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Saudi to swap 127 volt power for 230 volts
RIYADH
Petroleumworld.com, Aug 31, 2010Saudi Arabia will switch from its current 127 volts electricity to the more common 230 volts, bringing it in line with the rest of Arab Gulf states, SPA news agency reported on Tuesday.
The decision was taken on Monday at a council of ministers meeting and the switch should be completed over the next 25 years, the official news agency said.
Oil-rich Saudi Arabia and Libya are the only countries in the Middle East and North Africa which have stuck to 127 volts, which is not strong enough to power European- and Asian-standard appliances.
However some Saudi homes and many larger buildings feature both 127 and 230 volt wiring.
The move will bring Saudi Arabia in line with its partners in the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) which launched a joint power grid in 2009.
The grid links Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Qatar and will soon bring in the other two GCC partners, the United Arab Emirates and Oman.
Story from AFP
AFP 08/31/2010
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