Masdar, Abu Dhabi’s flagship renewable energy company, has secured two major solar power projects in Saudi Arabia with a combined capacity of 2 gigawatts, marking one of its most significant wins in the Kingdom to date. The award comes under the sixth round of Saudi Arabia’s National Renewable Energy Program and reflects the country’s continued drive to scale clean power infrastructure as part of its Vision 2030 diversification strategy.
The two projects include the 1,400-megawatt Najran solar facility and the 600-megawatt Ad Darb plant. Both will be developed under the Independent Power Producer model, where Masdar will build, own, and operate the assets. Each project is supported by a 25-year power purchase agreement signed with the Saudi Power Procurement Company, ensuring long-term offtake and financial stability.
Major step in regional energy cooperation
Saudi Arabia and the UAE are increasingly emerging as key collaborators in renewable energy investments across the Middle East. With this latest award, Masdar further strengthens its on-ground presence in the Kingdom’s energy sector, joining a growing list of UAE-based utilities participating in Saudi Arabia’s clean energy transition.
The projects will support the Kingdom’s energy mix goals, which target 50 percent renewable energy by 2030, and align with efforts to reduce dependence on fossil fuels while building a sustainable, future-focused economy.
Construction timeline and project locations
The Ad Darb solar plant will be located in the Jizan Province in the southwest of the Kingdom, an area that has seen large-scale infrastructure investments in recent years. It is expected to achieve commercial operations by late 2027.
The Najran solar project will be built in the Najran Province near the southern border with Yemen. It is scheduled to begin operations in the first half of 2028 and will become one of the largest photovoltaic power installations in the region once complete.
Together, the two projects will play a key role in expanding the Kingdom’s renewable energy capacity and accelerating green infrastructure development in southern Saudi Arabia.
Masdar: building momentum across global markets
Masdar CEO Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi said the company is proud to support the Kingdom’s renewable energy goals and sees the latest contract wins as a milestone in its Saudi portfolio expansion.
“Masdar is proud to support Saudi Arabia to achieve its Vision 2030 renewable energy targets,” he said. “Winning the Najran and Ad Darb projects marks a significant expansion of our Saudi portfolio, and is testament to our two decades of experience in developing and operating utility-scale renewable projects, and our strong track record in the region. We look forward to developing these projects and contributing to the Kingdom’s sustainable economic growth.”
Masdar has grown rapidly in recent years, taking on projects in more than 40 countries and investing in major solar, wind, and green hydrogen initiatives. The company, which is jointly owned by ADNOC, Mubadala, and TAQA, has positioned itself as a key driver of clean energy transition across Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East.
Saudi Arabia intensifies clean-energy focus
Saudi Arabia has stepped up its renewable energy investments in the past three years, announcing giga-scale clean energy projects and creating a structured tender program through the National Renewable Energy Program. The Kingdom aims to install approximately 58.7GW of renewable capacity by 2030, with the majority coming from solar power.
The sixth tender round demonstrated continued momentum in the sector as both local and international developers vie for contracts in what is shaping into one of the largest renewable markets globally.
Alongside solar build-outs, the Kingdom is rapidly expanding its green hydrogen and carbon-capture projects, underscoring its wider ambition to position itself as a clean-energy innovation hub.
Solar energy’s rising role in the Gulf
The Gulf region continues to witness rapid renewable energy growth, with UAE and Saudi Arabia leading deployment. Major projects like Noor Abu Dhabi, Al Dhafra solar park, and Saudi Arabia’s planned 2GW Sudair Solar PV plant highlight how solar power has become central to national energy strategies.
Saudi Arabia’s favorable sunlight conditions, large land bank, and strong government backing provide a competitive platform for large-scale projects, drawing international developers and investors.
Masdar’s latest wins add to ongoing cooperation between Gulf states in energy innovation and signal sustained commitment to long-term decarbonisation goals ahead of global climate milestones.
Looking ahead
With construction set to begin soon, the Najran and Ad Darb projects will contribute significantly to the Kingdom’s renewable grid stability once operational. They will also support job creation, strengthen local supply chains, and advance sustainable development across regional communities.
For Masdar, the contracts reaffirm its role as one of the world’s most active renewable developers and underscore the company’s strategy of expanding through partnership-driven growth in major emerging markets.
As the global energy landscape shifts toward sustainable power generation, the UAE-Saudi collaboration represents a strong signal for the region’s clean-energy leadership — and a roadmap for scaling renewable solutions at nation-building levels.
