Green hydrogen across solar energy … Arab race towards the leadership of the future

In light of the global shift towards clean energy sources, the Arab countries emerge as a major player in the race of green hydrogen production, taking advantage of the abundance of solar radiation and having giant solar power plants. Seven Arab countries have succeeded in joining the list of the 20 largest countries in the world in terms of the expected ability to produce green hydrogen through solar energy, according to the data of the Energy Research Unit.

Arab leadership in green hydrogen production
The Arab region promotes its position globally through ambitious projects aimed at achieving leadership in the production of clean hydrogen. The end of 2023 witnessed a double in the number of declared and planned projects four times compared to 2021, bringing the number to 127 projects, which reflects the commitment of Arab countries to a shift towards sustainable energy.

Arranging Arab countries according to the expected productive capacity
According to reports, Mauritania tops the list of Arab countries in the expected ability to produce hydrogen through solar energy, followed by the Sultanate of Oman, Morocco and Egypt. The details came as follows:

Mauritania: 47 GB (the second in the world after Australia).
Oman: 31.93 GB (the third in the world).
Morocco: 24.49 GB (fourth in the world).
Egypt: 13.91 GB (7th in the world).
Djibouti: 9.04 GB (ten globally).
Emirates: 4.02 GB (fifteenth globally).
Saudi Arabia: 3.50 GB (sixteen globally).

Mauritania .. a possible global center
Although it is topped with an expected capacity of 47 GB, Mauritania has not yet started implementing actual projects to produce green hydrogen, as its projects are limited to five announced initiatives only so far, but it has signed memoranda of understanding with European companies to develop the sector.

Oman .. Towards clean energy by 2050
The Sultanate of Oman is ranked second in the Arab world and the third globally in the expected ability to produce green hydrogen through solar energy, which is 31.93 GB. The Sultanate also owns 16 projects, most of which are to produce green hydrogen and green ammonia, with the aim of achieving production of up to 8.5 million tons annually by 2050.

Morocco .. great ambitions in the hydrogen market
Morocco ranks third in the Arab world and the fourth globally, with an expected production capacity of 24.49 GW, of which 92 megawatts are under construction and 12.89 GB in the pre -construction stage. Morocco also adopts the “Amun” project, which is located in the south of the country, and aims to produce 900,000 tons annually of green hydrogen using 15 GB of renewable energy.

Egypt .. a main player in the region
With an expected capacity of 13.91 GB, Egypt is ranked fourth in the Arab world and the seventh globally in the production of green hydrogen. The country has 37 declared projects, and seeks to produce 1.5 million tons annually by 2030. In 2023 it succeeded in exporting the first green Amonia shipment through a factory run by the UAE company “Vertigloop”.

Djibouti .. a promising future despite the humble start
Djibouti seeks to enter the green hydrogen market with an expected production capacity of 9.04 GW, although it only has two advertiser projects in this field, but its geographical location gives it a competitive advantage for the export of clean hydrogen in the future.

Emirates .. steps towards global leadership
The UAE came in sixth place in the Arab world and the fifteenth globally with an expected production capacity of 4.02 GW, with 14 projects announced for the production of green and blue hydrogen. The UAE aims to produce 1.4 million tons annually of hydrogen by 2031, as part of an ambitious plan to acquire 25% of the global market.

Saudi Arabia .. investment in the future
With an expected production capacity of 3.5 GB, Saudi Arabia is ranked seventh in the Arab world and sixteen globally, with plans to produce 2.9 million tons annually of green and blue hydrogen by 2030, along with the production of 11 million tons of blue ammonia, taking advantage of its huge gas reserves.

In conclusion, do Arab countries become a global center for hydrogen?
It seems that the Arab region is heading steadily towards the transformation into a global center for the production of green hydrogen, taking advantage of the abundance of renewable energy sources and advanced infrastructure. Despite the challenges related to financing and technology, the great aspirations of Arab countries may make them at the top of the global players in the clean hydrogen market in the coming decades.