Enabling Measures Roadmap for Low-Carbon Hydrogen Middle East and North Africa

The MENA region is positioned to be a global leader in low-carbon hydrogen due to its vast renewable energy potential, existing oil and gas infrastructure, and strategic proximity to European and Asian markets. The report assesses six high-potential countries—Morocco, Egypt, Qatar, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE—identifying six primary barriers: standards and certification, demand, infrastructure, pace of development, technology, and cost. To overcome these, the report recommends establishing 'one-stop shops' for project development, securing long-term demand offtake agreements, and coordinating ecosystem actors to share infrastructure. Specific deep dives into the UAE and Saudi Arabia highlight the role of state-backed national champions in driving large-scale projects, such as the NEOM Green Hydrogen project, while emphasizing the need for clearer regulatory frameworks and global certification alignment to reach Final Investment Decisions (FID).

• The MENA region possesses significant technical potential for hydrogen production, estimated at up to 1,088 Mtpa by 2050, which represents 27% of the global production potential.
• The region is highly competitive in production costs, with expected low-carbon hydrogen prices falling below $1.50 per kg between 2030 and 2035.
• Six countries are identified as leading the region's development: Morocco, Egypt, Qatar, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, though they differ in their focus between export plays and domestic demand.
• Oman aims to be the largest exporter of renewable hydrogen by 2030, targeting production of up to 1.15 Mtpa and utilizing a 'one-stop-shop' entity called Hydrom to coordinate strategy and land auctions.
• The UAE has set ambitious production targets of 1.4 Mtpa by 2031, 7.5 Mtpa by 2040, and 15 Mtpa by 2050, leveraging a mix of green, blue, and pink hydrogen.
• Saudi Arabia is a frontrunner in project scale, notably with the NEOM Green Hydrogen Company project, which has reached the Final Investment Decision (FID) stage with $6.1 billion in financing.
• Egypt aspires to capture 8% of the global hydrogen trade by 2040, with $83 billion in low-carbon hydrogen projects currently being explored, primarily within the Suez Canal Economic Zone.
• Morocco focuses on green hydrogen for both export to Europe and domestic use in its fertilizer sector, targeting up to 0.9 Mtpa by 2030.
• Qatar prioritizes blue hydrogen and blue ammonia due to land constraints for renewables and its massive natural gas reserves, exemplified by the 1.2 Mtpa Ammonia-7 project.
• The report recommends five main enabling measures: securing long-term demand offtake agreements, establishing one-stop shops for project development, coordinating ecosystem actors for shared infrastructure, developing global standards/certifications, and building specialized workforce skillsets.

APA

World Economic Forum (2023). Enabling Measures Roadmap for Low-Carbon Hydrogen Middle East and North Africa. https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Enabling_Measures_Roadmap_for_Low_carbon_Hydrogen_in_the_Middle_East_and_North_Africa_2023.pdf

Chicago

World Economic Forum. Enabling Measures Roadmap for Low-Carbon Hydrogen Middle East and North Africa. 2023. https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Enabling_Measures_Roadmap_for_Low_carbon_Hydrogen_in_the_Middle_East_and_North_Africa_2023.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Economic Forum |title=Enabling Measures Roadmap for Low-Carbon Hydrogen Middle East and North Africa |date=20 December 2023 |url=https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Enabling_Measures_Roadmap_for_Low_carbon_Hydrogen_in_the_Middle_East_and_North_Africa_2023.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldeconomicforum2023enabling, author = {{World Economic Forum}}, title = {{Enabling Measures Roadmap for Low-Carbon Hydrogen Middle East and North Africa}}, institution = {World Economic Forum}, year = {2023}, month = dec, url = {https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Enabling_Measures_Roadmap_for_Low_carbon_Hydrogen_in_the_Middle_East_and_North_Africa_2023.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }