Saudi Electricity Company (SEC) Completes Preparations for Hajj Season with Over Half a Billion SAR Investment

Saudi Electricity Company (SEC) has announced the completion of its preparations and the readiness of the electrical grid in Makkah, Medina, and the holy sites for the Hajj season of 1445 AH. This achievement follows the execution of 20 new projects with a total investment exceeding 700 million riyals. These projects include the establishment of new transmission and distribution networks, integration with the general grid, and the automation of distribution networks in the holy sites. Additionally, the control center in the holy sites has been connected with optical fibers by Integrated Dawiyat Telecommunications & Information Technology Company, a subsidiary of SEC.

Eng. Abdul Salam bin Rashid Al-Amari, Executive Director of Distribution & Customer Services at SEC Western Sector and General Supervisor of Hajj operations, stated that this year’s operational plan is being implemented under the supervision of the Ministry of Energy, with direct support from His Royal Highness Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, Minister of Energy, and in coordination with the energy ecosystem and all entities related to Hajj affairs.

Emphasizing the company’s commitment to ensuring the comfort and peace of mind of pilgrims during the Hajj season, Al-Amari highlighted SEC operational plan for the season. This plan aims to maintain the provision of reliable electricity services through new power grid enhancement projects, automating distribution networks in the Holy Sites, and increasing and redistributing response centers to reduce response times for customer requests and emergencies.

The General Supervisor of Hajj operations explained that SEC’s preparations for this year’s Hajj began early and involved several stages. Preparations for Hajj 1445 AH started in the first week after the end of last year’s Hajj. This process included studying and analyzing performance indicators and gathering lessons learned to continuously improve the quality and effectiveness of services provided to the pilgrims. As a result, the company approved and commenced the implementation of numerous projects. SEC also conducted two comprehensive tests to simulate the actual loads during the Hajj season to ensure the readiness and reliability of the electrical grid.

The operational plan also focuses on strengthening SEC’s presence in Makkah, Medina, and the holy sites through 103 launch centers distributed across the holy sites, central areas, and housing areas for pilgrims, operating around the clock. These centers have been reinforced with approximately 2,673 highly qualified national engineers, technicians, and specialists. These teams are accompanied by emergency and maintenance crews for generation stations and transmission lines, using geographic information systems and field team management systems to enhance their responsiveness and effectiveness.