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Mitsubishi Power: Saudi Arabia a Key Hub for Our Sustainable Energy Investments

Adel Al-Juraid, CEO of Mitsubishi Power in Saudi Arabia (Asharq Al-Awsat) 
Adel Al-Juraid, CEO of Mitsubishi Power in Saudi Arabia (Asharq Al-Awsat) 
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Mitsubishi Power: Saudi Arabia a Key Hub for Our Sustainable Energy Investments

Adel Al-Juraid, CEO of Mitsubishi Power in Saudi Arabia (Asharq Al-Awsat) 
Adel Al-Juraid, CEO of Mitsubishi Power in Saudi Arabia (Asharq Al-Awsat) 

Saudi Arabia has emerged as one of Mitsubishi Power’s most strategic global markets and a prime destination for its sustainable energy investments, in line with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 agenda for localization and clean energy.

The Japanese company is partnering with leading national institutions, including the Ministry of Energy, Saudi Aramco, SABIC, Saudi Electricity Company, ACWA Power, and the Saline Water Conversion Corporation, in addition to projects spearheaded by the Public Investment Fund.

In an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, Adel Al-Juraid, CEO of Mitsubishi Power in Saudi Arabia, emphasized that the company’s role extends beyond supplying high-efficiency and reliable energy. It also focuses on knowledge transfer, workforce development, and technology localization through its centers across the Kingdom, where Saudi nationals make up more than half of the workforce.

These efforts, he said, align with the In-Kingdom Total Value Add (IKTVA) program to boost local supply chains.

A subsidiary of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Mitsubishi Power specializes in innovative energy solutions aimed at accelerating carbon reduction. The company is also advancing digital transformation by integrating artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things into its operations.

Strategic Projects

Al-Juraid said that Mitsubishi Power has recently secured a strategic contract to supply gas turbines for the Rumah-1 and Nairyah-1 plants, using JAC-class units designed to transition to hydrogen in the future.

He added that the project will add 3.5 gigawatts to the national grid, making it one of the largest power supply projects in Saudi Arabia and the wider region.

The turbines will be assembled locally at the company’s Dammam facility, underscoring its role in supporting Vision 2030 industrial goals.

In the industrial sector, Mitsubishi Power is supplying turbines for the SATORP refinery in Jubail - a joint venture between Aramco and TotalEnergies - capable of producing 475 megawatts of power and 452 tons of steam per hour.

The turbines are designed to co-fire hydrogen with natural gas and can be upgraded to operate on 100 percent hydrogen, aligning with Saudi Arabia’s 2060 net-zero ambitions.

Expansion Plans

Al-Juraid stressed that Saudi Arabia is central to Mitsubishi Power’s long-term growth strategy, with plans to expand investments in clean energy and data center infrastructure. Future offerings include hydrogen-ready turbines and carbon capture solutions to help balance productivity with grid reliability. He cited the company’s success in the United States with Georgia Power, where blending hydrogen into turbines cut emissions by 22 percent.

Local Partnerships and Manufacturing

The company operates three service centers in the Kingdom, with its Dammam facility recently localizing the assembly of next-generation gas turbines. According to its CEO, Mitsubishi Power is also exploring partnerships with Saudi universities and innovation hubs in research and development, leveraging expertise from Japan’s Takasago Hydrogen Park, the world’s first dedicated hydrogen validation facility.

Moreover, the company currently holds the largest global market share in gas turbines, with 36 percent overall and 56 percent in advanced turbine categories in 2023, marking the second consecutive year of global leadership.

Concluding, Al-Juraid reaffirmed Mitsubishi Power’s commitment to providing advanced solutions that meet Saudi Arabia’s rising energy demand, particularly from data centers and artificial intelligence applications, while contributing to sustainable economic growth.

 

 

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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
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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.