MENA grows renewables by half but clings to risky hydrogen and gas

The MENA region increased its operational utility-scale solar and wind capacity by 57% since May 2022, adding 6.9 GW. While prospective capacity has grown by 400% to 361 GW, 60% of these projects are earmarked for green hydrogen production or export rather than domestic decarbonization. Oil and gas power plants still provide over 90% of the region's electricity, and replacing them would require approximately 500 GW of additional solar and wind capacity. The report highlights a disparity in progress, noting that South America operationalized at least four times more capacity in the same period. Additionally, sovereign wealth funds from the UAE and Saudi Arabia are investing more heavily in renewables abroad (46 GW) than domestically (14 GW).

• Since May 2022, the MENA region added 6.9 GW of operating large utility-scale solar and wind capacity, representing a 57% increase. An additional 9 GW is under construction and expected to be completed by the end of 2024.
• Prospective utility-scale solar and wind capacity in the region grew by 292 GW (a 400% year-over-year increase) to a total of 361 GW. However, 60% of this prospective capacity is designated for green hydrogen production or direct export, which the report notes carries higher risk and does not contribute to local electricity decarbonization.
• The region remains heavily dependent on fossil fuels, with oil and gas power plants providing over 90% of electricity. Replacing the generation from the existing 343 GW of oil and gas plants would require roughly 500 GW of solar and wind capacity. To fully decarbonize the electricity sector by 2050, the region would need to add 19 GW of wind and solar annually.
• There is a significant imbalance in the deployment of renewables versus green hydrogen in countries with low electricity access. In Mauritania, 50 GW of green hydrogen projects have been announced, while only 34 MW of prospective capacity is intended for national electricity. Similarly, Djibouti has a proposed 10 GW green hydrogen facility compared to only 126 MW of electrical capacity for the country.
• Sovereign wealth funds from the UAE and Saudi Arabia, through Masdar and ACWA Power, are investing more in renewables internationally than domestically. They are involved in at least 46 GW of prospective projects across 21 countries in the Global South, compared to 14 GW of domestic involvement.
• The growth of renewables in MENA lags behind other regions; South America operationalized at least 32 GW of capacity in the same period that MENA added 6.9 GW.

APA

O’Malia, K., Abdallah, N., Macuga, J., Prasad, S., Stylianou, N., & Behrsin, I. (2023). MENA grows renewables by half but clings to risky hydrogen and gas. Global Energy Monitor. https://globalenergymonitor.org/sites/default/files/migration/reports/MENA-grows-renewables-by-half-GEM_11.pdf

Chicago

O’Malia, Kasandra, Nagwa Abdallah, Julie Macuga, Shradhey Prasad, Nassos Stylianou, and Ingrid Behrsin. MENA grows renewables by half but clings to risky hydrogen and gas. Global Energy Monitor, 2023. https://globalenergymonitor.org/sites/default/files/migration/reports/MENA-grows-renewables-by-half-GEM_11.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=O’Malia |first1=Kasandra |last2=Abdallah |first2=Nagwa |last3=Macuga |first3=Julie |last4=Prasad |first4=Shradhey |last5=Stylianou |first5=Nassos |last6=Behrsin |first6=Ingrid |title=MENA grows renewables by half but clings to risky hydrogen and gas |publisher=Global Energy Monitor |date=September 2023 |url=https://globalenergymonitor.org/sites/default/files/migration/reports/MENA-grows-renewables-by-half-GEM_11.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{omalia2023mena, author = {O’Malia, Kasandra and Abdallah, Nagwa and Macuga, Julie and Prasad, Shradhey and Stylianou, Nassos and Behrsin, Ingrid}, title = {{MENA grows renewables by half but clings to risky hydrogen and gas}}, institution = {Global Energy Monitor}, year = {2023}, month = sep, url = {https://globalenergymonitor.org/sites/default/files/migration/reports/MENA-grows-renewables-by-half-GEM_11.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }