Egypt Takes Measures to Improve Energy Efficiency, Saves $42M Annually

 An oil refinery in Alexandria, Egypt. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
An oil refinery in Alexandria, Egypt. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Egypt Takes Measures to Improve Energy Efficiency, Saves $42M Annually

 An oil refinery in Alexandria, Egypt. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
An oil refinery in Alexandria, Egypt. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Egypt has managed to save EGP813 million ($42.4 million) annually by adopting measures to improve the energy efficiency in 31 petroleum companies.

In a statement on Monday, the Petroleum Ministry said the country’s petroleum and mineral resources sector is implementing an integrated work program to improve energy efficiency in all petroleum work sites and headquarters.

The move comes in line with the Fourth Program for Rationalizing and Improving Energy Efficiency within the Petroleum Sector Development and Modernization Project.

The Ministry said there are several ongoing investment projects to raise the energy efficiency, with total investments amounting to about $1.5 billion, to achieve energy savings and reduce carbon dioxide emissions at the Suez Oil Processing Company (SOPC) and the Dahshour compressor station at the Egyptian Natural Gas Company (GASCO).

Five technical reviews of energy efficiency are also currently being carried out, in cooperation with the European Union and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in the Assiut National Oil Processing Company (ANOPC) and the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation (EGPC).

They aim to open up new opportunities that could help in implementing investment projects to improve energy efficiency, the statement added.

Egypt has also joined the Global Methane Pledge Energy Pathway, through which it will seek to boost efforts to reduce methane emissions from the petroleum sector.

In June, President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi announced that his country joined the Global Methane Pledge initiative.

Based on the expertise and funding provided by the initiative, Egypt, in cooperation with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), is “currently carrying out assessments and measurements of methane and volatile organic compound emissions from oil and natural gas facilities in seven sites affiliated with GASCO, Rashid, Egyptian LNG, Pharaonic Petroleum Company (PhPC), and Petroleum Pipelines Company (PPC) to determine measures and projects to reduce these emissions.”

The Ministry is also studying a plan to establish a center to improve energy efficiency and operational performance.

During the fifth Edition of Egypt Petroleum Show (EGYPS 2022), the Engineering for Petroleum and Process Industries Company (Enppi), Egyptian Projects Operation and Maintenance (EPROM) and JICA signed a memorandum of understanding to benefit from the international best practices in this regard, particularly in Japan, India and Thailand, the statement explained.

The statement further noted that Petroleum Minister Tarek El Molla issued a decision to form the higher committee for rationalizing and improving energy efficiency in the petroleum sector.



Tourism Minister: Saudi Arabia Sees 27% Increase in Incoming Tourists in 9 Months

Saudi Minister of Tourism Ahmed Al Khateeb speaks at the 2025 Budget Forum in Riyadh. (SPA)
Saudi Minister of Tourism Ahmed Al Khateeb speaks at the 2025 Budget Forum in Riyadh. (SPA)
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Tourism Minister: Saudi Arabia Sees 27% Increase in Incoming Tourists in 9 Months

Saudi Minister of Tourism Ahmed Al Khateeb speaks at the 2025 Budget Forum in Riyadh. (SPA)
Saudi Minister of Tourism Ahmed Al Khateeb speaks at the 2025 Budget Forum in Riyadh. (SPA)

Saudi Arabia's tourism sector continues to achieve remarkable growth, as incoming tourist numbers surged by 27% in the first nine months of 2024 compared to a 14% increase during the same period last year, said Minister of Tourism Ahmed Al Khateeb on Wednesday.

Speaking at the 2025 Budget Forum in Riyadh, Al Khateeb underscored the sector's significant progress toward realizing the goals of Vision 2030.

International tourist arrivals for recreational purposes increased by an extraordinary 600% in 2023 from 2018, he revealed, adding that the rise has been complemented by a boost in visitors arriving for religious purposes, with the Kingdom encouraging such visitors to explore other cities to experience natural and archaeological sites.

The minister said rural tourism has also gained popularity, with increasing demand reported across the Kingdom's diverse regions. By the end of 2023, tourism's contribution to gross domestic product (GDP) reached 5%, and efforts are underway to achieve a 10% contribution by 2030.

Al Khateeb highlighted the economic impact of the sector, noting a surplus of over SAR 41 billion in the balance of payments during the first half of 2024, compared to SAR 48.1 billion for the entirety of 2023. This marks a significant turnaround from 2018 when the balance recorded a deficit of SAR 10 billion, said the minister.

Employment in the tourism sector has also grown substantially, with the number of jobs increasing from 750,000 to 960,000, and localization within the hospitality sector reaching 35%, he added.

The Ministry of Tourism, under the leadership of Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, is investing heavily in training and developing local talent.

The ministry allocates an annual budget of SAR 375 million to support the qualification and training of up to 100,000 Saudis, including over 10,000 opportunities at world-class institutes, enabling them to take on leadership roles within the industry, Al Khateeb stressed.