TAIF, 9 August — Crown Prince Abdullah, deputy premier and commander of the National Guard, yesterday commissioned a major electricity transformer plant in Asheera, a small township in Taif.
The SR175 million plant will supply electricity to 4,700 subscribers in 27 villages.
“In the name of God, the most gracious and the most merciful, I inaugurate this project, one of the blessings of God, and hope it will benefit all of the people in our country,” the crown prince said while unveiling the plaque.
Fuad Al-Shuraiby, director general of the Saudi Electricity Company in the Western Province, later briefed Prince Abdullah on the project’s facilities.
Addressing the opening ceremony, Industry and Electricity Minister Dr. Hashem Yamani said his ministry had succeeded in supplying electricity to more than 7,600 cities, towns and villages in the country.
The total number of electricity subscribers in the Kingdom has reached 3.6 million.
The electricity plants under the ministry generate 24,000 megawatts daily. This is in addition to electricity produced by 27 desalination plants under the Saline Water Conversion Corporation (SWCC) on the Red Sea and Arabian Gulf, which supply 2,800 megawatts of electricity and 600 million gallons of water daily.
Yamani said the Asheera transformer project would strengthen electricity supply in the region and help meet the growing demand for electricity in Taif, the result of a massive expansion in the commercial, tourism and industrial activities in the city.
Referring to the Saudization drive in the electricity sector, the minister said 72 percent of workers in the sector are now Saudis.
The opening ceremony was attended by Prince Miteb, minister of public works and housing, Prince Nawaf, Makkah Governor Prince Abdul Majeed, Prince Faisal ibn Abdullah, head of the National Guard in the Western Province, other princes and high-ranking officials.
Prince Abdullah had earlier inaugurated another vital electricity project in Sayada, south of Taif.
That project, according to Muhammad ibn Zaraa, acting executive president of the Saudi Electricity Company, was carried out at a cost of SR421 million.
The Sayada plant will serve more than 18,000 subscribers in 633 villages in the region.
Zaraa highlighted the significance of the Asheera plant, saying that it would also supply electricity to Sufyan, Meeqaa, Shaariya, Ayna, Audy, Harra, Aziziya, Mahareb, Faisaliya, Majalla and Farhoudi villages in the first stage.
He added that the project would include the construction of 67 kilometers of 33KV lines and 110 kilometers of 127/220KV lines, control and monitoring systems and a 110/33/13.8KV transformer station in Mawiya.
The total cost of electricity projects under implementation in Taif will reach SR596 million.
Crown Prince Abdullah, who arrived in this summer resort city on Friday on an inspection tour, also visited the King Abdul Aziz Historical Camp resort in Asheera.
The camp is located 75 kilometers north of Taif. King Abdul Aziz used to camp at this site on his way to Makkah.
Prince Abdullah also inspected a fuel station and a number of wells established during the time of King Abdul Aziz.
