The Arab world on the verge of the energy transition: Challenges, ambitions, and limits to growth

Abstract

Nowadays the socio-economic and political agenda of almost all countries of the Arab East includes the issues of sustainable development and green energy. The natural conditions of the region and its vulnerability to natural disasters prioritize the issues of environmental security and transition to renewable energy sources. The research has two objectives. Firstly, the authors attempt to outline prospects for enhancing capacities in clean energy production and replacing traditional energy sources that emerged in recent years in the Arab countries. Secondly, the paper assesses challenges and limits for green practices dissemination, as well as their capabilities of providing environmental security for the countries in the region. The authors note that an alternative approach to power generation is gradually taking root in the region and, judging by the scale of major projects being implemented, it has good prospects, especially in the field of solar energy. At the same time, despite the advantages of such projects, they have serious economic and technological constraints including pricing issues, problems of energy storage and waste disposal. However, the authors emphasize that the main obstacle to a coherent and effective climate policy for the entire Arab East stems from strong disproportions in economic development of the regional actors. The article thoroughly examines the experience of the most advanced Arab countries in the areas of renewable energy — the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. The authors note that these countries actively experiment with all known renewable energy sources, including hydrogen-based, but at the same time, they are seeking to develop nuclear power. However, their ambitious projects do not reflect the real situation in the region as a whole, where most countries are extremely cautious in making risky, expensive decisions on energy and climate policy. They are not ready to unconditionally adopt Western approaches to ‘greening’ economy and take a wait-and-see attitude. This may explain certain inertia towards renewable energy sources that is shown by most countries of the Arab East.