The Gulf Cooperation Council Interconnection Authority (GCCIA is planning to issue tenders for interconnection expansion projects in the UAE and Oman in August with project awards likely by year-end, Saudi Arabic language daily Alriyadh said in a report on Monday.

GCCIA operates the 400kV GCC grid, which interlinks the electricity grids of the six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member countries.

GCCIA’s CEO Ahmed Ali Al-Ebrahim said the design of the overhead lines and pathways for the new interconnections are underway and the Authority is working on obtaining licenses from the relevant authorities in the UAE and Oman.

He said the UAE and Oman projects are expected to cost $1 billion, adding that the Authority is currently working on projects worth more than $2 billion.

In its latest 5-year statement (2023-2027), Oman Electricity Transmission Company (OETC) had stated that a new 400kV direct with the GCC grid is currently in the design stage. The project, which is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2026, will increase the transfer capability between Oman and GCC grid by up to 1,600 megawatts (MW).

Read more: Fitch Assigns 'A+' rating to GCCIA, forecasts increase in debt to fund power grid expansion

(Editing by Anoop Menon)  (anoop.menon@lseg.com)

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