The initiatives discussed encompass renewable energy finance, energy-efficient rural communities, and solar and wind energy. Some countries began to see renewable energy projects as useful public relations projects that help build a brand as a center for innovation. From the rooftop of an administrative building at Mohammed Bin Rashid Solar Park, one can gaze across the field of blue-grey photovoltaic panels stretching to the horizon. Resource-rich countries want to limit the extent to which domestic needs cut into oil and gas exports, and resource-poor countries need ways to limit expensive fuel imports. Yemen’s minister of electricity and energy Abdullah al-Akwaa recently told a conference in Abu Dhabi that some But perhaps the greatest motivation is the fact that the momentum in favour of renewable energy is now all but impossible to resist. Now that renewables are more cost-competitive and are proving their value, the renewable sector in the Middle East and North Africa is likely to expand quickly.Disclaimer: Views expressed by writers in this section are their own and do not necessarily reflect Arab News' point-of-view When the sun’s power does relent it is often because of sand storms, which can quickly envelop whole cities, as has recently been the case in the Saudi capital There is still also the issue of what to do when the sun sets. And although they have generally been on the up since mid-2017, they still remain well below the level needed for most oil-producing governments in the region to balance their budgets. Claudio Descalzi, CEO of Italian oil firm Eni, told a conference at Chatham House in London in late January that he sees renewables and gas as the fuels of the future. “We find ourselves at a time when investing in renewable energy has never made more sense,” Steve Sawyer, secretary general of the Global Wind Energy Council, told an IRENA Summit in Abu Dhabi in January. 1. Investment in renewable energy is picking up across the Middle East. More immediately, the Sakaka solar power plant project is moving forward and is seen as an important step in making solar power cost competitive.

The truly dramatic shift … Given the increasing pressure to meet the energy demand of a growing population and economy in the region, these studies have spurred great optimism that east Africa countries could potentially leapfrog the current energy-environment crisis by effectively utilizing renewable energy sources and technologies. Introduction. Vision 2030 includes a renewable energy component, and plans for Neom are based on renewable energy. © 2020 SAUDI RESEARCH & PUBLISHING COMPANY, All Rights Reserved And subject to Terms of Use Agreement. In terms of the overall energy needs of the UAE, the electricity provided by the solar park is essentially negligible. High-profile projects such as Abu Dhabi’s Masdar City and Dubai’s Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum Solar Park highlight the country’s role in renewable energy innovation, while pragmatic, smaller-scale programs aim to expand the renewable footprint in the UAE.
There is also a strong case for wind power in some other corners of the region, such as Morocco.There are some climatic problems though. On wind, Egypt, Morocco, Jordan, Iran, Israel and Kuwait have been leaders, though to varying degrees.

Innovative clean energy technologies open a window for aligning low-carbon energy transition with economic revitalization. “Primary energy demand in the region is expected to continue to rise at an annual rate of 1.9 percent through 2035,” according to the World Bank. The report inspired by the Desertec vision aims at providing clean energy from MENA's desert regions to the entire MENA region as well as exporting electricity to Europe. A major challenge to solar power is the need to store energy when sunlight is unavailable; technological solutions are improving, but further work is needed. Table 1 shows estimates of the potential The Saudi government is expected to “In the oil producing heart of the Middle East we’re seeing investments in renewables at costs that are really game-changing,” says Adnan Amin, director general of the Abu Dhabi-based International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).With all this activity, the region is following a growing global trend. Researchers at SUSU School of Economics and Management have analyzed the use of renewable energy sources for the economies of G7 countries. But it is not just energy ministries that have been converted to the cause. For many years, the region was somewhat slow to adopt renewable energy. The authorities also know that if they can boost the share of renewable energy feeding their grids, it will free up more oil and gas which can be exported to international customers.For local people and businesses, the opportunity to have a personal solar power plant can also be an alluring one – in some parts of the region rooftop solar panels are more reliable, cheaper and cleaner than diesel-powered generators or a grid connection. Recognizing the growing benefits brought by clean energy, two dozen United States (U.S.) governors emphasized boosting the local economy through clean energy deployment in their 2012 state-of-the-state addresses (National Governors Association, 2014). But it is a clear sign of a growing trend to develop renewable energy schemes in the world’s oil-producing heartland, the Middle East.A field of solar photovoltaic panels that form part of the Mohammed bin Rashid Solar Park in Dubai,Across the border in Saudi Arabia, the authorities recently awarded the contract for a 300MW renewable energy scheme, with the local Acwa Power securing the work with a world record low price of $0.023417 per kilowatt hour (kWh).
Globally, the cost of solar PV power has dropped dramatically in recent years. Other countries in the Middle East and North Africa are pursuing solar and wind projects, including Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Iraq, Lebanon, Algeria and Tunisia. However, in recent years, this has changed, and parts of the region now appear on track to significantly increase their use of solar and wind power. Several changes were key to building a good foundation for renewables in the Middle East and North Africa.