## 4 The GCC's Solar and Wind Energy Resource Potential
### Wind Energy  
The power generation from wind energy in the GCC countries is estimated to grow dramatically in the future, and it is expected that this will introduce significant challenges, such as intermittency and unrecognized locations of high wind abundance. These challenges are rarely identified in the assessment of wind resources in the Middle East, including the GCC region, due to sparse meteorological observations and varying record lengths [87]. However, energizing the GCC countries requires developing wind farms through careful utilization of wind energy resources. To promote wind energy implementation in the GCC region, the Masdar Institute and other researchers have conducted several studies on the feasibility and potential of wind energy and other low-carbon technologies [88; 89; 90; 91; 92; 93; 94; 95]. However, the majority of these studies are focused on the costal locations in the GCC region. [PERSON] et al. [96] mention that there are trends toward commercial investment in offshore wind farms in most GCC countries due to the reasonably good offshore wind potential. In addition, [PERSON] et al. [97] examined the Arabian Gulf's wind energy map based on an analysis of historical data from 1979-2015 and found that the central locations of the Arabian Gulf have a high annual average wind speed (8-9 m s\({}^{-1}\)), with the highest wind speed recorded at 50 m elevation. The study provided valuable information on wind energy resources in the Arabian Gulf. In addition, the wind energy potential in the coastal areas of Saudi Arabia was studied by [PERSON] and [PERSON] [93]. They pinpointed Yanbo and Dhahran as the best locations for wind resources. Another 20 sites across Saudi Arabia  
Figure 5: Monthly means of aerosol optical depth (AOD) and clearness of the sky over the GCC region computed for 2003–2017. Copyright © 2021 Elsevier [55]. were studied by [PERSON] et al. [98] to assess wind power costs. The 20 locations cover three regions in Saudi Arabia: the eastern, central, and western regions. [PERSON] et al. [99], [PERSON] et al. [100], [PERSON] et al. [101], [PERSON] et al. [102], [PERSON] et al. [103], and [PERSON] and [PERSON] [104] investigated the potential resources, including wind energy, in the Red Sea and adjoining regions. These comprehensive studies discuss the advantages and significance of the Red Sea for the GCC region. Research was performed by [PERSON] et al. [94] to evaluate wind resources at a height of 60 m for Rafha, Saudi Arabia. They found that the wind speeds in Rafha vary between 2.5 and 4.9 m s\({}^{-1}\). [PERSON] et al. [87] conducted a comprehensive study to assess wind resource characterization in the Arabian Peninsula, including the GCC region. Furthermore, [PERSON] et al. [105] and [PERSON] [106] mention that Oman is among the top countries for wind potential and that Kuwait has abundant wind energy resources. Northwestern Saudi Arabia and the Red Sea coast have an abundance of wind resources. [PERSON] et al. [107] and [PERSON] et al. [108] report that the UAE and northeastern Oman show low to average wind energy resources. Figure 6 presents the highlighted wind speed ranges in Oman (3-6.3 m s\({}^{-1}\)), Kuwait (4.5-5.5 m s\({}^{-1}\)), and northwestern Saudi Arabia (3-6 m s\({}^{-1}\)) at a height of 50 m. The sites that are characterized by greater height displayed higher wind speeds; thus, the measurement scale and the height of wind turbines are important. Moreover, [PERSON] et al. [109] conducted a study of the wind technology deployment potential of all of the GCC countries and noted that these countries are good candidates for wind energy applications. Additionally, they observed that the wind speeds ranged between 2.35 and 5.1 m s\({}^{-1}\) at a height of 10 m. These studies highlight wind resource locations and opportunities for accelerating and supporting further wind energy applications in the region.