
India plans $10.5bln undersea power transmission lines to Saudi Arabia and UAE
India is planning to build undersea electricity transmission lines to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) at a cost of 900,000 million Indian rupees ($10.5 billion), local financial newspaper The Economic Times reported on Tuesday.
The report quoted the country's Power Minister Manohar Lal Khattar as saying that joint venture agreements have already been signed with both Gulf nations, supporting India's strategy to boost electricity exports.
The transmission line to Saudi Arabia is expected to cost INR 470,000 million ($5.5 billion), while the UAE project will require around INR 430,000 million ($5 billion), the report said.
It said each link will be designed to carry 2 gigawatts (GW) of electricity with the Saudi interconnection spanning approximately 1,400 kilometres, whereas the UAE link will extend 1,600 km.
(1 US Dollar = 85.50 Indian rupees)
(Writing by SA Kader; Editing by Anoop Menon)
(anoop.menon@lseg.com)
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Khaleej Times
44 minutes ago
- Khaleej Times
Air India tragedy: What we know about the Boeing 787 Dreamliner that crashed
[Editor's Note: Follow KT's live blog for all the latest updates on the Ahmedabad plane crash.] As of June 2025, Air India operates 34 Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft. It was one of these that crashed near Ahmedabad Airport, India, on Thursday, killing 290 people at the time of reporting. Carrying 169 Indians, 53 Britons, seven Portuguese and one Canadian, the London-bound Air India flight turned fatal on the afternoon of June 12, soon after taking off from the Indian city of Ahmedabad. The aviation disaster is being billed as the world's worst in a decade. Importantly, according to aviation analytics source Cirium, the Tata-backed carrier has already placed an order for 20 additional Boeing 787 and a letter of intent for options of an additional 24 aircraft. The Indian airline's website switched to colours of black and white after the disaster. Data from Cirium revealed that the aircraft's first flight was December 14, 2013 and it was delivered to Air India on January 28, 2014. Manufactured in Seattle, USA, the aircraft which crashed on Thursday was 11.5 years old. There are 1,148 Boeing 787 variants in service globally, with an average age of 7.5 years old. The Air India flight that crashed had 18 business class seats and 238 economy class seats. It had more than 41,000 hours of flying time, and almost 8,000 takeoffs and landings, including some 700 cycles in the past 12 months. In total, Air India has 190 aircraft, with an average age of 8.4 years old. In less than 14 years, according to Boeing, the 787 Dreamliner fleet has carried more than one billion passengers, more than any other widebody jet in aviation history. A lighter and more robust composite structure enables airlines to reduce fuel use by up to 25 per cent compared to the airplanes it replaces. The 787 operates to more than 425 new nonstop routes around the world, many of which were never served previously. In the Middle East, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner is operated by EgyptAir, Gulf Air, Qatar Airways, EL AL, Iraqi Airways, Royals Jordanian, Etihad Airways, Oman Air and Saudia.


Khaleej Times
an hour ago
- Khaleej Times
Dubai Metro: RTA deploys AI-powered robot to inspect rail tracks
An AI-driven robot inspector with 'proactive maintenance strategies' is now being used to inspect Dubai Metro rail tracks and related infrastructure, boosting operational efficiency by 75 per cent, the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) announced on Thursday. Called ARIIS or Automated Rail Infrastructure Inspection System, the robotic platform uses advanced LiDAR (light detection and ranging) sensors, lasers, and 3D cameras to 'autonomously inspect rail tracks and critical infrastructure without interrupting metro operations,' RTA noted. According to RTA, ARIIS boosts operational efficiency by 75 per cent, allowing for more frequent inspections to improve overall system reliability. This means the usual 2,400 man-hours needed to inspect Dubai Metro infrastructure by human personnel, can be brought down to 700 man-hours with ARIIS. With ARIIS, manual inspections can be reduced by up to 70 per cent and assessing infrastructure condition can be done more effectively by 40 per cent, RTA added, noting another important feature of ARIIS is having predictive and proactive maintenance strategies . 'Dubai is proud to lead in smart solutions to improve reliability and efficiency of Dubai Metro. The introduction of ARIIS represents another significant leap in our journey to maintain our Metro as one of the most advanced and safest public transportation networks globally, said Abdul Mohsin Kalbat, CEO of RTA's Rail Agency, in a statement shared with Khaleej Times. 'ARIIS is a milestone achievement, significantly transforming our maintenance operations by improving safety, efficiency, and data-driven decision-making,' added David Franks, managing director of Keolis MHI, operator of Dubai Metro.


Khaleej Times
an hour ago
- Khaleej Times
Pakistan PM in UAE: President Sheikh Mohamed, Sharif discuss bilateral cooperation
UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan met Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif of Pakistan in Abu Dhabi on Thursday, where the two leaders held talks focused on strengthening bilateral cooperation and addressing key regional and international developments. The meeting, held at Qasr Al Shati, also included the exchange of Eid Al Adha greetings, with both leaders offering prayers for continued prosperity in their countries and peace across the Muslim world and beyond. Discussions centered on enhancing collaboration in economic, investment, and development sectors, with both sides reaffirming their shared commitment to deepening strategic ties. They also exchanged views on current regional challenges and emphasised the importance of supporting global efforts to promote peace and stability. Prime Minister Sharif praised the UAE's diplomatic leadership in advancing dialogue and conflict resolution and expressed appreciation for the UAE's continued support for Pakistan's development initiatives. Senior officials from both nations attended the meeting, which underscored the growing partnership between the UAE and Pakistan. Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Sharif was welcomed at Al Bateen Airport by Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Ruler of Abu Dhabi and National Security Adviser.