4 THE RISE OF RENEWABLES IN THE GULF STATES …
97
Renewables Development Over
the Last Decade in the GCC
Early Forays into the World of Renewables
With the exception of a number of small, remote solar installations developed by National Oil Companies (NOCs) and some of the region’s
militaries, the earliest forays into renewables in the GCC states emerged
from a host of newly established research and development institutions
in the period between 2006 and 2013. Led by the ambitious plans of
Masdar, the sustainable city built on the outskirts of Abu Dhabi, and two
institutions established in the name of the late Saudi King Abdullah, the
King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) and the
King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy (KACARE), these
institutions began conducting research on the viability and suitability of
a wide range of renewables technologies to the region. 15 Thereafter,
several similar institutions began conducting research and testing in the
other GCC states, notably the Kuwait Foundation for Arts and Sciences
(KFAS).
The research conducted in these institutions represented the GCC
states’ first forays into the world of renewables, but had little impact on
the political economy conditions of the states in a way that would facilitate wider adoption. The story of KACARE, as an example, is indicative of
the broader trend. Emerging from a Royal Decree in 2010, the institution
was established as the focal point for renewable and atomic energy deployment in the Kingdom, announcing grandiose plans to deploy 41 GWp of
solar and 16 GWp of wind before 2030. 16 Confronted by stiff competition from other state institutions and an unclear mandate, the focus
of the institution gradually turned to research and training, at least in
the renewables arena. A similar picture emerged in the case of Masdar
City in Abu Dhabi. A host of early companies, mostly outgrowths of
local conglomerates, were established and shut down as early promises
proved to be beyond their institutional reach. 17 In Saudi Arabia in
particular, this created a formidable credibility problem for state institutions, which they are still trying to overcome today. The political
transition that followed the death of King Abdullah in 2015 ushered
in a new period of planning and the creation of a host of new institutions, but also led to an opaque process of decay and relegation for older
institutions. In particular, the Ministry of Energy’s Renewable Energy
97
Renewables Development Over
the Last Decade in the GCC
Early Forays into the World of Renewables
With the exception of a number of small, remote solar installations developed by National Oil Companies (NOCs) and some of the region’s
militaries, the earliest forays into renewables in the GCC states emerged
from a host of newly established research and development institutions
in the period between 2006 and 2013. Led by the ambitious plans of
Masdar, the sustainable city built on the outskirts of Abu Dhabi, and two
institutions established in the name of the late Saudi King Abdullah, the
King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) and the
King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy (KACARE), these
institutions began conducting research on the viability and suitability of
a wide range of renewables technologies to the region. 15 Thereafter,
several similar institutions began conducting research and testing in the
other GCC states, notably the Kuwait Foundation for Arts and Sciences
(KFAS).
The research conducted in these institutions represented the GCC
states’ first forays into the world of renewables, but had little impact on
the political economy conditions of the states in a way that would facilitate wider adoption. The story of KACARE, as an example, is indicative of
the broader trend. Emerging from a Royal Decree in 2010, the institution
was established as the focal point for renewable and atomic energy deployment in the Kingdom, announcing grandiose plans to deploy 41 GWp of
solar and 16 GWp of wind before 2030. 16 Confronted by stiff competition from other state institutions and an unclear mandate, the focus
of the institution gradually turned to research and training, at least in
the renewables arena. A similar picture emerged in the case of Masdar
City in Abu Dhabi. A host of early companies, mostly outgrowths of
local conglomerates, were established and shut down as early promises
proved to be beyond their institutional reach. 17 In Saudi Arabia in
particular, this created a formidable credibility problem for state institutions, which they are still trying to overcome today. The political
transition that followed the death of King Abdullah in 2015 ushered
in a new period of planning and the creation of a host of new institutions, but also led to an opaque process of decay and relegation for older
institutions. In particular, the Ministry of Energy’s Renewable Energy