Forum to Advance Partnerships

Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar Alkhorayef held a series of high-level meetings with government officials and global business leaders at the World Economic Forum. (SPA)
Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar Alkhorayef held a series of high-level meetings with government officials and global business leaders at the World Economic Forum. (SPA)
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Saudi Industry Minister Meets with Global Leaders at World Economic Forum to Advance Partnerships

Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar Alkhorayef held a series of high-level meetings with government officials and global business leaders at the World Economic Forum. (SPA)
Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar Alkhorayef held a series of high-level meetings with government officials and global business leaders at the World Economic Forum. (SPA)

Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar Alkhorayef held on Tuesday a series of high-level meetings with government officials and global business leaders on the sidelines of the Kingdom's participation in the 2026 World Economic Forum in Davos.

As part of the Saudi delegation, Alkhorayef participated in a meeting with Swiss President Guy Parmelin. The meeting reviewed the robust strategic partnership between their nations and explored avenues to deepen cooperation in the industrial and mining sectors, aiming to expand bilateral ties to serve mutual interests.

Alkhorayef met with CEO of BlackRock Larry Fink, and President and CEO of the World Economic Forum Børge Brende. Talks focused on boosting the partnership between the Kingdom and the forum, exploring new cooperation in advanced manufacturing and critical minerals, and strengthening joint efforts to fortify industrial and mining supply chains.

In a series of bilateral meetings, Alkhorayef met with leaders of major global firms, including CEO of Capgemini Aiman Ezzat, Senior Partner at Bain & Company Dr. Jörg Gnamm, and CEO of Copa-Data Stefan Reuther. The meetings focused on unlocking opportunities for collaboration in advanced manufacturing, digital solutions, industrial automation, and smart systems. The officials emphasized leveraging global consulting expertise to boost factory efficiency, accelerate the Kingdom's industrial transformation, and bolster the competitiveness of its industrial and mining sectors.