Egypt signed a land usufruct contract for a $220 million industrial complex to manufacture solar cells, panels, and energy storage systems in the Suez Canal Economic Zone (SCZONE). The “Atom Solar Egypt” project will involve investors from Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and China, spanning 200,000 sq m in the Sokhna region. It will include two 2 GW solar cell and panel factories, as well as a 1 GWh storage project. The facility will export solar cells globally while supplying panels to Egypt, the Middle East, and Africa. China’s JA Solar will act as a technical investor, with local content gradually increased using Egyptian inputs.

China’s Central New Energy Holding Group and Oman-based data center operator EGN signed a memorandum of understanding to develop solar projects in Oman, focusing on “generation-grid-load-storage” systems tied to AI-enabled data centers. Central New Energy will handle the investment and operation of photovoltaic facilities, while EGN leads project development. Plans include localizing the value chain through component manufacturing, talent training, and setting technical standards.

Maaden Bauxite and Alumina Company, a subsidiary of Saudi Arabia’s Maaden, partnered with Emerge (Masdar and EDF joint venture) to build an 8 MW solar project with 30 MWh battery storage at the Al Baitha bauxite mine. The off-grid system is expected to generate approximately 17,300 MWh of energy annually, ensuring 24/7 clean power.

China’s Kibing Group presented a major investment plan to Algeria’s Ministry of Energy to build a solar glass facility with an annual capacity of 1.53 million tons, along with an ultra-pure silica sand processing facility that would produce 1.08 million tons yearly. The project is expected to strengthen Algeria’s solar value chain using local resources.