Saudi Electricity Company Bolsters Grid For Hajj Season 1445 AH With Major Projects

The Saudi Electricity Company (SEC) has announced that the electrical grid in Makkah, Madinah, and the holy sites is prepared for Hajj season 1445 AH. This readiness follows the completion of 20 new projects with a total investment exceeding SAR700 million, according to an SEC press release issued yesterday.

The projects involved establishing new transmission and distribution networks, integrating them into the general grid, and automating distribution networks at the holy sites. The control center at these sites has been connected with optical fibers by Dawiyat Integrated Telecommunications & Information Technology Company, a subsidiary of SEC.

Eng. Abdul Salam Al-Amari, SEC Western Sector Executive Director of Distribution and Customer Services and General Supervisor of Hajj operations, stated that this year's operational plan is being implemented under the supervision of the Ministry of Energy. The plan has direct support from Minister of Energy Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman and coordination with all entities concerned with Hajj affairs.

Al-Amari emphasized SEC's commitment to ensuring the comfort and peace of mind of pilgrims during Hajj season. He highlighted SEC's operational plan, which aims to maintain reliable electricity services through new power grid enhancement projects, automating distribution networks at the holy sites, and increasing and redistributing response centers to reduce response times to customer requests and emergencies.

Early Preparations and Continuous Improvement

According to Al-Amari, SEC's preparations for this year's Hajj began early, in the first week after the end of last year’s Hajj. The process included studying and analyzing performance indicators and lessons learned to continuously improve the quality and effectiveness of services provided to pilgrims. As a result, the company approved and commenced numerous projects.

SEC also conducted two comprehensive tests to simulate actual loads during Hajj season to ensure the readiness and reliability of the electrical grid.

Strengthening Presence in Makkah and Madinah

The operational plan also focuses on strengthening SEC's presence in Makkah and Madinah through 103 launch centers distributed across the holy sites, central areas, and areas housing pilgrims. These centers operate round the clock and have been reinforced with 2,673 highly qualified national engineers, technicians, and specialists.

These teams are accompanied by emergency and maintenance crews servicing generation stations and transmission lines using geographic information and field team management systems to enhance their responsiveness and effectiveness.

With inputs from SPA