IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/rensus/v50y2015icp1181-1191.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Recommendations on renewable energy policies for the GCC countries

Author

Listed:
  • Abdmouleh, Zeineb
  • Alammari, Rashid A.M.
  • Gastli, Adel

Abstract

Energy security was the major driver for several countries in the world to opt for alternative sources of energy and reduce CO2 emissions. Being blessed with oil and gas reserves, the situation in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries may look different, in a way that investments on Renewable Energy (RE) projects do not create adequate short-term financial returns. However, considering the extreme increase of energy demand locally caused by the industrial and economic development in the region will make seizing the emerging opportunity to develop RE projects a strategic decision. This paper targets regional decision-makers as well as multilateral stakeholders, in an attempt to formulate a set of recommendations on policies to promote RE deployment. It presents the results of the study that covered all GCC countries (Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman). The document summarizes GCC countries’ RE targets and highlights the main projects and measures established to start this transition. Furthermore, this paper provides an updated and comprehensive overview of the RE situation in the GCC countries, and it includes an assessment of the region’s RE potential, current installed RE capacity and project pipeline, institutional and market frameworks. This study analyses the main gaps concerning RE deployment in the region while discussing the financial, fiscal, political, legislative, technological and environmental aspects. Based on that, a set of recommendations is proposed to fill their gaps and help achieving their politically endorsed targets particularly in the electricity sector. The proposed recommendations will help to accelerate the development rate of GCC RE market, support governments’ efforts towards fulfilling future RE targets, and overcome potential barriers. However such policies analysis should be carried out individually for each country of the GCC region taking into consideration the specificity of each market and economic strategies with more adapted measures.

Suggested Citation

  • Abdmouleh, Zeineb & Alammari, Rashid A.M. & Gastli, Adel, 2015. "Recommendations on renewable energy policies for the GCC countries," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 1181-1191.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:rensus:v:50:y:2015:i:c:p:1181-1191
    DOI: 10.1016/j.rser.2015.05.057
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1364032115005274
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.rser.2015.05.057?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Abdmouleh, Zeineb & Alammari, Rashid A.M. & Gastli, Adel, 2015. "Review of policies encouraging renewable energy integration & best practices," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 45(C), pages 249-262.
    2. AL-Yahyai, Sultan & Charabi, Yassine & Gastli, Adel & Al-Alawi, Saleh, 2010. "Assessment of wind energy potential locations in Oman using data from existing weather stations," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 14(5), pages 1428-1436, June.
    3. Gastli, Adel & Charabi, Yassine, 2011. "Solar water heating initiative in Oman energy saving and carbon credits," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 15(4), pages 1851-1856, May.
    4. Yousef Alyousef, 2012. "Energy Efficiency Initiatives for Saudi Arabia on Supply and Demand Sides," Chapters, in: Zoran Morvaj (ed.), Energy Efficiency - A Bridge to Low Carbon Economy, IntechOpen.
    5. Charabi, Yassine & Gastli, Adel, 2012. "Spatio-temporal assessment of dust risk maps for solar energy systems using proxy data," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 23-31.
    6. Beccali, M. & Cellura, M. & Mistretta, M., 2003. "Decision-making in energy planning. Application of the Electre method at regional level for the diffusion of renewable energy technology," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 28(13), pages 2063-2087.
    7. Sarver, Travis & Al-Qaraghuli, Ali & Kazmerski, Lawrence L., 2013. "A comprehensive review of the impact of dust on the use of solar energy: History, investigations, results, literature, and mitigation approaches," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 22(C), pages 698-733.
    8. Reiche, Danyel, 2010. "Energy Policies of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries--possibilities and limitations of ecological modernization in rentier states," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(5), pages 2395-2403, May.
    9. Gastli, Adel & Charabi, Yassine, 2010. "Solar electricity prospects in Oman using GIS-based solar radiation maps," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 14(2), pages 790-797, February.
    10. Al-Ajlan, S.A. & Al-Ibrahim, A.M. & Abdulkhaleq, M. & Alghamdi, F., 2006. "Developing sustainable energy policies for electrical energy conservation in Saudi Arabia," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 34(13), pages 1556-1565, September.
    11. Radhi, Hassan, 2011. "On the value of decentralised PV systems for the GCC residential sector," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(4), pages 2020-2027, April.
    12. Al-Badi, A.H. & Malik, A. & Gastli, A., 2011. "Sustainable energy usage in Oman—Opportunities and barriers," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 15(8), pages 3780-3788.
    13. Dong, C.G., 2012. "Feed-in tariff vs. renewable portfolio standard: An empirical test of their relative effectiveness in promoting wind capacity development," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 42(C), pages 476-485.
    14. Radziemska, E., 2003. "The effect of temperature on the power drop in crystalline silicon solar cells," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 28(1), pages 1-12.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Mohammad Sulieman Mohammad Jaradat, 2022. "The Role of Renewable Energy Investment on Achieving Economic Growth at the Gulf Cooperation Council Countries," International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy, Econjournals, vol. 12(1), pages 349-354.
    2. Friess, Wilhelm A. & Rakhshan, Kambiz, 2017. "A review of passive envelope measures for improved building energy efficiency in the UAE," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 72(C), pages 485-496.
    3. Guney, Mukrimin Sevket, 2016. "Solar power and application methods," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 57(C), pages 776-785.
    4. Rahim Zahedi & Alireza Zahedi & Abolfazl Ahmadi, 2022. "Strategic Study for Renewable Energy Policy, Optimizations and Sustainability in Iran," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(4), pages 1-29, February.
    5. Abdullahi Abubakar Mas’ud & Asan Vernyuy Wirba & Saud J. Alshammari & Firdaus Muhammad-Sukki & Mu’azu Mohammed Abdullahi & Ricardo Albarracín & Mohammed Ziaul Hoq, 2018. "Solar Energy Potentials and Benefits in the Gulf Cooperation Council Countries: A Review of Substantial Issues," Energies, MDPI, vol. 11(2), pages 1-20, February.
    6. Mohammad Al-Saidi, 2020. "From Economic to Extrinsic Values of Sustainable Energy: Prestige, Neo-Rentierism, and Geopolitics of the Energy Transition in the Arabian Peninsula," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(21), pages 1-16, October.
    7. Sarwar, Suleman, 2022. "Impact of energy intensity, green economy and blue economy to achieve sustainable economic growth in GCC countries: Does Saudi Vision 2030 matters to GCC countries," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 191(C), pages 30-46.
    8. Bai Liu & Yutian Liu & Ailian Zhang, 2021. "Heterogeneous impact of CO2 emissions on renewable energy technology innovation between oil importers and exporters," Energy & Environment, , vol. 32(2), pages 281-294, March.
    9. Eveloy, Valerie & Gebreegziabher, Tesfaldet, 2019. "Excess electricity and power-to-gas storage potential in the future renewable-based power generation sector in the United Arab Emirates," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 166(C), pages 426-450.
    10. Shukla, Akash Kumar & Sudhakar, K. & Baredar, Prashant & Mamat, Rizalman, 2018. "Solar PV and BIPV system: Barrier, challenges and policy recommendation in India," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 82(P3), pages 3314-3322.
    11. Griffiths, Steven, 2017. "A review and assessment of energy policy in the Middle East and North Africa region," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 102(C), pages 249-269.
    12. Lopez-Ruiz, Hector G. & Blazquez, Jorge & Vittorio, Michele, 2020. "Assessing residential solar rooftop potential in Saudi Arabia using nighttime satellite images: A study for the city of Riyadh," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 140(C).
    13. Alsayegh, Osamah & Saker, Nathalie & Alqattan, Ayman, 2018. "Integrating sustainable energy strategy with the second development plan of Kuwait," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 82(P3), pages 3430-3440.
    14. Roth, Lucas & Lowitzsch, Jens & Yildiz, Özgür & Hashani, Alban, 2016. "The impact of (co-) ownership of renewable energy production facilities on demand flexibility," MPRA Paper 73562, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    15. Jayaraman, Raja & Colapinto, Cinzia & La Torre, Davide & Malik, Tufail, 2017. "A Weighted Goal Programming model for planning sustainable development applied to Gulf Cooperation Council Countries," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 185(P2), pages 1931-1939.
    16. Al-Maamary, Hilal M.S. & Kazem, Hussein A. & Chaichan, Miqdam T., 2017. "Climate change: The game changer in the Gulf Cooperation Council Region," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 76(C), pages 555-576.
    17. Alasseri, Rajeev & Tripathi, Ashish & Joji Rao, T. & Sreekanth, K.J., 2017. "A review on implementation strategies for demand side management (DSM) in Kuwait through incentive-based demand response programs," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 617-635.
    18. Montassar Kahia & Anis Omri & Bilel Jarraya, 2020. "Does Green Energy Complement Economic Growth for Achieving Environmental Sustainability? Evidence from Saudi Arabia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(1), pages 1-12, December.
    19. Relva, Stefania Gomes & Silva, Vinícius Oliveira da & Gimenes, André Luiz Veiga & Udaeta, Miguel Edgar Morales & Ashworth, Peta & Peyerl, Drielli, 2021. "Enhancing developing countries’ transition to a low-carbon electricity sector," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 220(C).
    20. Aisha Al-Sarihi & Noura Mansouri, 2022. "Renewable Energy Development in the Gulf Cooperation Council Countries: Status, Barriers, and Policy Options," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(5), pages 1-16, March.
    21. Bigerna, Simona & D’Errico, Maria Chiara & Polinori, Paolo, 2022. "Dynamic forecast error variance decomposition as risk management process for the Gulf Cooperation Council oil portfolios," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    22. Atalay, Yasemin & Kalfagianni, Agni & Pattberg, Philipp, 2017. "Renewable energy support mechanisms in the Gulf Cooperation Council states: Analyzing the feasibility of feed-in tariffs and auction mechanisms," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 72(C), pages 723-733.
    23. Ramli, Makbul A.M. & Twaha, Ssennoga & Al-Hamouz, Zakariya, 2017. "Analyzing the potential and progress of distributed generation applications in Saudi Arabia: The case of solar and wind resources," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 287-297.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Al-Badi, A.H. & Malik, A. & Gastli, A., 2011. "Sustainable energy usage in Oman—Opportunities and barriers," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 15(8), pages 3780-3788.
    2. Iskander Tlili, 2015. "Renewable energy in Saudi Arabia: current status and future potentials," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 17(4), pages 859-886, August.
    3. Abdul Mujeebu, Muhammad & Alshamrani, Othman Subhi, 2016. "Prospects of energy conservation and management in buildings – The Saudi Arabian scenario versus global trends," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 1647-1663.
    4. Al-Yahyai, Sultan & Charabi, Yassine, 2015. "Assessment of large-scale wind energy potential in the emerging city of Duqm (Oman)," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 47(C), pages 438-447.
    5. Mokri, Alaeddine & Aal Ali, Mona & Emziane, Mahieddine, 2013. "Solar energy in the United Arab Emirates: A review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 28(C), pages 340-375.
    6. Griffiths, Steven, 2017. "A review and assessment of energy policy in the Middle East and North Africa region," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 102(C), pages 249-269.
    7. Romano, Antonio A. & Scandurra, Giuseppe & Carfora, Alfonso & Fodor, Mate, 2017. "Renewable investments: The impact of green policies in developing and developed countries," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 68(P1), pages 738-747.
    8. Gherboudj, Imen & Ghedira, Hosni, 2016. "Assessment of solar energy potential over the United Arab Emirates using remote sensing and weather forecast data," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 1210-1224.
    9. Sharples, Steve & Radhi, Hassan, 2013. "Assessing the technical and economic performance of building integrated photovoltaics and their value to the GCC society," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 150-159.
    10. Polzin, Friedemann & Egli, Florian & Steffen, Bjarne & Schmidt, Tobias S., 2019. "How do policies mobilize private finance for renewable energy?—A systematic review with an investor perspective," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 236(C), pages 1249-1268.
    11. Düştegör, Dilek & Sultana, Nahid & Felemban, Noor & Al Qahtani, Deemah, 2018. "A smarter electricity grid for the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia: Perceptions and policy implications," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 26-39.
    12. Hereher, Mohamed & El Kenawy, Ahmed M., 2020. "Exploring the potential of solar, tidal, and wind energy resources in Oman using an integrated climatic-socioeconomic approach," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 161(C), pages 662-675.
    13. Marques, António Cardoso & Fuinhas, José Alberto & Pereira, Diogo Santos, 2019. "The dynamics of the short and long-run effects of public policies supporting renewable energy: A comparative study of installed capacity and electricity generation," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 63(C), pages 188-206.
    14. Hepbasli, Arif & Alsuhaibani, Zeyad, 2011. "A key review on present status and future directions of solar energy studies and applications in Saudi Arabia," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 15(9), pages 5021-5050.
    15. Alshawaf, Mohammad & Poudineh, Rahmatallah & Alhajeri, Nawaf S., 2020. "Solar PV in Kuwait: The effect of ambient temperature and sandstorms on output variability and uncertainty," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 134(C).
    16. Amann, Juergen & Cantore, Nicola & Calí, Massimiliano & Todorov, Valentin & Cheng, Charles Fang Chin, 2021. "Switching it up: The effect of energy price reforms in Oman," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 142(C).
    17. Daniel Efurosibina Attoye & Timothy O. Adekunle & Kheira Anissa Tabet Aoul & Ahmed Hassan & Samuel Osekafore Attoye, 2018. "A Conceptual Framework for a Building Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV) Educative-Communication Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(10), pages 1-21, October.
    18. Ahmad, Ali & Ramana, M.V., 2014. "Too costly to matter: Economics of nuclear power for Saudi Arabia," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 682-694.
    19. Al-Maamary, Hilal M.S. & Kazem, Hussein A. & Chaichan, Miqdam T., 2017. "The impact of oil price fluctuations on common renewable energies in GCC countries," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 75(C), pages 989-1007.
    20. Al-Badi, A.H. & Albadi, M.H., 2012. "Domestic solar water heating system in Oman: Current status and future prospects," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 16(8), pages 5727-5731.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:rensus:v:50:y:2015:i:c:p:1181-1191. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/600126/description#description .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.