PIF Announces ‘Wadi Al Disah Development Project’ in Mohammed bin Salman Natural Reserve

PIF Announces ‘Wadi Al Disah Development Project’ in Mohammed bin Salman Natural Reserve
TT
20

PIF Announces ‘Wadi Al Disah Development Project’ in Mohammed bin Salman Natural Reserve

PIF Announces ‘Wadi Al Disah Development Project’ in Mohammed bin Salman Natural Reserve

The Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) announced on Tuesday the launch of the Wadi Al Disah Development Project, located within the Prince Mohammed bin Salman Natural Reserve.

The development will become a major sustainable tourism location, preserving the local environment and wildlife. The region features a moderate climate, distinctive mountainous terrain and flowing springs, which will help the project become one of the Kingdom’s most environmentally diverse tourist attractions.

The PIF will establish a company to develop the project in accordance with international best practices regarding environmental conservation and sustainable development. The new company will contribute to the creation of sustainable tourism and related job opportunities, supporting the Kingdom’s economic diversification and unlocking new assets in Saudi Arabia.

The announcement of the Wadi Al Disah Development Project follows the launch of the Amaala ultra-luxury tourism project in September, which will be the focal point of the tourism ecosystem within the Prince Mohammed bin Salman Natural Reserve. The geographical location, situated between NEOM, The Red Sea Development Project, Amaala and Al-Ula projects will ensure a diverse and unique tourism offering, providing a compelling investment opportunity for the private sector.

Wadi Al Disah is located in the northwest of the Prince Mohammed bin Salman Natural Reserve and southwest of Tabuk. The word "Al Disah" means a valley of palm trees, and Wadi Al Disah’s elevation is 400 meters above sea level with temperatures ranging from 12° C to 31°C. The Al Disah valley is characterized by mountain forms and tall rocky columns, providing a mountaineers paradise, as well as fresh water springs. The location includes several archaeological sites such as facades of Nabataean tombs, and the remains of walls containing Nabataean and Arabic writings in Kufic script.

The Wadi Al Disah Development Project will promote economic diversification and create investment opportunities for the private sector. The project aims to contribute to the development of the tourism sector in the Kingdom, preserve cultural and environmental heritage, and achieve sustainability in line with Vision 2030.

The Public Investment Fund seeks to become one of the largest and most impactful sovereign wealth funds in the world, enabling the creation of new sectors and opportunities that will shape the future global economy, while driving the economic transformation of Saudi Arabia.

To achieve this, the Fund is building a world-class, diversified portfolio through investments in attractive, long-term opportunities across sectors and asset classes at both the domestic and international level. Working alongside global strategic partners and renowned investment managers, PIF acts as the Kingdom’s main investment arm to deliver a strategy focused on achieving attractive financial returns and long-term value for Saudi Arabia, in line with Vision 2030.



Israel's Leviathan Signs $35 Billion Natural Gas Supply Deal with Egypt

File photo of the Israeli Leviathan field (Reuters)
File photo of the Israeli Leviathan field (Reuters)
TT
20

Israel's Leviathan Signs $35 Billion Natural Gas Supply Deal with Egypt

File photo of the Israeli Leviathan field (Reuters)
File photo of the Israeli Leviathan field (Reuters)

Israel's Leviathan natural gas field has signed the largest export agreement in the country's history, worth up to $35 billion to supply gas to Egypt, NewMed, one of the partners in the field, said on Thursday.
Leviathan, off Israel's Mediterranean coast with reserves of some 600 billion cubic meters, will sell about 130 bcm of gas to Egypt through 2040, or until all of the contract quantities are fulfilled, Reuters said.
The Leviathan reservoir began supplying Egypt shortly after production began in 2020. It signed an initial deal in 2019 for 60 bcm - or 4.5 bcm a year - that is expected to be fully supplied by the early 2030s.
Leviathan, the largest natural gas field in the Mediterranean, has already supplied 23.5 bcm of gas to Egypt since 2020, NewMed said.
"This is the most strategically important export deal to ever occur in the eastern Mediterranean, and strengthens Egypt’s position as the most significant hub in the region," NewMed CEO Yossi Abu said.
"This deal, made possible by our strong regional partnerships, will unlock further regional export opportunities, once again proving that natural gas and the wider energy industry can be an anchor for collaboration." Egypt, the most populous Arab country, has endured rolling blackouts over the last two years as government finances are under strain and natural gas supply fell short of demand.
It abandoned plans to become a hub supplying Europe and instead became a net importer of gas, signing over recent months agreements with energy firms and trading houses to buy 150-to-160 cargoes of liquefied natural gas. During a 12-day war between Israel and Iran in June, exports from Leviathan were halted for security reasons.
Under Thursday's deal, Leviathan in a first stage will supply Egypt with 20 bcm of gas starting in early 2026 after the connection of additional pipelines.
It will export the remaining 110 bcm in a second phase that will begin after completion of the Leviathan expansion project and the construction of a new transmission pipeline from Israel to Egypt via Nitzana in Israel, NewMed said.
Leviathan's expansion, it said, should allow for production and supplies within Israel and to its neighbors through 2064.