Bernstein visited one of Middle East’s largest gatherings about solar energy – Solar Middle East, which was held in Dubai last week.
The continuing thirst for electricity, drinking water and cooling and the growing demand of sustainable clean energy will increase solar energy adoption in the Middle East. The competitive price of solar power, which is expected to reach even lower levels, will boost development of large scale solar power plants in the region, leaded by Saudi Arabia, UAE, Morocco and Jordan.
As to renewable energy projects development, Middle East has run behind, compared to the rest of the world - a consequence of uneven economic growth and continued destabilization, which arises from regional crisis, religious and political tensions, and oil and gas dependence.
But this is going to change in the coming years. Having large areas of open land and plentiful solar radiation, consistently drives these countries to keep other natural resources as oil and gas for export and turn to production of alternative energy.
It is expected that the region will tender 2,020 megawatts (MW) of solar energy projects in 2016, which is predicted by the Middle East Solar Industry Association.
