Renewable energy inSaudi Arabia is a growing sector and a key pillar of the country's economic diversification strategy under the Saudi Vision 2030.[1] Historically reliant on fossil fuels, Saudi Arabia is leveraging its abundant solar and wind resources to transition towards a more sustainable energy mix, aiming to generate 50% of its electricity from renewables by 2030.[1][2] As of 2023, Saudi Arabia's renewable energy production capacity had more than tripled to over 2.2 GW from 700 MW the previous year, with over 21 GW of projects under development.[3][2]
The average daily and annual direct insolation across Saudi Arabia from 1999-2018, using a color scale to indicate solar intensity in kilowatt-hours per square meter, with the highest values in the western and northern regions where conditions are most favorable for CSP and CPV systems.
Several large-scale solar projects are operational or under development:
Sakaka Solar Power Plant: Inaugurated in 2021 in the Al Jouf, Sakaka is the first utility-scale solar project under the National Renewable Energy Program (NREP).[4] It has a capacity of 300 MW and features over 1.2 million solar panels. The project set a record for the lowest levelized cost of energy at $0.023 per kWh.[5]
Sudair Solar PV Project: Set to be one of the largest single-contracted solar plants globally, with a capacity of 1.5 GW. This project is part of the Public Investment Fund's renewable energy program.
Al Henakiyah Solar Plant: Located in the Al Madinah province, this 1,100 MW project is expected to be one of the world's largest solar installations. A consortium including EDF Renewables, Masdar, and Nesma Company will develop and operate the plant, which is slated for grid connection by 2025.[6][7]
Shuaiba Solar PV Project: This project will have a final capacity of 2,600 MW.[8][9]
South Jeddah Noor (Jeddah Solar PV Project): A 300 MW utility-scale solar plant developed by a consortium of EDF Renewables, Masdar, and Nesma Company.
AMAALA Project: This luxury tourism destination on the Red Sea coast will be powered entirely by solar energy. The off-grid, zero-carbon system will include a 700 MWh battery storage system and a desalination plant, delivering 410,000 MWh of energy annually.[10]
In 2025, ACWA Power, Badeel, and SAPCO signed PPAs for five new large-scale solar projects with a combined capacity of 12,000 MW, located in the provinces of Asir, Madinah, Makkah, and Riyadh:[11][12]
Bisha - 3,000 MW
Al-Humaij - 3,000 MW
Khulais - 2,000 MW
Afif 1 - 2,000 MW
Afif 2 - 2,000 MW
Wind energy
Saudi Arabia possesses wind energy potential, with average wind speeds of 6–8m/s in many areas. The northeastern, central, and western mountainous regions are particularly suitable for wind farm development.
Key wind power projects include:
Dumat Al Jandal Wind Farm: The Kingdom's first utility-scale wind farm and the largest in the Middle East, with a capacity of 400 MW.[13] Located in the Al Jouf, it consists of 99 wind turbines and can power up to 70,000 homes.[14] The project achieved a world-record low cost for electricity from wind energy.[15]
Yanbu, Al-Ghat, and Waad Al Shamal Wind Farms
Starah and Shaqra Wind Projects: As part of the 2025 agreements, these two projects in the Riyadh province will have a combined capacity of 3,000 MW.[12]
Green Hydrogen
Significant investments have been made in green hydrogen production. The NEOM Green Hydrogen Project is a joint venture that aims to create the world's largest green hydrogen facility, utilizing 4 GW of solar and wind power to produce 600 tonnes of clean hydrogen daily by 2026.[16][17]
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