The Egyptian Minister of Electricity and Renewable Resources, Mohamed Shaker, stated that the ministry is working on establishing power links with Saudi Arabia. He added that such bilateral connectivity with neighboring Arab nations requires stability in the region, reported Al Borsa. Shaker concluded that the current political and economic situation between Egypt and Saudi Arabia did not affect the electricity link project as tenders had been launched in order to complete the project within the first quarter of 2019.

The project consists of three stages. The first aims to establish two 500KV alternating current to direct current transformers in Badr City, as well as a station for the aero line connection with the marine cable in Nabaq, Saudi Arabia. The project will start trial runs in mid-2017, with the objective of exchanging 3000MW electrcicity between Egypt and Saudi Arabia during rush hours.

The second phase includes a 450km aero line linking Badr Station to Nabaq station and a 850km line between Nabaq and East Madinah. finally, the third stage is concluded in linking Badr and Nabaq stations via ground cables, along with a 500KV marine cable across the Gulf of Aqaba, at a distance of 16km.

In mid July, Egypt Oil&Gas reported that the Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company (EETC) would meet with Siemens, ABB, and Alstom companies to discuss the transformer tender of the $1.6b Egyptian-Saudi electricity linkage project, with Egypt paying $600m.