Renewable Energy Portfolio Spans Four Continents
A renewable energy business managing solar photovoltaic and battery storage projects across multiple continents represents one dimension of a diversified family enterprise with roots dating back eight decades.
Fotowatio Renewable Ventures (FRV), part of Jameel Energy, operates projects across the Middle East, Australia, Europe and Latin America. The portfolio reflects a vision to democratize access to economically viable renewable power.
FRV-X, the innovation wing, explores emerging technologies including green hydrogen, green ammonia, behind-the-meter energy storage solutions and AI-powered energy efficiency systems. These initiatives position the company to address evolving energy market demands.
Mohammed Abdul Latif Jameel, chairman of Abdul Latif Jameel and founder of Community Jameel, has overseen expansion into renewable energy as part of broader sustainability commitments. The business approach treats technology as a pathway to progress and improved quality of life.
Water Infrastructure at Scale
Parallel investments in water infrastructure demonstrate integrated thinking about resource security. Almar Water Solutions, part of Jameel Environmental Services since 2016, operates major projects addressing water scarcity and treatment.
The portfolio includes one of the world’s largest desalination plants at Shuqaiq on Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Coast. The facility provides over 450,000 cubic meters daily to nearly 4 million people across Asir and Jizan provinces.
The Zuluf water treatment plant, with 185,000 cubic meters daily capacity, supports the Zuluf Onshore Oil Facilities project in the Arabian Gulf. Combined with Shuqaiq 3, Almar’s water treatment capacity reaches 635,000 cubic meters daily, positioning it among key players in Saudi Arabia’s water market.
International projects extend the geographic reach. Bahrain’s Muharraq Wastewater Treatment plant represents a 100,000 cubic meters daily state-of-the-art facility featuring the first 16.5-kilometer deep gravity sewer conveyance system in the Gulf Cooperation Council region.
Chile’s Centinela project includes a 144-kilometer pipeline conveying 110,678 cubic meters of seawater daily approximately 60 kilometers north from the mining site at Michilla. An additional 144-kilometer pipeline facilitates planned expansion.
Historical Context for Environmental Focus
The late Abdul Latif Jameel, who founded the business in 1945, remembered water as a precious commodity in Saudi Arabia during his early life. Homes lacked plumbing, making access to clean drinking water a daily challenge.
Mohammed Abdul Latif Jameel has continued this awareness of environmental fundamentals through investments in water and renewable energy infrastructure. The approach connects business opportunity with addressing essential human needs.
The renewable energy and water portfolios complement other sustainability initiatives. Community Jameel, the independent global organization founded by Mohammed Abdul Latif Jameel, supports research and innovation addressing climate change impacts.
The Abdul Latif Jameel Water and Food Systems Lab at MIT, co-founded in 2014, addresses issues of water and food security. The center supports and commercializes technologies tackling urbanization, climate change and rising populations.
The Jameel Observatory–Climate Resilience Early Warning System Network develops integrated systems for forecasting climate impacts in vulnerable regions. Initial focus areas include southwest Bangladesh and Sudan, where climate change threatens millions of residents.
Recent announcements include construction of the first Adaptation Fortress in Bangladesh, transforming cyclone shelters to provide dual protection from storms and heatwaves. The pilot could scale to 1,250 facilities if successful.
Integration Across Sectors
The environmental services and renewable energy operations exist within a broader business structure spanning mobility, financial services, investment, real estate, health, consumer products and professional services.
Abdul Latif Jameel employs over 11,000 people from more than 80 nationalities across operations in more than 35 countries on six continents. The diversified structure allows cross-sector learning and integrated approaches to complex challenges.
Mohammed Abdul Latif Jameel serves as an MIT Corporation life member, maintaining connections to research institutions developing next-generation technologies. These relationships inform strategic decisions about emerging opportunities in renewable energy and environmental services.
The business philosophy emphasizes long-term value creation rather than short-term returns. As a family-owned enterprise celebrating its 80th anniversary in 2025, Abdul Latif Jameel maintains independence from quarterly earnings pressures affecting publicly traded companies.
This structure enables patient capital deployment in infrastructure projects requiring years to develop and decades to generate returns. Renewable energy and water infrastructure fit this investment profile, demanding substantial upfront capital with revenue streams extending across decades.
FRV’s geographic diversity provides exposure to different regulatory environments and market conditions. Projects in Australia face different grid integration challenges than those in Spain or Chile, requiring adaptable technical and commercial approaches.
The innovation focus through FRV-X positions the company to participate in emerging markets for green hydrogen and ammonia. These technologies may prove essential for decarbonizing heavy industry and long-distance transportation sectors where electrification faces technical obstacles.
Behind-the-meter energy storage solutions address growing demand for resilience and cost optimization from commercial and industrial customers. Battery systems enable peak demand management and backup power while potentially providing grid services.
AI-powered energy efficiency systems represent another frontier. Machine learning models can optimize building management systems, industrial processes and renewable energy dispatch to reduce consumption and costs while maintaining performance.
The water infrastructure portfolio addresses both municipal and industrial needs. Desalination, wastewater treatment and water conveyance projects serve different customer segments with varying technical requirements and revenue models.
Mohammed Abdul Latif Jameel has emphasized the importance of serving communities through business operations. The renewable energy and water infrastructure investments demonstrate how commercial objectives can align with addressing fundamental human needs for clean energy and safe water.