Saudi Electricity Company: Plans to Enhance Investment Opportunities

In the last few years, in order to achieve the goals and aspirations of Vision 2030, Saudi Electricity Company (SEC) has been implementing a number of plans and projects for the localization of the electric power industries, which aims to transform Saudi Arabia into a promising regional center in this vital area.

This has contributed to an increase in the number of national companies and factories involved in the implementation of electrical projects and an increase in local industries used in the company's projects, compared to international materials and industries, in line with the National Transition Program 2020 (NTP 2020) to support the economy of the country.

Saudi Electricity Company is implementing a number of initiatives and investment opportunities in the electricity sector, rehabilitating local manufacturers and suppliers, as well as attracting foreign companies and factories to transform the Kingdom into a regional center for electrical industry in the Middle East and North Africa .

In further details Asharq Al-Awsat attained, SEC explained that it has a long-term strategy to support local content, factories and national companies and over the past years, it had taken important steps to support this trend.

With regard to the investment opportunities that can be offered by the company to local manufacturers, SEC revealed that it has prepared a booklet containing 100 investment opportunities to manufacture the materials needed. It confirmed that it is one of the first companies in the Kingdom and one with highest national procurement, up to 70 percent.

The Company explained that it developed direct communication channels with national manufacturers to exchange ideas and visions, discuss obstacles and problems that may impede the achievement of these strategic plans and determine the best practical solutions for them through holding specialized forums and periodic meetings with manufacturers and contractors.

It will also provide needed information for economic feasibility study of the materials that the company wishes to provide locally, in addition to publishing online the five-year plan for the company's needs of materials and spare parts, as well as technical specifications of the materials.

In the same context, SEC stressed that it is not possible to proceed with the implementation of its plans to settle the electrical industries in the Kingdom without the participation of national expertise and competencies, stressing that it is working on the implementation of a future strategy to increase employment opportunities for nationals in the field of electrical industries in the Kingdom.

Due to local experiences and capabilities, the Company was able to reach a number of achievements at the local and regional levels, with the Saudization rate reaching 91.1 percent. It indicated that its experience in the electric power industry and its vision for this vital sector is a pioneering experience.

SEC pointed out that Saudi engineers and technicians who lead the operation and management of electrical facilities and stations, proved that the people of this country are able to compete globally in all fields, especially since over 20,000 trained personnel graduated from various training institutes affiliated with it.

"The company's institutes have contributed over 30 years in developing the capabilities of thousands of young Saudis to work inside and outside the company and provide the various activities of the company with their needs," added SEC.

It asserted that employees and trainees’ assessments is done in accordance with the latest specialized programs.

The company succeeded in reducing the length of delivery of electricity to new subscribers to 28 working days, and delivering its services to about half a million subscribers in more than 13.1 thousand cities, villages, and residential communities in all regions of the Kingdom. The total number of subscribers in April 2018 reached more than 9.2 million, while the capacity of the power plants reached more than 54 GW.

The power plants’ efficiency reached 40 percent, which is the level planned to be reached in 2020, which is in line with the company's strategy in adopting technologies to reduce fuel consumption within the Vision 2030.

Saudi Electricity has also made a leap in its consumer services and e-services sector to facilitate all transactions for subscribers through digital channels. Recently, it transformed to electronic bill for all subscribers instead of the paper bill and will issue more than nine million electronic invoices in one day, which is 28 of each month.

In addition, the company started implementing solar projects in a number of power plants, such as Waad al-Shamal Power Plant. It also established several projects such as Saudi Electricity Company for the Development of Projects, and Dawiyat Telecom Company was licensed to use telecommunications services.

In 2017, Saudi Electricity Company ranked 14th worldwide among international power companies, according to Statista, an online statistics, market research and business intelligence portal.

Saudi Arabia’s digital advertising sector is experiencing rapid growth, but a significant portion of its revenues is leaking to foreign platforms. To maximize the impact on the national economy, experts are calling for strategies to curb this outflow and redirect it to local channels.

The importance of retaining digital ad revenues lies in the substantial size of this market. It is estimated that approximately $1 billion in ad spent is lost annually to foreign platforms, representing a considerable loss to Saudi Arabia’s economy.

Dr. Ebada Al-Abbad, CEO of Marketing and Communications at Tadafuq, a Saudi digital advertising network, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the problem stems from the fact that although advertisers, products, and audiences are often local, the largest share of financial gains goes to foreign platforms. He estimated that 70-80% of the $1.5 billion spent on digital advertising in Saudi Arabia in 2022 went to global platforms such as Google and Facebook. This results in the national economy losing nearly $1 billion annually from this sector alone.

Al-Abbad noted that government agencies in Saudi Arabia also contribute to the outflow. He explained that public sector spending on digital advertising, intended to raise awareness among citizens and residents, frequently ends up on foreign platforms. Government spending makes up about 20-25% of the total digital ad market in the Kingdom, meaning hundreds of millions of riyals leave the country annually, weakening the local digital economy.

Al-Abbad argues that Saudi Arabia needs strong local digital ad networks to keep this revenue within the national economy. These networks would help create jobs, drive innovation, and promote cultural diversity in digital content. Developing local platforms would also enhance Saudi Arabia’s digital sovereignty by ensuring that data remains within the country and is not controlled by foreign entities.

Moreover, local networks would reduce dependence on international platforms, ensuring that the economic benefits of digital advertising remain in the Kingdom, he said, stressing that this would align with Saudi Arabia’s broader Vision 2030 goals, which emphasize building a robust, diversified economy driven by local industries and digital transformation.

Globally, the digital advertising sector is growing rapidly. In 2022, worldwide spending on digital ads reached $602 billion, and it is projected to hit $876 billion by 2026. In the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, the digital ad market grew to $5.9 billion in 2022, with Saudi Arabia’s market accounting for over $1.5 billion.

In other countries, the digital ad sector plays a crucial role in boosting national economies. For example, in the United States, the digital advertising industry contributed $460 billion to the GDP in 2021, about 2.1% of the total. In the UK, the sector accounted for 1.8% of GDP in 2022. This shows how important digital advertising can be in driving economic growth.

One of the key challenges facing Saudi Arabia’s digital ad sector is the dominance of global platforms like Google and Facebook, which control 60% of the global digital ad market, Al-Abbad told Asharq Al-Awsat. This dominance results in a significant outflow of revenue and allows these platforms to control digital data and content. He warned that this could undermine Saudi Arabia’s national sovereignty over its digital economy.

To counter this, he emphasized that Saudi Arabia needs to build competitive local networks that can retain a larger share of the market. This will not only keep more revenue in the country but also strengthen the Kingdom’s control over its digital data and content.

Saudi Electricity Company: Plans to Enhance Investment Opportunities