Q&A with Jamal Wadi, CEO of Alfanar Global Development

As Saudi Arabia invests in renewable energy, how is Alfanar supporting the green energy revolution? 

Sustainability has always been one of Alfanar’s major pillars. When we started cementing our renewable energy footprint several years ago, there was a global understanding that sustainability is the key to the future. We recognised that it is crucial to build a vast international portfolio of projects to better contribute to Saudi Arabia’s inevitable shift towards renewable energy. 

Alfanar’s defining experiences took place on the global stage, starting with our 50MW contribution to Egypt’s Benban Solar Park, and then our development programme in wind energy in Spain, through which we are developing a 500MW portfolio in wind. Our 600MW project in India will also leave a lasting impact, with clean energy already being fed to India’s national power grid. 

All of this gave us a wide breadth of experience that prepares us for not only Saudi Arabia’s present but also its promising future. Our blended expertise in EPC and engineering also adds to our competitive strengths and enables us to participate in Saudi Arabia’s visionary renewable energy programme. 

Today, with a 1.7GW global portfolio in renewable energy, we are qualified for projects under the kingdom’s National Renewable Energy Programme. Our contribution currently stands at 70MW, and we aim to continue our active participation in the Saudi market to endorse Saudi Vision 2030 and empower the kingdom to reach its goals of generating 50 per cent of its electricity from various renewable sources.

What are your predictions for the future of renewable energy?

Renewable energy is the only future that lies ahead. It is the undeniable solution for replacing whatever may remain from conventional energy sources. This is why we are always strong advocates and highly engaged players in the ambitious programmes of countries across the globe, especially in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, India, UK and Spain. 

Alfanar will continue its active presence in these markets to meet all its visionary targets. We will achieve this partly through maintaining strong partnerships with different stakeholders such as governments, utilities, investors, lenders and technology providers. These critical partnerships along with our commitment to quality enable us to continue meeting our clients’ targets.

What would you say is Alfanar’s most important contribution? 

With immense capabilities in terms of resources – financial and otherwise – and nothing short of excellence in terms of quality, Alfanar plays a crucial role in achieving the renewable energy sector’s various visions and plans in a way that adds immeasurable value.

Of course, when it comes to renewable energy projects, simply building national capacities guarantees a future where a growing global population will be sustained by clean energy, which increases the quality of life for humankind as a whole. 

From my perspective, what sets Alfanar’s contributions apart is the fact that we never limit ourselves – we “adapt and achieve” sustainable solutions across various sectors such as power, healthcare, oil and gas, water, social infrastructure and digital solutions.

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