Research and Development trend of Utilizing Solar Energy in GCC countries

Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) countries are blessed with natural resources in abundance and their economy heavily relies on fossil fuels to produce power and to generate revenue. However, the fluctuating oil and gas market and globally increasing carbon emissions have forced these countries to tap into the potential of using renewable energy resources with the use of solar energy as an auxiliary source. Solar energy utilization has caught the attention of GCC countries with significant investments and ambitious projects being announced using the available technologies. Apart from the technological implementation, GCC countries have also invested in research programs looking to develop innovative technologies for harnessing solar energy. In this paper, we present the current research trend on solar energy utilization as well as the development initiatives taken by the GCC countries in utilizing solar energy to build a cleaner and sustainable future. We also critically analyze if there is any impact of collaborative research on technological development.