Under the patronage of the Ministry of Energy, GE Vernova hosted the exclusive ‘New Era of Energy’ forum at the King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center (KAPSARC) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The event brought together Scott Strazik, CEO of GE Vernova, and over 200 distinguished senior leaders from the public, private, and non-profit sectors across the energy ecosystem. Participants exchanged ideas, shared solutions, and presented best practices to further strengthen Saudi Arabia’s energy ecosystem in support of Saudi Vision 2030.
In addition to the forum, GE Vernova held its annual Global Supplier Partnership Summit, attended by more than 300 supplier organisations. The summit aimed to deepen the energy sector’s supply chain, drive national industrialisation and economic diversification goals, and foster foreign investments to create greater shared value in the power sector.
Key developments
Several new initiatives and milestones were announced during the event. GE Vernova revealed plans to invest in manufacturing grid solutions in the Kingdom, aligning with a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed with National Grid in November 2024. The investment will expand the GE Saudi Advanced Turbines (GESAT) facility in Dammam, enabling the local production of high-voltage gas-insulated switchgears. This will establish the first GE Vernova facility of its kind in the Middle East, supporting Saudi Vision 2030 by delivering essential, long-lead equipment for modernising the country’s electrical infrastructure. The investment also underscores GE Vernova’s commitment to enhancing local industrial capabilities and creating employment opportunities for Saudi nationals.
GE Vernova also announced plans to expand production capacity at its GE Manufacturing Technology Center (GEMTEC) in Dammam. This expansion will advance grid automation products, services, and solutions in Saudi Arabia, accelerating grid digitalization and modernisation to support a more efficient, reliable, and sustainable power network.
A significant achievement highlighted at the event was the completion of the first heavy-duty gas turbine outage entirely led by Saudi nationals. Saudi Electricity Company (SEC) and GE Vernova successfully executed the outage at the 8th Power Plant in Riyadh, a strategic facility critical to meeting the Kingdom’s growing electricity demands. This milestone reflects both companies’ commitment to fostering local talent within Saudi Arabia’s energy sector.
“With a clear roadmap for Vision 2030 and beyond, Saudi Arabia is well placed to lead a new era of energy, and GE Vernova is honoured to play a significant role in these efforts,” said Strazik. “We are applying technologies, skills, and knowledge from around the world to the Kingdom – including in our work at the GE Manufacturing and Technology Center campus and the Khobar Integration Facility. GE Vernova is proud to continue our near century of contributions to the Kingdom’s power sector, and today’s announcements underscore our commitment to investing and expanding our work in this important region.”
GE Vernova drives Saudi Arabia’s energy transformation
Several new initiatives and milestones were announced during the event. (Image source: GE Vernova)
