“Daman”: $5.3 billion in renewable energy investments in Bahrain in 7 projects since 2003

Zahraa Habib

The GCC countries topped the list in terms of the per capita share of electricity and water generated

A recently issued economic report revealed that the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, led by Bahrain, lead the Arab countries with the highest average per capita share of electricity and water generated in the region, with the average per capita share of energy exceeding about 25 thousand kilowatts per capita per hour for the years 2024 and 2025.

The report issued by the Arab Corporation for Investment and Export Credit Guarantee (Daman), related to the electricity and renewable energy sector, confirmed that the volume of Bahrain’s foreign trade in electrical power generation equipment reached about 750 million dollars in 2024.

The volume of projects that Bahrain received in the renewable energy sector, during the period from 2003 to 2024, amounted to about 7 projects for 5 companies, with an investment cost amounting to 5.3 billion dollars.

While the volume of Arab countries’ attraction to foreign projects in the renewable energy sector reached 360 foreign projects, implemented by 188 Arab and foreign companies, with a total investment cost exceeding $351 billion over 22 years, with the provision of 83 thousand jobs, and the Gulf countries were the most attractive for investment and business in the electricity and energy sector for the year 2025.

The report stated that the year 2024 witnessed a decline in the number of foreign projects in the sector at a rate of 28%, reaching 31 projects, with an investment cost of 42.3 billion dollars, and the number of jobs 12 thousand jobs, and the UAE topped the countries as the most important investing country in the region in the renewable energy sector during 22 years, according to the number of projects, investment cost and number of jobs, with 57 projects, representing 16% of the total, and a value exceeding 88.5 billion dollars, with a 25% share of In total, these projects provided more than 16 thousand jobs.

Regarding the receiving country, Egypt, Morocco, the Emirates, Mauritania and Jordan acquired these projects, at a rate of up to 69% of the number of projects, which are estimated at 248 projects, and about 83% of the investment cost of 291 billion dollars.

The report indicates that Bahrain was able to generate electrical energy through coal, oil and gas at a rate of 37 terawatts per hour in 2024, and it is expected to reach 38 in 2025, an increase estimated at 2.8%.

The report indicated that there are five countries that account for 74% of the total amount of electricity generated in the region by the end of 2025, which are Saudi Arabia with 31.8%, followed by Egypt with 14.2%, then the UAE 12.2 and Iraq with 8.5%, as a result of the implementation of several projects to generate electricity in these countries, with the aim of meeting the increasing local demand, in addition to the trend towards clean energy plants to diversify sources.

Saudi Arabia tops the list of Arab countries that generate the most electricity, recording 477 terawatts per hour.

Bahrain came on the list of 13 countries in which electricity reaches 100% of the population who have access to electricity. According to the report, from 2020 to 2025, the percentage reaches 100%, followed by 12 countries, which are Qatar, Kuwait, the Emirates, then Saudi Arabia, the Sultanate of Oman, Iraq, Algeria, Jordan, Tunisia, as well as Egypt, Lebanon, and then Morocco with the same percentage.

Electricity consumption in Bahrain in 2024 reached about 37 terawatts per hour, and it is expected to reach 38 terawatts in 2025, and increase to 42 terawatts per hour in 2030.

The report confirmed that expectations of an increase in the region’s electricity consumption will exceed 1,558 terawatts per hour in 2030 for all fifteen countries, namely Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the Emirates, Algeria, Kuwait, Iraq, Qatar, the Sultanate of Oman, Morocco, Bahrain, Libya, Jordan, Tunisia, Sudan, and Lebanon.

The report confirmed that the Gulf countries, led by Bahrain, lead the Arab countries with the highest average per capita share of electricity and water generated in the region, in which the average per capita share of energy exceeds about 25 thousand kilowatts per capita per hour for the years 2024 and 2025, followed by Qatar with about 23 thousand kilowatts per capita per hour, then Kuwait with about 20 thousand kilowatts per capita, then the UAE with 19 thousand kilowatts per hour, then Saudi Arabia with 12.6 thousand kilowatts per capita in hour and the Sultanate of Oman at 9.8 thousand kilowatt hours per capita.

Bahrain recorded the volume of foreign trade in imports and exports of electrical power generation equipment at about $750 million during the year 2024.

Bahrain’s exports of power generation equipment for the year 2024 amounted to about $320 million.

The volume of future projects in the renewable energy sector in Bahrain during the period from 2003 to 2024 amounted to about 7 projects for five companies, with an investment cost amounting to 5.3 billion dollars.

During 22 years (January 2003 until December 2024), Bahrain, the Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Egypt invested in inter-Arab investment projects in the renewable energy sector, representing 25% of the total number of foreign projects in the sector in the same period, implemented by 20 Arab companies, at an investment cost amounting to $113 billion, representing more than 32% of the total foreign projects in the sector, and providing 22 thousand jobs.

Bahrain topped the largest average cost of inter-projects in the renewable energy sector in the region during the previously mentioned period, with a value of $3.5 billion, and topped the largest average number of jobs with 1,036 jobs per project.