There is obviously room for further development and further knowhow, (but) this is the time to capture all this… to become a global leader in renewables
Different skills can be used in renewables,” he added.
According to a 2016 report by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), achieving Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) renewable energy targets could create an average of 140,000 direct jobs per year.
Saudi Arabia is working toward localizing a big portion of the renewable energy sector, from the research phase to implementation.
Vision 2030 states: “We will also seek to localize a significant portion of the renewable energy value chain in the Saudi economy, including research and development, and manufacturing, among other stages.”
This comes as a challenge, as the program is still in its early stages and international expertise is still required.
“It is challenging to have manufacturing facilities because they don’t exist today, but once (they) are developed, that means we’ve met our objective,” Al- Shehri said. “We have lots of enablers that will help us meet these challenges.”
Universities, such as King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM) and King Abdulaziz University (KAU) are the local research and development hubs for the renewables program. These entities can work with the ministry to form and create research initiatives related to the Kingdom.
“We rely on their support in creating solutions that suit the Kingdom’s needs,” Al-Shehri said, adding that there is an enormous opportunity for learning and development.
“The sooner we start, the sooner we have people involved and the sooner we get everyone on board, the sooner we’ll be able to meet our goals.”