Renewable energy in Saudi Arabia
Renewable energy in 'Saudi Arabia' is a growing sector and a key pillar of the country's economic diversification strategy under the Saudi Vision 2030. 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. 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.
Solar energy
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. 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.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.Shuaiba Solar PV Project: This project will have a final capacity of 2,600 MW.South Jeddah Noor : 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.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:
- 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 6–8 m/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. Located in the Al Jouf, it consists of 99 wind turbines and can power up to 70,000 homes. The project achieved a world-record low cost for electricity from wind energy.Yanbu, Al-Ghat, and Waad Al Shamal Wind FarmsStarah 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.