Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi’s rooftops could hold key to massive solar power generation

That’s according to a new whitepaper by Knight Frank, produced with researchers from the University of Leeds and the University of Bristol.

The report, Going Green: Rooftop solar potential in the GCC, assessed the technical and economic viability of rooftop solar generation in Abu Dhabi and Riyadh using geospatial modelling, cost benchmarks and policy analysis.

The study suggested that rooftop systems, particularly on larger buildings, could deliver meaningful contributions to national energy strategies due to lower generation costs achieved through economies of scale.

In Riyadh, the report found that rooftop systems on industrial and commercial buildings could achieve payback periods of between seven and eleven years. That could prove significant for the Kingdom, which has a target to generate 50% of electricity from renewables by 2030 and reach net zero by 2060.

Large buildings with more than 1,000 sq m of usable space account for over 26% of Riyadh’s rooftop area. If those large rooftops were fully equipped with single-axis tracking systems, the report estimates they could technically generate 17,500 GWh per year – equal to 40.7% of Riyadh’s annual electricity consumption in 2023.

In Abu Dhabi, rooftop solar remains “significantly underexploited”, accounting for less than 1% of installed solar capacity. Yet the analysis identifies 42.8 sq km of usable rooftop area, equivalent to around 55.5% of the land area taken up by Dubai’s Mohammed Bin Rashid Solar Park. Under favourable conditions, the study concludes, large rooftop arrays can approach utility-scale cost competitiveness while avoiding land disturbance and making use of existing infrastructure.

The report’s authors said, “Over the past decade, Saudi Arabia and the UAE have established themselves as the world’s most cost-efficient solar producers. Projects such as Noor Abu Dhabi, the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, Sakaka, Sudair, and Al Shuaibah have achieved record-low tariffs below AED 0.06/kWh, demonstrating the competitiveness of solar power in desert climates.

“The next stage of growth will extend this success from remote solar parks to urban and industrial environments, where energy demand is concentrated. Rooftop and on-site solar systems can supply electricity directly to end users, reducing grid losses, easing peak load pressures, and supporting independence for large consumers.”