The success of the merger of several local electricity firms into what is today the Saudi Electricity Company (SEC) and the role of the Electricity and Cogeneration Regulatory Authority (ECRA) in regulating the electricity sector will be the focus of a one-day symposium entitled Electricity Reforms in the World: Perspectives for Saudi Arabia. The symposium opens Tuesday at the Asharqia Chamber of Commerce and Industry in the Eastern Province. The symposium is jointly sponsored by Arbah Capital and Saudi Gazette. Two experts from the Arbah Capital, an investment wealth management firm based in Saudi Arabia, Saad Hassosah and Jaffar Hussain, CEO and manager of the private equity division, respectively, will provide in-depth insights into the success and performance of the Saudi electricity sector. Other international speakers will address the one-day forum. They are Dr. Fereidoon Perry Sioshansi, who will talk on global electricity reforms; and Dr. Reza Fathollahzadeh Aghdam, who will discuss the electricity reforms in Australia and their impact on productivity and economic growth. The Arbah Capital experts said that the Kingdom has undergone significant reforms. They said that the establishment of the ECRA has further promoted competition in the sector and encouraged, at the same time, cogeneration and healthy competition among the key players. “It is believed that the reforms will improve the productivity of the industry and enhance the economic growth of Saudi Arabia, at the national level,” the Arbah experts said.
