District cooling in the Middle East & North Africa; history, current status, and future opportunities

Air conditioners are responsible for substantial portion of electricity consumption all around the world. It is anticipated to require more cooling load in near future due to the global warming, population increment and increased tendency toward better life quality. In this regard, it is crucial to make use and develop more efficient systems for cooling particularly in hot and arid regions. District Cooling (DC) systems have significantly higher efficiency and lower energy con-sumption in comparison with the traditional cooling technologies. Owing to hot climate in the majority of the Middle East & North Africa (MENA) region, utilization of DC systems would be in-credibly attractive option. In this article, status of DC systems in the countries of the MENA re-gions is represented and discussed and the planned future projects are represented. Furthermore, challenges and opportunities related to the development of these systems are provided. In order to get the required information, different sources such as the data provided by the companies and institutes working on the development of cooling technologies and responsible of it in this region in addition to the publications on the relevant subjects are used. Although there are some huge projects under construction and planning or operation in some of the countries like Qatar, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia, there is not any plan for development of these sys-tems in some other countries such as Iraq. Furthermore, opportunities and challenges related to the development of these systems in the MENA region are provided. The findings of the present work would be beneficial for the policymakers and scholars working on the relevant subjects.

Automated summary

Air conditioners contribute significantly to global electricity consumption, and the demand for cooling is expected to increase due to global warming, population growth, and rising standards of living. Developing more efficient cooling systems, particularly in hot and arid regions, is crucial. District Cooling (DC) systems, which have higher efficiency and lower energy consumption compared to traditional cooling technologies, present an attractive option for the majority of the Middle East & North Africa (MENA) region. This article discusses the current status and planned future projects of DC systems in the MENA region, as well as the challenges and opportunities associated with their development. The findings of this study are beneficial for policymakers and scholars in the field.