Driving forces for renewable development in GCC countries

Hydrocarbon-concentrated economies would have to determine prospects and opportunities for the development of a more sustainable future. The vast unexploited renewable energy sources (RES) potential of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states in conjunction with increased cash liquidity within new climate regimes is paving the way toward technologies based on renewables. In this respect, the objective of this paper is to highlight the current development of RES in the region that constitutes the GCC and to discuss the opportunities for wide diffusion and large-scale implementation. Finally, the key economic, regulatory, market, and technical RES exploitation driving forces are presented per country.