Saudi Arabia expanded renewable capacity to 12,332 MW in 2025, an 87% year‑on‑year rise largely powered by solar projects, according to IRENA. Despite the surge, renewables accounted for just 12% of the kingdom’s electricity in 2025, far short of the 50% by 2030 target. The gain made Saudi Arabia the Gulf’s largest renewables producer by capacity, though its share of national generation trails Oman, Qatar and the UAE.
Saudi Arabia Nearly Doubles Renewable Capacity to 12.3 GW in 2025 — Solar Drives the Boom
Saudi Arabia almost doubled its renewable energy capacity in 2025, reaching 12,332 megawatts (12.3 GW), according to data from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). The surge — an 87% increase year‑on‑year — was driven almost entirely by large-scale solar projects and new installations across the kingdom.
Key Developments
Despite the rapid build‑out, renewables supplied only 12% of Saudi Arabia's total electricity production in 2025, leaving the country well short of its stated goal to source 50% of electricity from renewables by 2030. The scale of conventional power demand in Saudi Arabia means achieving that target will require sustained deployment of renewables plus grid upgrades, storage, and demand‑side measures.
The capacity increase made Saudi Arabia the largest renewables producer in the Gulf by installed capacity. However, as a share of national generation it still lagged behind Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates — countries with smaller overall power demand where renewables already account for a higher proportion of generation.
Outlook
While the acceleration in solar capacity is promising, reaching the 2030 target will depend on the pace of new projects, investment in transmission and storage, and policies that encourage renewable integration. IRENA’s figures underscore both the progress and the remaining challenge for the kingdom’s energy transition.
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