SunRise Arabia Clean Energy Conference
September 30, 2026 | Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Building resilient infrastructure with PV & BESS
Saudi Arabia is entering a new era of clean energy leadership with ambitious renewables targets, rapidly falling solar PV costs, and the rise of grid-scale storage.
In its third edition, the SunRise Arabia Clean Energy Conference 2026 — hosted by pv magazine and Solarabic — spotlights how solar and energy storage solutions are driving sustainable and reliable infrastructure, with a particular focus on powering the country’s rapidly growing data center sector.
The event brings together policymakers, stakeholders, investors, and technology innovators to explore the present and future of solar PV and battery storage in Saudi Arabia. Discussions dive into the latest deployment strategies, financing models, and cutting-edge technologies shaping the market. A key topic will be how emerging industries with massive power needs—particularly in the digital economy—are set to transform demand for renewable energy. As these sectors expand across the Kingdom, the convergence of renewable resources, energy storage, and rising electricity demand creates unparalleled opportunities for growth and long-term value creation.
The conference features a full day of engaging presentations and panel discussions and includes an evening Get-together Reception, providing a relaxed setting for networking and building connections within the solar energy community.
Waleed AlHallaj has over a decade of experience in the renewable energy and green fuels sectors across the Middle East and Africa. He currently holds the positions of Director at Solarabic DMCC, Managing Partner at Orbit Sustainability, and CCO at H2 Global Energy. Waleed’s experience spans project procurement and construction, as well as project development and financing, working with industry leaders such as JinkoSolar and Amarenco.
Exploring the latest innovations shaping utility-scale solar and battery storage, from new technologies and project architectures to financing, deployment, and operational strategies. The session will examine how developers, technology providers, and EPCs can overcome project challenges and accelerate the delivery of reliable, cost-effective renewable energy projects.
- Keynote Speech
- Presentation | Platinum Partner LEAPTING ‘Automation in utility-scale solar projects: From robotic module installation to autonomous cleaning’
- Presentation | ‘Optimizing solar & storage beyond grid compliance’
- Panel Discussion
Waleed AlHallaj has over a decade of experience in the renewable energy and green fuels sectors across the Middle East and Africa. He currently holds the positions of Director at Solarabic DMCC, Managing Partner at Orbit Sustainability, and CCO at H2 Global Energy. Waleed’s experience spans project procurement and construction, as well as project development and financing, working with industry leaders such as JinkoSolar and Amarenco.
Examining the evolution of high-efficiency solar module technologies and how innovations such as advanced cell architectures, back-contact technologies, and high-power modules are translating into real project value. The session will focus on efficiency, reliability, land utilization, energy yield, cost, and bankability from the perspective of developers and EPCs.
- Presentation | Platinum Partner AIKO Energy ‘Rethinking module selection | ABC 4.0: Engineering higher yield through heat, dust and shading’
- Presentation | Platinum Partner JinkoSolar ‘Setting the new standard for TOPCon performance with Tiger Neo 3.0 in the desert’
- Panel Discussion
Michel Abi Saab is the General Manager of Emerge, where he leads the development and delivery of distributed solar and energy storage solutions across the UAE and the wider Middle East. He works closely with businesses and public entities to help them cut energy costs, reduce emissions, and transition to clean energy with zero upfront investment. With two decades of experience in the energy sector, Michel previously held senior roles at Masdar, contributing to clean energy programs and sustainability initiatives, including the development of Masdar City. Today, he focuses on scaling commercially viable renewable energy solutions that support net-zero ambitions while delivering long-term value for customers and partners.
He excels as a Technical Service Manager for the MENA Region for Jinkosolar. In this role, he provides pre-sales support, navigate contract negotiations, and participate in organizing events including marketing updates with technical part to show our clients our presence in the region and present our latest products and technologies. Additionally, He manages product lines and deliver customer training sessions, ensuring clients stay current on industry trends and technologies specially on the Solar PV panels part.
Waleed AlHallaj has over a decade of experience in the renewable energy and green fuels sectors across the Middle East and Africa. He currently holds the positions of Director at Solarabic DMCC, Managing Partner at Orbit Sustainability, and CCO at H2 Global Energy. Waleed’s experience spans project procurement and construction, as well as project development and financing, working with industry leaders such as JinkoSolar and Amarenco.
Exploring how commercial and industrial businesses can use solar energy to reduce electricity costs, improve energy efficiency, and strengthen long-term energy resilience. The session will address practical challenges of C&I deployment, including system design, performance, financing, operations, and how businesses can maximize the return on their renewable energy investments.
- Fireside Chat
- Panel Discussion
Waleed AlHallaj has over a decade of experience in the renewable energy and green fuels sectors across the Middle East and Africa. He currently holds the positions of Director at Solarabic DMCC, Managing Partner at Orbit Sustainability, and CCO at H2 Global Energy. Waleed’s experience spans project procurement and construction, as well as project development and financing, working with industry leaders such as JinkoSolar and Amarenco.
Moving beyond energy storage as a grid-scale solution to explore its growing role across critical and high-demand applications. The session will examine how battery storage, hybrid energy systems, and supporting technologies are enabling reliable power for agriculture, data centers, industrial facilities, and off-grid environments, with a focus on operational requirements, power quality, cooling, reliability, and scalability.
- Panel Discussion
Mohammed Atif is an Economist and Area Manager specializing in the Energy Transition field, with a special focus on the Middle East, Energy Systems at DNV. His expertise covers the entire energy value chain, including hydrocarbons, renewables, energy storage, CCUS, green hydrogen, intelligent networks and sustainable end use, among others. He is actively involved in thought leadership, high-level forums, and various publications.
Waleed AlHallaj has over a decade of experience in the renewable energy and green fuels sectors across the Middle East and Africa. He currently holds the positions of Director at Solarabic DMCC, Managing Partner at Orbit Sustainability, and CCO at H2 Global Energy. Waleed’s experience spans project procurement and construction, as well as project development and financing, working with industry leaders such as JinkoSolar and Amarenco.
Agenda
Moderator
Waleed AlHallaj has over a decade of experience in the renewable energy and green fuels sectors across the Middle East and Africa. He currently holds the positions of Director at Solarabic DMCC, Managing Partner at Orbit Sustainability, and CCO at H2 Global Energy. Waleed’s experience spans project procurement and construction, as well as project development and financing, working with industry leaders such as JinkoSolar and Amarenco.
Speakers
Michel Abi Saab is the General Manager of Emerge, where he leads the development and delivery of distributed solar and energy storage solutions across the UAE and the wider Middle East. He works closely with businesses and public entities to help them cut energy costs, reduce emissions, and transition to clean energy with zero upfront investment. With two decades of experience in the energy sector, Michel previously held senior roles at Masdar, contributing to clean energy programs and sustainability initiatives, including the development of Masdar City. Today, he focuses on scaling commercially viable renewable energy solutions that support net-zero ambitions while delivering long-term value for customers and partners.
He excels as a Technical Service Manager for the MENA Region for Jinkosolar. In this role, he provides pre-sales support, navigate contract negotiations, and participate in organizing events including marketing updates with technical part to show our clients our presence in the region and present our latest products and technologies. Additionally, He manages product lines and deliver customer training sessions, ensuring clients stay current on industry trends and technologies specially on the Solar PV panels part.
Nader AlHaj Issa is a Techno-Commercial Manager at Radiant, where he works on developing and structuring C&I solar and renewable energy projects across Saudi Arabia and the wider GCC. With an engineering background and over six years of experience in the solar sector, he combines technical expertise with commercial insight to develop practical and bankable energy solutions.
Nader has contributed to more than 300 MWp of C&I solar projects, with experience spanning PV system design, EPC evaluation, RFP management, PPA and EPC contracting, and CAPEX/OPEX optimization. Also, he contributed to the development of solar and EV-charging solutions, including initiatives supporting the localization of solar inverter manufacturing in Saudi Arabia.
Ameera Al-Amayrah is the Research Team Lead at Solarabic DMCC, with over 8 years of experience in the renewable energy sector across the MEA region. She specializes in market intelligence and advisory work spanning solar PV, energy storage, and green hydrogen, translating complex data into clear, decision-ready insights.
Mohammed Atif is an Economist and Area Manager specializing in the Energy Transition field, with a special focus on the Middle East, Energy Systems at DNV. His expertise covers the entire energy value chain, including hydrocarbons, renewables, energy storage, CCUS, green hydrogen, intelligent networks and sustainable end use, among others. He is actively involved in thought leadership, high-level forums, and various publications.
Andrea Mansoldo is a power system planning and grid technology expert with over 30 years of experience across utilities, transmission system operators, cable manufacturers and consultancy. He has held senior roles at CESI, Prysmian, EirGrid and DNV, working on grid planning, HV cable technologies, grid expansion, reliability, smart grids and renewable energy integration. He currently serves as Principal Consultant at DNV, advising utilities, regulators and major energy users across the Middle East.
Maryam Telmesani is the Vice President of Sustainability at SAUDIA Group and a recognized sustainability leader with extensive experience across the aviation, construction, and fashion sectors. She holds an Executive MBA from Hult International Business School and has led the development and implementation of sustainability and ESG strategies across multiple industries. Maryam is a strong advocate for sustainable development and plays an active role in advancing Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 objectives. She founded and chaired the Saudi Network of the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) and currently serves on several regional and international sustainability committees, including AACO, GACA, and SkyTeam. Her contributions to sustainability have earned her numerous international recognitions, including being named among Aviation Business’s 2025 Powerlist Executives in Aviation and receiving the 2026 Women in Global Energy Transition of the Year award. Through her leadership, she continues to drive sustainable transformation and strengthen collaboration across the aviation and sustainability sectors.
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