Mideast states will show mixed progress on renewables

Significance The project aims to generate up to 200 gigawatts by 2030, creating 100,000 jobs in Saudi Arabia. Renewable energy was also a key focus in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), at its ‘Sustainability Week’ in January, one of the largest gatherings of business and political leaders in the region for this purpose, which highlighted an IHS forecast that solar power would rank third as an energy source in the region by 2035. Impacts Countries eliminating energy subsidies will attract the most investment in renewables. Natural gas will remain the regional fuel of choice for power generation through to 2035, increasing its share in the energy mix. Solar is likely to overtake hydropower as the largest source of renewable power in the Middle East by 2035. Even by 2035, solar power (both photovoltaic and concentrated) will still account for less than 6% of power generation.