ACWA Power’s Net Profit Reaches SAR927 Million in First Half of 2024

ACWA Power’s Net Profit Reaches SAR927 Million in First Half of 2024
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ACWA Power’s Net Profit Reaches SAR927 Million in First Half of 2024

ACWA Power’s Net Profit Reaches SAR927 Million in First Half of 2024

Saudi-listed ACWA Power, the world’s largest private water desalination company, announced on Sunday its consolidated financial results for the six months ending June 30, 2024.

The company’s net profit – attributable to equity holders of the parent – reached SAR927 million, growing by 36% or SAR243 million versus the comparable period in 2023, said a statement from ACWA Power.

Operating income before impairment losses and other expenses reached SAR1,389 million in the same period, with an increase of SAR100 million.

As part of its operating income, the company reported a SAR402 million development business and construction management services gain on partial divestment of its Bash and Dzhankeldy wind projects in Uzbekistan.

During the first half of the year, the company continued to add new projects to its portfolio, including the addition of a record 10.5GW of renewable power generation capacity.

In May, the company signed a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with the National Electric Grid of Uzbekistan for up to 5GW Aral Wind with BESS project, which is Central Asia's largest wind farm and ACWA Power's 15th project in Uzbekistan.

In June, three PPAs were signed for large-scale PV solar projects at an aggregate total investment cost of SAR12.3 billion in Saudi Arabia with a combined capacity of 5.5GW as the fourth round of the ACWA Power-Public Investment Fund (PIF) Strategic Framework Agreement.

ACWA Power CEO Marco Arcelli stated: “Our financial results renew our confidence in pursuing our ambitious growth agenda and allow us to accelerate our mission of delivering low-cost and responsible water and power globally.”

ACWA Power CFO Abdulhameed Al Muhaidib said: “Despite the operational challenges witnessed in few assets, the diversity of our asset base as well as our business model has allowed us to grow our operating and net profit in the first six months of this year.”

ACWA Power has successfully reached financial close on three major projects, the Taiba and Qassim Combined Cycle Gas Turbine (CCGT) projects in Saudi Arabia, and the Hassyan IWP project in the UAE, with a total investment of SAR18 billion for all three.



Saudi E-Commerce Hits Record Monthly Sales over SAR30.7 Billion in October

A view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (SPA file)
A view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (SPA file)
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Saudi E-Commerce Hits Record Monthly Sales over SAR30.7 Billion in October

A view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (SPA file)
A view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (SPA file)

E-commerce sales in Saudi Arabia via "mada" cards soared to an all-time monthly high in October 2025, surpassing SAR30.7 billion.

The surge in sales represents a 68% year-on-year increase, totaling about SAR12.4 billion more than the SAR18.3 billion recorded in October 2024, according to the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) statistical bulletin on Wednesday.

E-commerce sales for the third quarter (Q3) of 2025 hit SAR88.3 billion, up 15.2% from the previous quarter, representing an increase of about SAR11.6 billion over the SAR76.6 billion recorded in Q2.

On a monthly basis, e-commerce sales in October rose 6%, gaining approximately SAR1.6 billion over September’s total of SAR29.1 billion.

From January to October, "mada" data showed e-commerce sales grew 47.3%, rising by around SAR9.9 billion over the SAR20.9 billion recorded in January.

These figures cover transactions made via "mada" cards on e-commerce websites, apps, and digital wallets, and do not include credit-card payments.


Jeddah's King Abdulaziz Airport Launches First Direct Flight to Moscow

The expansion supports Jeddah Airports Company’s goal of broadening travel options and increasing air traffic revenue, leveraging the Kingdom's strategic location. (SPA)
The expansion supports Jeddah Airports Company’s goal of broadening travel options and increasing air traffic revenue, leveraging the Kingdom's strategic location. (SPA)
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Jeddah's King Abdulaziz Airport Launches First Direct Flight to Moscow

The expansion supports Jeddah Airports Company’s goal of broadening travel options and increasing air traffic revenue, leveraging the Kingdom's strategic location. (SPA)
The expansion supports Jeddah Airports Company’s goal of broadening travel options and increasing air traffic revenue, leveraging the Kingdom's strategic location. (SPA)

Jeddah's King Abdulaziz International Airport (KAIA) celebrated the launch of its first direct flynas flight to Moscow, operating three weekly flights between Jeddah and Vnukovo International Airport.

This initiative, in partnership with the Saudi Tourism Authority and the Air Connectivity Program, boosts air links between Saudi Arabia and Russia.

It marks KAIA's third direct Russian destination, following Makhachkala and Mineralnye Vody, which were inaugurated earlier this month by Azimuth Airlines.

The expansion supports Jeddah Airports Company’s goal of broadening travel options and increasing air traffic revenue, leveraging the Kingdom's strategic location.


China Widens Foreign Investment Incentive List to Stem Falling Inflows

People visit a shopping center in Beijing on December 20, 2025. (AFP)
People visit a shopping center in Beijing on December 20, 2025. (AFP)
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China Widens Foreign Investment Incentive List to Stem Falling Inflows

People visit a shopping center in Beijing on December 20, 2025. (AFP)
People visit a shopping center in Beijing on December 20, 2025. (AFP)

China on Wednesday listed more sectors eligible for foreign investment incentives, from tax breaks to preferential ​land use, in its latest effort to stem a prolonged decline in overseas capital inflows.

Under the 2025 edition of the catalogue of industries for encouraging foreign investment, China added more than 200 and revised about 300, with a ‌focus on ‌advanced manufacturing, modern services and ‌green ⁠and ​high-tech ‌sectors, the list jointly issued by the National Development and Reform Commission and the commerce ministry showed.

The new catalogue, which takes effect on February 1, 2026, replaces the 2022 version and continues a policy framework ⁠that offers foreign-invested enterprises tariff exemptions on imported equipment, preferential ‌land pricing, reduced corporate income ‍tax rates in ‍designated regions and tax credits for reinvestment ‍of profits.

The catalogue also extends incentives to central and western regions, as well as the northeast and Hainan, as Beijing seeks to attract ​more foreign investment into less developed areas.

China has in recent months ⁠taken a raft of measures to boost foreign investment, including pilot programs in Beijing, Shanghai and other regions to expand market access in services such as telecoms, healthcare and education, amid trade tensions with the United States.

Foreign direct investment in China totaled 693.2 billion yuan ($98.84 billion) from January to November this year, down 7.5% from the ‌same period last year, data from the commerce ministry showed.