The event was held alongside the 5th International Conference and Exhibition of the Saudi Center for Commercial Arbitration (SCCA), bringing together global leaders to exchange insights on the future of cross-border collaboration.

The event was inaugurated by H.E. Javier Carbajosa Sánchez, Spain’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, and convened a distinguished group of policymakers, industry leaders, and legal experts to explore opportunities for deeper economic engagement between Spain and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Discussions focused on strengthening trade and investment ties, enhancing legal frameworks that support international business, and highlighting the growing importance of arbitration in fostering a stable, investor-friendly commercial environment.

Mr. Laj Abdullah, General Counsel at Alfanar Projects, represented the company during the panel, drawing on nearly a decade of operational experience in Spain, where the company has developed a strong presence in wind-led renewables alongside solar, storage, engineering, and long-term investment, positioning the country as a strategic platform for expansion into Europe and Latin America. During the discussion, he shared practical insights into renewable energy investments, highlighting the structural differences between Saudi Arabia’s centralized, government-driven model, characterized by long-term PPAs and high post-award certainty, and Spain’s decentralized, market-based environment, which requires navigating complex permitting processes, grid access, and environmental approvals while balancing auctions, corporate PPAs, and merchant exposure.

He advised Saudi investors to adopt a long-term mindset, build robust local capabilities, maintain financing flexibility, and approach Spain as a scalable platform rather than a single-asset opportunity. Emphasizing that Saudi Arabia offers scale and certainty while Spain provides market depth and international reach, Mr. Laj noted that success depends on tailoring strategies to each market’s unique dynamics and leveraging cross-border expertise to support resilient, future-ready energy projects.