Understanding public awareness and attitudes toward renewable energy resources in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Renewable energy has rapidly gained attention as a potential alternative source of energy. Environmental challenges linked to sustainable energy development can be addressed by replacing conventional energy sources by natural resources to produce power. This study aimed to determine and investigate environmental public awareness and attitudes of renewable energy. A total of 310 respondents were selected using the snowball sampling method. Data were collected through the online survey Question Pro using a standard questionnaire format. The data were analyzed by applying advanced statistical techniques in SPSS software. The findings revealed that the majority of Saudi Arabians were moderately knowledgeable about renewable energy. The findings showed that 79.2% of the respondents indicated that people were concerned about the harmful effects of pollution, indicating that alternative energy could be beneficial. However, 97.2% of the respondents stated that the adoption of renewable energy technology was ineffective because of the high prices involved. To meet the government's targets set in Saudi Vision 2030, outstanding and smart measures are needed to encourage Saudi Arabian citizens in all classes of society by raising their awareness of renewable energy. The measures should also support initiating the use of renewable technologies in everyday life and keeping the environment clean. The findings of this study are intended to help legislators and state organizations in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and other developing countries raise public awareness about renewable energy. This awareness will assist KSA in achieving the renewable energy and ecological improvement targets set in Saudi Vision 2030.