## 7 Discussion  
In this review paper, several previous studies were reviewed. The paper assesses the potential for solar and wind energy in the GCC region. Topics include dust fallout, solar, and wind energy performance, with data from 37 years in the GCC, and the potential for solar and wind energy as alternative solutions to reduce CO\({}_{2}\) emissions and the growth in fossil fuel consumption. The studies were divided into two groups: (1) those covering the entire GCC as a unified region, using high-quality tools and geographical maps, such as in [55; 71; 87], and (2) those covering specific cities or locations in the GCC region. Both types of studies provide comprehensive details for the GCC region and highlight the issue of dust fallout over time. Moreover, the review's findings demonstrate that compliance with the Paris Agreement under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change would be feasible in the GCC region, given its significant potential for  
Figure 12: Power installed capacity from wind energy in GCC region, 2010–2019. solar and wind energy. Based on this review, the area from the southeast to the northwest part of the GCC region is the most suitable for solar energy production, despite the potential for dust fallout. Oman receives substantial annual solar radiation of up to 2500 kWh/m\({}^{2}\), followed by the UAE, with 2285 kWh/m\({}^{2}\). Saudi Arabia and Kuwait have the same levels, up to 2200 kWh/m\({}^{2}\). Bahrain has a mean annual solar radiation of 2180 kWh/m\({}^{2}\), and Qatar receives 2113 kWh/m\({}^{2}\)/year. In addition, encouraging solar energy radiation rates were recorded in western locations and the Red Sea's southwestern shores. These findings indicate significant solar energy resources that can support the energy needs of the entire region. Dust fallout is a concern in the region during the summer months. However, it should be noted that the periodic waves of dust and clouds do not cover the entire GCC region at the same time due to relative differences in geographic features and terrain and the large distances between them. However, the northwestern GCC region is characterized by clearer skies. Substantial diurnal variability was recorded in southwestern and eastern locations throughout the year. The highest annual dust amount was recorded as 454 tons km\({}^{-2}\) in northeast Riyadh. Kuwait received the second highest annual amount of dust in the region at 216-339 tons km\({}^{-2}\), followed by the UAE, which received 256 tons km\({}^{-2}\). The lowest amount of dust was recorded in Qatar at 50-113 tons km\({}^{-2}\) and Bahrain at 60-144 tons km\({}^{-2}\). Table 3 shows the annual dust amounts for several locations, based on the data obtained from previous studies. We calculated the annual dust fallout at some locations in Table 3 using the following equation, A = w \(\times\) 31.85, based on the procedure in [76]. Here, A is the amount of dust fallout in tons/km\({}^{2}\) and w is the weight. The weight (w) values were obtained from [69]. The data for the UAE were obtained from [117] to calculate the dust values. The impacts of dust increase the construction and maintenance costs of solar energy systems. However, a combination of bifacial panels, solar monitoring panels, and robotic cleaning technology will improve system performance and reduce the effects of dust. Our review showed that the western mountains of the GCC region are characterized by abundant onshore winds. Oman has the highest recorded average wind speeds of 3-6.3 m s\({}^{-1}\), followed by Kuwait with 4.5-5.5 m s\({}^{-1}\). Northwestern Saudi Arabia has relatively abundant onshore winds with speeds of 3-6 m s\({}^{-1}\). The UAE has the lowest average wind speeds at 3-4.8 m s\({}^{-1}\). At this speed, wind energy development is not economically viable. In contrast, offshore winds are substantial along the coastal areas of the Arabian Gulf, which is linked to all of the GCC countries.