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1st Integrated Water Desalination-Solar PV Project in Saudi Arabia is Launched

The inauguration ceremony of the Jubail 3A independent water desalination plant (Jazlah Water Desalination Company). (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The inauguration ceremony of the Jubail 3A independent water desalination plant (Jazlah Water Desalination Company). (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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1st Integrated Water Desalination-Solar PV Project in Saudi Arabia is Launched

The inauguration ceremony of the Jubail 3A independent water desalination plant (Jazlah Water Desalination Company). (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The inauguration ceremony of the Jubail 3A independent water desalination plant (Jazlah Water Desalination Company). (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Eng. Abdul Rahman Al-Fadhli, Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Water Partnerships Company, officially inaugurated the Jubail 3A independent water desalination plant (Jazlah Water Desalination Company).

The move aims to raise spending efficiency and benefit from the expertise of the private sector in construction, operation and management, in addition to reducing carbon emissions by 60,000 tons annually.

ACWA Power, the leading Saudi developer, investor, and operator of power generation, water desalination, and green hydrogen plants worldwide, along with its partners Gulf Investment Corporation (GIC) and AlBawani Water & Power Company (AWP), celebrated on Saturday the official inauguration of the plant, after receiving the commercial operation certificate from Saudi Water Partnership Co. (SWPC), to mark the start of full-time operations.

The Jubail 3A independent water desalination plant is the first of its kind in the Kingdom due to its integration with photovoltaic (PV) solar power.

The $650 million Jazlah company project, located in Jubail, has achieved an exceptional world efficiency record of 2.8 kWh/cubic meter of water using Arabian Gulf Seawater, ACWA Power said in a press release.

It added that the project marked the first Independent Water Project (IWP) in the eastern region with a production capacity of 600,000 cubic meters of desalinated water per day to meet increasing water demands. Jazlah encompasses a 45.5 MW solar PV power generation facility, which will account for 20% of the plant’s energy consumption and will deliver clean water to over three million people at a record-breaking rate of 0.41 USD/m3, using reverse osmosis technology.

In remarks on the occasion, Al-Fadhli stressed that these projects come to achieve the objectives and plans of the National Water Strategy to increase private sector participation in water production projects, supplying drinking water to all regions in the Kingdom.

He added that the project would work directly to meet the demand in the Riyadh and Qassim regions, as well as develop the water sector and improve the quality of its services.

For his part, Eng. Khalid Al-Quraishi, CEO of Saudi Water Partnership Company, said: “Through the utilization of green energy, Jazlah generates 45.5 MW of solar PV power, resulting in reduced carbon emissions and a significant decrease in grid electricity consumption.”

“The plant operates at an impressive energy efficiency rate of 2.8 kWh/cubic meter. The success of this project is a testament to the unwavering commitment of the Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture, along with the cooperation of all public and private stakeholders,” he added.

Mohammad Abunayyan, Chairman of the Board of Directors of ACWA Power, said that the project demonstrated the company’s global leadership in water desalination, and its enduring commitment to cost leadership, social prosperity, and national development.

“A proud addition to our water desalination portfolio, the Jazlah company plant will make invaluable contributions towards the Kingdom’s water security in the years ahead, helping combat climate change while catering to sustainable development goals for a growing population,” he stated.

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Business

IMF and Arab Monetary Fund Sign MoU to Enhance Cooperation

The MoU was signed by IMF Managing Director Dr. Kristalina Georgieva and AMF Director General Dr. Fahad Alturki - SPA
The MoU was signed by IMF Managing Director Dr. Kristalina Georgieva and AMF Director General Dr. Fahad Alturki - SPA
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IMF and Arab Monetary Fund Sign MoU to Enhance Cooperation

The MoU was signed by IMF Managing Director Dr. Kristalina Georgieva and AMF Director General Dr. Fahad Alturki - SPA
The MoU was signed by IMF Managing Director Dr. Kristalina Georgieva and AMF Director General Dr. Fahad Alturki - SPA

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Arab Monetary Fund (AMF) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the sidelines of the AlUla Conference on Emerging Market Economies (EME) to enhance cooperation between the two institutions.

The MoU was signed by IMF Managing Director Dr. Kristalina Georgieva and AMF Director General Dr. Fahad Alturki, SPA reported.

The agreement aims to strengthen coordination in economic and financial policy areas, including surveillance and lending activities, data and analytical exchange, capacity building, and the provision of technical assistance, in support of regional financial and economic stability.

Both sides affirmed that the MoU represents an important step toward deepening their strategic partnership and strengthening the regional financial safety net, serving member countries and enhancing their ability to address economic challenges.

Business

Saudi Chambers Federation Announces First Saudi-Kuwaiti Business Council

File photo of the Saudi flag/AAWSAT
File photo of the Saudi flag/AAWSAT
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Saudi Chambers Federation Announces First Saudi-Kuwaiti Business Council

File photo of the Saudi flag/AAWSAT
File photo of the Saudi flag/AAWSAT

The Federation of Saudi Chambers announced the formation of the first joint Saudi-Kuwaiti Business Council for its inaugural term (1447–1451 AH) and the election of Salman bin Hassan Al-Oqayel as its chairman.

Al-Oqayel said the council’s formation marks a pivotal milestone in economic relations between Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, reflecting a practical approach to enabling the business sectors in both countries to capitalize on promising investment opportunities and strengthen bilateral trade and investment partnerships, SPA reported.

He noted that trade between Saudi Arabia and Kuwait reached approximately SAR9.5 billion by the end of November 2025, including SAR8 billion in Saudi exports and SAR1.5 billion in Kuwaiti imports.

Business

Leading Harvard Trade Economist Says Saudi Arabia Holds Key to Success in Fragmented Global Economy

Professor Pol Antràs speaks during a panel discussion at the AlUla Conference for Emerging Market Economies (Asharq Al-Awsat).
Professor Pol Antràs speaks during a panel discussion at the AlUla Conference for Emerging Market Economies (Asharq Al-Awsat).
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Leading Harvard Trade Economist Says Saudi Arabia Holds Key to Success in Fragmented Global Economy

Professor Pol Antràs speaks during a panel discussion at the AlUla Conference for Emerging Market Economies (Asharq Al-Awsat).
Professor Pol Antràs speaks during a panel discussion at the AlUla Conference for Emerging Market Economies (Asharq Al-Awsat).

Harvard University economics professor Pol Antràs said Saudi Arabia represents an exceptional model in the shifting global trade landscape, differing fundamentally from traditional emerging-market frameworks. He also stressed that globalization has not ended but has instead re-formed into what he describes as fragmented integration.

Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat on the sidelines of the AlUla Conference for Emerging Market Economies, Antràs said Saudi Arabia’s Vision-driven structural reforms position the Kingdom to benefit from the ongoing phase of fragmented integration, adding that the country’s strategic focus on logistics transformation and artificial intelligence constitutes a key engine for sustainable growth that extends beyond the volatility of global crises.

Antràs, the Robert G. Ory Professor of Economics at Harvard University, is one of the leading contemporary theorists of international trade. His research, which reshaped understanding of global value chains, focuses on how firms organize cross-border production and how regulation and technological change influence global trade flows and corporate decision-making.

He said conventional classifications of economies often obscure important structural differences, noting that the term emerging markets groups together countries with widely divergent industrial bases. Economies that depend heavily on manufacturing exports rely critically on market access and trade integration and therefore face stronger competitive pressures from Chinese exports that are increasingly shifting toward alternative markets.

Saudi Arabia, by contrast, exports extensively while facing limited direct competition from China in its primary export commodity, a situation that creates a strategic opportunity. The current environment allows the Kingdom to obtain imports from China at lower cost and access a broader range of goods that previously flowed largely toward the United States market.

Addressing how emerging economies should respond to dumping pressures and rising competition, Antràs said countries should minimize protectionist tendencies and instead position themselves as committed participants in the multilateral trading system, allowing foreign producers to access domestic markets while encouraging domestic firms to expand internationally.

He noted that although Chinese dumping presents concerns for countries with manufacturing sectors that compete directly with Chinese production, the risk is lower for Saudi Arabia because it does not maintain a large manufacturing base that overlaps directly with Chinese exports. Lower-cost imports could benefit Saudi consumers, while targeted policy tools such as credit programs, subsidies, and support for firms seeking to redesign and upgrade business models represent more effective responses than broad protectionist measures.

Globalization has not ended

Antràs said globalization continues but through more complex structures, with trade agreements increasingly negotiated through diverse arrangements rather than relying primarily on multilateral negotiations. Trade deals will continue to be concluded, but they are likely to become more complex, with uncertainty remaining a defining feature of the global trading environment.

Interest rates and artificial intelligence

According to Antràs, high global interest rates, combined with the additional risk premiums faced by emerging markets, are constraining investment, particularly in sectors that require export financing, capital expenditure, and continuous quality upgrading.

However, he noted that elevated interest rates partly reflect expectations of stronger long-term growth driven by artificial intelligence and broader technological transformation.

He also said if those growth expectations materialize, productivity gains could enable small and medium-sized enterprises to forecast demand more accurately and identify previously untapped markets, partially offsetting the negative effects of higher borrowing costs.

Employment concerns and the role of government

The Harvard professor warned that labor markets face a dual challenge stemming from intensified Chinese export competition and accelerating job automation driven by artificial intelligence, developments that could lead to significant disruptions, particularly among younger workers. He said governments must adopt proactive strategies requiring substantial fiscal resources to mitigate near-term labor-market shocks.

According to Antràs, productivity growth remains the central condition for success: if new technologies deliver the anticipated productivity gains, governments will gain the fiscal space needed to compensate affected groups and retrain the workforce, achieving a balance between addressing short-term disruptions and investing in long-term strategic gains.