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  • How Solar-Powered Desalination Allows Saudi Arabia To Produce Potable Water Sustainably

    Each year, the Kingdom requires an average of 5.5 billion cubic meters of freshwater. The need for water is especially high during the Hajj and Umrah seasons, when well over a million pilgrims arrive from around the world. Home to more than 37 million people, the Kingdom is the world’s third-largest consumer of water per head of population. Agriculture alone accounts for around 84 percent of total water consumption.

  • The power of ‘brandformance’ in the Middle East

    A recent eMarketer survey revealed that 56 percent of global brands have experienced improved outcomes by breaking down the conventional barriers between branding and performance and opting for a combined approach known as ‘brandformance’. This strategy can be crucial to the MENA market, which is characterised by fierce competition and a deeply digital landscape.

  • A sweltering Middle East cannot afford more power cuts

    Blistering summer heat is nothing new in many parts of the Middle East, even in this era of global warming. For centuries, the people of this region have used all their ingenuity and resilience to cope with high temperatures and humidity. From the Sumerians developing advanced irrigation systems to the barjeel system of ventilation, inhabitants of the region have adapted well to the weather. One would have hoped that modern technology such as air conditioning, refrigeration and electric fans would have consigned such struggles to the past. Sadly, for some countries, even in 2024 this is not the case. Mismanagement and corruption plague some nations, compounding the problems of excessive heat.

  • Solar power is now bigger than oil — for the first time ever

    Using a conservative production metric, the panels produced by Tongwei in 2024 will contribute around 27 exajoules of electricity to the grid, while the oil and gas pulled out of the ground by Exxon this year will account for a mere six exajoules. In fact, all seven of the biggest petroleum producers combined will contribute less energy from their products this year than just Tongwei’s long-tail solar production.

  • Saudi Arabia seeks firms for Rub Al-Khali power plant

    Saudi Arabia's Zakat, Tax & Customs Authority (Zatca), in collaboration with the National Centre for Privatistion & PPP (NCP), has invited companies to prequalify for a contract to develop a hybrid power plant at the Empty Quarter (Rub Al-Khali) land port. The project aims to reduce the use of diesel fuel by using renewable energy, and to ensure long-term power supply at the Empty Quarter land port.

  • Saudi Arabia’s ACWA Power Spearheads Energy Transition

    ACWA Power, a leading private developer, investor and operator with 77 power generation and water desalination projects to its name across Saudi Arabia, is driving sustainability and continues to be one of the Middle East’s energy transition leaders.

  • What will it take to make the MENA region a renewable energy powerhouse?

    At a time of rapid growth in renewable energies such as solar and wind, it would be easy to write off the region (as some are doing) as a waning power, both in terms of energy and geopolitics. After all, how good can the outlook be for petrostates in a world focused on moving to net-zero emissions? In our view, the opposite is true: the region is well placed to become not just a major source of renewable energy, but also a central and indispensable player in the global energy transition, uniquely able to balance supply and demand for all types of energy, both hydrocarbons, and renewables.

  • The power of innovation and collaboration in Saudi Arabia

    In our industry, ‘innovation’ is a buzzword that’s thrown around a lot, but often falls short in practice. Every conversation and project request seems to demand innovation, but most of the time, it doesn’t deliver. Let’s break it down: there’s basic improvement, which some might call innovation, and then there are big ideas that never actually happen.

  • Solar PV to help meet soaring Middle East power demand, reduce reliance on fossil fuels / Rystad Energy

    The Middle East's energy sector is at a turning point. Although traditionally an oil and gas powerhouse, the region is shifting its focus to renewables as a response to rapid industrial growth, increasing population, and a global drive to reduce carbon emissions. The region is home to over 280 million people and has one of the world’s fastest-growing populations, increasing by over 60% since 2000. This has led to a rapid increase in power demand, more than doubling in the past 20 years.

  • Believe it or not: Even in Saudi Arabia, renewable power is cheaper than fossil fuels

    Saudi Arabia signed deals to buy electricity from two large-scale wind farms that are cheaper than natural gas plants, as it aims to rapidly transition to a bigger share of renewables in the power grid.