Spotlight on Hisham F. Alhegelan, KSA Country Manager - X-Noor
Hisham F. Alhegelan
KSA Country Manager, X-Noor
About Hisham
Hisham Alhegelan was appointed as the Country Manager for X-NOOR Saudi Arabia in November 2024. With over 30 years of leadership experience, he has a proven track record of delivering outstanding strategic and operational results in diverse and challenging global environments.
From 2014 to 2019, Hisham served as the Country Manager for Abengoa, one of the world’s largest solar power developers. Following this, he held leadership roles at the Saudi Ministry of Industry & Mineral Resources as well as Ministry of Municipality, Rural Affairs and Housing.
Could you tell us about your role as the KSA Country Manager and your experience leading X-Noor's operations in Saudi Arabia?
Although X-NOOR was established one year ago, we have been able to gather an amazing team and together we have amassed a large pipeline of projects. My role is to support the team in the best way possible, leveraging my vast experience and professional network. Beyond that, I oversee the team’s Business Development, recruit new talents, assign and supervise tasks. An important part of my role is to analyze the trends of the solar market in KSA.
How is X-Noor leveraging technology to enhance its solar energy solutions in the MENA region?
X-NOOR’s approach is innovative by focusing on delivering tailored solar and hybrid solutions to satisfy our customers' need and bringing our energy efficiency expertise to the table. We ensure that our customers maximize the value of our collaboration. X-NOOR’s priority is to address challenges effectively and provide solutions that resolve obstacles. We are benefiting from the know-how and resources of our shareholder, X-ELIO, one of the world’s largest solar developers with over 2.8 GW of installed solar capacity globally.
Can you share a significant achievement or project led by X-Noor’s KSA office that has contributed to the growth of solar energy in the region?
To highlight some of our achievements:
Umm Gudair: Size 10 MWp solar System type: Solar ground mounted Location: Kuwait Status: Operational
JA Resort: Size 1.12 MWp solar System type: Rooftop Solar Location: UAE Status: Under Construction
MFC: Size 662 KWp solar System type: Rooftop Solar Location: UAE Status: Operational
John Crane: Size 443.7 KWp solar System type: Rooftop Solar & Car Park Location: UAE Status: Under Construction
What opportunities do you see for X-Noor in contributing to Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 and renewable energy goals?
I believe that X-NOOR will end up playing an important role in contributing to the KSA’s 2030 vision and renewable goals.
The rising price of diesel along with SEC stopping HFO usage, gives us a clear opportunity to address the needs of farms, factories and cement companies.
What advice would you give to individuals or businesses looking to enter the solar energy market?
Ensure thoroughness when obtaining all necessary permits and licenses, as this is a critical step in avoiding delays and ensuring compliance with regulations. After that, the focus should shift to land acquisition and land security. Ultimately, this is a customer-centric business, and educating customers about the advantages of signing a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) is key.
What are your priorities for X-Noor’s operations over the next five years, and what excites you most about the future of solar energy in the region?
I believe that the market is still untapped, and I am excited to be part of a young company that aims to grow the market while growing with the market. The electricity company is raising rates, and with Vision 2030, we have a mandate to move away from oil dependency, making the move to solar strongly supported from all levels of government including new regulations to support our endeavors.
It is also imperative that we grow our footprint while keeping a pristine reputation for being an innovative proactive company that offers competitive solutions with solid engineering and great customer support.
About X-Noor
X-NOOR is a regional solar developer and a JV between X-ELIO, a Brookfield company, and Dutco, a large conglomerate with 75+ years experience in the region. Brookfield is today the third largest solar developer in the world. We finance, implement and operate Solar PV systems alone or in combination with Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS). The company focuses on the medium to large-scale C&I market. X-NOOR is licensed as NOOR Clean Energy LLC in KSA and as X-NOOR Energy Equipment Trading LLC in UAE.