Saudi Energy Minister, Iraqi Counterpart Discuss Connecting Electricity Grids

The Saudi and Iraqi ministers and their countries' respective delegations meet in Riyadh. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The Saudi and Iraqi ministers and their countries' respective delegations meet in Riyadh. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Saudi Energy Minister, Iraqi Counterpart Discuss Connecting Electricity Grids

The Saudi and Iraqi ministers and their countries' respective delegations meet in Riyadh. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The Saudi and Iraqi ministers and their countries' respective delegations meet in Riyadh. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Minister of Energy Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman and Iraqi Minister of Oil Ihsan Ismail discussed on Thursday connecting their electricity grids.

The ministers explored issues of common interest in various energy fields.

The meeting discussed ways to strengthen cooperation in the energy fields in order achieve shared leadership through the Saudi-Iraqi Coordination Council.

They also discussed the oil market and joint cooperation between their countries to support and maintain market stability and their active role within OPEC+.

Saudi Arabia and Iraq had signed a memorandum of understanding in January to connect their electricity grids.

The agreement aims to share the electricity-generating reserves and exchange electricity between the neighbors for emergency use in case of a power cut.

“We aim to achieve optimal investment in the electrical connection with Iraq,” said Prince Abdulaziz, adding that this project comes within the framework of the Kingdom's Vision 2030 and its executive programs.

“The project came after a study that showed that the linkage provided promising opportunities between the two countries,” he added.



Dubai's Emaar in Talks with Indian Groups, including Adani, to Sell Stake in Local Business

The logo of Dubai's Emaar Properties on a building under construction in Dubai, UAE, March 3, 2016. (Reuters)
The logo of Dubai's Emaar Properties on a building under construction in Dubai, UAE, March 3, 2016. (Reuters)
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Dubai's Emaar in Talks with Indian Groups, including Adani, to Sell Stake in Local Business

The logo of Dubai's Emaar Properties on a building under construction in Dubai, UAE, March 3, 2016. (Reuters)
The logo of Dubai's Emaar Properties on a building under construction in Dubai, UAE, March 3, 2016. (Reuters)

Emaar Properties, Dubai's largest listed real estate firm, is in talks with "a few groups" in India including Adani Group to sell a stake of its Indian business, it said on Thursday.

The builder of the world's tallest building, the Burj Khalifa, and other iconic parts of Dubai, said in a statement that the valuation and other terms of a potential deal were not finalized, without adding further details, Reuters reported.

The statement followed media reports on Wednesday stating that Adani Realty, the real estate unit of Indian billionaire Gautam Adani's Adani Enterprise, was in advanced talks to acquire a majority stake in Emaar India.

Emaar started its operations in the country in 2005 and has a portfolio of residential and commercial properties in Gurugram, Mohali, Lucknow, Jaipur and Indore, according to its website.

Besides India, it operates internationally in other markets including Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and the US.