Saudi Arabia will switch from its current 127 volts electricity to the more common 230 volts, bringing it in line with the rest of the Gulf states, SPA news agency reported today. The decision was taken yesterday at a council of ministers meeting and the switch should be completed over the next 25 years, the official news agency said. 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. Most of the rest of the world uses a 220-volt or 230-volt domestic supply, although the United States and Canada have a 120-volt supply with a 240-volt supply used for heavy duty applications such as air conditioners, clothes dryers, ovens, and water heaters, and Japan's domestic supply is 100 volts. The move to a 230-volt supply 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 UAE and Oman. * AFP
