GCC Renewable Energy Development Amid COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

The countries of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)—Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates—hold almost 30% of the world’s total proven oil reserves and around 20% of its total proven natural gas reserves. Such abundance of hydrocarbon resources, however, should not prevent the GCC states from seeking to develop alternative cleaner energy sources. Renewable energy presents an opportunity for the GCC states to address the emerging challenges of energy security, rising greenhouse gas emissions, air quality, and the adverse impacts of climate change. Whereas the GCC states have progressed in adopting renewable energy technologies, the current share of renewable energy in the region’s total primary energy consumption still does not exceed 1%. This book chapter provides an overview of the current state of renewable energy development in the six GCC states and analyses how the COVID-19 pandemic has influenced their progress. It also assesses the reasons behind the underutilization of renewable energy resources in the GCC states. The chapter concludes with policy options to inform scaling up the adoption of renewable energy in the GCC.