Oman calls for wider GCC power links to reach Asian markets

MUSCAT, NOV 2
Oman has called for stronger electricity connections among Gulf countries and the eventual expansion of the regional network towards India and other neighbouring markets, as growing renewable energy capacity increases the need for cross-border electricity trade.
Speaking at GCC POWER in Muscat, Eng Salim bin Nasser al Aufi, Minister of Energy and Minerals, said strengthening existing national and regional networks should come before extending electricity connections beyond the Gulf.
He said Oman’s current electricity connection through the United Arab Emirates had proved valuable to both countries, while a new transmission link under development would strengthen the Sultanate of Oman’s integration with the wider GCC electricity network.
Al Aufi stressed that these connections must be completed and made reliable before the region considers extending its network to additional countries.
He identified Iraq, Jordan and Egypt as potential markets for wider electricity interconnection, while calling for serious consideration of subsea connections to the Indian subcontinent.
India, he said, could provide access to a substantial electricity market, with the possibility of eventually extending connections towards Pakistan and Iran.
The minister emphasised that such expansion would require political support alongside technical cooperation, noting that Gulf countries had already demonstrated their ability to deliver major infrastructure projects.
His remarks reflect a broader challenge facing the region as renewable electricity generation expands. Countries with substantial solar and wind resources may eventually produce more electricity than their domestic markets can absorb, increasing the importance of cross-border connections.
Al Aufi identified Oman and Saudi Arabia as countries with considerable renewable energy potential, arguing that stronger regional networks would be essential to making full commercial use of those resources.
Without access to larger markets, he suggested, some of that potential could remain undeveloped or economically difficult to utilise.
The minister also stressed the importance of connecting electricity systems within individual countries before pursuing wider regional integration.
For Oman, this includes strengthening transmission connections between the northern, central and southern parts of the Sultanate of Oman, alongside examining options to connect Musandam Governorate to the national electricity network.
The proposed expansion towards markets beyond the GCC remains a longer-term vision rather than a confirmed programme of new cross-border projects.
Al Aufi’s central message was that electricity interconnection should increasingly be viewed not only as a means of strengthening supply security, but also as infrastructure that could support future electricity trade and renewable energy investment across the region.