Saudi Arabia Solar Announcement

Saudi Arabia, the world's biggest oil exporter, plans to become an expert in another, cleaner field of energy by investing in solar power, the country's oil minister said in an interview ;

"For a country like Saudi Arabia ... one of the most important sources of energy to look at and to develop is solar energy," Ali al-Nuaimi told French oil newsletter Petrostrategies.

He added: "One of the research efforts that we are going to undertake is to see how we make Saudi Arabia a centre for solar energy research and hopefully over the next 30 to 50 years we will be a major megawatt exporter.

"In the same way we are an oil exporter, we can also be an exporter of power."

The kingdom, is sponsoring a variety of experiments in solar energy with particular emphasis on the use of the photovoltaic cell-to power a desalination plant in Jiddah, fend off corrosion in underground pipelines, heat a school in Tabuk and provide a full megawatt of electricity to a village north of Riyadh. That total is, no doubt, a drop in the bucket compared to the 292.8 megawatts being generated by traditional means in the Eastern Province, but is important, nonetheless, with regard to the future.

This foresight continues to guide Saudi policy. Though the kingdom will neither need nor benefit from solar energy for decades, it is committing vast sums to its development now while there is still time, and for reasons that were summed up crisply by Shaikh Ahmed Zaki Yamani, Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources: "The oil won't last forever."

That is why an 18 strong high official Saudi Arabian delegation will be attending MENASOL 2010, May 4-5, Cairo

The key decision makers sculpting the Kingdom’s solar policy will be on site as they are keen to meet with the other delegations from Morocco, Jordan and Egypt as well as the people on the ground developing solar projects.  Key figures in the delegation include:

Ministry of Industry
Dr. Ibrahim Bablie, Director - National Industrial Program
Dr. Meslet Al-Hajiri, Director

Ministry of Electricity & Power
Dr. Essam Al-Ammar, Senior Advisor - Renewable Energy

Saudi Aramco
Eng. Moh'd AlObaid, Director – GAS Sales

Council of Saudi Chambers
Eng. Moh'd Al-Tasan, Director - Industrial Integration Centre 

King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals
Prof. Habib Abualhamayel,  Director - Renewable Energy Research Centre

KACST
Dr. Naif Al-Abbadi, Director - Energy Research Institute
Dr. Ayman A. Alabduljabbar,  ERI's Assistant director
Yaseen G. Alharbi,  Solar Village Site Manger

MENASOL 2010 is offering solar professionals an exceptionally rare opportunity to network with these very important officials, and build relationships that will help them enter the Saudi market.

If you would like to find out more information n MENASOL 2010 and the Saudi Arabian delegation click here:

http://www.newsolartoday.com/solar-conference

or contact:

Heidi Hafes
Events Director
New Solar Today
T:(+ 44) 0207 375 7206
E: heidi@newsolartoday.com