Browse Research

This report explores developments in the field of the circular economy in the Arab States of the Gulf region (notably the members of the GCC – the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf), to identify areas where the EU and the GCC countries can strengthen their collaboration.

This report presents the results from Phase II of the Air Emissions Inventory Project. It is the first national air pollutant emission inventory carried out for the whole country. The emissions inventory shows that emissions from the stationary energy and transport sectors dominate the emission sources. For particulate matter, the dominant source is industrial processes and product use (IPPU). Although the agriculture and waste sectors have a minor contribution to the country’s overall emissions, their role is more significant in terms of greenhouse gas emissions. However, of particular note are the estimated high non-methane volatile organic compounds (NMVOCs) emissions from municipal solid waste disposal on land.

The cheap power purchase agreements (PPAs) for two recent concentrating solar power (CSP) projects in Australia (Aurora) and Dubai (DEWA IV) raise questions of how such low costs can be achieved and whether this could mark the commercial breakthrough of this technology. This paper investigates these projects with the information available and seeks reasons for the low PPAs.

Renewable energy has advanced rapidly in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries since 2014. The project pipeline reached almost 7 gigawatts (GW) of new power generation capacity by 2018, after the United Arab Emirates (UAE) made record-breaking bids in renewable energy auctions and Saudi Arabia made solar power cost-competitive with conventional energy technologies. Abundant resources, together with strong enabling frameworks, have led to solar PV prices of below USD 0.03 per kilowatt hour and dispatchable concentrated solar power (CSP) of USD 0.07 per kilowatt hour, which is less than some utilities in the region pay for natural gas.

This report, released the 2018 Arab Forum for Environment and Development Annual Conference, identifies financing needs, gaps, options and mechanisms for sustainable development in Arab countries, focusing on sources of finance and addressing enhancement of their roles.