Solar Power in the Gulf: Leaders and Laggards in Regulatory Support for Solar Power Deployment

The hydrocarbon-rich Gulf states are located in the heart of the global sunbelt, endowing them with some of the greatest solar resources in the world. Peak load hours in these countries also align well with daily and seasonal solar radiation levels. Nevertheless, actual deployment of renewable power, including solar, is among the lowest in the world, even though output has increased significantly over the past five years.

This paper analyzes why solar power has seen some success in a few states, while in others there has been little momentum. To address the question, the authors undertake a qualitative, case-based inquiry into solar power development through data collected from interviews with solar power developers in the Gulf. Our findings are two-fold: They shed light on the role of and differences in regulatory regimes across the Gulf in shaping variations in solar deployment; they also reveal the pathways or mechanisms through which regulatory regimes have an impact on solar power deployment. In so doing, the paper presents policy-relevant implications for solar power in the Gulf and contributes to the wider literature on business-state relations in the region.