A Bright Future for Solar Power in the Middle East
Countries such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE will seek to expand their position as energy exporters, in part by adopting renewables for domestic consumption.
May 5, 2016
Forecast
Geography and demographic challenges have made parts of the Middle East and North Africa a prime location for solar power installations.
While solar will not supplant the role of hydrocarbons, it will enable countries such as Morocco and Jordan to improve energy security and potentially become electricity exporters.
Countries such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates will seek to maintain their position as energy exporters, in part by adopting strategies likely to include renewables development.
Analysis
Deserts are seemingly obvious places to locate solar technology. In fact, the swath of desert stretching from the Atlantic Ocean, across North Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, to the Persian Gulf has vast solar potential. But until recently it has not been economically feasible, or even necessary, to develop the renewable resource. In many areas, geographic constraints such as rough terrain have made solar projects impractical.
Only now has a combination of demo…
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