Chinese engineering and equipment firms are playing an expanding role in the UAE's clean energy transition through major utility-scale projects. Developments include the 1.5-gigawatt PV3 Al Ajban solar project, phases of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, and integrated battery storage facilities.
Chinese manufacturers are scaling up exports of desalination membranes, filtration machinery, and engineering services to countries including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt. China exported more than $2 billion worth of water filtering and purifying equipment in 2025, driven by heavy domestic investment in water security. Gulf utilities are increasingly sourcing components from Chinese suppliers, with Saudi developer ACWA Power buying roughly 70 percent of its global water equipment from China.
Chinese industrial manufacturers are increasing supply agreements for freshwater infrastructure and desalination systems in the Gulf, primarily in the UAE and Saudi Arabia. Gulf utilities including ACWA Power plan to allocate at least $15 billion annually over three years to Chinese suppliers.
Saudi Power Procurement Company (SPPC) has qualified 13 companies to bid for the third round of the kingdom's combined-cycle gas turbine independent power producer programme. The qualified pool features regional and international developers, including UAE-based Taqa and Etihad Development Company alongside China's PowerChina. The projects will be executed under a build-own-operate model with provision for future carbon capture readiness.
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