JEDDAH, 8 March 2004 — Saudi Arabia has given the go-ahead for the licensing of power generation and distribution services, the Saudi Press Agency reported. The decision, the first such move in the Kingdom, was made by Water and Electricity Minister Dr. Ghazi Al-Gosaibi, who heads a body tasked with regulating the power sector as part of a major restructuring program. Gosaibi said the body could now start “issuing the required licenses for activities covering the generation, transmission, distribution and supply of electricity,” SPA said.