Clear policy and legal framework with a consistent strategy will ensure sustainable deployment of the renewable energy projects across the GCC region, according to a GCC study.

 

Titled ‘Renewable Energy Readiness Assessment Report: The GCC Countries 2011-2012’, the report (2013-The EU-GCC-Report) suggests that initiatives undertaken so far in the GCC represent a proactive approach to addressing energy security and environmental issues at international, regional and national scales.

 

It reveals that most countries have not yet officially set their RE development targets and are yet to implement stable policies.

 

The GCC has yet to come up with a consistent strategy for the region as well as individual national plans to achieve renewable energy technology (RET) deployment goals.

 

The report is an outcome of the collaboration between the GCC consortium on Clean Energy and the EU-GCC Clean Energy Network that aims to respond to the common interests of stakeholders in the GCC and the EU regions.

 

With a score of 4.75 out of 7, the UAE leads in the RE-readiness index with Saudi Arabia following closely with 4.60.

 

The index shows that compared to the other GCC countries, Saudi Arabia and the UAE are more ready to integrate RETs for power generation.

 

On the other hand, in the renewable resources category, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman have received RE-readiness scores of 5.6, 5.5, 5.3 and 5.2, respectively, because of their substantial solar and wind resources.

 

The UAE and Saudi Arabia follow with a score of 4.7 and 4.55 respectively, due to lower wind resources.