Sharjah builds 13 power transmission projects worth $197 million

Summary

• Sharjah is executing 13 transmission projects valued above AED725 million, state news agency WAM reported.
• Two 220/132-kilovolt projects worth over AED341 million are already complete, the emirate's utility authority confirmed.
• The build-out targets new residential, investment and industrial zones and eases load on existing substations.

The latest

Thirteen major electricity transmission projects worth more than AED725 million, or about $197 million, are under way in Sharjah as the northern emirate moves to expand capacity alongside its economic growth plans, WAM reported. Two of them, 220/132-kilovolt schemes valued at over AED341 million, have already been completed, according to the Sharjah Electricity, Water and Gas Authority.

Details

• The figures: The 13 transmission projects carry a combined value exceeding AED725 million, equivalent to roughly $197 million, WAM reported. Nearly half that total, more than AED341 million, is accounted for by the two schemes already finished, leaving the remaining projects at under AED400 million between them.
• What's completed: The Sharjah Electricity, Water and Gas Authority confirmed the completion of two 220/132-kilovolt transmission projects. That voltage class sits at the high end of the emirate's grid, carrying bulk power from generation points to the substations that step it down for local distribution networks.
• The purpose: According to WAM, the projects are designed to supply new residential, investment and industrial areas with reliable electricity, reduce pressure on existing substations and help ensure continuity of supply. The emirate has not published a completion timetable for the remaining 11 projects.
• The demand base: Sharjah has a population of close to 2 million, making it the third most populous of the seven emirates after Dubai and Abu Dhabi. That population weight, combined with the emirate's industrial zones, places sustained load on a grid the authority says it is now reinforcing.
• Parallel spending: In June, the Sharjah government launched a AED750 million road upgrade programme aimed at easing traffic congestion on routes heading towards Dubai. The road package is larger in value than the entire transmission programme now under construction.
• The budget frame: The Sharjah ruler approved a 2026 budget of AED45 billion to support economic growth and fund strategic initiatives and projects, WAM reported. The transmission programme represents a fraction of that envelope, at roughly 1.6% of total approved spending for the year.
• The grid logic: Relieving overloaded substations is a standard prerequisite before new districts can be energised. By adding transmission capacity ahead of occupancy, the authority is positioning the network to absorb connections from zones that have been designated but not yet fully built out.

Background

Sharjah is the third most populous emirate in the UAE and hosts a large industrial base alongside residential districts that serve commuters working in Dubai, giving its grid a load profile shaped by both manufacturing and daily cross-emirate movement.

Between the lines

The sequencing is notable. A AED750 million road programme in June, a AED45 billion budget for 2026, and now AED725 million in transmission work point to infrastructure spending aimed at the same constraint: absorbing population and industrial growth in zones not yet fully serviced. Power capacity added before districts are occupied suggests planning tied to designated but undeveloped areas rather than reaction to current shortfalls.

What's next

Watch for the authority to announce completion dates or commissioning of the remaining 11 transmission projects, and for disclosure of which residential, investment and industrial zones the new capacity will serve first.

Source: AGBI (Pramod Kumar), citing WAM