Saudi Arabia’s drive to build solar-energy facilities is set to generate about 7,000 jobs by 2020, it has been reported.

The programme will bring cleaner energy and also create a local manufacturing industry that can export products to the world, Bloomberg reported.

The Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources is seeking bidders in plans to build about 3.45 gigawatts of solar and wind plants by 2020, Turki al-Shehri, head of the renewable project development office for the kingdom is quoted as saying.

“We want to create value,” Al-Shehri is reported as saying. “We don’t just want to bring in companies that open up manufacturing facilities at a very high premium, which the consumer will end up paying. We want to ensure that whatever they are opening is competitive, that it can compete globally for exports.”

The government is working on a second auction of power-purchase deals for renewable energy developers, in a move that would grant government-guaranteed contracts for up to 25 years, Bloomberg reported.