Abu Dhabi’s Masdar has been awarded contracts to develop two large-scale solar projects in Saudi Arabia with a combined capacity of 2 gigawatts (GW) to support the Kingdom’s renewable energy drive under Vision 2030.
The projects, the 1,400-megawatt (MW) Najran plant and the 600MW Ad Darb facility, were awarded under the sixth round of the National Renewable Energy Program (NREP).
Masdar will develop both projects on a build, own and operate (BOO) basis after signing 25-year power purchase agreements (PPAs) with the Saudi Power Procurement Company (SPPC), the state’s principal offtaker for power projects.
The Ad Darb plant in Jizan Province is expected to begin commercial operations by late 2027, while the Najran project, located in Najran Province, is slated to start in the first half of 2028.
“Masdar is proud to support Saudi Arabia in achieving its Vision 2030 renewable energy targets,” said Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi, Chief Executive Officer of Masdar. “Winning the Najran and Ad Darb projects marks a significant expansion of our Saudi portfolio and underscores our two decades of experience in developing utility-scale renewable projects.”
The awards consolidate Masdar’s leading position in Saudi Arabia’s renewable market, where it has now secured the largest capacity in SPPC’s competitive tenders for three consecutive years. Its other major Saudi projects include the 1,100MW Al Henakiyah solar plant, set to begin operations in 2026, and the 2,000MW Al Sadawi project, expected to start in 2027.
The SPPC has so far awarded 43.2GW of power generation capacity across its programs, with 12.3GW already connected to the grid.
Masdar, formally known as Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company PJSC, has a global clean energy portfolio exceeding 51GW, with plans to reach 100GW by 2030. The company, which opened an office in Saudi Arabia in 2022, also operates the 300MW Jeddah Solar Power Plant and the 400MW Dumat Al Jandal Wind Farm — the Kingdom’s first and the largest wind project in the Middle East.
The new contracts reinforce Masdar’s growing footprint in one of the world’s fastest-expanding renewable energy markets, as Saudi Arabia accelerates efforts to diversify its energy mix and reduce its reliance on oil.
