The share of renewables in the Middle East energy mix is forecast to triple to 20.6% by 2035, with renewables capacity reaching 100 GW, up from 5.6% (16.7 GW) in 2016, according to Siemens’ Middle East Power: Outlook 2035 report (pdf). Solar power is expected to account for additions of around 61 GW by 2035. The report also highlights significant potential for wind power generation in Saudi Arabia and Egypt, but notes that this potential is not entirely reflected in the moderate capacity additions expected.

Natural gas to remain king: The report predicts that by 2035 the Middle East will require a total of 483 GW of power generation capacity. As such and despite the rise in renewables, natural gas will remain the top contributor to the energy mix in the region representing 60% of installed capacity through 2035. "With economic diversification and population growth accelerating, the growth in power demand in the region – approximately 3.3 percent per year – will be realized predominantly through increasingly efficient natural gas-fired power plants," added the report. Highly efficient combined cycle plants (like the Siemens plants in Burullus, Beni Suef and the new capital) are expected to dominate the regional electricity landscape by 2030.