Updated 19th August 2025 – Masdar, in partnership with GD Power and Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO), has successfully reached financial close on the 2 GW Al Sadawi solar PV project. Valued at approximately US$1.1 billion, the development is being funded through arrangements with eight major regional and international financial institutions. Once completed, Al Sadawi will be among the largest solar power facilities worldwide. Located in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province, the project will follow a Build, Own, and Operate (BOO) model under a 25-year Power Purchase Agreement with the Saudi Power Procurement Company (SPPC), finalized in late 2024. The plant is expected to begin initial power generation before entering full commercial operation in 2027.
April 2025 – China’s Shanghai Electric has signed partnership agreements with Masdar and Mawarid Group for the 2 GW Sadawi solar project in Saudi Arabia, and a wind energy project in Oman. The signings come at a critical time in Saudi’s and Oman’s sustainability initiatives. Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 and Oman’s Vision 2040 initiatives are aimed at making sustainability and technological transformations in the Middle East. These transformations will ripple their effects to various sectors and industries in the region, and the latest tri-lateral collaboration is only testament to its importance.
Sadawi Solar Project Factsheet
Location: Dumat Al Jandal, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
EPC contractor: Shanghai Electric
Solar farm area: 40 km2
Installation capacity: 2 Gigawatts (GW)
Annual producion: 6 billion kWh
Project commissioning date: August 2027
* Early generation at full capacity by May 2026
More on the Sadawi solar project
Saudi Arabia’s plans for the 2 GW Sadawi solar project also sets the bar high for the Chinese contractor. This is so far, Shanghai Electric’s largest engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) project in the world.
Once commissioned, Saudi’s Sadawi solar project will not only cut CO2 emissions from the West Asian country by 3 million tons, but also supply 700,000 homes in the Kingdom with clean solar energy. This tallies with the annual supply value from the 2 GW solar farm estimated to be at 6 billion kWh. The Sadawi solar project also holds a special part in the Kingdom’s energy portfolio as it features in its National Renewable Energy Program.
China’s Saudi and Oman partnership
At the signing, the 2 GW Sadawi solar project was described as a “benchmark demonstration project”. The project according to Wu Lei will, “contribute more to the global energy transition”. Wu Lei is Shanghai Electric’s chairperson.
Speaking of the duo’s future relationship, Masdar’s CEO, Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi, courted the idea of more project partnerships with Shanghai Electric especially in Saudi’s renewable energy sector. “[Masdar] … looks forward to further deepening cooperation with them [Shanghai Electric] in wind power, photovoltaics, energy storage, and other fields in the future to jointly promote the transformation of the global energy structure.”, said Al Ramahi.
The same sentiment was also echoed by Oman’s Minister of Energy and Minerals, Salim Al Aufi. Wu Lei was also enthusiastic of the idea. Especially for the creation of a “new chapter in China-Arab energy cooperation”.
Also read: Orascom, Técnicas JV bags construction contract for Saudi’s 3GW QIPP Power Plant expansion
