
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 — will spotlight 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 will bring together policymakers, stakeholders, investors, and technology innovators to explore the present and future of solar PV and battery storage in Saudi Arabia. Discussions will 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.
This session will examine the policies, incentives, and practical strategies that accelerate deployment. Topics will include free zone advantages, addressing logistical and regulatory bottlenecks, and building a localized battery value chain within a circular economy framework. This opening session sets the stage for the day by highlighting the potential and challenges of scaling solar and storage solutions across the region.
- Keynote speech
- Presentation JinkoSolar
- Presentation LEAPTING
- Panel discussion ‘Building a competitive solar & battery manufacturing ecosystem in MENA’
This panel examines how policy, certification, logistics, and industrial clustering can accelerate local solar and battery value chains. It will focus on overcoming regulatory and supply bottlenecks while ensuring quality and safety standards.
This session addresses real-world operational challenges such as grid interconnection and tariff design, strategies for demand charge management and value stacking, and how corporations are deploying capital to meet sustainability goals. Delegates will leave this session with a clear understanding of the opportunities for C&I solar-plus-storage to drive both environmental and economic outcomes.
- Presentations ‘Energy efficiency + storage integration for industry’
- Panel discussion ‘Unlocking value from C&I storage: Regulation, tariffs & corporate demand’
The panel explores how tariff structures, interconnection rules, and corporate sustainability strategies influence C&I storage deployment. It will focus on demand charge reduction, value stacking, and long-term capital allocation.
As demand from AI, cloud, and edge computing accelerates, data centers are becoming major drivers of energy system transformation. This session examines how renewable generation, grid planning, and corporate energy strategies are evolving to support large-scale digital infrastructure. Through expert insights and case-based discussions, participants will explore how to align long-term sustainability goals with performance, reliability, and commercial requirements.
- Presentation
- Panel discussion ‘Scaling renewable power for NextGen data centers’
This panel explores how utility-scale renewable projects and innovative procurement structures are being developed to meet hyperscale growth. Panelists will discuss solar deployment strategies, grid connection challenges, and contracting models that enable long-term capacity expansion. The session will highlight practical approaches to accelerating project delivery while maintaining system resilience and financial viability.
- Presentation
- Panel discussion ‘Reliable 24/7 power: Storage, microgrids & tech solutions’
Focusing on operational continuity, this panel examines how storage systems, microgrids, and digital energy platforms are enabling round-the-clock clean power for mission-critical facilities. Speakers will address system design, investment readiness, and risk management, with emphasis on replacing conventional backup solutions and ensuring dependable performance in high-demand environments.
Preliminary Agenda
This agenda is preliminary and subject to change. Please check regularly for updates.
Read the article highlighting the SunRise Arabia 2025 Key takeaways.
Moderators
Emiliano joined pv magazine in March 2017. He has been reporting on solar and renewable energy since 2009. Emiliano is responsible for the daily news coverage on pv-magazine.com with a particular focus on European market.
Emiliano also covers new technology, R&D, installations and company financial reporting. In its previous experience as a journalist, Emiliano has written about EdTech and new language technologies.
Marija has years of experience in a news agency environment and writing for print and online publications. She took over as the editor of pv magazine Australia in 2018 and helped establish its online presence over a two-year period. Since December 2021, Marija has been working as staff editor at pv magazine International for both online and monthly print publications, specializing in Eastern European solar markets, battery energy storage systems, and electric vehicles.
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.
Recap of SunRise Arabia 2025:
2025 Event gallery