Egypt expects the first phase of its project to link power grids with Saudi Arabia to be operational by early 2021, an Egyptian electricity ministry official said on Monday. The project is part of Egypt's plans to become a global energy hub through linking its power grids with African, European, and Arab Gulf countires, Sabah Meshaly, first undersecretary of Egyptian Ministry of Electricity, told Amwal Al Ghad. In 2013, Saudi Arabia and Egypt signed a 6 billion-riyal ($1.6 billion) agreement to link their electricity grids, a project that will allow power trading between the two countries. It will help exchange energy between the two countries in peak hours, to a maximum of 3,000 megawatts, as well as help them export surpluses in electricity. Electricity consumption in Egypt usually surges during the summer, exacerbated both by the hot weather and the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, which next year will fall on mid-May. Gulf countries have similar patterns of consumption, and see demand peak in the summer. They have taken measures to connect their grids in an effort to stave off shortages.
