Renewable Energy Policies In The Gulf Countries: A Case Study Of The Carbon-Neutral "masdar City" In Abu Dhabi | Research And Policy Memo #9

Research and Policy Memo #9 | May 2011 Renewable Energy Policies in the Gulf countries: A case study of the carbon-neutral "Masdar City" in Abu DhabiDanyel Reiche Gulf Countries are heavily dependent on the export of oil and natural gas to generate revenue for their national budgets, as well as maintaining a supply of cheap energy for their domestic use. Yet recently, some leaders in the Gulf have started looking away from conventional fossil fuels and taken an interest in the possibilities of renewable energy. One particular state, Abu Dhabi, the oil-rich capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), has already begun the process of ‘transforming oil wealth into renewable energy leadership’, with the aim of remaining at the region’s forefront in the energy sector, beyond the age of oil and gas. Its first project is the ‘Masdar Initiative’, which, through the creation of Masdar City, a carbon neutral town, it hopes to attract both international attention and first-class innovative research.