ACWA Power Reports 44% Surge in Q1 Profit to $113.8 Million

A wind turbine at the Suez Energy Project. (ACWA Power)
A wind turbine at the Suez Energy Project. (ACWA Power)
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ACWA Power Reports 44% Surge in Q1 Profit to $113.8 Million

A wind turbine at the Suez Energy Project. (ACWA Power)
A wind turbine at the Suez Energy Project. (ACWA Power)

Saudi energy and water developer ACWA Power reported a 44% year-on-year increase in net profit for the first quarter of 2025, reaching SAR 427.15 million ($113.8 million), according to a disclosure filed with the Saudi Stock Exchange (Tadawul).

The company attributed the strong performance primarily to higher total revenues, an increase in other operating income before impairment and other charges, a reduction in impairment expenses, and a rise in deferred tax balances. These gains were partially offset by increased costs in project development, general and administrative expenses, and financing charges.

ACWA Power’s revenue rose 57% in the quarter, reaching SAR 1.97 billion ($525.2 million), supported by growth across development and construction management services, operation and maintenance contracts, and electricity sales.

In a letter to investors, CEO Marco Arcelli emphasized that the company maintained strong momentum in developing new projects across all sectors during the first quarter.

These initiatives not only lay the foundation for stable future revenues and cash flows, but also contribute to earnings from procurement and construction management, reinforcing the company’s commitment to financial and operational growth, he noted.

Arcelli expressed optimism about the company’s long-term outlook, highlighting ongoing efforts to strengthen project development pipelines, improve procurement strategies, and streamline construction execution.

ACWA Power is building a solid platform for consistent and sustainable growth while remaining focused on delivering its strategic objectives, he stressed.

Among the company’s most significant recent projects are several in renewable energy and water. In the solar sector, ACWA Power is developing the Al-Muwayh solar power plant in Saudi Arabia with a capacity of 2,000 megawatts and an investment of approximately SAR 35 million. The plant is scheduled to begin operations under a long-term power purchase agreement starting in 2027.

The company is also working on the Al-Khushaybi solar plant, with a capacity of 35 megawatts.

In wind energy, ACWA Power is constructing the Bash wind farm in Uzbekistan, a 500-megawatt project expected to be operational in the first quarter of 2025. Another wind project in collaboration with Uzbekistan’s national energy company will have a capacity of 65 megawatts and is also scheduled for completion in 2025.

In the water sector, ACWA Power owns a 40% stake in the Taweelah desalination plant in the United Arab Emirates, one of the largest facilities of its kind with a daily capacity of 3 million cubic meters. The company also holds a 35% share in the Sudair solar project in Saudi Arabia, which will generate 1,500 megawatts of electricity.

ACWA Power has expanded its international footprint with recent acquisitions, including an 85% stake in Yanghe New Energy Technology in China. The company also acquired strategic assets in Egypt and Kuwait and is actively entering new markets while expanding its presence in existing ones.

The company continues to prioritize innovation and R&D, particularly in solar and wind energy, green hydrogen, and energy storage. It is advancing new projects, increasing energy sales, and strengthening its global presence through strategic partnerships, including collaborations with Italian firms and others in Africa and East Asia.

ACWA Power has also launched a new research and development center in Shanghai as part of its international growth strategy.



Oil Prices Up 1% as Iran Crisis Disrupts Middle East Supply

A woman fills up her car at a gas station in Seoul, South Korea, March 4, 2026. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji
A woman fills up her car at a gas station in Seoul, South Korea, March 4, 2026. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji
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Oil Prices Up 1% as Iran Crisis Disrupts Middle East Supply

A woman fills up her car at a gas station in Seoul, South Korea, March 4, 2026. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji
A woman fills up her car at a gas station in Seoul, South Korea, March 4, 2026. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji

Oil prices rose about 1% on Wednesday as US-Israeli strikes on Iran disrupted Middle East supplies, but the pace of gains slowed from past sessions after President Donald Trump suggested the US Navy could escort vessels through the Strait of Hormuz.

Brent rose 91 cents, or 1.1%, to $82.31 a barrel by 1015 GMT, after closing on Tuesday at its highest since January 2025, Reuters reported.

US West Texas Intermediate crude rose 63 cents, or 0.8%, to $75.19, after settling at its highest since June.

"The primary near-term driver for oil prices remains the US-Iran conflict," said ⁠OANDA senior market ⁠analyst Kelvin Wong.

"At this stage, only clear signs of de-escalation could mitigate or reverse the current bullish trend for WTI, and such signals are currently lacking."

Israeli and US forces struck targets across Iran on Tuesday, prompting Iranian strikes against energy infrastructure in a region that accounts for just under a third of global oil production.

Iraq, the second-largest crude producer in the ⁠Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, has cut output by nearly 1.5 million barrels a day, about half its production, due to storage limits and the lack of an export route, officials told Reuters.

They said the country may have to shut nearly 3 million bpd of output within days if exports do not resume.

Iran has also targeted tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, through which about a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas flow. Traffic through the Strait remains effectively closed.

Trump said the US Navy could begin escorting oil tankers through the Strait if necessary, ⁠adding that he ⁠had ordered the US International Development Finance Corporation to provide political risk insurance and financial guarantees for maritime trade in the Gulf.

"While oil prices declined on the headline, we think the insurance proposal is likely in a concepts-of-a-plan stage and question whether there has been sufficient coordination with the multiple international tanker insurers," RBC analyst Helima Croft said.

Countries and companies have begun seeking alternative routes and supplies.

India and Indonesia said they were looking for other energy supplies, while some Chinese refineries were shutting or moving up maintenance plans.

In the United States, crude stocks rose by 5.6 million barrels last week, according to market sources citing American Petroleum Institute figures, well above the 2.3 million projected by analysts.


COSCO Shipping Suspends Bookings on its Middle East Routes

Containers of China Shipping and Cosco shipping companies are stacked at a transshipment station in Frankfurt am Main, western Germany, on April 15, 2025. (Photo by Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV / AFP)
Containers of China Shipping and Cosco shipping companies are stacked at a transshipment station in Frankfurt am Main, western Germany, on April 15, 2025. (Photo by Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV / AFP)
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COSCO Shipping Suspends Bookings on its Middle East Routes

Containers of China Shipping and Cosco shipping companies are stacked at a transshipment station in Frankfurt am Main, western Germany, on April 15, 2025. (Photo by Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV / AFP)
Containers of China Shipping and Cosco shipping companies are stacked at a transshipment station in Frankfurt am Main, western Germany, on April 15, 2025. (Photo by Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV / AFP)

Chinese shipping and logistics conglomerate COSCO Shipping's container liner unit said on Wednesday it had suspended all new bookings for routes to and from ports in the Middle ⁠East region, including ⁠those in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.

The move was due to ⁠escalating conflict in the region and traffic restrictions in the Strait of Hormuz, COSCO Shipping Lines said in a statement.

Bookings for routes to and from Bahrain, Iraq and ⁠Kuwait have ⁠also been suspended, it added.

The company said it was evaluating follow-up disposal plans, including possible alternative unloading ports, for goods currently on board.


France Says Planning G7 Finance Meeting on Middle East

French Minister for Economy, Finance, and Industrial, Energy and Digital Sovereignty Roland Lescure attends a debate before votes on two no-confidence motions against the French government following the adoption of a new energy law through decree, at the National Assembly in Paris, France, February 25, 2026. (Reuters)
French Minister for Economy, Finance, and Industrial, Energy and Digital Sovereignty Roland Lescure attends a debate before votes on two no-confidence motions against the French government following the adoption of a new energy law through decree, at the National Assembly in Paris, France, February 25, 2026. (Reuters)
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France Says Planning G7 Finance Meeting on Middle East

French Minister for Economy, Finance, and Industrial, Energy and Digital Sovereignty Roland Lescure attends a debate before votes on two no-confidence motions against the French government following the adoption of a new energy law through decree, at the National Assembly in Paris, France, February 25, 2026. (Reuters)
French Minister for Economy, Finance, and Industrial, Energy and Digital Sovereignty Roland Lescure attends a debate before votes on two no-confidence motions against the French government following the adoption of a new energy law through decree, at the National Assembly in Paris, France, February 25, 2026. (Reuters)

France is planning a meeting of G7 finance ministers on the Middle East crisis, with central bankers also in attendance, the country's Economy and Finance Minister, Roland Lescure, said on Wednesday.

"I have spoken with various counterparts, in particular Scott Bessent, who is the US Treasury Secretary. And we agreed to hold a meeting which will place at the beginning of next week," he told Franceinfo radio.

"We want to let a week go by to see how the conflict develops, how the markets evolve. We'll have the finance ministers and the central bank governors there as well."

France currently holds the rotating presidency of the Group of Seven advanced economies, which also includes Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States.

A first meeting of finance ministers under the French presidency was held on January 27.

Lescure said next week's meeting was expected to be an exchange of views.

"We're going to listen to what is coming up from the ground, from businesses, from economists in these different parts of the world," he added.

"The idea is to be able to discuss the state of the situation, so that we can assess any responses that might be needed, if we have to act.

"In a conflict which is currently a local conflict in one region but has global repercussions, it is obviously essential that we coordinate."

The war in the Middle East, sparked by the US-Israeli bombing of Iran on Saturday, has in recent days led to a sharp fall in stock markets, particularly in Europe and Asia.

Since the start of the week, France's benchmark CAC40 index has lost more than five percent. Its German equivalent, the Dax, has fallen by nearly six percent, while London's FTSE 100 has dropped nearly four percent.

Investors are concerned about the sharp rise in hydrocarbon prices due to disruptions to supplies through the Strait of Hormuz, which handles some 20 percent of the seaborne world's oil and liquefied natural gas.