JEDDAH, Feb 3: Saudi Arabias Xenel group, owners of the Hubco independent power project, will expand the power generation capacity of the Hubco plant by another 300MW by 2010, taking the total generation at the plant to almost 2000MW.

This was stated by a three-member delegation of the group during a meeting with caretaker Prime Minister Mohammedmian Soomro and his delegation here on Sunday.

Separately, a four-member delegation of the Al-Tuwairqi group, led by its chairman Hilal Tuwairqi, called on the prime minister and discussed their future investments and projects in Pakistan.

They told the prime minister that in view of the projected shortage of about 20 million metric tons of steel in the Middle East, the group planned to increase its investments in Pakistan.

Additional investments by the group would enhance the production capacity of its plant in Pakistan and fill a sizeable portion of gap between demand and supply of steel in the region.

The group is operating the Tuwairqi Steel Mills project at Bin Qasim, Karachi.