Abstract
Here we examine the labor and human capital dimensions of the United Arab Emirate’s (UAE) efforts to transition from an oil rich countryto a solar energy hub. Building on research from energy geography and evolutionary economic geography, we study the path dependence of oil development, the structural differences between oil and solar labor markets, and the ability of solar energy to serve as an alternative source of employment for the citizens of a rentier state. We accomplish this by presenting results from an original survey of UAE solar firms and key informant interviews with industry representatives. Our findings indicate that despite the predilection for framing renewable energy investment as a transition, solar energy development in the UAE is enabled by the presence of an oil economy and is both co-constructive and restrained by these dynamics. We conclude with the implications of the study for renewable labor market transitions in oil economies of the Middle East and beyond.
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