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CEO of SPIRE: Saudi Competencies to Meet Renewable Energy Company Needs

Eng. Majed Refae, the CEO of the Saudi Polytechnic Institute of Renewable Energy (SPIRE) (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Eng. Majed Refae, the CEO of the Saudi Polytechnic Institute of Renewable Energy (SPIRE) (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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CEO of SPIRE: Saudi Competencies to Meet Renewable Energy Company Needs

Eng. Majed Refae, the CEO of the Saudi Polytechnic Institute of Renewable Energy (SPIRE) (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Eng. Majed Refae, the CEO of the Saudi Polytechnic Institute of Renewable Energy (SPIRE) (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Eng. Majed Refae, the CEO of the Saudi Polytechnic Institute of Renewable Energy (SPIRE), said that work was underway with strategic partners to provide companies operating in renewable energy projects with skilled national cadres.

In an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, Refae noted that more than 7,800 jobs will be needed for energy projects in Saudi Arabia during the coming years, expecting the demand to grow with the announcement of new and investment plans.

SPIRE is a strategic partnership institute within a comprehensive system, which the Ministry of Energy considers an important tributary for providing human resources and qualifying young men and women to work in the oil, gas and energy sectors and companies, with the support of Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Minister of Energy.

The institute is located in Al-Jouf region in northern Saudi Arabia.

Refae said that the region was selected to be the headquarters of the institute, as it is situated within the global Sun Belt, which makes the solar radiation it receives one of the highest rates in the world.

Therefore, SPIRE was chosen to be near the first renewable energy projects in Saudi Arabia - the Sakaka solar power plant and Dumat al-Jandal for wind energy. This will allow the institute to introduce trainees to real work environments, he underlined.

Al-Jouf is also close to several other renewable energy projects in Qurayyat, Turaif, Hafr Al-Batin, and Tabuk, located in the north of the country.

Asked about the launching date, Refae said: “SPIRE is now in the final stages of training procedures; we expect to start operation at the end of March.”

As for the training programs, he pointed to a 12-month program targeting holders of diplomas from technical colleges, in which the focus is on specialization and skills needed by employers.

Another 24-month program is directed towards high school graduates, in which the trainees undergo an intensive program in the English language and preparatory materials, followed by a 4-month field training on the job site.

According to Refae, SPIRE is based on the principle of training with employment, which is one of the most important bases of work in the National Center for Strategic Partnerships. Therefore, all those who successfully pass the selection tests will be contracted by companies operating renewable energy projects in Saudi Arabia.

The CEO of SPIRE told Asharq Al-Awsat that the institute will seek to provide programs and specializations that meet the renewable energy sector in the areas of management, operation and maintenance.

This will be supported by creating accreditation programs that are tailored to the needs of companies operating in this promising sector, in accordance with the plan of the Ministry of Energy and Saudi Vision 2030.

Pointing that the institute capacity will reach 3,000 trainees, Refae added: “We are in the process of rehabilitating and equipping the facilities, and we plan to start training 250 cadres during the current year.”

“We are cooperating with local universities and institutes within the national system to provide curricula in accordance with the highest international standards,” he remarked.

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Spirit Airlines Shuts Down, Industry’s First Iran War Casualty

A Spirit Airlines self bag-drop counter at Orlando International Airport, as the airline announced it was ceasing operations early Saturday morning following an impasse in talks with some creditors on a $500 million government bailout plan, in Orlando, Florida, US, May 2, 2026. (Reuters)
A Spirit Airlines self bag-drop counter at Orlando International Airport, as the airline announced it was ceasing operations early Saturday morning following an impasse in talks with some creditors on a $500 million government bailout plan, in Orlando, Florida, US, May 2, 2026. (Reuters)
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Spirit Airlines Shuts Down, Industry’s First Iran War Casualty

A Spirit Airlines self bag-drop counter at Orlando International Airport, as the airline announced it was ceasing operations early Saturday morning following an impasse in talks with some creditors on a $500 million government bailout plan, in Orlando, Florida, US, May 2, 2026. (Reuters)
A Spirit Airlines self bag-drop counter at Orlando International Airport, as the airline announced it was ceasing operations early Saturday morning following an impasse in talks with some creditors on a $500 million government bailout plan, in Orlando, Florida, US, May 2, 2026. (Reuters)

Bankrupt discount carrier Spirit Airlines ceased operations on Saturday, the industry's first casualty linked to the Iran war, after failing to secure creditor support for a US government bailout plan.

The collapse of the first carrier due to a doubling in jet fuel prices during the two-month-old Iran war will cost thousands of jobs. It is a blow to President Donald Trump, who had proposed $500 million to save Spirit despite opposition from some of his closest advisers and many Republicans in Congress.

No US carrier of Spirit's size - it accounted for 5% of US flights at one point - has liquidated in two decades. Spirit helped keep fares lower in markets where it competed against major carriers.

ALL FLIGHTS CANCELED, RIVALS TO BENEFIT

A Spirit board meeting had ended without an agreement to rescue the company, a person close to the discussions told Reuters late on Friday.

"Unfortunately, despite the Company's ‌efforts, the recent material ‌increase in oil prices and other pressures on the business have significantly impacted Spirit's financial outlook," Spirit ‌said ⁠in a statement ⁠announcing "an orderly wind-down of operations."

All flights have been canceled, the statement said, asking passengers not to go to the airport.

Spirit had 4,119 domestic flights scheduled between May 1 and May 15, offering 809,638 seats, according to data from aviation analytics firm Cirium.

A spokesperson said Spirit had notified the Federal Aviation Administration before halting operations, declining to comment further.

Global carriers are contending with surging jet fuel prices after the US-Israeli strikes on Iran disrupted traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. Spirit was already struggling to turn a profit before the fuel shock.

Spirit built its brand around affordable fares for budget-conscious travelers ready to eschew add-ons like checked bags and seat assignments.

That demand tapered off quickly after the COVID-19 pandemic, as passengers preferred to opt for comfort and experience-based travel, leaving ⁠ultra-low-cost carriers struggling to adapt.

Spirit's shutdown will benefit its rivals like JetBlue Airways and Frontier Airlines, ‌who themselves are reeling from the cost shock. Spirit's volatile over-the-counter stock plunged 25% on Friday, ‌while Frontier rose 10% and JetBlue gained 4%.

Trump said on Friday that the White House had given Spirit and its creditors a final rescue proposal, ‌after talks hit an impasse over a $500 million financing package that would have helped the airline keep operating through bankruptcy.

"If we can help ‌them, we will, but we have to come first," Trump told reporters. "If we could do it, we'd do it, but only if it's a good deal."

FUEL-PRICE SHOCK THREATENS WEAKER AIRLINES

The collapse shows how the Iran war's fuel-price shock has exposed weaker airlines.

Spirit's restructuring plan assumed jet fuel costs of about $2.24 a gallon in 2026 and $2.14 in 2027, but prices had climbed to around $4.51 a gallon by the end of April, leaving the carrier unable to survive without fresh ‌financing.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy told Reuters he had tried to get many airlines to buy Spirit but found no takers. "What would someone buy?" Duffy asked. "If no one else wants to buy them, ⁠why would we buy them?"

A ⁠creditor close to the deal said, "The Trump administration made an extraordinary effort to try and save Spirit, but you can’t breathe life into a corpse. Given that, the company should make its intentions clear for the sake of its customers and employees."

Spirit had reached a deal with its lenders that would have helped it emerge from its second bankruptcy by late spring or early summer. But those plans derailed after the war triggered a spike in jet fuel prices, upending Spirit's cost projections and complicating its bankruptcy exit.

The airline flew around 1.7 million US domestic passengers in February, with a 3.9% market share, down from 5.1% last year, Cirium data showed.

After Spirit's announcement, major US carriers rolled out rescue-fare options for affected passengers. Frontier announced systemwide discounts and plans to add summer routes, JetBlue offered $99 fares through Wednesday, Southwest introduced special fares, United capped prices on one-way tickets and American added rescue fares while reviewing options to boost capacity on key routes.

Last month Trump said his administration was looking to buy the embattled carrier at the "right price."

Sources said that the administration had proposed $500 million in financing in exchange for warrants equivalent to 90% of Spirit's equity.

There had been disagreements inside the Trump administration over whether and how to fund the bailout, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter.

Business

China’s Railway Hit New Single-Day Passenger Record on May Day

Passengers prepare to board trains at Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station in Shanghai on April 30, 2026, ahead of the Labour Day holiday which starts on May 1. (AFP)
Passengers prepare to board trains at Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station in Shanghai on April 30, 2026, ahead of the Labour Day holiday which starts on May 1. (AFP)
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China’s Railway Hit New Single-Day Passenger Record on May Day

Passengers prepare to board trains at Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station in Shanghai on April 30, 2026, ahead of the Labour Day holiday which starts on May 1. (AFP)
Passengers prepare to board trains at Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station in Shanghai on April 30, 2026, ahead of the Labour Day holiday which starts on May 1. (AFP)

China's railway network transported 24.8 million passengers on May 1, setting a new single-day record, according to data from the China State Railway Group.

A report ‌on Saturday ‌in the official ‌Xinhua ⁠news agency said the ⁠national railway system is also expected to transport 19.7 million passengers on May 2.

Some ⁠lines had to ‌add ‌new trains to handle ‌the holiday passengers, Xinhua ‌reported.

The Zhengzhou line added 140 passenger trains, and the Chengdu line ‌added 184, Xinhua said.

China's tourism market ⁠is ⁠a bright spot in domestic demand, injecting momentum into a national economy facing pressure from weak consumption and a prolonged property downturn.

Business

Japan’s Taiyo Oil to Receive Cargo of Oil from Russia’s Sakhalin-2, Mainichi Says

A general view of the liquefied natural gas plant operated by Sakhalin Energy at Prigorodnoye on the Pacific island of Sakhalin, Russia July 15, 2021. (Reuters)
A general view of the liquefied natural gas plant operated by Sakhalin Energy at Prigorodnoye on the Pacific island of Sakhalin, Russia July 15, 2021. (Reuters)
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Japan’s Taiyo Oil to Receive Cargo of Oil from Russia’s Sakhalin-2, Mainichi Says

A general view of the liquefied natural gas plant operated by Sakhalin Energy at Prigorodnoye on the Pacific island of Sakhalin, Russia July 15, 2021. (Reuters)
A general view of the liquefied natural gas plant operated by Sakhalin Energy at Prigorodnoye on the Pacific island of Sakhalin, Russia July 15, 2021. (Reuters)

Japan's Taiyo Oil is set to receive a cargo of crude oil from Russia's Sakhalin-2 project, the Mainichi daily reported on Saturday, citing Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.

Japan has largely suspended purchases of oil from Russia after Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in ‌2022. A ‌US exemption for oil sales ‌from ⁠the Sakhalin-2 project, ⁠which largely produces the liquefied natural gas, runs until June 18.

The move comes as Japan seeks to secure alternative oil supplies after the US-Israeli war with Iran ⁠has largely cut off imports ‌from the ‌Gulf, Tokyo's main oil source before the Middle ‌East conflict broke out in ‌late February.

Russian state gas company Gazprom is a controlling shareholder in the Sakhalin-2 oil and gas project, in ‌which Japanese trading houses Mitsui and Mitsubishi also hold stakes.

Mainichi, citing ⁠a ⁠METI official, said that cargo is set to arrive to the Ehime Prefecture in western Japan. Japan has also secured supplies from the US and from destinations bypassing the largely closed Strait of Hormuz, among other sources.

Taiyo Oil and METI did not immediately reply to Reuters request for a comment.