His Majesty King Hamad took part in the launch of phase one of a common GCC power grid along with other GCC leaders.

The ceremony included an operetta, which embodied the project, and speeches by GCC electricity ministers and the GCC secretary-general. The project to link the power grids of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar and the UAE will cost $1.6 billion (BD605 million), a senior official from the body overseeing the grid earlier said.

The full construction of the grid is expected to be completed by 2012, said Yousif Janahi, chairman of the GCC Interconnection Authority (GCCIA).

Gulf countries hope the power connection project will help them meet rapidly rising power demand and avoid power outages. The UAE will hook up to the grid in 2011, the GCCIA said in July.

Representatives of five of the six countries signed a power trading agreement on Tuesday in Saudi Arabia. Oman has yet to sign but will do so later. The Gulf countries have little excess capacity to sell for now.-TradeArabia News Service