The first phase of the electricity interconnection project between Egypt and Saudi Arabia will be operated during 2021 , aiming to exchange a total capacity 3,000 MW between both countries, according to the Minister of Electricity Mohamed Shaker. On the other hand, Shaker added that the electricity sector has signed a memorandum of understanding of linkage project with Cyprus and Greece in Europe so that Egypt would turn into an axis center for electricity interconnection between the three continents. The project will link the electricity grids of Saudi Arabia and Egypt to improve the regional electricity market. Upon completion, the two countries will have the ability to exchange up to 3 gigawatts (GW) of electricity, providing greater flexibility to respond to peak energy consumption periods. He also referred to the MoU that has been signed with the Beijing-based Global Energy Interconnection Development and Cooperation Organization (GEIDCO), an association that focuses on promoting sustainable development of energy, to cooperate in number of fields including conducting researches about the energy strategy in Egypt and promote the development of the usage of renewable energy and the integration of electricity networks as well as the technical consulting regarding the smart networks applications.
