**Middle East Energy Transition: Key Developments and Impact**

**Major Shifts Post-COP28:**
The United Nations COP28 conference in Dubai signaled a pivotal moment for the Middle East, with nearly 200 nations committed to "transition away" from coal, oil, and gas by 2030.

This agreement underscored the region's growing recognition of climate risks and the imperative to adapt.

**National Projects and Solar Capacity:**
Several Middle Eastern countries are aggressively investing in solar power as part of broader diversification strategies:
- **UAE:** Continues to drive regional climate leadership, launching large-scale projects like the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, which aims for 5GW capacity by 2030.

- **Saudi Arabia:** Through Vision 2030, it has committed to major solar projects such as the Sakaka Solar Plant with plans for 58.7GW renewables by 2030.

Partnerships, like that of Positive Zero, further cement its clean energy ambitions.

- **Morocco:** Although in North Africa, Morocco's influence is noteworthy in the Arab world, having launched massive solar infrastructure (e.g., Noor Ouarzazate complex) and aiming for more than half its energy from renewables by 2030.

Morocco also seeks to become a regional green hydrogen hub.

- **Egypt:** Alongside solar and wind expansions (e.g., Benban Solar Park), Egypt is exploring renewable ammonia exports, positioning itself as a future clean fuel supplier.

- **Bahrain & GCC:** Research highlights nuclear energy's role in regional decarbonization, supplementing renewables to diversify energy sources and reduce emissions.

- **Iraq:** Newly awarded waste-to-energy (WTE) projects reflect broader attempts to integrate non-traditional renewables.

**Government Incentives and Investments:**
Governments across the Gulf are offering incentives such as:
- Competitive feed-in tariffs for renewable power.

- Open auctions attracting foreign investors.

- National targets for renewables in the energy mix.

- Financial sector participation, as seen with increased investment in climatetech (e.g., $82 billion in 2022, up 20% YoY).

**Emerging Trends:**
- **Green Hydrogen:** The Middle East’s solar and wind resources favor large-scale green hydrogen projects for export, helping maintain economic relevance in a decarbonizing world.

- **Clean Ammonia:** Agreements between Egypt and international partners indicate clean fuel exports are part of the future energy landscape.

- **Nuclear Power:** Regional debates around adding nuclear for baseload and emissions reduction illustrate the search for diverse clean energy portfolios.

**Economic and Climate Impact:**
- Locally, these efforts create jobs, foster new industries, and help economies pivot away from oil dependency.

- Regionally, investment in renewables and clean fuels strengthens grid reliability and energy security.

- On climate, increased renewables adoption helps address the Middle East’s unique vulnerabilities (heat, water scarcity) while contributing to global emission reduction goals.

**Challenges and Next Steps:**
- Energy investment levels are rising, but the speed and scale must increase for 2030 and 2050 targets.

- Regional cooperation (e.g., on hydrogen, nuclear) could accelerate transitions, but policy harmonization and technical infrastructure remain hurdles.

- Continuous investment, skills development, and financial innovation will be crucial for success.

**Summary:**
From the UAE’s leadership post-COP28 to Morocco’s and Egypt’s solar and hydrogen ambitions, the Middle East is making rapid, strategic moves to secure a post-oil future.

Solar, wind, green hydrogen, and even nuclear are all being deployed with significant government backing, foreign investment, and a growing recognition that energy transition is critical both for local economies and the global climate.

**Energy Transition in the Middle East: Solar Leadership and the Road Ahead**

**Regional Ambition and Global Role:**
Middle Eastern leaders increasingly frame their role as both local and global clean energy catalysts.

There is a narrative of shared climate responsibility, with countries—like Israel—positioning a “renewable Middle East” as pivotal for supplying solar power across Europe, Asia, and Africa.

The vision is for the region to become a hub of solar exports and transformative clean energy.

**Key National Projects and Solar Capacity:**
- **Saudi Arabia:** Through the Green Saudi Arabia initiative, the Kingdom is ramping up investments in large-scale solar projects and exploring green hydrogen production.

Their national strategy focuses not only on solar farms but also on infrastructure for hydrogen and wind, aiming for up to 40 GW of renewables (solar and wind) in the coming years.

- **Israel:** Promotes solar as a solution both for domestic needs and export, supporting projects that tie Middle Eastern solar resources to the wider regional grid.

- **Azerbaijan (Caspian region):** Shifting focus from traditional fossil fuel exports to developing renewables infrastructure, with a vision for green hydrogen and solar energy exports to Europe.

**Government Policies and Incentives:**
- Governments are investing in technologies to mitigate the environmental impact of hydrocarbons, supporting policies for renewable deployment and emissions reduction.

- There’s a growing emphasis on partnerships, international forums (like the Green Saudi Arabia initiative), and incentives for both domestic and foreign investment in solar and hydrogen.

- Some states are developing regulatory frameworks and financial incentives—such as guaranteeing power purchase agreements, land grants, and subsidized financing—to draw in private sector engagement and international investors.

**Challenges and Realities:**
- Energy infrastructure in parts of Central Asia reveals weaknesses—power outages and outdated networks—which signal the need for massive upgrades alongside new buildout of renewables.

- The transition is complicated by global economic pressures, such as the cost and speed of decarbonization, and concerns about maintaining economic stability amid shifting demand for oil and gas.

- There is some skepticism from domestic industries regarding the high costs of rapid carbon transitions.

**Impact on Economy and Climate Goals:**
- The renewable push is designed to diversify oil-dependent economies, create new industries (especially around solar, wind, green hydrogen), and secure “future-proof” jobs.

- By exporting solar and green hydrogen, the Middle East hopes to remain a key energy supplier in the global low-carbon economy.

- These measures align with climate agreements like the Paris Accord, though timelines and implementation remain subject to complexity and revision.

**Summary:**
The Middle East is leveraging its vast solar resources for both local transition and global energy exports.

National agendas—led by Saudi Arabia, Israel, and Azerbaijan—focus on large-scale renewable projects and green hydrogen.

Governments incentivize investment and partnership, aiming for economic diversification and continued regional energy leadership.

However, infrastructure gaps, the cost of transition, and external economic pressures complicate progress.

Overall, solar energy is at the center of strategic plans to turn oil wealth into clean energy leadership, helping advance both economic security and climate objectives.

**Key Insights: Energy Transition in the Middle East – Solar Ambitions, Policy Shifts, and Economic Impact**

**1.

Traditional Oil Dependence and New Pressures:**
- Middle Eastern economies—especially Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, and Bahrain—remain heavily dependent on oil, which makes up over 70% of some state revenues.

- While energy transition isn’t new, the urgency has escalated; climate change is impacting the region daily, costing countries like the UAE over $6 billion annually in health terms alone.

- Leaders are now responding to local citizen demands and economic realities more than Western pressure, realizing oil's value is waning in a changing world.

Major Renewable Projects & National Goals:**
- The UAE is at the forefront: It was the first Gulf country to ratify the Paris Accord and is the least reliant on oil for government revenue among its peers.

- The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park is a centerpiece—targeting a massive 5,000 MW capacity, aiming to be the world’s largest.

- Abu Dhabi’s National Oil Company plans to source 100% of its electricity from nuclear and solar.

- Saudi Arabia is also ramping up commitments:
    - It has pledged to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2060.

- The country is qualifying both its natural and human capital for a continued leading role in global energy—even as oil demand is projected to peak and then gradually fall by 2050.

Policy, Conferences, and Evolving Strategies:**
- Recent high-level conferences, like the 12th Arab Energy Conference, highlight regional cooperation and a focus on energy security and climate action.

- Recommendations include increasing investment in oil and gas for short-to-medium term stability, while also tracking new technologies and pursuing a “circular carbon economy.”
- The region’s approach is measured; there is skepticism about moving too fast, with leaders warning against an over-reliance on any single clean energy source.

Solar Capacity and Other Renewables:**
- Investments in renewables are growing rapidly, especially solar (with vast, arid land and high irradiation making conditions ideal).

- There are also significant, though less predictable, wind installations—a notable example being the Gulf of Suez Wind Power Project.

- Despite progress, wind lags solar due to longer construction times and variability.

Economic and Social Impacts:**
- The transition is expected to transform Middle Eastern economies, though the pathway is complex.

Oil revenue will shrink over coming decades (“no longer golden but brown eggs”), forcing diversification.

A gradual pace may help manage economic and infrastructure adjustments.

**Middle East Energy Transition: Key Developments and Impact**

**Major Shifts Post-COP28:**
The United Nations COP28 conference in Dubai signaled a pivotal moment for the Middle East, with nearly 200 nations committed to "transition away" from coal, oil, and gas by 2030.

Title:

Content: Analyzing The Impact On -And What's Next For- The Middle East After The UAE's Momentous Staging Of COP28 The United Nations climate conference in Dubai made history last month, uniting nearly 200 nations to adopt a resolution to "transition away" from coal, oil and gas in this decade.

By Megha Merani

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

You're reading Entrepreneur Middle East, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media.

The 28th edition of the Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28) may have wrapped up- but the spotlight still remains fixed on the Middle East, with the UAE at the center, as it emerges as a potential key influencer in the global climate agenda. This focus comes amidst expectations from industry leaders that the summit's resolutions will spark a new wave of innovation and strategic rethinking across the region.

The United Nations (UN) climate conference in Dubai made history last month, uniting nearly 200 nations to adopt a resolution to "transition away" from coal, oil and gas in this decade. The landmark decision on fossil fuels -a first of its kind in the conference's three-decades- was won after intense debate and considerable resistance from leading energy producers.

Fossil fuels, which are responsible for the majority of global warming emissions, still account for more than 80% of the world's energy consumption, even amid a steady rise in renewable energy capacity. COP28 President Dr. Sultan Al Jaber said the deal "delivered a paradigm shift that has the potential to redefine our economies," but stressed the importance of action over rhetoric, signaling a turning point in international energy policies. "We are what we do, not what we say," he said. "We must take the steps necessary to turn this agreement into tangible action."

Salaal Hassan, founder and CEO of Ahya, an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered solution for businesses to measure and reduce emissions, said heightened awareness of climate challenges spurred by COP28 opens key opportunities for both policymakers and the private sector. "The private sector must move beyond an outlook of seeing climate change as corporate social responsibility (CSR), and instead adapt from purely capitalist models to green social capital-based enterprises," he said. To make the shift, he recommends the adoption of "double materiality", a concept that focuses on reinvesting profits into climate protection and accurately assessing climate risk.

Salaal Hassan, founder and CEO, Ahya. Source: Ahya

As for the road ahead, Hassan predicts the COP28 dialogue will be a major catalyst for climatetech innovation in the region, especially for software startups focused on database management, reporting, and reduction processes for climate initiatives. "Such solutions already exist in the US and European Union, but they are not transferable to the UAE due to cost, support, localization, and compliance aspects," he noted. As the region -which has been historically reliant on fossil fuels- pivots towards a sustainable future, Hassan also sees potential for Direct Air Capture (DAC) technology for greenhouse gas mitigation. However, he also pointed out that its capital-intensive nature poses limitations in emerging markets.

Meanwhile, Shukri Eid, General Manager for the Gulf, Levant, and Pakistan at American multinational IBM, said the urgency to measure carbon footprints, as well as the increasing demand for comprehensive data, including environmental, social, and governance (ESG) reporting, have exerted immense pressure on organizations. "To start, organizations need to establish baselines and develop data-driven strategies- deciding what data to collect, where to store it, and how to manage it for audits, performance assessment, and driving improvements," Eid said. Unfortunately, existing data is often "fragmented, incomplete, or outdated," Eid noted.

Shukri Eid, General Manager, IBM-Gulf, Levant, and Pakistan. Source: IBM

But he noted that technologies infused with AI "hold the most promise for climate action," citing IBM's collaboration with the US' National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) on a foundation model for weather and climate. Trained on geospatial information, the model offers a novel approach to tackle climate change. "Unlike traditional AI models, geospatial foundation models can be fine-tuned for diverse applications, from flood detection to fire scars, driving impactful solutions across climate-related challenges," Eid explained.

Closer to home, IBM -which was an Associate Pathway Partner for the COP28 conference in Dubai – has also partnered with Mohamed Bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence to map the urban heat islands in the UAE. The research involves a fine-tuned version of IBM and NASA's geospatial foundation model to understand Abu Dhabi's urban environment and the formation of urban heat islands influenced by local landscapes. At the same time, IBM's Sustainability Accelerator is fostering innovation in water management at the University of Sharjah, which is developing a model and application to monitor and forecast water access in the Middle East and North Africa.

The financial sector is also adapting to take the lead in environmental initiatives. Dr. Saeeda Jaffar, Senior Vice President and Group Country Manager for the GCC at global digital payments leader Visa, said that finance and payment players "bear a significant responsibility" in driving adaptation, and that they are essential to bridging the gap between consumers and businesses in instilling sustainable practices. "The imperative for banks extends beyond merely reducing the reliance on cash payments and paper," she said. "It encompasses providing crucial capital to sustainable businesses, and creating an environment that fosters their growth. Any technology or innovation that inspires individuals and businesses to awareness and climate action holds great promise."

Dr. Saeeda Jaffar, Senior Vice President and Group Country Manager GCC, Visa. Source: Visa

Dr. Jaffar cited Visa's collaboration with sustainability-as-a-service startup Ecolytiq to launch an "Eco Benefits" bundle, in partnership with Mashreq Bank in the UAE and Qatar Islamic Bank in Qatar, as a prime example. The solution leverages payments data to allow consumers to track their carbon footprint per transaction, enabling them to understand the impact their spending behavior is having on the environment, and offers guidance on how to offset their carbon impact.

In the UAE, the carbon emissions insights are available to nearly one million Mashreq personal banking customers. "Rather than just offering products and services, we aim to craft experiences that truly benefit our customers," Faisal Al Shimmari, Head of ESG and Corporate Strategy at Mashreq Bank, said. "These products are designed to promote climate-positive behaviors, while delivering tangible impact for Mashreq customers."

Meanwhile, Mashreq is also actively ramping up its efforts to provide sustainable financing with a goal to reach US$30 billion by 2030, making it among the top facilitators of the UAE Banks Federation's (UBF) pledge at COP28 to mobilize $272 billion in sustainable finance by the end of the decade. The bank has already facilitated more than 30 deals in sustainable financing since 2021, including structuring and underwriting the recently closed Bapco Energies' $2.5 billion dual tranche Islamic and conventional term facility, the largest sustainability-linked loan in the region so far. Other projects that have received financing include adaptation-related projects such as water projects in Egypt, the UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.

Related: A Silicon Valley for Climate Tech? It Could Well Be the UAE

Having noted important gaps in climate finance for decarbonization in the UAE, Al Shimmari called it "a matter of national priority". This is why Mashreq is set to launch a UAE ESG Ecosystem Government Accelerator, an initiative uniting public institutions and financial private sector organizations to expedite the UAE's green transition.

Meanwhile, as 2024 now gets underway, Al Shimmari noted that UAE climate startups will need to confront regulatory uncertainties and funding challenges, yet promising avenues for innovation and growth await. "Startups should focus on increasing their technology readiness level through university collaborations and market-funded programs, and work on addressing climate risk stress testing, including data availability and governance challenges," he advised, noting a bright outlook especially for agri- and water-tech sectors.

However, Ahya's Hassan highlighted that the scarcity of capital for climatetech is a major obstacle to progress. "The biggest challenge is that of investors not having the risk appetite or a specialized thesis, due to the need to dive deep into the macroeconomics and regulations, which are distinguishably different from other sectors, as well as the need to see climatetech returns on a mid to long term horizon," Hassan said. "Here, very few investors have a focus on climatetech. And enterprises, whilst having sustainability departments, do not have specialists running them and have a general view of sustainability as an operational expense or CSR function. This can only change through confidence building, and simplifying the macro regulatory context."

Echoing Hassan's view, Victor Sunyer, Partner at Dubai-based investment firm Nuwa Capital, said that venture capitalists, in line with market conditions, "will continue to exhibit increased selectivity and caution." This cautious approach comes just as UAE-based data platform Magnitt noted a significant global investment growth in climatetech. The sector saw $82 billion in investments in 2022, up 20% from the previous year.

Victor Sunyer, Partner, Nuwa Capital. Source: Nuwa Capital

In the more nascent Middle East, North Africa, and Turkey (MENAT) market, climatetech startups attracted $651 million across 148 ventures between 2018 and 2022. However, Nuwa Capital envisions climatetech as "a fundamental area for growth and investment in the region" over the next few years, Sunyer said, motivated by the urgency to mitigate climate change impact. "Consumer sensitivity towards responsible behavior adds momentum to this trend," he said. "We are pursuing investment opportunities in the climate action space, spanning both early and growth stages."

Sunyer also said that the region is seeing "the beginnings of a solid climatetech ecosystem", also pointing to accelerator programs sponsored by major energy companies directing their focus to energy efficiency and transition. ADNOC, for example, launched a $1 million decarbonization technology challenge last year. Sunyer also noted "heightened enthusiasm" for water management and efficiency post-COP28, as well as technologies focused around low-carbon foods and locally grown produce, and on reducing building energy consumption. "Given the relevance of the construction sector and the climatic conditions, implementing energy-conserving measures for buildings is crucial for enhancing overall energy efficiency," Sunyer said. "Anticipated strides by policymakers in this regard underscore the potential impact."

With buildings accounting for nearly 40% of global carbon emissions, Maged Marie, CEO at Egypt-based real estate firm Magnom Properties, emphasized the role of the built environment in global energy transition discussions at COP28. The summit focused on practical solutions to decarbonize the buildings sector, Marie said, describing it as a move to "course-correct."

Maged Marie, CEO, Magnom Properties. Source: Magnom Properties

At the summit, the governments of France and Morocco, alongside the UN Environment Program (UNEP), launched the Buildings Breakthrough, setting a goal for near-zero emissions and climateresilient buildings by 2030– an initiative Marie lauded as one of the "most important sector-specific outcomes" at the conference in Dubai. "While the speed and scale of urbanization globally has brought manifold challenges to the climate crisis, the buildings sector is also uniquely positioned to be part of the solutions as we move forward on the path of net zero," Marie said. "At Magnom Properties, for instance, we are tapping into the long-term potential of clean hydrogen to power 75% of the total energy demands of the Forbes International Tower in Cairo, Egypt, designed to be one of the most sustainable buildings globally."

The Forbes International Tower, a commercial project planned to be constructed in locations including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt, will also use solar power, while also incorporating water recycling and smart technologies for efficient use. The tower is set to reduce its carbon footprint by 58%, equivalent to 60 million kilograms of carbon dioxide emissions, and it is also targeting Platinum LEED certification.

Commenting on the industry as a whole, Louise Collins, Head of Engineering and Energy for the MEA, and Head of Project and Development Services for the UAE, at real estate services firm JLL, said that sustainability is "high on the agenda" for both local and global businesses operating in the real estate sector. More time, resources, and money are being spent on sustainability, she said, which is expected to continue in the years ahead. According to JLL, 59% of the top 100 office occupiers in Dubai have carbon commitments.

Louise Collins, Head of Engineering and Energy for the MEA, and Head of Project and Development Services for the UAE, JLL. Source: JLL

Collins said that much of the demand for low-carbon space is coming from international occupiers. But the Emirate faces a unique set of challenges in meeting this demand, she said, including extreme climate conditions, rapid urban development, and high-energy demand buildings. That said, the market also presents unique opportunities. "As Dubai continues to develop rapidly, local government officials and developers benefit from implementing stringent buildings codes and construction practices to ensure buildings are sustainable at the onset– a much easier route than having to go through expensive and complex retrofits," Collins explained. "Building owners can also capitalize on abundant solar energy potential and leverage smart city technologies."

A spokesperson from NWTN, a UAE-based electric car manufacturer and green energy provider, forecasted transformative shifts in the regional energy landscape, including an uptick in investments in renewables like solar and wind power, that would potentially lead to the emergence of new renewable tech companies. "Given the UAE's abundant solar resources, innovations in solar energy, such as more efficient photovoltaic cells or concentrated solar power systems, are particularly promising," the spokesperson said. "Wind energy, especially offshore wind turbines, could also see significant advancements."

Other promising technologies include green hydrogen produced using renewable energy sources. "It can be used in various sectors, including transportation, industry, and power generation, making it a versatile option for decarbonization," the spokesperson said. These, along with advanced energy storage systems including batteries and other novel storage technologies, along with smart grid technology, are essential for managing the intermittent nature of renewable energy sources.

Peter May, Vice President of Operations at Dubai-based proptech startup Silkhaus, underscored the shared collective accountability for climate action. "Climate action is everyone's responsibility across sectors, and not just that of cleantech businesses," he said. But startups face challenges, he added, in "avoiding the lure of greenwashing," and resisting the misconception that purchasing carbon credits is a primary solution. Advocating for a more comprehensive approach, May said companies need to focus on education, optimization, and direct impact reduction.

Peter May, VP of Operations, Silkhaus. Source: Silkhaus

But despite hurdles in the shift to green, May is upbeat about COP28's long-term effect on Middle East economies. Ultimately, the unprecedented agreement is encouraging as it aligns with the region's ambitions to diversify away from oil-dependence, he said. After all, expanding into non-oil sectors -while fostering sustainable practices- is a win-win scenario.

Related: What Are The Climate Solutions That We're Leaving On The Table? Ask Women Entrepreneurs.

Megha Merani

Independent Journalist

Megha Merani is an independent journalist based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Her stories have made headlines across a number of publications including Reuters, Associated Press, Entrepreneur Middle EastBloomberg Middle East, Arabian Gulf Business Insight, Arabian Business, and former local daily 7DAYS.

Megha also produces editorial for government platforms including the World Government Summit and World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting of the Global Future Councils. She has been a grant winner of the Thomson Reuters Foundation and The Global Initiative Against Organized Crime funded by the government of Norway to report on the online trade in illegal wildlife.

Megha is also an Associate Fellow (AFHEA) at Murdoch University in Dubai and leads its Digital Newsroom course unit. In addition, Megha serves as a United Nations Women mentor to support equal opportunities for women entrepreneurs, and supports various other programs including TIE Women, 60 Day Startups, and the Watt Inc. Business Incubator.

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The huge investment packages are said to come with the full support of Saudi Arabia Crown Prince HRH Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, who remains committed to accelerating tech developments in Saudi Arabia.

This agreement underscored the region's growing recognition of climate risks and the imperative to adapt.

**National Projects and Solar Capacity:**
Several Middle Eastern countries are aggressively investing in solar power as part of broader diversification strategies:
- **UAE:** Continues to drive regional climate leadership, launching large-scale projects like the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, which aims for 5GW capacity by 2030.

Title:

Content: Morocco will commission three large solar power plants within a landmark strategy launched in 2009 to boost renewable sources to more than half its energy mix.

Addressing a seminar in Rome on Monday, Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch said the three new projects are based in the mountainous town of Midelt in central Morocco.

“We have plans to commission three new solar power plants in Midelt in 2027 at the latest…these projects will sharply expand the country’s renewable energy generation,” he said in his comments, published by Hespress and other Moroccan newspapers.

Akhannouch said renewable sources now account for nearly 40 percent of Morocco’s electricity production and the level is poised to rise to 52 percent by 2030.

He also said Morocco counts on its “geographic and strategic” location to become a major producer of green hydrogen.

(Writing by Nadim Kawach; Editing by Anoop Menon)

(anoop.menon@lseg.com)

Subscribe to our Projects' PULSE newsletter that brings you trustworthy news, updates and insights on project activities, developments, and partnerships across sectors in the Middle East and Africa.

- **Saudi Arabia:** Through Vision 2030, it has committed to major solar projects such as the Sakaka Solar Plant with plans for 58.7GW renewables by 2030.

Title:

Content: Sunday, 22 August, 2021, 9:39 AM
Advance Search
Home Op-Ed

Arab world at the forefront of climate change ‘code red’

Published : Sunday, 22 August, 2021 at 12:00 AM  Count : 174
ZAID M BELBAGI

Last week the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change issued a climate change "code red." Human activity is changing the climate in unprecedented and sometimes irreversible ways. The warning was unequivocal: A key global temperature limit has been broken, and humanity can expect a continued increase in floods, droughts and heat waves.

The bad news came amid a succession of wildfires in the Mediterranean region, fanned by strong winds and high temperatures. The infernos that took hold in Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco this week have brought the real impact of climate change to the forefront, and should serve to focus minds on how the Arab world, the most water-scarce region globally, will need to mitigate its impact.

The UN's sober assessment is as much a call for action as it is a warning. The belief that a marked cut to greenhouse gas emissions will go some way to limit the rise in global temperatures is central to the report's assertions. Since 1970, global surface temperatures have risen faster than in any other 50-year period over the past 2,000 years - in the Arab world this has been all the more severe. The IPCC special report projected that average temperatures in the region will increase by 1-2 degrees Celsius by 2030-2050.

Governments in one of the hottest regions on earth will continue to face challenges affecting the lives of millions caused by climate change. Increases in temperature will cause longer dry periods, affecting vegetation and crop production in areas that are already arid or semi-arid at best. The prospect of temperature rises threatening food security carries political risks, migration and conflict going hand in hand with limited access to food and water.

The impact of climate change on agriculture has been and will continue to be compounded by increasing urbanization of MENA societies. In what is one of the most youthful regions of the world, populations with a median age of 22 can no longer be supported by rural living, and the resulting migration to cities will exacerbate the issue. The spread of city "heat islands" in the Arab world is a direct result of population growth and climate change. Structures such as buildings, roads and other infrastructure absorb and re-emit the sun's heat more than natural landscapes do.

From Morocco to Bahrain, this phenomenon has led to increased water and energy usage in cities in order to mitigate rising temperatures. Nowhere is the problem more acute than in the GCC, with the Arabian Peninsula one of the most inhospitable regions in the world. However, wealth has brought large movements of people and encouraged population growth locally. Temperatures in Kuwait City last week reached 63 C under direct sunlight.

Studies have also shown that urban sprawl in the Gulf region has resulted in urban heat islands being most pertinent in Doha and Dubai. The "air-conditioning trap," as it has been described, has meant that the huge amount of energy used to keep buildings cool is, in effect, creating heat. In the UAE, where a small unit cooling a single room, on average, consumes more power than running four fridges, a staggering 70 percent of domestic electricity consumption is for air-conditioning.

The climate change report could not have been more timely in respect to the Arab world. Rising temperatures mean that, increasingly, large cities will face inhospitable temperatures for more than a quarter of the year. With this problem expected to worsen, stresses on scarce water resources and ever-decreasing arable land will become more acute.

However, there is a real opportunity for the Arab world to capitalize on this phenomenon. Arab countries have some of the highest wind and solar energy potential in the world. Exploiting this would enable them to reduce the vulnerability of their existing energy systems amid an end to subsidies throughout the region, while continuing to act as energy exporters to the world. Since the demand for cooling and refrigeration no doubt will rise, using sustainable energy sources is preferable to the burning of fossil fuels.

Climate change is very much an Arab issue. The Sahara Desert alone has expanded over an area twice the size of France in the past 50 years. The region is, of course, no stranger to the severe effect of climate change on its history. The Arabian Peninsula was once a savanna, host to 47 lakes, before climate change rendered it one of the most inhospitable areas in the world. This change is thought to have supported the first northward expansion of the Arab people, their search for water driving them toward the Levant, the Euphrates and the Nile.

This should serve as a reminder that extreme temperature changes can have a more significant effect on the lives of millions than any of the region's current political wrangling.
Zaid M Belbagi is a political
commentator, and an adviser to private clients between London and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)
Source: arabnews.com

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Partnerships, like that of Positive Zero, further cement its clean energy ambitions.

Title:

Content:   • The agreement marks Positive Zero’s first strategic partnership in Saudi Arabia, boosting the group’s presence and reach across the Kingdom.
  • The collaboration will support attaining Saudi Arabia’s goal of installing 40 GW of solar PV capacity in line with Vision 2030.

Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA): Positive Zero, the leading provider of decentralized energy solutions in the GCC, and Tamimi Energy, one of Saudi Arabia’s pioneers in integrated and sustainable energy services, have announced a strategic partnership to develop and deliver solar power projects across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The collaboration was formalized with the signing of a Partnership Agreement between SirajPower, Positive Zero’s distributed power generation subsidiary, and Energy Equipment Rental Company (ENERCO), one of Saudi Arabia’s leading power solutions providers under Tamimi Energy.  The agreement establishes a flexible framework for the two parties to leverage each other’s diverse solar project capabilities, enabling them to support the rapid growth of the Saudi clean energy market.

SirajPower and ENERCO will work together by leveraging their complementary capabilities for the development and financing of commercial and industrial solar power solutions across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This will include deploying human talent, equipment, technology, and other resources to the projects they secure jointly.

The partnership follows Positive Zero’s recent announcement of a landmark investment of up to $400 million from BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager with over $9.4 trillion in assets. The investment will boost Positive Zero’s growth and innovation in the GCC region, where it offers a range of decentralized decarbonization solutions, including solar power, energy efficiency, and mobile battery storage, to support the region’s energy transition and economic diversification goals, as well as the global efforts to combat climate change.

Salah Abdullatif, Executive General Manager at Tamimi Energy Holding Company, said:

"The pace of the clean energy transformation in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is picking up rapidly, with the Saudi Green Initiative setting an ambitious target to increase the share of renewable energy to 50% of the primary energy mix by 2030. This is no small feat, and ENERCO, as a key subsidiary of Tamimi Energy, is ideally positioned to play a crucial role in this journey. Our collaboration with SirajPower and the Positive Zero group will perfectly complement Tamimi Energy’s capabilities and open up significant opportunities for both parties to accelerate the adoption of solar power across multiple sectors in the Kingdom."

David Auriau, Co-Founder and CEO of Positive Zero, commented on the occasion:

“The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is about to experience a surge in demand for clean energy, and photovoltaic solar power will be the foundation for meeting this demand as the key element of the National Renewable Energy Program of Vision 2030. To support attaining the goal of installing 40 GW of photovoltaic solar power by 2030, our partnership with Tamimi Energy will bring out the best of both our groups to the Saudi market, and we could not have chosen a better partner for Positive Zero’s first strategic partnership in the Kingdom. We look forward to playing a crucial role in the transformation of the Saudi energy sector through this agreement between SirajPower and ENERCO to bid on projects and deliver them together.”

Saudi Arabia is one of the top 10 countries in the world with the highest potential for producing centralized solar energy, according to the Shell Global Energy Resources Database, with the Kingdom approving new regulations over the past 18 months to enable the construction and provision of distributed solar energy solutions to increase the contribution of distributed solar PV power to the country’s energy mix.

Positive Zero’s foundational companies have already made remarkable strides in key GCC markets. SirajPower, the company's Distributed Generation arm, leads the region with a 200 MWp portfolio of distributed solar energy, reducing over 223 thousand metric tons of carbon emissions annually - an equivalent to powering over 43,000 homes every year. Taka Solutions, operating as the company's Energy Efficiency arm, has achieved energy savings exceeding 100,000 MWh across eight sectors in the United Arab Emirates, which is equivalent to planting more than three million trees. Situated under the company’s Clean Mobility vertical, our HYPR mobile battery units, the first clean energy delivery service in the region, have provided construction sites and other off-grid locations with cheaper and cleaner power.

About Positive Zero

Positive Zero is empowering a new energy economy by enabling businesses, communities, and cities in the Middle East region to take charge of their energy future. As the leading energy transition partner for the commercial, industrial, and public sectors, Positive Zero helps businesses achieve energy savings as high as 50% by removing upfront investments and operational complexities from the onset.

Positive Zero’s decarbonization-as-a-service offering combines clean technologies with data-driven solutions in distributed solar generation (SirajPower), energy efficiency (Taka Solutions) and clean mobility (fleet electrification, charging infrastructure and HYPR Energy) that reduce cost and consumption, and carbon footprint. In addition to financing, we offer end-to-end services, which means we manage the entire process from engineering, design, installation, construction, maintenance, and monitoring so that businesses can focus on what they do best.

For more information about Positive Zero, visit our website www.positivezero.com and our social media handles on LinkedIn /positivezerohq, Twitter @positivezerohq, and Instagram @positivezerohq.

For media inquiries please contact:
Carine Bouery
Head of Marketing
cbouery@positivezero.com

- **Morocco:** Although in North Africa, Morocco's influence is noteworthy in the Arab world, having launched massive solar infrastructure (e.g., Noor Ouarzazate complex) and aiming for more than half its energy from renewables by 2030.

Title:

Content: Morocco will commission three large solar power plants within a landmark strategy launched in 2009 to boost renewable sources to more than half its energy mix.

Addressing a seminar in Rome on Monday, Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch said the three new projects are based in the mountainous town of Midelt in central Morocco.

“We have plans to commission three new solar power plants in Midelt in 2027 at the latest…these projects will sharply expand the country’s renewable energy generation,” he said in his comments, published by Hespress and other Moroccan newspapers.

Akhannouch said renewable sources now account for nearly 40 percent of Morocco’s electricity production and the level is poised to rise to 52 percent by 2030.

He also said Morocco counts on its “geographic and strategic” location to become a major producer of green hydrogen.

(Writing by Nadim Kawach; Editing by Anoop Menon)

(anoop.menon@lseg.com)

Subscribe to our Projects' PULSE newsletter that brings you trustworthy news, updates and insights on project activities, developments, and partnerships across sectors in the Middle East and Africa.

Morocco also seeks to become a regional green hydrogen hub.

Title:

Content: Morocco will commission three large solar power plants within a landmark strategy launched in 2009 to boost renewable sources to more than half its energy mix.

Addressing a seminar in Rome on Monday, Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch said the three new projects are based in the mountainous town of Midelt in central Morocco.

“We have plans to commission three new solar power plants in Midelt in 2027 at the latest…these projects will sharply expand the country’s renewable energy generation,” he said in his comments, published by Hespress and other Moroccan newspapers.

Akhannouch said renewable sources now account for nearly 40 percent of Morocco’s electricity production and the level is poised to rise to 52 percent by 2030.

He also said Morocco counts on its “geographic and strategic” location to become a major producer of green hydrogen.

(Writing by Nadim Kawach; Editing by Anoop Menon)

(anoop.menon@lseg.com)

Subscribe to our Projects' PULSE newsletter that brings you trustworthy news, updates and insights on project activities, developments, and partnerships across sectors in the Middle East and Africa.

- **Egypt:** Alongside solar and wind expansions (e.g., Benban Solar Park), Egypt is exploring renewable ammonia exports, positioning itself as a future clean fuel supplier.

Title:

Content: Norway-based renewable energy company Scatec and its partners, Egyptian Petrochemicals Holding Company (ECHEM) and Misr Fertilisers Production Company (MOPCO) have signed Heads of Terms for renewable ammonia offtake from Egypt with Yara Clean Ammonia, the world’s largest trader and distributor of ammonia, according to a press statement from Scatec.

Last year, Scatec, ECHEM and MOPCO had entered into a joint development agreement (JDA) and a shareholder agreement for the production of renewable ammonia.

The press statement that Scatec and its partners will develop and build up to 480 megawatts (MW) of renewable energy and an up to 240 MW electrolyser facility for production of renewable hydrogen, which will be used as feedstock for production of renewable ammonia at MOPCO’s existing ammonia production facility at Damietta in Egypt.

The targeted production capacity is up to 150,000 tonnes of renewable ammonia per annum, the statement noted.

The three partners have established joint venture Damietta Green Ammonia Company (DGA) to develop the project,

Scatec also signed a letter of Intent with the European Investment Bank (EIB) for long-term financing for the green ammonia project.

(Editing by Anoop Menon) (anoop.menon@lseg.com)

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- **Bahrain & GCC:** Research highlights nuclear energy's role in regional decarbonization, supplementing renewables to diversify energy sources and reduce emissions.

Title:

Content: THE benefits of a joint nuclear power centre for the Gulf have been highlighted by a researcher, who said the region’s economic ambitions necessitated a robust energy infrastructure.Bahrain University alumna Noora Al Tamimi, who specialises in environment and sustainable development studies, recently completed her Master’s degree for which she conducted a survey with more than 400 respondents, and interviews with five industry experts, environmental specialists and social researchers, among others.Her thesis entitled ‘Challenges and opportunities of establishing nuclear power plants in the GCC’, sheds light on the benefits of nuclear power, which includes reduction in electricity costs, diversification of energy supplies, less pollution and smaller carbon footprint. “Nuclear power offers a compelling solution to diversify our energy sources beyond fossil fuels,” the 31-year-old told the GDN.

“Furthermore, the region’s economic ambitions necessitate a robust and secure energy infrastructure.”Disposal of nuclear waste, high set-up and implementation costs, specialised human resource and expertise and safety concerns were some of the constraints highlighted in the survey. The GDN earlier reported that Bahrain was on track in implementing its National Energy Transition Plan, which is based on the kingdom’s commitments presented at COP26, the 26th United Nations Climate Change conference. Some of the pledges made include plans to reach net zero by cutting carbon emissions to a minimum by 2060, and other interim goals including reducing emissions by 30 per cent by 2035 through decarbonisation and other efficiency initiatives.

Harnessing nuclear power is a timely solution to achieving these goals, she said. Her thesis features recommendations based on expert interviews on a wide range of topics, including potential environmental impact of nuclear power plants, the disposal of nuclear waste in the region, the economic impact of the cost of establishing such power stations, and the benefits of joint initiatives for the GCC.“The emergence of the UAE’s Barakah nuclear plant has paved the way but each nation possesses unique considerations and understanding these lingering challenges is crucial for the GCC’s collective energy future,” Ms Al Tamimi said.“The UAE has already made progress and Saudi Arabia has sent researchers abroad.

It may not be feasible for other GCC countries to have their own individual projects, but they can collaborate, perhaps by owning shares in existing nuclear reactors in the Gulf region,” she explained, indicating the expert opinions that surfaced in her study.The Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant delivers safe, clean and reliable electricity to the UAE grid, and will provide 25 per cent of the country’s electricity needs once fully operational.Bahrain Centre for Strategic, International and Energy Studies (Derasat) research analyst Sabeka Ismaeel said the prospects of nuclear power plants in the GCC were wide. “Lately, global interest is growing on the deployment of small modular reactors (SMRs), which align more closely with the GCC’s landscape,” Ms Ismaeel said. “SMRs present a key opportunity for energy diversification in the region, and are easier to construct in terms of infrastructure and financials, however, there is still some debate on their economic feasibility worldwide. “Personally, I think that it is crucial to fully study the viability of nuclear power plants in geographically restricted areas, and on consolidating effective management techniques for nuclear waste.”melissa@gdnmedia.bh

Copyright 2022 Al Hilal Publishing and Marketing Group Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info).

- **Iraq:** Newly awarded waste-to-energy (WTE) projects reflect broader attempts to integrate non-traditional renewables.

Title:

Content: Iraq intends to award a project for the construction of a waste-to-energy (WTE) plant in the capital Baghdad in March, an official said on Thursday.

The project, located in Nahrawan area, will be completed within 24 months and has a capacity to produce 80-90 megawatts (MW) of electricity, said Karim Adab, Deputy Director of the Baghdad Department of Environment.

He told the official Alsabah newspaper that the project would handle nearly 3,000 tonnes of waste, adding that another WTE project in the capital is being planned.

(Writing by Nadim Kawach; Editing by Anoop Menon)

(anoop.menon@lseg.com)

Subscribe to our Projects' PULSE newsletter that brings you trustworthy news, updates and insights on project activities, developments, and partnerships across sectors in the Middle East and Africa.

**Government Incentives and Investments:**
Governments across the Gulf are offering incentives such as:
- Competitive feed-in tariffs for renewable power.

Title:

Content: 4.52 PM Thursday, 12 October 2023
  • City Fajr Shuruq Duhr Asr Magrib Isha
  • Dubai 04:58 06:12 12:08 15:27 17:58 19:12
12 October 2023

Fujairah CP highlights Fujairah’s strategic role in supporting global energy market

Published
By WAM

H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Mohammed Al Sharqi, Crown Prince of Fujairah, highlighted Fujairah’s strategic role in supporting global energy markets, as well as its significance as a vital economic hub for international companies.

Fujairah has established itself as a prestigious destination for the international oil industry's service sector, he added.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad made this statement during the closing ceremony of the 11th Energy Markets Forum(EMFWEEK23), held under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Hamad bin Mohammed Al Sharqi, Supreme Council member and Ruler of Fujairah. The two-day forum was organised by the Port of Fujairah at the Novotel Hotel.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad acknowledged the support of H.H. Sheikh Hamad bin Mohammed Al Sharqi, Supreme Council member and Ruler of Fujairah, for the oil and gas sector, major companies, and international oil and gas facilities in the emirate, commending their efforts to adapt to various international changes, contributing to the UAE’s economic growth and enhancing its leading global stature in the sector.

He also pointed out that the inclusive approach, which considers the interests of different sectors and economies, remains the optimal solution for a logical and fair transition to a united world in the face of climate-related challenges, noting the consistency of the forum’s outcomes with the objectives and aspirations that the country aims to achieve through hosting the 28th session of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28).

He then affirmed the importance of the Energy Markets Forum, noting the impact of the topics discussed during its dialogue sessions on serving the global decision-making industry and finding appropriate solutions to the international challenges facing energy markets.

Sheikh Mohammed pointed out the importance of promoting cooperation and partnerships between vital sectors to reach compatible solutions to achieve tangible and effective progress in global climate action.

Eng. Sharif Al Olama, Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, expressed the UAE’s aspirations regarding green hydrogen production: “We trust in our ability to produce hydrogen on a large scale to meet local demand. We also can export hydrogen to countries in need.”

Al Olama added that the UAE's National Hydrogen Strategy aims to establish two hydrogen clusters by 2031 and increase this number to five by 2050. To develop these technologies, the country will establish a hydrogen research and development centre, which will be a distinguished innovation centre for global hydrogen research, he added.

Within its broader energy plans, the UAE government intends to invest between AED150 billion (US$40.8 billion) and AED200 billion ($54.4 billion) in all energy sectors until 2030.

Musa Murad, General Manager of the Port of Fujairah, highlighted the global energy sector's strategic importance and the need to attract investments in this vital sector, which is crucial to maintaining its capacity to meet rising international energy demand.

“We believe that the energy sector's future will maintain the partnership principle between various forms of energy. Global demand for primary energy is expected to increase from around 291 million barrels of oil equivalent per day in 2022 to nearly 359 million barrels of oil equivalent per day in 2045, a rise of some 68.3 million barrels of oil equivalent per day, according to the World Oil Outlook 2023 released this week by OPEC,” he said.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad honoured the International Energy Journalism Award winners in recognition of their role in covering energy markets at Arab and international levels through research, news services, and specialist analyses of the sector.

The annual gathering in Fujairah convened 300 senior executives, regulators and policymakers tasked with leading the Middle East's trading, storage, marketing and shipping of oil and gas across the East of Suez markets, to exchange knowledge and insights on relevant and timely trends impacting their industry.

- Open auctions attracting foreign investors.

Title:

Content:   • 3 minutes e-car sales collapse
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Haley Zaremba

Haley Zaremba is a writer and journalist based in Mexico City. She has extensive experience writing and editing environmental features, travel pieces, local news in the…

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Africa's Green Energy Leapfrog

  • Sub-Saharan Africa's population is expected to double by 2050, leading to a predicted increase in energy demand by a third over the next decade and necessitating a ten-fold increase in power generation capacity by 2065.
  • Africa has abundant resources such as natural gas, sunshine, wind, and rare Earth minerals, creating significant potential for renewable energy growth.
  • The challenge lies in ensuring that Africa's renewable energy production capacity is harnessed to serve its own urgent energy needs, as well as achieving decarbonization goals.

Electrifying Africa is going to be one of the most significant challenges (and promising economic opportunities) of the global clean energy transition. The population of sub-Saharan Africa is the fastest growing in the world, expected to double by 2050. To put that in perspective, by midcentury one in four people on the planet will be in sub-Saharan Africa. Considering the significance of the African population on the global stage, and the need to connect those people to clean and reliable energy, the continent poses a significant challenge for climate goals on a global scale.

As sub-Saharan Africa grows and industrializes, African energy demand is expected to increase by a third over the next decade. Meeting this demand will require a ten-fold increase in power generation capacity by 2065. The problem is that in order to comply with decarbonization imperatives, Africa has to “leapfrog” over what is normally the next phase of development in a poor nation’s economic journey. Today, 600 million people across the African continent still lack access to energy. But while most economies had the good fortune of developing their economies in an era where there was no pushback for burning as many fossil fuels as suited them, African leaders are facing the necessary and virtually unprecedented necessity of skipping straight to cutting-edge (and comparatively expensive) green technologies.

The irony is that while Africa represents the greatest concentration of energy poverty in the world today, it also represents one of the most significant markets for renewable energy production growth potential. The continent is extremely rich in natural gas (considered to be a stepping stone away from dirtier fossil fuels like coal and oil), as well as abundant sunshine, wind, and highly sought-after rare Earth minerals such as lithium and cobalt which are essential components of renewable technologies including photovoltaic solar panels and lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles and renewable energy storage.

Foreign investors are already flooding Africa in order to develop energy resources in order to shore up their own energy security. Russia and China have been investing in emerging African energy markets for years in a competition to establish dominance in the region, and European countries are increasingly pushing into Northern Africa to build mass-scale solar farms in the Sahara Desert. Now, after decades of decline, manufacturing in sub-Saharan Africa is on an upward trend, and solar panels built in Africa are already cost-competitive with those built in China.

While Africa is all but guaranteed to be the next big thing in global energy markets, however, there is no guarantee that this newfound renewable energy production capacity will meet the enormous and urgent demand of Africa’s own energy grids. Instead, renewable energy supply chains are being established by foreign countries in order to serve the needs of those foreign countries. It’s a dilemma. Africa direly needs the money offered through such contracts, but it also desperately needs all of the energy it can get. After all, half of the continent’s population lacks reliable access to energy – a fundamental barrier to development.

Furthermore, those renewable energy resources are an absolutely necessary piece of Africa’s ability to reach decarbonization goals and “leapfrog” fossil fuels – which is a net gain for the entire planet. But the issue, once again, is money. Rich countries have the money to develop those supply chains (for their own needs) – but for African leaders, it’s another story. A recent study published in the journal Scientific Reports calculates that the cheapest investment cost from all case scenarios that would achieve a renewable energy-powered grid in Africa would be $298 billion.

By Haley Zaremba for Oilprice.com

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- National targets for renewables in the energy mix.

Title:

Content: Morocco will commission three large solar power plants within a landmark strategy launched in 2009 to boost renewable sources to more than half its energy mix.

Addressing a seminar in Rome on Monday, Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch said the three new projects are based in the mountainous town of Midelt in central Morocco.

“We have plans to commission three new solar power plants in Midelt in 2027 at the latest…these projects will sharply expand the country’s renewable energy generation,” he said in his comments, published by Hespress and other Moroccan newspapers.

Akhannouch said renewable sources now account for nearly 40 percent of Morocco’s electricity production and the level is poised to rise to 52 percent by 2030.

He also said Morocco counts on its “geographic and strategic” location to become a major producer of green hydrogen.

(Writing by Nadim Kawach; Editing by Anoop Menon)

(anoop.menon@lseg.com)

Subscribe to our Projects' PULSE newsletter that brings you trustworthy news, updates and insights on project activities, developments, and partnerships across sectors in the Middle East and Africa.

- Financial sector participation, as seen with increased investment in climatetech (e.g., $82 billion in 2022, up 20% YoY).

**Emerging Trends:**
- **Green Hydrogen:** The Middle East’s solar and wind resources favor large-scale green hydrogen projects for export, helping maintain economic relevance in a decarbonizing world.

Title:

Content: Will the Middle East use clean hydrogen to hold onto energy export economies?

September 17, 2022 0 By Frankie Wallace

Ships leaving ports in that area have the potential to allow the region to remain among leaders.

Middle Eastern container ships have the potential to one day shift the nature of the region’s energy leadership to clean hydrogen as the area undergoes a considerable change in economic focus.

The region has broad potential for generating green H2 powered by renewable energy like solar and wind.

Middle Eastern shipping ports are “primed for hydrogen transition”, said ABB Marine & Ports product line manager for electric solutions Jostein Bogen. He went on to say that the company was prepared for handling the expected H2 demand from the current 1,000 metric tons to the 39 to 161 megatons by 2050.

[French] Could Africa unite as a po...
➡PLAY THIS HYDROGEN NEWS ARTICLE IN: ENGLISH, FRENCH & GERMAN

ABB Marine & Ports is already using fuel cell technology for powering smaller cargo vessels that travel across shorter distance. It’s also applying the H2 to meet larger ships’ auxiliary energy requirements. As a component of the company’s efforts in research and development for this area, it is developing a high-power H2 fuel cell concept that would be able to generate 3 megawatts of electrical energy to be deployed on larger ships.

Many predict that collaboration will be required in the region to maximize the potential of clean hydrogen.

To realize the true potential of renewable H2 for Middle Eastern economies, it will be necessary for ports and producers to collaborate. This could include collaborations such as between the Abu Dhabi National Energy Company, Taqa, and Abu Dhabi Ports, which will generate 2GW of renewable H2 and that will be processed into ammonia for expert and bunker fuel uses. That H2 will be made using electrolysis powered by solar energy from a 2GW solar photovoltaic plant.

Bogen made his statement to the media on the heels of an International Energy Agency Clean Energy Ministerial Hydrogen Initiative (CEM H2I) acknowledgement of the role coastal industrial clusters and ports play in accelerating the deployment of this renewable fuel and fuel cell technology across all components of the economy.

CEM H2I coordinates the Global Ports Hydrogen Coalition, which is a working group aimed at bringing port authorities together for the use of clean hydrogen to decarbonize their activities.

- **Clean Ammonia:** Agreements between Egypt and international partners indicate clean fuel exports are part of the future energy landscape.

- **Nuclear Power:** Regional debates around adding nuclear for baseload and emissions reduction illustrate the search for diverse clean energy portfolios.

**Economic and Climate Impact:**
- Locally, these efforts create jobs, foster new industries, and help economies pivot away from oil dependency.

- Regionally, investment in renewables and clean fuels strengthens grid reliability and energy security.

- On climate, increased renewables adoption helps address the Middle East’s unique vulnerabilities (heat, water scarcity) while contributing to global emission reduction goals.

**Challenges and Next Steps:**
- Energy investment levels are rising, but the speed and scale must increase for 2030 and 2050 targets.

- Regional cooperation (e.g., on hydrogen, nuclear) could accelerate transitions, but policy harmonization and technical infrastructure remain hurdles.

- Continuous investment, skills development, and financial innovation will be crucial for success.

**Summary:**
From the UAE’s leadership post-COP28 to Morocco’s and Egypt’s solar and hydrogen ambitions, the Middle East is making rapid, strategic moves to secure a post-oil future.

Solar, wind, green hydrogen, and even nuclear are all being deployed with significant government backing, foreign investment, and a growing recognition that energy transition is critical both for local economies and the global climate.

**Energy Transition in the Middle East: Solar Leadership and the Road Ahead**

**Regional Ambition and Global Role:**
Middle Eastern leaders increasingly frame their role as both local and global clean energy catalysts.

Title:

Content: Israel ’ s president says he can save the planet from climate crisis
The global climate crisis means disaster for the Middle East, but like all crises, it also presents opportunities.
In Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, COP27 begins.
Many world leaders, including President Yitzhak Herzog, will come to the Middle East to find solutions to the climate emergency that has developed in the world.
“Israel ’ s ninth president, Shimon Peres, spoke of his vision for a New Middle East; I call it the Renewable Middle East.
The Renewable Middle East is a growing alliance to find common solutions to perhaps the biggest threat to our region: the climate crisis.
This is a vision of a sustainable regional ecosystem.
A region that is not only “new ” in the sense of distinction, but is also supported by its own positive momentum, ” Herzog wrote in an article published in The Times of Israel.
“Today I am arriving at COP27 in Egypt, the first Arab country to make peace with Israel.
Following the historic Israeli-Egyptian peace treaty of 1979, Israel made peace with Jordan and, most recently, normalized relations with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco and the Sudan.
The Abraham Accords could not be adopted quickly enough, pushing the Middle East into the rapid rethinking it needs to meet the challenges of tomorrow.
I fervently hope that other countries in our region will join this green regrouping, including our Palestinian neighbors, and one day Syria and Lebanon, ” he added.
“Let no one doubt that if the world does not reach the 1.5 ° C goal, the Middle East will suffer disproportionately.
A hot, dry region will become hotter and drier.
Rising sea levels will threaten coastal populations.
And it is precisely because we all face the same challenges that we must join forces to find common solutions.
Our lives depend on it, ” added the Duke.
In a historic shift, Israel is integrating into the Middle East as its neighbors recognize that the future of dynamic engagement with a Jewish and democratic state, based on a shared commitment to the future of our children, is the key to a brighter future.
“The renewable Middle East can be truly transformative in clean energy as a source of solar energy for Europe, Asia and Africa.
Where others might see the vast expanses of the desert from the Maghreb to the Persian Gulf, I see an opportunity to produce clean energy and use Israel ’ s position at the crossroads of three great continents to export it to the world.
I first spoke in favor of a renewable Middle East in a speech on February 23, on the eve of the war in Ukraine.
The continued rise in energy prices around the world only underscores the need for reliable sources of green energy, ” he said.
As Israel and its neighbors begin to cooperate on joint projects that will help Europe, Asia and Africa solve their own problems in food security, water management, etc., this momentum of partnership will become self-sustaining, Herzog said.
He adds that “it will be a renewable world. ”
“It is for this reason that I established the Israel Climate Forum under the auspices of the Office of the President of Israel to keep the environment at the forefront of Israel ’ s national priorities and bring together some of the most influential people in the country to brainstorm and implement creative solutions to surpass themselves despite Israel ’ s small size. ”
“A renewed Middle East will be ahead for the same reason that Israel has always won despite adversity, or perhaps because of it: because there is no other choice, and the climate crisis is indeed a matter of life and death.
In our increasingly turbulent world, the Renewable Middle East is a beam of sustainably powered light.
Skeptics may call it a pipe dream, but this pipeline will carry green energy that will help free the world from dependence on fossil fuels, while creating sustainable partnerships to lead our region into a new, cleaner era. ”
If world leaders at COP27 are serious about limiting global temperature rises, then building and joining Middle East partnerships is a smart, green investment, he said.
The Duke called on all COP27 delegates to explore the hidden possibilities of Israel ’ s full integration in the Middle East, seek greater partnership in the region, and join and invest in this infrastructure of sustainable peace.
He added that the Renewable Middle East, which is being built now, will pay dividends for many decades to come not only to the peoples of the region, but also to the whole world.
Earlier, Cursor wrote that the name of the part of the world that heats up twice as fast as others.
In recent decades, scientists have been actively monitoring the rate of heating of the Earth and trying to contain global warming by all available means.
Cursor also reported that global warming would lead to supershowers on Earth.
Read the latest news from Israel and the world on the Kursor channel in Telegram.
Author of the material:
TAGS:

There is a narrative of shared climate responsibility, with countries—like Israel—positioning a “renewable Middle East” as pivotal for supplying solar power across Europe, Asia, and Africa.

The vision is for the region to become a hub of solar exports and transformative clean energy.

**Key National Projects and Solar Capacity:**
- **Saudi Arabia:** Through the Green Saudi Arabia initiative, the Kingdom is ramping up investments in large-scale solar projects and exploring green hydrogen production.

Title:

Content: Parviz Shahbazov attends inauguration ceremony of Green Saudi Arabia initiative
Minister of Energy Parviz Shahbazov at the invitation of the Minister of Energy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman Al Saud took part in the inauguration ceremony of the Green Saudi Arabia initiative in Riyadh.
Energetics
Oct. 24, 2021, 4: 46 p.m.
Minister of Energy Parviz Shahbazov at the invitation of the Minister of Energy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman Al-Saud took part in the inauguration ceremony of the Green Saudi Arabia initiative in Riyadh.
The event, "A New Era of Action: Oasis Alive", which brought together leaders from government, business, finance and civil society, discussed issues such as climate change and biodiversity conservation, the green economy, the energy transition, the use of low-emission industrial technologies, the expansion of the use of renewable energy sources, the use of hydrogen for energy purposes.
Speaking at the Ministerial Panel on Sustainability and Economic Development, Parviz Shahbazov stressed the importance of ensuring a balance between environmental, energy and economic sustainability.
Stressing that the development of the use of renewable energy sources in our country was included by the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev in the number of national priorities for socio-economic development, the minister noted that over the next decade it is planned to increase the share of green energy in the installed capacity to 30% in our country.
During the speech, it was noted that work is underway to turn the territories liberated from the occupation into green energy zones.
Within the framework of the panel, an exchange of views took place on such topical topics as solutions to limit the environmental impact of hydrocarbons, such as oil and gas, investments in technologies to reduce the negative impact of carbon dioxide emissions on the environment, investments in renewable energy sources and others.
Within the framework of the event, meetings were held with Minister of Energy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Abdul-Aziz bin Salman Al-Saud, Minister of Investment Khalid al-Falih, Director General of the OPEC International Development Fund Abdulhamid Al-Khalifa, Chairman of the Board of Acwa Power Mohammed Abunayyan, Chairman and CEO of Total Patrick Pouyanne, Executive Vice President of Air Products Samir Serhan. a number of issues of mutual interest were discussed.
During the event, the minister gave interviews to representatives of international media, such as Bloomberg, Arab News, Kawa News, etc.
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Their national strategy focuses not only on solar farms but also on infrastructure for hydrogen and wind, aiming for up to 40 GW of renewables (solar and wind) in the coming years.

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Content: Aliev does not look back at oil.
Ahead of two megaprojects our analytics
Alexander Karavaev, author haqqin.az
The agreement signed in Romania between the governments of Azerbaijan, Georgia, Romania and Hungary "On strategic partnership in the field of development and transfer of green energy" actually has a revolutionary significance comparable to that of the "Contract of the Century" in 1994.
For a more complete understanding of the analogy, I recall the historical canvas of the mid-1990s.
If for the world oil and gas concerns, the Contract of the Century was just another document from a number of others, although it affected the post-Soviet Caspian region new for them, then for Azerbaijan it turned out to be a breakthrough into the future.
Aliyevs ’ lever – a profitable combination of external forces
Thanks to his abilities and fame as one of the Soviet leaders, Heydar Aliyev managed to organize such a profitable combination of external forces to introduce Azerbaijan into the world community through the "hydrocarbon lever", thereby placing it in the circle of the most influential states of southeastern Europe.
Later, thanks to the same lever, Ilham Aliyev created the conditions for national rise and achievement of victory in the second Karabakh war.
In addition, he received many tools for domestic socio-economic development, received finances for the modernization of the country's infrastructure and agro-industrial breakthrough.
It was the "hydrocarbon lever" that made it possible to implement a real, proactive and multi-vector policy, in which the country not only responds to challenges, but itself dictates the agenda to the extent that it is possible to do so.
Oil is capital, finance and a chance to make a free choice among several scenarios of development, to rely on their own strength, and not on help from outside.
The “contract of the century ” in the 1990s sounded very loud and immediately received high praise in the world community; in this contrast, the current agreement was signed very casually.
But if you remove the form of submission and PR effects behind the brackets, you can see a similar meaning of both documents.
In 1994, Baku was designated as an important future player in the hydrocarbon market of the Black Sea-Mediterranean region; hence, as a consequence, the formation of Azerbaijan as a new geopolitical entity.
In 2022, Ilham Aliyev acquires a “post-hydrocarbon ” electric power tool for carrying out his policy.
The fact is that the new agreement outlines the role of Azerbaijan in the construction of a new electric power architecture of post-hydrocarbon Europe.
That is, to the "oil" status of Baku, a new quality is added - "electro-hydrogen".
Let's do another roll call.
Recall that oil from the Azeri – Chirag-Guneshli fields did not immediately enter the international market; only five years after the start of development in 1999, the first oil received from ACG was loaded into tankers, and only in 2005, ten years after the signing of the “Contract of the Century ”, the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline began to function.
Therefore, we should not expect the immediate consequences of this new project.
As Ilham Aliyev pointed out, the delivery of the planned 10 GW of electricity to the EU will be possible in a decade, by the 2030s.
"Rosette" instead of "gas station"
By the way, there is another roll call with the first “contract of the century ”, it is related to the cost of trunk infrastructure.
The laying of the Georgia-Romania trans-Black Sea electric cable is estimated at 2.3 billion euros, that is, cheaper than the total cost of the BTC highway, but the total financial loan for the oil pipe amounted to 2.6 billion dollars - that is, these are comparable figures.
And here it is still appropriate to remember about Georgia: for the second time in thirty years, it will be present in the context of Azerbaijani leadership, providing transit services and at the same time receiving an impetus for its rapid economic growth as a Black Sea tourist oasis.
Active discussions on the efficiency and profitability of green energy are still ongoing.
But it no longer looks like an interesting attempt to counter the effects of the carbon footprint, because huge assets and financial resources are now concentrated in this area.
On the one hand, the economic component is not fully understood: what will be the tariff for the consumer?
There are also questions about technical solutions: what will be the cost of the power grid to maintain the transmission capacity of 1000 MW per 1195 km of submarine cable?
After all, all this should be obtained only thanks to the "green generation" of Azerbaijan.
But time is running at a faster pace than it was in the 1990s and 2000s.
For example, who would have thought in the mid-2010s that electric cars would conquer the market, or in the mid-2000s, how far would mobile technology, literally in three to five years, have changed the world?
Generation technologies are advancing very quickly, almost every six months bringing new solutions to the markets.
Therefore, the sky-high tariff for such electricity may be quite adequate for verification.
And the European subsidies will make it available, more precisely – compulsorily available within the framework of mandatory EU regulations.
The EU industry is already experiencing a serious crisis, but it will end with the commissioning of new power generation capacities in Azerbaijan and other regions of the “European neighborhood ”.
Getting the status of a “European outlet ” looks like a smarter joke than the phrase about a“ gas station ” that has already been stuffed with frills.
Complex and advanced technologies are involved here.
However, the modern process of oil and gas production is also much more high-tech than is commonly thought, looking at the wheels of pumps of the beginning of the last century.
At the same time, Azerbaijan raises its rates, practically without risking anything financially.
As part of the Global Gateway initiative, the EU is committed to accumulating about 300 billion euros of investment until 2027 for the development of such infrastructure.
In other words, Baku provides its areas for energy generation at the expense of third countries, while inscribing itself in the European energy strategy as a significant element of the new energy architecture for the coming decades.
Let us not forget that the paradigm shift in energy balances will take place gradually, in parallel with the increase of Azerbaijani gas exports to Europe.
Elites appreciate Aliyev ’ s services to Europe
Given its advantageous geographical position, Baku is strengthening its position in southern and southeastern Europe.
If the main consumer of gas and oil from the shores of the Caspian Sea now and for the next few years remains Italy, then Romania and the Black Sea coast of the EU will be the consumer and distributor of electricity from Karabakh, Zangezur and other Azerbaijani regions.
All this can be linked to the topic of political support for Aliyev.
Europe is heterogeneous, there are influential communities criticizing Aliyev and Azerbaijani politics, but even more influential elites bet on the stability of Baku and appreciate Aliyev ’ s merits to Europe.
In this regard, it is interesting to look at the time cycles: the peak of production at ACG was reached in 2010; the peaks of gas exports to the EU will be reached by 2025; the peaks of electricity supply after 2037 and further, by the forties, will be about 9 GW.
In the mid-2020s, work on the creation of a network of industrial production of "green hydrogen" will also move into the real plane.
Just a couple of days before the event in Bucharest, the Ministry of Energy of Azerbaijan signed a framework agreement with Fortescue Future Industries (an Australian company, the world ’ s leading developer of electricity generation architecture) on joint activities on renewable energy projects, as well as the study of the potential of “green hydrogen ” in Azerbaijan.
This agreement provides for the study and implementation of projects for the production of "green hydrogen" and renewable energy with a total capacity of up to 12 GW (this is more than the current capacity of the Azerbaijani energy system, which is 7.8 GW).
Now let ’ s look at the eastern shore of the Caspian Sea.
The Australians signed a similar agreement a month ago in Kazakhstan.
Earlier, the Swedish company Svevind Group signed an agreement with Kazakhstan to develop "green hydrogen" in the Mangystau region with a capacity of 2 million tons annually.
To this is added the development of a complex of wind and solar stations with a capacity of up to 40 GW (!), the completion of which is scheduled for 2030.
Look further.
In the Bukhara region of Uzbekistan, Masdar will be engaged in the construction of a plant with a capacity of 250 MW.
The Chinese consortium GD Power will build a 150 MW plant in the Namangan region, the French Voltalia SA will build a 100 MW plant in the Khorezm region.
Thus, by 2030, Uzbekistan plans to have 5 GW of solar generation.
In other words, in the agenda of the coming decade, in addition to the Trans-Caspian gas pipeline, there is the creation of a project similar to the Black Sea cable, but covering the territory from the Kazakh to the Azerbaijani shores.
It is possible that the issue of transportation of hydrogen will be discussed.
Fortunately, gas pipelines can also be used for this purpose.
Moreover, hydrogen can be transported along them (in impurities) with natural gas, because currently natural gas accounts for almost 3 / 4 of the annual production of hydrogen in the world.
The new “Contract of the XXI century ”, like its oil predecessor, will provide an influx of large foreign investments.
Azerbaijan will have a second chance at a new technological revolution to integrate into the world economy, with the help of new ties to strengthen its position in the international arena.
If in the first “Contract of the Century ” Baku provided itself with a partnership with the countries that involved Azerbaijan in its own oil contracts – these are, first of all, the United States, Great Britain, Russia, Japan – now those companies and states that will help Azerbaijan prove itself as a reliable producer and supplier of electricity and hydrogen are entering the arena of cooperation with Baku.
A number of oil and gas giants, such as British Petroleum, will continue their presence in Azerbaijan in two qualities at once - oil and gas and carbon-free, developing a network of renewable energy sources.

- **Israel:** Promotes solar as a solution both for domestic needs and export, supporting projects that tie Middle Eastern solar resources to the wider regional grid.

- **Azerbaijan (Caspian region):** Shifting focus from traditional fossil fuel exports to developing renewables infrastructure, with a vision for green hydrogen and solar energy exports to Europe.

**Government Policies and Incentives:**
- Governments are investing in technologies to mitigate the environmental impact of hydrocarbons, supporting policies for renewable deployment and emissions reduction.

- There’s a growing emphasis on partnerships, international forums (like the Green Saudi Arabia initiative), and incentives for both domestic and foreign investment in solar and hydrogen.

- Some states are developing regulatory frameworks and financial incentives—such as guaranteeing power purchase agreements, land grants, and subsidized financing—to draw in private sector engagement and international investors.

Title:

Content: Day.Az presents readers with another material from the rubric "Foreign view of the region".
Within its framework, our portal publishes translations of the most important analytical materials of authoritative foreign publications devoted to the events in the region in general and in Azerbaijan in particular.
SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt – At the UN climate talks, poor countries reached an agreement to set up a fund to cover climate-related damage as part of a broader agreement that failed to deliver the faster emission reductions that rich countries seek to prevent more serious global warming.
The agreement reached at the COP27 summit at the Egyptian seaside resort has brought victory to poorer countries that have been demanding this money since the signing of the first UN climate treaty three decades ago.
Other provisions of a broader agreement reached early Sunday left rich country negotiators disappointed in their efforts to achieve faster reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.
Rich countries managed to keep the Glasgow agreement on emissions cuts last year after major developing countries tried to soften it, but they did not achieve new commitments.
The agreement reached on Sunday at the summit also calls on wealthy governments to review multilateral development banks so that these institutions can increase funding for developing countries for renewable energy projects and infrastructure to adapt to the effects of climate change.
This is in response to longstanding criticism from developing countries that say climate funds from institutions like the World Bank are too difficult to access and have too high interest rates.
The most important provision of the agreement provides for the allocation of funds for so-called loss and damage: when sea level rise, more powerful storms and other effects that most scientists attribute to climate change cause sudden or potentially irreparable destruction.
Negotiators from developed and developing countries agreed to establish the fund in the final hours of the summit, contrary to expectations that they would not take this step due to resistance from the United States and other rich countries.
The fund will target poor countries considered the most vulnerable, a key requirement of rich countries that do not want money to flow to China and other high-income countries that are considered developing countries under the UN climate treaty.
The creation of the new fund was a call from a coalition of developing countries, from small island states like Barbados to a low-lying and populous Bangladesh.
It is believed that these countries are most at risk of climate change, but at the same time emit a small percentage of greenhouse gases, which, according to scientists, cause warming on Earth since the beginning of the industrial era.
The magnitude of this year ’ s monsoon rains and floods in Pakistan, worth an estimated $30 billion, has given impetus to their campaign.
Pakistani officials blame climate change, and some scientists say it was likely one of the factors behind it.
“This COP has taken an important step towards justice, ” said António Guterres, UN Secretary-General.
"Obviously, this will not be enough, but it is a much-needed political signal to rebuild the shattered trust."
The decision leaves open the possibility that China, the oil-rich Gulf countries, and other high-income countries in the developing world can contribute to the fund or provide money for other efforts to pay for losses and damage.
The agreement calls for a committee to be set up next year to "identify and expand sources of funding" and work out other details.
Officials expect these decisions to be the subject of fierce debate in the coming months.
"We wanted to get a political decision from this COP to establish a fund funded by developed countries," said Vicente Paolo Yu, Philippine negotiator.
Delegates from China, Saudi Arabia and other developing countries say they are not required to contribute money.
In the UN climate treaty of 1992, they are listed as countries that should receive funds from rich countries to combat climate change.
The US, Europe and other rich countries say such a division no longer makes sense, given China ’ s rapid economic growth over the past three decades and the vast wealth accumulated by the Gulf oil states.
Wealthy countries have long resisted the creation of the fund, fearing that agreeing to make payments would leave their governments and companies at risk of lawsuits.
A senior Biden administration official said Saturday's deal would not create legal liability.
How much of this or that event may be related to global warming is unclear.
Some climatologists are currently assessing how much climate change affects the likelihood of a particular event occurring, which is part of an evolving field of research devoted to weather attribution.
According to the latest UN climatology report, climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of droughts, heat waves and other extreme weather events in many regions of the world.
Negotiators from developed countries spent the last day of the summit, discouraging attempts by major emerging economies to cancel the agreement reached at last year ’ s climate summit in Glasgow.
The agreement called on governments to step up their emissions targets this year in hopes of meeting the climate targets of the Paris Agreement.
These goals require governments to limit temperature increases to 2 degrees Celsius and preferably 1.5 degrees Celsius compared to the pre-industrial era.
According to the UN, according to current plans, the warming in the world will be about 2.5 degrees.
Few developing countries have followed this example.
On the last day of the Sharm el-Sheikh summit, Egyptian officials who led the talks unveiled a draft agreement with text written by major developing countries that was to dissuade countries from strengthening their emission targets over the next decade.
European negotiators threatened to leave.
The final agreement largely retains the text of the Glasgow agreement.
But it does not contain the measures sought by wealthy countries, particularly the European Union, that go beyond the Glasgow agreement to keep the 1.5 degree climate target within reach.
European officials wanted a commitment to aim for a peak in global emissions by 2025 — a step scientists say is needed to limit warming to 1.5 degrees.
This formulation failed to hold negotiations.
“What we have in front of us is not a sufficient step forward for people and the planet, ” said Frans Timmermans, EU climate commissioner.
"It does not provide sufficient additional effort on the part of major emitters to increase and accelerate emission reductions."
US climate ambassador John Kerry said he plans to continue to put pressure on China and other developing countries to cut emissions faster and meet the 1.5 degree goal.
Many questions remain about how the compensation fund will work and whether it will be able to quickly help countries that most scientists believe have suffered from climate change.
The United States, as the largest emitter of greenhouse gases for a long time, is expected to lead efforts to provide climate finance to the developing world.
However, any funds need to be approved by the US Congress, where these efforts are likely to face Republican opposition.
However, negotiators see the agreement as a welcome turn of events.
The war in Ukraine has stirred up energy markets and sown geopolitical tensions ahead of the talks.
The world ’ s two largest issuers, China and the United States, did not even speak at the conference due to disputes over Taiwan.
US climate ambassador John Kerry managed to restore relations with his Chinese counterpart during the conference.
Then the Covid-19 epidemic broke out at the summit.
According to a spokesman, Mr. Kerry was found to have a positive test for the virus, which forced him to isolate himself and work on the phone with his team and negotiators from other countries.
His spokeswoman said the symptoms were mild.
The breakthrough came on Thursday night when the EU said it was ready to set up a fund, but on the condition that it would target the most vulnerable developing countries and that wealthier developing countries would contribute.
On Saturday, Egyptian officials convened a meeting of negotiators from the Group of 77, which represents 132 developing countries, the EU, the US and the Alliance of Small Island States, or Aosis.
The G77 negotiators insisted on a proposal to establish a fund to cover losses and damages that could potentially provide money to all developing countries, even rich ones like China, and not just the most vulnerable countries in Aosis.
European negotiators have asked whether this is the position of Aosis, whose members also belong to the Group of 77.
The Minister of Environment of the Maldives, representing Aosis, asked for a 30-minute break to discuss the matter with the Group of 77.
Negotiators from the two groups returned to the room, saying they were ready to support a fund that would target particularly vulnerable countries, as the EU wanted.

**Challenges and Realities:**
- Energy infrastructure in parts of Central Asia reveals weaknesses—power outages and outdated networks—which signal the need for massive upgrades alongside new buildout of renewables.

Title:

Content: January 26, Wednesday | Last update — 13: 22 | vz.ru
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Only Russia can save Central Asia from blackouts
Vladimir Prokhvatilov, President of the Academy of Real Policy
The situation, as in the fable of Krylov about the swan, cancer and pike.
The North of Kazakhstan is energy friendly with Russia and has no electrical problems.
South Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan are connected by an energy ring, but its capabilities are extremely small.
Details...
The End of Diplomacy
Dmitry Drobnitsky, political scientist, American
Since there is no mutual understanding and no cultural values, classical diplomacy, which took its current form in the 1970s, is impossible.
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Biden warns Zelensky against attack on Donbass
Gevorg Mirzayan, Associate Professor, Department of Political Science, Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation
The scenario of the breakdown of Russian-American negotiations is obvious – Ukraine organizes an attempt to blitzkrieg in the Donbass, Russia in response introduces troops there to protect civilians and its citizens, the world interprets this as an invasion of Ukraine.
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Discussion: 8 comments
Britain to import tons of weapons to Ukraine with the help of aviation
On the eve of Ukraine arrived another batch of international technical assistance from the UK.
This time, the Armed Forces of Ukraine were provided with new light anti-tank weapons.
The parties point to the exclusively defensive purpose of weapons
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Accused of terrorism Poroshenko returned to Kiev
Former President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko returned to Kiev from abroad.
It was expected that the former head of state, who is suspected of treason, will be arrested right at the airport.
But Poroshenko went through the border crossings, although not without incidents
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Cyclone filled with snow Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk
In Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, heavy snowfall continues for the third day due to a strong cyclone.
Monthly rainfall has already fallen.
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On the clearing of streets thrown not only special equipment, but also military
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19: 59
own news
Russian schoolchildren will be shown the route "Golden Ring" in the Yaroslavl region
In the Yaroslavl region within the framework of the national project "Culture" will come 1,300 schoolchildren, winners of Olympiads, students of art schools and cadet corps from all over Russia.
Visiting the cities of Pereslavl-Zalessky, Yaroslavl, Rostov is provided by the route "Golden Ring.
"Alexander Nevsky".
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8: 27 PM
In Mari El opened a new building of the State Philharmonic
In Yoshkar-Ola, the grand opening of the new building of the Mari State Philharmonic named after Yakov Eshpai took place, before that the workers of the philharmonic society for 39 years were located in the annex.
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9: 12 PM
In Orenburg, the legendary “Katyusha ” returned to the park“ Salute, Victory! ”
In Orenburg, the legendary BM-13 returned to the museum watch after a complete restoration, which was nicknamed “Katyusha ” by soldiers during the war.
Together with other exhibits, the combat vehicle was completely restored.
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Operates with the financial support of the Ministry of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media of the Russian Federation
Lavrov accuses US of seeking unilateral advantage
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Only Russia can save Central Asia from blackouts
Vladimir Prokhvatilov
President of the Academy of Real Policy
26 January 2022, 12: 32
On January 25, at 11.59 am Nur-Sultan time (08.59 GMT), a massive power outage occurred in three Central Asian republics.
Power outages were recorded in southern Kazakhstan, as well as in Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan.
In Kyrgyzstan, the lights were turned off in Osh, Jalal-Abad, Karakol, as well as in Batken, Chui, Talas regions.
In Uzbekistan, power outages affected Tashkent and Tashkent region, Fergana valley, Syrdarya, Jizzakh, Samarkand, Bukhara and Kashkadarya regions.
In the south of Kazakhstan, outages occurred in Almaty, Shymkent, Taras, Turkestan region and adjacent areas.
Due to the power outage in many regions, there were interruptions in heating and water supply, traffic lights went out, the metro and airports stopped working, people hovered over the abyss at the Amirsoy ski resort in Uzbekistan - there was a cable car.
In some places, the Internet was also disconnected and mobile communication did not work.
The Ministry of Energy of Uzbekistan believes that the massive power outage occurred due to a major accident in the networks of Kazakhstan.
It caused blackouts already in Uzbekistan.
At the Tashkent and Syrdarya CHP, emergency protection means worked, because of which they turned off.
“The Uzbek electric grid, which is connected to the unified electric network of the region, was damaged as a result of an accident, as a result of which there were sudden changes in voltage and frequency on 530 lines from Kazakhstan, ” the press service of the ministry said.
The Mayor ’ s Office of Almaty confirmed that an accident occurred on January 25 on the line of the Kazakhstan Electricity Grid Management Company (KEGOC).
According to the city authorities, the voltage in the network fell sharply, as a result of which automatic frequency loading systems worked at the substations.
However, the reason for this, according to the power engineers of Kazakhstan, was the emergency imbalance created by Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan.
“Due to the significant emergency imbalance created by the power system of Central Asia (Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan), there was a surge in capacity for the transit of electricity of 500 kV“ North-East-South of Kazakhstan ”.
As a result, there was an emergency division of the North-East-South Kazakhstan transit with the repayment of a significant part of consumers in the southern zone of Kazakhstan.
The volume of restrictions is about 1,500 megawatts, ” KEGOC, the manager of Kazakhstan ’ s power grids, said in a statement.
An emergency imbalance between the production and consumption of electricity in a region can arise, among other things, due to a sharp increase in electricity consumption, for example, excessive use of air conditioners in the summer and electric heaters in the winter, which overloads the power grids, creating the same emergency imbalance that leads to blackouts.
As for the surge of power (rapid growth of the load when disconnecting powerful generating energy sources) for the transit of electricity of 500 kV “North-East-South of Kazakhstan ”, it can be caused by both a banal short circuit and the same emergency imbalance due to the mass inclusion of electric heaters in the republics of Central Asia.
Power supply in the three Central Asian republics is now gradually restored, local experts are trying to understand the causes of the blackout, which paralyzed the region.
By the way, the increased accident rate of power grids has been observed here for a long time and has become almost a bad tradition.
Is there a way to avoid such big accidents?
I got it.
It should be noted that the north of Kazakhstan, connected with the Russian energy system, did not feel the blackout on January 25.
Power grids in northern Kazakhstan, which had previously imported energy from Russia, switched to exports, as the south of the country was cut off, and electricity had to go somewhere.
In Soviet times, all five republics of Central Asia were part of the Unified Energy System of the USSR and there were no problems with electricity supply.
Timely electricity flows guaranteed the smooth operation of all power grids in the region.
Today, only Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and southern Kazakhstan are united in the energy ring (ECO CA).
But it was not viable under critical conditions.
This is evidenced by the fact that in the event of an emergency imbalance, the provision of electricity to the region was dependent on the transit of electricity from Northern Kazakhstan through 500 kV transmission lines.
Losses in the energy networks of Kazakhstan account for about 10%.
If the transfer of electricity from the north to the south of Kazakhstan was carried out through ultrahigh-voltage DC networks of 1150 kV transmission lines (the technology of construction and operation of which only Russia has), then these losses would not have occurred and the emergency imbalance that arose in the region would most likely not have affected the transit of electricity "North-East-South Kazakhstan".
However, in December 2018, the government of Kazakhstan built a power line “North-East-South of Kazakhstan ” of only 500 kV, and the proposals of Russian power engineers to build ultra-high-voltage power lines were not heard.
There is no talk about the integration of the energy systems of all five Central Asian republics.
In 2003, the Turkmen energy system left the Central Asian ECO and operates in parallel with the energy system of Iran.
In 2009, the Tajik energy system was separated from the Central Asian ECO.
The Northeast Energy System of Afghanistan operates with the ECO of Central Asia, which receives electricity from Uzbekistan through the 220 kV Surkhan-Naibabad double-circuit high-voltage line (OHL) and from Tajikistan through the 220 kV Sangtu-Kunduz double-circuit line.
The situation, as in the fable of Krylov about the swan, cancer and pike.
The North of Kazakhstan is energy friendly with Russia and has no electrical problems.
South Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan are connected by an energy ring, but its capabilities are extremely small.
Turkmenistan and Tajikistan are focused on cooperation with their southern neighbors, Iran and Afghanistan, which does not save them from the shortage of water in Turkmenistan and electricity in Tajikistan.
By the way, all promising projects of new power lines in the region are based on the construction of power lines 500 and even power lines 110, which guarantees still high losses in power grids and does not save from possible blackouts.
Only cooperation with Russian power engineers, who own the technologies of ultra-high-voltage power lines, which will connect the region with the power system of Russia, can save Central Asia from the next end of the world.
© 2005 - 2021 Business Newspaper Vzglyad LLC
E-mail: information @ vz.ru
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- The transition is complicated by global economic pressures, such as the cost and speed of decarbonization, and concerns about maintaining economic stability amid shifting demand for oil and gas.

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The route needs revision: the path to carbon neutrality is becoming more complicated
Experts believe that the scenarios of a “green ” future should be adjusted, and explain why this is not bad for Russia
Many industries are trying to assess what awaits the world in the new conditions and how the ratio of benefits and threats from the global energy transition may change due to the current crisis in world relations.
For the Russian mining and metallurgical industry, Nornickel made such an attempt.
The company presented its scenarios of a “green ” future during the 27th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in Egypt.
About what forecasts made experts — in the material « Газеты.Ru »
The situation needs updating
Current conditions — all kinds of sanctions, the refusal of the global West from Russian energy and metals, the imminent global recession in the economy — have called into question the future of the global process of decarbonization.
The likelihood of achieving the goals spelled out in the landmark Paris climate agreement (including limiting the increase in global average air temperature to within 2 degrees Celsius by the end of the 21st century), at least to the previously stated point — by 2050 — is becoming illusory.
And a knife in the back of these good hopes stuck those countries that previously ran ahead of the locomotive.
For example, the consumption of coal, which recently all together refused, is growing again.
Moreover, growth began in 2021, before the current geopolitical crisis, and reached almost 6%, and the highest rates were recorded in Europe (plus 15%) and the United States (plus 14%).
Global electricity spending will reach 13% of GDP this year, and in the EU, according to Goldman Sachs analysts, will grow to 15% of GDP in 2023, while economists estimate that sustainable economic growth stops when it reaches the level of 10-11% of GDP.
Against this background, the relevance of the entire climate agenda is, in principle, declining - it would warm up next winter to begin with.
And many previously developed scenarios aimed at achieving carbon neutrality by 2050, at a minimum, require revision, at a maximum, a complete revision.
A window of opportunity for Russia
Norilsk Nickel products, like other metallurgists, are the basis for energy transition, since “low-carbon technologies are much more metal-intensive than traditional ones, ” emphasizes Igor Makarov, Head of the Research and Training Laboratory of Climate Change Economics, Head of the Department of World Economy at HSE.
For example, an electric car requires more than 200 kg of various metals (in terms of one vehicle), while a conventional car with an internal combustion engine requires about 40 kg.
The development of electric transport, renewable energy, hydrogen energy and other energy transition technologies opens a window of opportunity to increase the production of rare earth, non-ferrous and precious metals in Russia, including for the export of these products.
And decarbonization in accordance with the goals of the Paris Agreement by 2040 will lead to a multiple increase in demand for products of the mining and metallurgical industry, ” Makarov said.
The demand for lithium, according to some calculations, can grow 42 times, for nickel - 19 times, for copper - three times.
Much, however, will depend on the pace of development of specific low-carbon technologies (for example, the demand for rare earth metals - from electric vehicles and wind farms, for lithium and cobalt - from electric vehicles, for copper - from power grids, etc.).
At the same time, the main consumers of these metals in the future will be concentrated in the Asia-Pacific region (with a share of at least 40% depending on the metal), primarily in China.
And Europe will become the second largest consumer in terms of demand.
Since the mining and metallurgical industry is still energy-intensive and carbon-intensive, its own low-carbon transformation is becoming a factor for future competitiveness.
But in the changed conditions, companies need to understand which way to move and what to spend money on in the first place.
Uncertainty factor
According to Vladimir Zhukov, Vice President for Investor Relations and Sustainable Development of Norilsk Nickel, the geopolitical situation has made a huge factor of unpredictability in the activities of all Russian metallurgy enterprises.
On the one hand, the energy transition so far remains a huge incentive for increasing the production of “green ” metals:“ But the self-sanctions ” of Western consumers of Russian products bring a powerful factor of uncertainty. ”
Europe and the United States are likely to be in recession.
“Europe, traditionally our main market, is losing its competitive advantage in terms of the cost of electricity and, in principle, access to it due to geopolitics.
What is in the hands of the United States and China, ” Zhukov said.
Also in the EU there is a serious problem of replacing Russian gas, which was a low-carbon source of fuel.
Under these conditions, it becomes obvious, at least temporarily, but slowing the pace of global decarbonization.
According to Zhukov, two forks are possible: both the braking of the energy transition, with a revision of the previously announced goals for the medium term, and, on the contrary, the adoption of more stringent decisions and more aggressive development of low-carbon technologies to compensate for current emissions from the growing combustion of coal.
“The main threats to the mining and metallurgical industry are the introduction of carbon regulation and fiscal punishment for products with a high carbon footprint.
For Norilsk Nickel, this is a low threat, since we have the lowest footprint in the industry, ” the top manager notes.
Under these conditions, Norilsk Nickel is aimed at minimizing the so-called “risks of transition to a low-carbon economy ”, from regulatory ones (tightening of climate legislation, raising environmental standards, etc.) to technological and reputational ones.
That is, those that can – depending on the speed of the energy transition and the decarbonization of the world economy – lead to a reduction in demand for the company ’ s products in the long term.
On the one hand, the company seems not to worry: its food basket is extremely important for the development of “green ” technologies.
On the other hand, the production of Nornickel metals itself should become as “green ” as possible.
Although Zhukov considers low-carbon transformation a “very expensive toy ”, the main consumers – primarily in Europe and the United States – require the company to comply with high standards of ESG ratings and attention to climate risks.
Therefore, Russian metallurgists will have to set a high bar further.
“We have chosen a strategy, largely dictated by our customers, primarily from Europe and the United States, to be guided by the best international practice, which dictates very strict standards in the field of ESG, ” Zhukov described corporate tasks.
Norilsk is warming faster
The relevance of the climate agenda for the same “Norilsk Nickel ”, the largest industrial player in the Arctic zone not only of Russia, but also of the world, is not reduced for another reason.
Global warming in the “physical sense ” does not stop, which means that it will be necessary to adapt to the increase in the number and intensity of certain types of extreme weather events in any case.
In addition, the infamous events of 2020 proved what is fraught with underestimating the physical risks associated with activities on permafrost.
For Norilsk Nickel, the main thing in dealing with such climate risks is to ensure the continuity and safety of production.
Accordingly, avoid incidents that can disrupt this continuity.
Moreover, as the research conducted by the order of Norilsk Nickel by scientists from the Institute of Atmospheric Physics named after A.M. Obukhov of the Russian Academy of Sciences showed, the physical risks in the regions of the company ’ s presence are growing.
The average temperature increase in Norilsk is plus 0.6 degrees Celsius per decade – that is, if you count for half a century, then on the 69th parallel, the target indicator of the Paris Agreement (those “no more than 2 degrees ”) has long been successfully failed.
In addition, it turned out that in the cold season (and it lasts longer than "on the mainland"), the duration of periods with precipitation, and the height of the snow cover, and the average speed of the surface wind, and, even more dangerous, the average depth of soil thawing (with a trend of up to 15 cm / decade) increased.
If previously it was believed that the Russian Arctic climate warms two to three times faster than the world average, in fact it warms here even more quickly.
By the middle of this century, the average annual temperatures in Norilsk may increase even more, precipitation will also increase, the height of snow cover in the cold period will increase by 20-30%, and the depth of seasonal thawing of permafrost soils, especially in the southern part of the NPR, can grow to 2 meters.
Moreover, in recent years, the risks of thunderstorms have also increased, which for this macroregion once seemed simply unthinkable.
Scientists have made similar assessments for other regions of the presence of Norilsk Nickel.
For Transbaikalia, where Bystrinsky GOK operates, a decrease in the number of extremely cold days is predicted, and for the Finnish Haryavalta, an increase in precipitation, including abnormal ones, is predicted.
In short, for large industries, especially those located in the AZ of the Russian Federation, adaptation to climate change becomes a survival factor – and in all senses, not only from the point of view of business.
In this sense, companies need to find a balance between the long-term good goals of low-carbon transformation and short-term down-to-earth priorities, including in the climate sphere.
This is necessary in order to more competently redistribute financial flows and spend money on exactly what is really necessary.
At the same time, it is obvious that it will be extremely difficult to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement in this case, at least in the most ambitious version (to limit warming on the planet to 1.5 degrees).
Based on these grounds, scientists from the Institute of Economic Forecasting of the Russian Academy of Sciences studied about 190 public scenarios of the future from various authoritative expert groups and developed for Norilsk Nickel three scenarios for the development of the world economy and climate change on the horizon of 2050.
Of these, only the first - called Rapid Transition - assumes a temperature increase of 1.7 degrees Celsius, which formally corresponds to the achievement of the Paris Agreement.
However, the probability of this scenario is estimated at only 25%.
The company itself is inclined to the second scenario - it is called Sustainable Palladium, its probability in Norilsk Nickel is estimated at 70%.
In this case, the focus of development will be aimed at maintaining current socio-economic and technological trends.
In general, as can be seen from the parameters of the “green future ” drawn by Norilsk Nickel, a brave new world even in 2050, no matter how hard you try, will still be far from complete carbon neutrality.
Especially, of course, if everything goes according to the third scenario, called Global Growth.
Fortunately, its probability is estimated even lower – at 5%.
According to Zhukov, although Norilsk Nickel considers the second scenario as a benchmark for its own climate strategy, it is important to periodically update the entire agenda.
He also noted the extraordinary high cost of low-carbon transformation of economies, and in any event.
So, according to recent estimates of The Economist, for decarbonization only in the Asia-Pacific region on the horizon of 2050, it is necessary about 26-37 trillion dollars.
And Indian Prime Minister Norendra Modi recently estimated his country ’ s need, and only until 2030, at $1 trillion.
Energy Efficiency Limitations
Scenarios of development with hitting the target of “two degrees ” are considered unattainable at HSE, however, all of them were developed before 2010.
Scientists based their findings on IEA assessments.
Even the most ambitious Green Reset scenario assumes a warming trajectory of 2-2.5 degrees Celsius by the end of the century.
This is despite the intensification of the development of the climate agenda, the tightening of goals for decarbonization and the development of carbon regulation, including cross-border.
And with the most negative development of events, a complete stop of the “green economy ” is possible, with warming above 3 degrees, an increase in the share of fossil fuels in the energy balance and the lack of cooperation between developed and developing countries.
However, under any scenarios, the main direction for the mining and metallurgical industry is clear.
Metallurgy, and this is no secret, is not only one of the industries that will make energy transition possible in principle, but also one of the main emitters of greenhouse gas emissions.
So, in the world, emissions from the production of steel, aluminum, nickel, copper and cobalt account for about 13.5% (or 4.5 billion tons of CO2-eq.), in Russia - the share of ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy - already 28% of such emissions.
Therefore, the key factor of competitiveness is the reduction of carbon intensity of production.
Vladimir Zhukov is sure that the Russian mining and metallurgical industry has a number of advantages in this regard - low production costs, a good and long-term ore base, relatively modern and efficient production facilities, a large share of energy consumption based on sources with a low carbon footprint (HPPs, nuclear power plants, gas).
Thus, Russian aluminum is already “greener ” than Chinese, since almost all the factories for its production are located in Siberia and are connected with hydroelectric power plants.
And the carbon footprint of Norilsk Nickel is one of the lowest in the world, since the company ’ s own generation is based on hydroelectric power plants and gas CHP plants.
At the end of 2021, the total share of electricity consumption from renewable energy by Norilsk Nickel enterprises reached 47%, which is 1% higher than the same indicator in 2020.
However, since most of the emissions in the industry are not from the production itself, but from energy consumption, what to do is clear: reduce energy intensity.
There are many ways – from switching to cleaner energy sources (from coal to gas, and then to renewable energy sources) to improving energy efficiency and using carbon capture and storage technologies (the so-called carbon capture and storage technologies).
CCS).
At the same time, measures aimed at improving energy efficiency, which, although not cheap, but still give some tangible economic effect, can make only a limited contribution to the overall reduction of greenhouse emissions.
“If you take one hundred percent, it ’ s 5-10 percent.
The rest are CCS technologies, green hydrogen, other innovative technologies, but they are all very expensive.
And in the current difficult financial and other conditions, we are forced to temporarily suspend such projects, "Zhukov said.
At the same time, he adds that a year ago, the company “thought ” about the possible acquisition of a number of low-carbon technologies.
In general, according to Igor Makarov, Head of the Research and Training Laboratory of Climate Change Economics, Head of the Department of World Economy at the Higher School of Economics, on the horizon until 2030, the speed and direction of decarbonization processes both in the world and in Russia will largely be determined by the speed of global economic recovery and the general level of conflict in international relations, including the severity of anti-Russian sanctions.
According to Vladimir Zhukov, in the current conditions, the state environmental and climate policy should stimulate the achievement of national priorities - reducing emissions of pollutants into the atmosphere and the volume of waste disposal at landfills ("because it is just good for the environment").
“In terms of the climate agenda, abstracting from the global one, we have our own pragmatic tasks: everything that concerns buildings and structures located in the permafrost zone, with the risk of collapse and deformation; replacing high-carbon (coal, fuel oil) with low-carbon sources of fuel is cleaner emissions; obtaining benefits from the global energy transition in terms of supporting the growth of green raw materials production and the development of domestic technologies that can be used for sales to the global market where possible.
For example, batteries, ” concludes Zhukov.
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- There is some skepticism from domestic industries regarding the high costs of rapid carbon transitions.

**Impact on Economy and Climate Goals:**
- The renewable push is designed to diversify oil-dependent economies, create new industries (especially around solar, wind, green hydrogen), and secure “future-proof” jobs.

- By exporting solar and green hydrogen, the Middle East hopes to remain a key energy supplier in the global low-carbon economy.

- These measures align with climate agreements like the Paris Accord, though timelines and implementation remain subject to complexity and revision.

**Summary:**
The Middle East is leveraging its vast solar resources for both local transition and global energy exports.

National agendas—led by Saudi Arabia, Israel, and Azerbaijan—focus on large-scale renewable projects and green hydrogen.

Governments incentivize investment and partnership, aiming for economic diversification and continued regional energy leadership.

However, infrastructure gaps, the cost of transition, and external economic pressures complicate progress.

Overall, solar energy is at the center of strategic plans to turn oil wealth into clean energy leadership, helping advance both economic security and climate objectives.

**Key Insights: Energy Transition in the Middle East – Solar Ambitions, Policy Shifts, and Economic Impact**

**1.

Title:

Content: Chairman of the Board of Directors and Editors
I'm sorry.
Mohamad Elbaz
Chairman of the Board of Directors and Editors
I'm sorry.
Mohamad Elbaz
Economy: Benban and the Gulf of Suez are among the largest renewable energy projects
Economic Middle East magazine, which specializes in economics and energy, said that the Benban solar park and the Gulf of Suez wind project in Egypt are considered among the largest renewable energy projects in the Middle East.
Renewable Energy Projects in the Middle East
The Middle East has long relied on oil and gas, not only for revenue but also for power generation, but in the past years, the region has positioned itself as a leader in the renewable energy sector, boasting numerous renewable energy projects.
From 2023 to 2028, Mordor Intelligence expects the renewable energy market in the Middle East to grow by 13.43% annually.
The Arab Clean Energy Initiative was launched by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), and during the Arab Economic and Social Development Summit of 2013, the League of Arab States adopted the initiative, with leaders pledging to increase renewable energy generation capacity in the region from 12 GW in 2013 to 80 GW by 2030.
Benban Solar Park
Located in Aswan, Egypt with a capacity of 1,800 megawatts, Benban Solar Park is valued at $4 billion and includes 41 solar power plants, one of the largest solar PV parks in the world, spanning 37 square kilometers and containing 7 million photovoltaic panels, this initiative is a component of Egypt ’ s Renewable Energy Feed Tariff (FiT) program, which was unveiled in September 2014.
Gulf of Suez Wind Power Project
In November last year, ACWA Power and the Sovereign Fund of Egypt (TSFE) signed a memorandum of understanding, and together they will invest in a 1100 MW wind power project in Jebel Zeit and the Gulf of Suez. The project is one of the largest onshore wind farms in the world, and aims to provide power to more than one million households and reduce annual CO2 emissions by 2.4 million tons.

Traditional Oil Dependence and New Pressures:**
- Middle Eastern economies—especially Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, and Bahrain—remain heavily dependent on oil, which makes up over 70% of some state revenues.

Title:

Content: The Guardian: The Middle East is facing a ‘ resurrection ’
And Mecca may not be livable by the end of the century.
Friday 29 October 2021 05: 27 pm / Jerusalem time + 2GMT
London / Sama /
Titled “Resurrection Soon: A Reluctant Middle East Forced to Awareness of the Climate Crisis, ” The Guardian ’ s diplomatic editor Patrick Wintour said that Hurricane Shaheen hit Oman some time ago, the first tropical cyclone to reach this point west into the Gulf.
In Basra, southern Iraq, power has been cut off frequently as a result of this summer ’ s temperature of 50 degrees Celsius, forcing residents to move in their cars to get cold.
Kuwait broke the record for the hottest day of 2016 of 53.6 degrees Celsius, and this summer temperatures were very high, with floods in Jeddah and more recently in Mecca at a time when temperatures in Saudi Arabia have increased by 2 percent and the maximum temperature of 2.5 percent since the 1980s.
Qatar is the world ’ s highest emitting country and the world ’ s largest producer of liquefied gas (LNG), and public spaces are equipped with air conditioners.
In Tehran, pollution annually kills 4,000 people a year, and in Khuzestan province, citizens have blocked streets and burned tires due to drought as a result of mismanagement, U.S. sanctions and a deadly atmosphere.
In the United Arab Emirates, the climate crisis is estimated to cost $6 billion a year, the highest in terms of health costs.
The salinity of the Gulf increased with the proliferation of desalination plants by 20%, which affected marine life and biodiversity.
Conditions are expected to worsen at a time of rising temperatures, humidity and sea levels.
Warming rates in the Middle East are twice as high as in the world.
By the end of the century, if the dangerous predictions are correct, Mecca may not be fit for life, making the Hajj season dangerous if not catastrophic.
Large swaths of the Middle East have come to resemble the Afar region of Ethiopia, a vast area without human settlement that pushes towards the Red Sea.
The glittering cities of the Gulf may face the dilemma of rising water levels themselves.
We do not speak of the day of judgment, but of the day of judgment.
Jim Crane, an energy researcher at Rice University in Houston, said: “This is really a difficult topic because the interests of the ruling elites are at odds with the interests of the citizens.
The ruling elite depends on oil resources for the survival of their regimes.
They want to keep the oil trade in order to keep them in power.
Their system is based on oil leasing, but the population ’ s ultimate interests lie in a sustainable climate. ”
Zeina Khalil Haj, founder of Greenpeace in the Middle East, believes that the region is suffering from double pressure: “With increasing demands for energy change, a region that relies on fossil energy, oil and carbon for its economic survival, but cannot continue this dependency.
There will be no oil market but with climate change, they are required to increase efforts to survive.
The extreme climate is changing people ’ s lives on a daily basis and there is no choice but to go green. ”
The West ’ s persistent appetite for fossil energy has led the region to build car-based cities, shiny skyscrapers filled with air conditioners and shopping malls.
It must look for ways to avoid self-destruction, and it must be, according to Thomas Friedman, the Prometheus moment for the Middle East and the search for creative and creative ways.
In fact, the region has been reminded for a decade that it has to make the transition from oil.
Although the moment when oil demand will reach its highest point remains controversial, and depends on a number of assumptions about regulation, technology and customer behavior, the point I mentioned is 2040, after which demand will decline.
But the International Energy Organization ’ s “Net Zero ” report sees the peak as 2050 and by comparison suggests a reduction in oil demand from 88 million barrels per day in 2020 to 72 million barrels per day by 2030, and 24 million barrels per day in 2050, a 75% decline between 2020-2050.
The report argues that the Gulf has three factors underpinning the transformation: capital, sun, and vast, empty spaces.
Until recently, the Gulf states, including Iran, did not feel the desire to shift away from fossil energy to this extent.
When asked, Saudi Oil Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman said it was “a sequel to La La Land, ” meaning that the report and its writers do not know what is happening.
"If I wanted to worry about the IEA's expectations, I would be on Prozac all the time," he said.
Qatar ’ s Energy Minister Saad al-Kaabi said reducing oil and gas production levels would affect the supply process and laughed at “the enthusiasm surrounding the transition. ”
The Organization of Petroleum Producing and Exporting Countries (OPEC) forecasts that the process of oil demand will increase significantly through 2045 and the share of oil in global energy demand will fall from 30% to 28%, which is not a green revolution.
Gulf states still rely on gas and oil exports, accounting for 70 percent of goods exported from Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Oman.
Oil resources account for more than 70% of the total resources of Kuwait, Qatar, Oman and Bahrain.
In Vision 2030, published by Prince Mohammed bin Salman in 2016, he promised to turn the country into an important industrial hub.
World Bank figures show that Saudi Arabia relies on 75% of its oil resources for its budget.
Aramco, which is making its mark on global carbon emissions, is not diversifying at the same pace as Shell or BP.
Instead, it announced it would increase crude oil production capacity from 12 million barrels per day to 13 million barrels per day by 2027.
Haj believes that the shift away from oil may require a psychological shift from the consumer mentality, “The Gulf has not yet reached this kind of discussion.
If you see the way of life in the UAE and Qatar, it is based on inexhaustible consumption, and I fear we are still a long way from that in terms of politics and readiness. ”
Iran is the largest country in the world in terms of carbon emissions by population, followed by the UAE in second place and Saudi Arabia in 13th place.
Of course, Gulf rulers at events such as the Glasgow climate conference can defend themselves by saying that their region is not the primary source of carbon emissions, and historically, collectively, accounts for 4.7% less than carbon emissions and pollution from the United States, Europe and China.
The Middle East exports oil, but pollution is the responsibility of those who import it.
But the region ’ s leaders have come to grips with the problem not because of Western pressure but in response to citizens ’ demands, the goose has realized that the eggs, the oil, are no longer golden but brown.
The UAE is the first country to say it has moved to ratify the Paris Treaty and is the least dependent Gulf state on oil for its government resources.
Last week, she announced the “Net Zero by 2050 Initiative ” with an initial investment budget of $163 billion and appointed the Minister of Climate Change and Environment, Maryam Al Muhairi.
The announcement came after the government ordered awareness sessions in all its ministries since June for 80 days.
It was the first country in the Gulf to adopt a net zero domestic consumption policy.
The plan is still in its infancy and some of its features are unclear, but the direction is clear.
It promised to rely on renewable and nuclear energy by 50% to generate electricity by 2050.
Abu Dhabi ’ s national oil company said it would get 100 percent of its electricity from the nuclear reactor and solar power.
The Mohammed bin Maktoum Solar Park will be the largest in the world with a capacity of 5,000 megawatts.
Gulf states are competing with each other, with news reports that Qatar has appointed a climate minister, Bahrain aiming for net zero carbon by 2050 and Kuwait announcing a plan to reduce carbon emissions.
Saudi Arabia does not like to be late.
It announced that it would increase the proportion of renewable energy from 0.3% to 50% by 2030.
The plan is to plant 10 million trees in the coming decades.
Over the weekend, the kingdom organized a summit of the Green Middle East Initiative, attended by John Kerry and Britain ’ s Prince Charles.
It promised to reach net zero carbon emissions in its territory by 2060.
The main reason the Gulf states have been slow to shift away from oil and its commodities is that they have made them rich and helped them anesthetize their citizens.
Their loyalty was bought through a series of subsidies for water, electricity, fuel and tax breaks.
These dynamics were different from Iraq, Lebanon and to a lesser extent Iran, but the situation is changing with the emergence of local environmental groups.

- While energy transition isn’t new, the urgency has escalated; climate change is impacting the region daily, costing countries like the UAE over $6 billion annually in health terms alone.

- Leaders are now responding to local citizen demands and economic realities more than Western pressure, realizing oil's value is waning in a changing world.

Major Renewable Projects & National Goals:**
- The UAE is at the forefront: It was the first Gulf country to ratify the Paris Accord and is the least reliant on oil for government revenue among its peers.

- The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park is a centerpiece—targeting a massive 5,000 MW capacity, aiming to be the world’s largest.

- Abu Dhabi’s National Oil Company plans to source 100% of its electricity from nuclear and solar.

- Saudi Arabia is also ramping up commitments:
    - It has pledged to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2060.

- The country is qualifying both its natural and human capital for a continued leading role in global energy—even as oil demand is projected to peak and then gradually fall by 2050.

Title:

Content: The Role of Oil in Zero Emissions Policy
Walid Khadouri
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The role of oil in the context of zero emissions policy by the middle of the century poses an important question for Arab energy experts and economists, given the implications of this historic shift in the field of energy on the one hand, and the wide dependence of Arab economies on hydrocarbon exports on the other hand, because of their huge revenues in the Arab economy.
The issue of the widespread dependence on oil rents in the Arab economy and its warnings is not a new issue, as a number of Arab economists have addressed the issue since the middle of the twentieth century, and the answer was often: the need for a multiplicity of productive economic sectors to avoid periods of price collapse to export a single commodity.
Since the middle of the last decade, Arab energy experts have raised the issue from another angle: what is the role of oil in the context of zero emissions policy, which aims to marginalize fossil fuel consumption by 2050.
During the past years, the Arab Energy Forum participated in this discussion, especially during its last annual conference in 2022 in Kuwait, where a number of researchers discussed the subject, including Dr. Adnan Shihab-Eldin, an Arab energy expert, who relied on statistical tables and graphs in his interventions to show the expectations of international research institutions on the extent of oil consumption during the second half of this century.
Here we will briefly review some of his interventions.
Global developments indicate that the "energy transition" has already begun: the increasing importance of policies to combat climate change, work to improve the environment, and the return of international attention to "energy security" policies following the outbreak of the war in Ukraine.
The “energy transition phase ” aims to use energy policies that reduce global warming, so that the world can achieve zero emissions by 2050 and limit the average temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius annually.
These goals were difficult to achieve, given the heavy involvement of COVID-19 and the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Sustainable energy commodities were challenged by inadequate supplies of rare metals and disruptions in the supply chain, and rising energy and food prices led to a global deflationary recession.
However, some of the decisions of the COP27 conference in Sharm el-Sheikh marked a significant shift in the climate negotiations, as compensation for developing countries affected by the calamities of climate variability was agreed in principle, with details of this policy to be discussed and approved at the COP28 conference in the UAE in the fall of 2023, and agreed to accept supplies and low-emission technologies in the future.
Dr. Adnan reviewed the forward-looking and statistical studies of research organizations (OPEC, IEA, etc.) on the future energy milestones for 2045, it is remarkable to see the divergence in the outlook.
The differences are due to assumptions used: past economic growth experiences, multiple climate policies, the performance of sustainable energy technologies, and anticipated investments in energy alternatives.
There is a common expectation that demand for oil will continue to be high until 2045, and the outlook is that the proportion of oil from the energy basket in 2045 will be around 80%, which means that it is very difficult, if not impossible, to marginalize the role of oil in 2050.
It is worth noting that the majority of the world ’ s oil consumption now goes to the three continents (Asia, Africa and Latin America) that are expected to continue to use hydrocarbon fuels after 2050, as most of these countries are still far from enacting “energy transition ” laws.
Statistics also indicate that oil demand is likely to reach a peak of 105 million barrels per day during the second half of this decade, to stabilize for a number of years, and then gradually decline to a level estimated at 20 to 60 million barrels per day in 2050.
In light of the divergent demand for oil in 2050, Dr. Adnan suggested that large oil reserve countries adopt radical economic reforms to free their economies from widespread dependence on oil.
It is a mistake to rely on just one clean energy source, as European green groups insist. A successful alternative is to exploit all the promising carbon-neutral technologies to achieve zero net emissions by increasingly relying on a mix of all clean energy sources. Large oil producing countries can prolong the production and export of their oil. Reservoirs that still contain huge reserves, even under a zero-emission policy, by actively participating in the development and widespread use of decarbonization technologies from fossil fuels or directly from the air.
Blue hydrogen is also produced from natural gas or other hydrocarbons.
There is scope for the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries to become a global center for carbon capture and storage (CCS), and there is scope for the GCC countries to participate in the development of new industrial technologies and localize them in their territories, where they will create new jobs, and there is also the possibility of benefiting from cooperation with major countries that have allocated large amounts of investment in carbon economy and recycling, such as China and the United States.
* Quoted from Middle East Newspaper
Disclaimer: All published articles represent the opinion of their authors only.
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Content: News from Iraq now.
12th Arab Energy Conference Concludes with 7 Recommendations
2023-12-12 18: 00: 04 - Source: Al Furat News
Oil Ministry spokesman Assem Jihad said the final statement
The 12th Arab Energy Conference included a set of recommendations on the challenges facing the energy sector.
He added that the 12th Arab Energy Conference was held in Doha, State of Qatar, during the period 17-18 Jumada I 1445 AH, corresponding to 11-12 December 2023 AD, under the slogan "Energy and Arab Cooperation".
The General Secretariat of the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC), in full cooperation and coordination with the host State of Qatar, represented by Qatar Energy, prepared and prepared the conference.
The Emir of the State of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, sponsored the conference, which has become an important milestone in the process of joint Arab action and cooperation in the energy sector.
The conference began with a speech by His Excellency Mr. Saad Ben Sherida Al-Kaabi, Minister of State for Energy Affairs, President of the Conference, in which he welcomed the participants, pointing out the importance of this conference.
At the outset of his speech, the Secretary General of the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC) expressed his gratitude and appreciation to His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Emir of the State of Qatar, for sponsoring the conference. as well as energy security.
The conference was attended by ministers responsible for oil and energy, heads of delegations representing (17) Arab countries, senior officials from Arab organizations and institutions, and regional and international bodies. The conference was attended by a group of specialized experts and representatives of Arab and foreign companies and research centers.
The conference discussed many topics related to the developments of the energy situation in its many aspects related to international developments in the energy markets and their repercussions on the Arab energy sector, the efforts of Arab countries to face the challenges of energy transformations, the issues of energy, environment, climate change and sustainable development.
As well as topics related to Arab and international energy sources, subsequent petroleum industries, energy demand management in Arab countries, and technological developments and their implications for the energy sector.
Having reviewed the technical papers presented at the conference, which amounted to twenty papers, and after extensive deliberations and discussions,
A set of recommendations has been reached, which can be summarized as follows:
First: International developments in energy markets and their implications for the Arab energy sector
After addressing the triple energy dilemma (energy security, sustainability, and affordability), the features and trends of energy transitions, and the strategies of Arab oil and gas exporting countries with regard to these transitions.
The conference recommended that the exploitation of hydrocarbon sources while controlling their emissions through clean technologies will undoubtedly enhance the possibility of the world reaching the desired zero neutrality in 2050, and thus these sources will be part of the solution towards a balanced, gradual and responsible transition towards more sustainable energy sources in a manner that takes into account the national circumstances and priorities of each country.
Second: Energy, Environment and Sustainable Development
The conference addressed developments in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, developments related to global climate change negotiations, the current efforts of Arab countries within the framework of those negotiations, as well as the opportunities available to Arab countries within the framework of the Climate Action Agreement.
In this regard, the Conference recommended that:
• The importance of all Arab countries adopting balanced development policies, including the integration of the environmental dimension in development plans, the balanced use of resources, the diversification of the economy, and the establishment of appropriate environmental standards to achieve sustainable development to the fullest.
• Work to consolidate the basic concepts of sustainable development in the petroleum industry, through the acquisition of modern technologies, energy conservation and rationalization, the production of cleaner fuels, the reduction of emissions, and the improvement of performance at all stages of the industry.
Third: Energy resources in the Arab countries and the world
The conference reviewed developments in conventional energy sources from oil and natural gas at the Arab and international levels. It also touched on the role of nuclear energy as a reliable source in the efforts to transition to a sustainable energy future, as well as the future prospects of renewable energies and their role in reducing carbon dioxide emissions in the Arab countries.
• Fossil fuels will remain the main source of energy for decades to come, which requires developing the role of national energy companies and finding a mechanism for cooperation and coordination among them in the technical, technical and economic fields, and benefiting from modern technologies and exchanging experiences in order to maintain production levels and provide additional production capacities.
• Follow technical and economic developments in the field of renewable energy sources, and work to increase their share in the energy mix consumed, and enhance energy efficiency.
• Increase investment in the oil and gas industry to avoid potential energy crises, as they are expected to remain the two main pillars of global energy for many decades to come.
As well as supporting investments in different energy paths to ensure sustainable energy security, as demand increases, the world needs all sources of fossil and renewable energy alike.
• Increasing the role of nuclear power in many national energy transition strategies, as an effective clean energy technology to mitigate greenhouse gases, and therefore should be treated similarly to many other clean energy technologies.
Fourth: Subsequent Petroleum Industries: Arab and International
The conference reviewed the developments of the oil refining industry, and the necessary measures to enable refineries to face the challenges they face and reduce their current and future negative repercussions, and touched on the developments of the natural gas industry, and the opportunities and challenges facing the Arab gas exporting countries in the global markets.
It also reviews developments in the hydrogen industry as a fuel for the future and its expected role in the future energy mix.
The Conference expresses its satisfaction with the efforts being made in this industry and recommends the following:
• The importance of modernizing existing refineries and / or building new ones, and increasing the capacity of manufacturing operations, in order to gradually move towards the production of clean oil derivatives, with more environmentally friendly specifications, and to cover the needs of the local market and to market the surplus to the global market.
• Creating conditions for the expansion of hydrogen production and use, especially since the Arab countries have many elements to build a competitive hydrogen economy and play an influential role in international trade in the future.
Hydrogen will be instrumental in energy transitions and support international efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and create a low-carbon energy future.
• The importance of enhancing cooperation and integration between petrochemical companies in the Arab countries and working on the transfer of modern technology and supporting scientific research efforts to meet the challenges facing the industry and enhance its competitiveness in the global markets.
Fifth: Managing Energy Demand in the Arab Countries
The development of energy consumption in the Arab countries and its main features, and the consumption forecasts until 2045 were reviewed according to different future scenarios.
As well as forecasts of planned and committed energy investments across the MENA region, including investments in renewable energy and decarbonization technologies as part of a long-term strategic vision to build a low-carbon future.
The opportunities and challenges of moving towards a circular carbon economy were also addressed.
The extent to which Arab countries are able to achieve the security and sustainability of electric power, electricity interconnection, and the plans and efforts made towards increasing reliance on electric generation using renewable energy sources.
In this regard, the Conference recommended that:
• The need to develop strategies and operational programs to rationalize and improve energy efficiency at all levels and in all sectors, through the development of plans and implementation of programs to improve energy efficiency in various industries.
• Draw policies to rationalize consumption in order to maintain moderate growth in energy consumption, provided that this does not conflict with development programs, and develop accurate plans and forecasts to diversify the base of energy sources as long as they are technically and economically feasible.
Supporting strategic partnerships between governments and the private sector as a key catalyst for development, which can form part of the circular carbon economy framework, while leveraging technological solutions to address gas flaring.
• Supporting efforts to overcome the obstacles to the development of the electricity sector to achieve the economic and social development goals in the Arab countries, namely, raising subsidies and increasing efficiency.
• Increase the utilization of existing electrical interconnection projects, as this does not require additional investments, while reinforcing existing interconnection lines with new interconnection lines.
Sixth: Technological developments and their implications for the energy sector
They reviewed technological developments and their implications for oil and gas supplies, the technologies supporting the transition to a low-carbon future and how to address and address technical constraints and gaps.
The Conference noted the importance of these developments and made the following recommendations:
• The importance of employing Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies and their applications in the oil and gas sector, focusing on how artificial intelligence can be harnessed to increase operational efficiency and gain a competitive advantage.
• Utilize technological developments to promote and integrate sustainable energy sources into the current energy system.
with emphasis on continuing interest in scientific research in the field of energy.
• Follow international developments in the field of technology and benefit from them if proven useful, in various aspects of the oil and energy industry.
Seventh: Venue and time of the next conference
At the end of the conference, H.E. Eng. Jamal Issa Al-Loughani, Secretary General of the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries, delivered a speech in which he expressed his thanks and appreciation to all those who contributed to the success of the conference.
He welcomed the invitation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to host the 13th Arab Energy Conference in Riyadh in 2027, wishing the brothers in the Kingdom all success and success in organizing the next conference to ensure its success and achieve its desired goals.
In conclusion, the participants expressed their appreciation and gratitude for the efforts of the Government and people of the State of Qatar, and for the tradition of genuine hospitality, hospitality and care that the participants experienced, which had the greatest impact on facilitating the work of the Conference.
Ministry of Oil
Government Information and Communication Office
12 - December- 2023

Policy, Conferences, and Evolving Strategies:**
- Recent high-level conferences, like the 12th Arab Energy Conference, highlight regional cooperation and a focus on energy security and climate action.

- Recommendations include increasing investment in oil and gas for short-to-medium term stability, while also tracking new technologies and pursuing a “circular carbon economy.”
- The region’s approach is measured; there is skepticism about moving too fast, with leaders warning against an over-reliance on any single clean energy source.

Solar Capacity and Other Renewables:**
- Investments in renewables are growing rapidly, especially solar (with vast, arid land and high irradiation making conditions ideal).

Title:

Content: The Middle East and North Africa have significant investments in wind energy
The Middle East and North Africa have significant investments in wind energy
Renewable energy throughout the Middle East and North Africa is usually talked about from one point of view: the sun shining strongly on the region ’ s deserts.
Solar energy is indeed a great source of energy and is designed to power equipment and appliances, but wind also blows through the plains, hills and seas of the Middle East, and megaprojects harness the power of wind and turn it into energy.
Political analyst Robin Mills says the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region actually started using modern wind energy on a commercial scale a decade before using solar power, with projects in Morocco, Egypt, Israel and in Tafileh in Jordan, where the turbines are slowly spinning near the ancient fortress of Karak.
The cheapest electricity in the world is generated from solar power in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, and global projects such as the largest single-site solar farm in Al Dhafra in Abu Dhabi, with a power of 2 GW, and two of the largest multi-project sites, the Mohammed bin Rashid Solar Park in Dubai (5 GW) and Banban in Egypt (1.8 GW), can also be installed. solar on a smaller scale on the shelves of homes and factories.
Despite the lack of consistency unlike Northwest Europe, there are excellent wind resources in the MENA region.
Winds are blowing in southern Morocco and the areas around the Gulf of Suez and Aqaba in Egypt, Jordan, northwestern Saudi Arabia, southern Egypt and the southeastern coast of Oman.
Parts of Libya, southern Tunisia, the Algerian desert, inland Iran and Kuwait also experience strong winds, and in contrast to most parts of Europe, the region has open spaces where the construction of wind stations will not be rejected by some segments of society.
Egypt, which hosted the COP27, benefits from having projects that produce 1.59 GW currently installed, 0.75 GW under construction and 1.6 GW planned, and has signed a series of projects in recent weeks, which have included memorandums of understanding with Norwegian developer Skatek for 5 GW, with UAE clean energy company Masdar for 10 GW, and with Saudi energy development company Aqua for 10 GW.
It will be the second largest wind farm in the world, and the largest is Gansu, which produces 20 gigawatts in China.
Aqua is already building a 1.1 GW wind farm at Jebel Zeit on the Gulf of Suez, which will be the largest in the region when it comes into operation in late 2026, with Egypt ’ s total projected production capacity of 24 GW, the seventh largest national capacity in the world according to current figures.
In addition, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Morocco and Mauritania will need huge wind farms to build their planned green hydrogen projects, which use renewable electricity to analyze water with electricity.
Under MENA conditions, wind power is likely to be more expensive than solar, even if Saudi Arabia gets a very competitive tariff of 2.13 cents per kilowatt-hour for its first wind farm in Dumat al-Jandal (which was the lowest solar contract in the region at 1.03 cents per kilowatt-hour).
Wind power also takes longer to build, and production cannot be predicted after a few days.
But wind has many advantages: it is clear that it often blows at night more strongly than during the day, making it complementary to solar energy.
This is especially useful in hot early autumn evenings, when people need air conditioning even after sunset.
Solar energy in the region has achieved a capacity factor, which is the average output of the source as a proportion of its peak output, and is about 20 percent over the year, allowing work at night and different seasons, Egyptian wind power manages 53 percent, and solar and wind power in the best locations can have a combined capacity factor of more than 70 percent.
And there are still some vital questions about the location of turbines and mega projects planned in Egypt?
Wind lanes around Sinai are relatively confined and surrounded by mountains, and areas to the south on the Red Sea coast, or inland areas with difficult logistical hurdles, will have to be considered.
And will the region venture out and explore offshore wind power, as Northwest Europe has successfully done?
There are stronger and more consistent winds, and much more room to develop them, albeit at higher costs.
Will current project announcements overlap with green hydrogen projects?
If this is done, the wind requirements will be much greater, and will provoke competition for good sites and equipment.
Can countries in the Middle East and North Africa that are less exposed to wind power, particularly the UAE, Qatar and Bahrain, benefit economically from improved turbines for slower wind speeds?
Will other wind-blowing countries with low energy, such as Iraq, Kuwait, Libya and Tunisia, start adopting this technology?
If those questions can be answered with a yes, the spinning turbines and shimmering solar panels in the Middle East and North Africa will become a symbol of the region ’ s shift to clean energy.
arabic

- There are also significant, though less predictable, wind installations—a notable example being the Gulf of Suez Wind Power Project.

- Despite progress, wind lags solar due to longer construction times and variability.

Economic and Social Impacts:**
- The transition is expected to transform Middle Eastern economies, though the pathway is complex.

Title:

Content: The Middle East is on the cusp of an energy revolution.
In the midst of unprecedented climate change
The next morning – follow up:
The world is currently facing extreme weather extremes, from flash floods to heavy rainfall to record-high temperatures and wildfires, all pointing to a single source: climate change driven by carbon emissions in the air.
The Middle East is particularly affected by this situation as it produces and consumes a very large amount of carbon-emitting fossil fuels that in turn lead to climate change.
A UN report by a UN scientific panel described climate change as unprecedented, saying it was definitely people who were responsible for climate change.
He called for drastic cuts in emissions in order to keep global temperature below the limits set out in the 2015 Paris climate agreement.
According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), “The scope of recent changes in aspects of the climate system as a whole and the current state of many aspects of the climate system are unprecedented for centuries or several millennia. ”
"Based on the available evidence, they have high confidence that atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations were higher in 2019 than at any point in at least two million years, and that since 1970, global surface temperature has risen faster than any other 50 years in at least the last two millennia."
234 experts from 66 countries wrote the report, the most comprehensive since 2013.
Many of the effects of climate change can no longer be avoided today.
John Alterman, vice president of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, director of the Middle East Program and director of the Brzezinski Chair for Global and Strategic Security, says no region in the world is more immersed in the consequences of global climate change than the Middle East.
The region accounts for 30% of global oil production and oil revenues are the locomotive of government revenues in the region, either because countries produce oil or because countries produce a workforce working in oil-exporting countries and send money home.
Because of oil revenues, Middle Eastern governments can and do employ large numbers of their own population.
As the world moves away from oil as a source of energy, the economies of the Middle East will change profoundly.
John Alterman adds in a report published by the Center for Strategic and International Studies that at the same time the Middle East is vulnerable to the consequences of climate change.
The region is already extremely water-poor, with the Middle East having 9 of the 10 most water-poor countries.
Drought pushes farmers away from their land and the region ’ s many coastal cities are threatened by sea-level rise, and rising summer temperatures increasingly combine with humidity to endanger human survival.
The Middle East is thus rooted on both sides of the issue of climate change.
As global consumption patterns change, the Middle East will change profoundly.
With climate change, the Middle East will also change profoundly.
He adds that developing countries' energy consumption rises sharply as incomes increase and are likely to rely on existing equipment and technology for longer.
While the rich can spend thousands on green products, for much of the world ’ s population oil and gas will remain affordable fuel.
But Middle Eastern governments may not be willing to cut their oil production.
A sustained drop in global consumption, however small, would put pressure on Gulf states to increase output in a bid to drive higher-cost producers out of the market and ensure they are not left with less valuable barrels in the ground when consumption falls further.
Governments across the Middle East have been preparing for a post-oil world for years but are still far from their goals, says John Alterman.
In the Gulf countries, years will be needed to move from the reality of high-productivity, low-wage workers supporting the efforts of low-productivity, high-wage workers.
The energy transition will be important for more than just the Middle East.
Energy security is the driver of much of China ’ s recent investment in the region.
If China decides that its energy security derives from mines in Africa and not from wells in the Middle East, we should expect a shift in Chinese interest and capital.
If there is a more permanent role for oil and gas in the global energy picture, there could be more competition between the United States and China for regional influence.
Finally, Western countries could move away from hydrocarbons for environmental reasons while China and the developing world remain devoted to them for economic reasons.
This could almost be reflected in America abandoning its future role in the Middle East, with China capturing much of this inaction.
Related Articles

Oil revenue will shrink over coming decades (“no longer golden but brown eggs”), forcing diversification.

A gradual pace may help manage economic and infrastructure adjustments.

Title:

Content: Hydrogen competition is changing the global energy landscape | Technology | DW | 01.01.2023
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Science and technology environment
Hydrogen competition is changing the global energy landscape
The European Union is trying to finalize regulations for hydrogen, Asian countries are moving quickly to seize market opportunities, and the United States is investing heavily in building local supply chains.
In this fierce competition, what choice will the Middle East make?
Over the next few years, industry players will decide what role they will play in the energy transition.
Hydrogen power has remained strong over the past year, and an unexpected turn is changing what industry insiders call the "hydrogen race."
The European Union, which two years ago had a competitive edge, is now busy defining its own regulatory framework, the rules needed to determine the implementation of local hydrogen projects, and the construction of hydrogen supply chains to unlock foreign export projects.
The EU ’ s cooperation with the Gulf states and the Middle East as a whole is a good example.
Project developers see potential for hydrogen production in the Middle East.
Land, renewable energy, infrastructure and ports are available.
Such large-scale projects can improve efficiency, but also need to be cautious, because investment misjudgment can waste billions of dollars.
“It takes a considerable amount of time from signing the MOU to making the final investment decision, as these projects require more time to design, license and build partnerships.
Contractors also need to be secured, "Alexander Ritschel, Masdar's head of technology, told Deutsche Welle.
Masdar, a renewable energy company owned by the UAE government, is one of the major hydrogen investors in the region.
It wants to be a forerunner and is waiting for the dust to settle on the regulation of import markets – namely, EU member states and Asian countries such as Japan or South Korea.
“Financing will become more complex if important rules are not defined.
We don ’ t have to wait for all the details of all the regulations, but the most important thing has to be clear, ” Reitzl said.
How clean is hydrogen energy?
To whom do hydrogen suppliers deliver?
Masdar welcomed the clear political will of Asian countries and said it was waiting for the announcement of the local incentive plan. "These details are being finalised and are likely to be completed next year."
Anytime, we can start moving. "According to Reitzl, the Middle East has the resources to meet the hydrogen needs of both Asia and Europe.
Not everyone agrees that lack of competition among importers brings harmony.
Some experts believe that the developing hydrogen economy will bring new competition between countries.
“Europe, and Germany in particular, has a wrong view of the hydrogen market.
They thought they could wait, because ultimately it was up to them to decide who would produce hydrogen, without realizing that other countries were much faster.
Exporters are increasingly deciding who to work with, "Dawud Ansari, a researcher at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs, told Deutsche Welle.
Ansari said Europe's risk-averse mentality may be one reason for German caution, but it could mean greater risks and higher energy prices in the future.
Hydrogen-focused companies see positive trends.
The United States is recently developing mechanisms aimed at bringing the entire supply chain of green hydrogen technology within its borders.
It is an attempt to push Europe to develop an equally attractive framework to avoid getting nothing of its own.
Manuel Kuehn, head of sales for sustainable energy systems at Siemens Energy, told Deutsche Welle: “There is competition between policymakers and customers.
Because most support programs have deadlines, there will be competition between customers for projects. "
On the other hand, Kuhn believes that competition within the EU can be more dangerous, which is why he called for uniform EU regulations.
Many hydrogen developers also have an incentive to wait - not just because of the regulatory framework. "Technology prices will fall, mainly due to scale effects," he said.
According to Siemens Energy, large regional projects are unlikely to start producing green hydrogen within the next two years.
Internal cooperation in the Middle East
Ansari noted that the Gulf states are moving forward with business agreements and political plans.
The combination of cooperation and competition determines their strategy.
For example, because Kuwait and Bahrain do not have much room for green hydrogen, they are investing in the development of other countries.
"Oman also has Saudi participants in its hydrogen projects, while UAE participants are also active in Saudi projects," said Ansari. He stressed that countries are trying to focus on different areas of the upcoming hydrogen economy. "In addition to directly exporting green hydrogen, Oman also plans to build green steel and cement plants upstream of the production chain.
Qatar keeps things simple.
It is committed to exporting LNG and supports customers in producing hydrogen and ammonia directly from LNG in destination countries. "
According to Ansari, the Gulf states are overturning the model imposed by Western management consulting firms for many years, “Western management consulting firms look only at their own interests and are neither interested nor knowledgeable about the region. ”
The region needs a different logic. "
The technology of hydrogen production is an important link.
Competition for supply technology?
As the recent tensions over U.S. incentives have shown, competition is not just a matter of hydrogen delivery, it is also a matter of hydrogen technology.
Experts say that as long as half of the projects go online and enter the pipeline as planned, there will be a lot of problems in the supply chain.
Technology suppliers will play a key role in the emerging hydrogen market.
"We have to upgrade the entire industry on the supply side, which may take some time."
"Suppliers are usually small companies that invest when they receive orders," Kuhn said.
Support programs take time to affect suppliers. "
At the same time, a slower pace of development will ease tensions.
This gives the company time to standardize new components such as electrolyzers — a key component for producing hydrogen from renewable resources — and expand production of other components, such as compressors, transformers and rectifiers.
Some countries, such as China, may move faster throughout the supply chain.
Experts also expect supply chains to take advantage of U.S. policies, such as the Inflation Reduction Act.
Therefore, the EU ’ s policy and regulatory framework is key to unlocking European investment.
“Over the next few years, industry players will decide what kind of company they want to be and what role they will play in the energy transition.
I expect chaos, as happened in the solar and wind industries a decade ago. "
Kuhn said.
In general, the experts agreed that technological competition and competition between countries would continue.
However, due to strong demand, all technology providers will benefit.
"Each participant will have room to achieve a degree of scale effect to achieve the ultimate goal."
Kuhn concluded.
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