Saudi Red Bricks Company (Al Amoudi) has launched new block products with improved insulation which will help cut energy consumption in buildings. The new blocks are known as Azil Mutawar, Hordi Mutawar and Rockshell.

Construction work at Sadara Chemical Company’s 6-sq-km industrial complex in the Eastern Province is 98 per cent complete and the massive chemicals venture is expected to achieve full operations by 2017, it has been revealed.

Saudi Arabia will need to invest SR500 billion ($133.3 billion) in electricity projects over the next 10 years to cope with rising power demand, said a top official. Minister Abdullah Al Hussayen told an industry conference the country expects peak electricity to hit 90,000 MW in 2022. Installed capacity is around 70,000 MW now.

Al Abdulkarim Holding (AKH), Saudi Arabia’s leading supplier and stockist of electrical, electromechanical, communications, instrumentation and oilfield components, is poised to further expand its manufacturing base with the launch of production of gate valves under a tie-up with Valvosider of Italy.

Work on airport projects on schedule Work is progressing well on the modernisation of 27 airports in Saudi Arabia and is due to be completed within the next five years, said a report, citing a senior aviation official.

A record 47,431 rooms and 124 hotel projects are currently under development in Saudi Arabia, according to a new report. The majority of these are in the final construction and pre-opening stages with 52 projects and almost 20,000 rooms set to open to the public throughout the kingdom this year, says the report by Tophotelprojects.

Saudi Arabia is set to fast-track a planned rail link and a second causeway with Bahrain. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques has given the directive to speed up work on the project, Saudi ambassador Dr Abdulla Al Shaikh said. The project to build the rail link and King Hamad Causeway is estimated to cost $15.5 billion.