N’Djamena – September 30, 2025. The President of the Republic of Chad, Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno, awarded Ali Chimmari, CEO of the Emirati company Global South Utilities (GSU), the Order of “First Class National Knight” during an official ceremony held in the capital N’Djamena. This distinction recognizes the major success achieved with the solar project “Noor Chad,” completed in record time.
Inaugurated on September 27th, the power plant was built in just eight months, despite environmental and logistical challenges. It is the largest energy project ever undertaken in the history of Chad, with a production capacity of 50 megawatts and an electrical storage system of 5 megawatts/hour. It now provides clean electricity to over 270,000 households.
In his speech, President Déby described this achievement as a “decisive turning point” towards the country’s energy security and sustainable development, highlighting the reliability of GSU and its ability to meet its commitments within very short deadlines.
For his part, Ali Chimmari expressed his pride in receiving this distinction, stating that the success of “Noor Chad” reflects the vision of the United Arab Emirates in terms of economic diplomacy and partnership with Africa in the energy and development sectors. He added that this project would serve as a basis for launching similar initiatives in other countries on the continent.
According to analysts, the completion of this large-scale and rapid project strengthens the United Arab Emirates’ position as a trusted partner for Africa in the clean energy sector and opens up new investment opportunities in the continent’s energy transition.
