Egypt and Saudi Arabia are gearing up to initiate a $1.8 billion electrical interconnection project, with testing scheduled to commence next month and trial operation set for next year. This project marks the first large-scale high-voltage direct current (HVDC) interconnection in the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region. It involves the connection of three substations through 1,350 kilometers of overhead power transmission lines and 22 kilometers of submarine cables. A consortium consisting of Hitachi