Renewable Energies in the Gulf: The Ambitious Plans of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates
Authors: Ubaid Mohd , Gulrez Dr. Mohammad 
Published: January 2025

Global warming is currently one of the world's most pressing issues. It has been a reason behind the proliferation of renewable energy (RE) systems. The majority of renewable energy sources are sustainable and release less carbon, in contrast to fossil fuels, which is why they have recently gained favour. Solar, wind, and geothermal energy have the potential to be employed in these Gulf countries to meet the region's power production needs. This is due to the Gulf country's strategic location as well as its immense oil and natural resource richness. According to previous researchers, the primary source of economic benefits for Gulf countries is global energy consumption by using crude oil and fossil fuels. The GCC is a major player in the global energy market. It is home to some of the world's largest oil and gas reserves and plays a significant role in producing and exporting energy resources. In future, as the world's energy needs shift towards renewable sources, the demand for traditional energy sources like oil and gas may decline. This could reduce the GCC's importance as a global energy supplier. Hence Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have made efforts to diversify their economies away from dependence on oil and gas exports. Saudi Arabia has launched several initiatives aimed at diversifying its economy. The most notable of these is the Vision 2030 program, which seeks to reduce the country's dependence on oil and create new economic sectors, such as tourism, entertainment, and technology. The government has also invested heavily in infrastructure projects, such as the construction of the NEOM megacity and the Red Sea Project, which are aimed at attracting foreign investment and creating new jobs. Similarly, the United Arab Emirates has been at the forefront of economic diversification, with its government launching several initiatives aimed at promoting innovation, entrepreneurship, and knowledge-based industries. One of the most notable initiatives is the Dubai Future Accelerators Programme, which brings together startups and government agencies to work on cutting-edge technologies and solutions. Additionally, the United Arab Emirates is investing heavily in renewable energy to generate 50% of its electricity from clean sources by 2050. Both Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are working towards building more diversified, knowledge-based economies that can compete in the global marketplace. At the same time, the road ahead may be challenging because of technical challenges, Economic challenges, lack of infrastructure, Regulatory challenges, Heavy Dependence on oil, Skilled labour shortage, and Regulatory environment. While taking the above as the context, the paper shall look at renewable energy development in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The following are major research questions which shall be explored and analysed: • How has the development of renewable energy technologies and infrastructure in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates progressed over time, and what factors have influenced this development? • What are the future plans and potential for continued growth and expansion of renewable energy in these countries? • What will be the future and potential renewable energy sources and policies in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, and what are the barriers and opportunities for their adoption and integration into the energy mix? • How successful have Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates' economic diversification efforts been in reducing reliance on oil revenues? • What are the similarities and differences between the development of renewable energy technologies and policies in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates compared to the rest of the world? • What are the factors that have contributed to the similarities and differences, and how do they impact the potential for further growth and expansion of renewable energy in these countries relative to the rest of the world? This paper presents a literature-based study. The study covers capacities, projects, policies, and frameworks in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. In this study, we would make use of secondary data that has been gathered from previously published statistics and relevant literature.