Based on the latest developments, Saudi Arabia is clearly emerging as a global leader when it comes to green energy and ecofriendly practices. This is due to the Kingdom’s long-term and practical green vision, which is anchored in creating a brighter future that is also environmentally sustainable and friendly.

Saudi Arabia and the US last week formalized a bilateral agreement through a memorandum of understanding in order to cooperate with each other in the creation of intercontinental green transit corridors that run through the Kingdom’s territory, according to a press release issued by the US State Department. Saudi Arabia welcomed Washington’s role in facilitating and supporting the negotiations in order to set up this important project.

This development is significant due to the fact that it facilitates environmentally friendly corridors to connect the continents of Europe and Asia through Saudi Arabia by railway. In other words, the green corridors’ transit protocol will make it much easier for engaged countries to participate. Through this initiative, the sharing of renewable electricity and clean hydrogen between countries will become possible and easier. This critical initiative will also involve cables and pipelines, as well as the development of railway connections.

Another key benefit is that the implementation of this agreement will help in advancing economic diversification. In addition to the role that this bilateral agreement will play in promoting clean energy, it will also most likely increase and strengthen trade between nations due to the construction of railways linkages, and by connecting railways to ports. Fiber optic cables will also help further expand the digital economy, as they facilitate the transfer of data. It is worth noting that economic diversification has been a key goal of Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states ever since they began pumping oil out of the ground.

There are an increasing number of projects and initiatives related to renewable and green energy in the Kingdom

Dr. Majid Rafizadeh

Saudi Arabia is clearly leading the way on this issue. There are an increasing number of projects and initiatives related to renewable and green energy in the Kingdom. For instance, Saudi Arabia has pledged to increase the proportion of its energy mix that comes from renewable sources. It has also announced hugely ambitious plans to build NEOM, the world’s first city without roads — a clear signal of its intention to change course in a more environmentally friendly direction.

One effective green energy program, launched in 2021 by Saudi Arabia, is called the Middle East Green Initiative. This is a regional effort led by the Kingdom in order to “mitigate the impact of climate change on the region and to collaborate to meet global climate targets. By increasing regional cooperation and creating the infrastructure needed to reduce emissions and protect the environment, (the initiative) can amplify impact in the global fight against climate change, whilst creating far-reaching economic opportunities for the region.” Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announced in November last year that Saudi Arabia would establish and host a dedicated Middle East Green Initiative Secretariat and allocate $2.5 billion to support its projects and governance.

Furthermore, the cooperation between the US and Saudi Arabia will benefit Washington and other nations considerably, as it will reduce fluctuations related to the energy process. For example, the COVID-19 pandemic gave us the first glimmer of price fluctuations in the energy sector. This is why the expansion of green energy and the development of domestic, knowledge-based green industries have arguably become an urgent economic necessity, rather than a welcome add-on.

While Saudi Arabia is known for its abundance of oil, it is also richly endowed with renewable energy resources

Dr. Majid Rafizadeh

The agreement between the US and Saudi Arabia also shows positive partnerships can be found in various areas, particularly green energy, renewables and the solar industry. President Joe Biden has frequently made much of his environmental intentions. In his initial flurry of executive orders upon taking office, a return to the Paris Agreement on climate change was one of his most prominent decisions. The president clearly sees placing green energy and climate change high on the agenda as a vote-winner, especially among younger, more liberal-minded voters.

In addition, it is important to point out that cooperation in solar power between these two countries is critical for both nations and is an obvious common ground. The US is the world’s second-largest producer of solar energy, while Saudi Arabia is a gateway to the Middle East, which is an obvious candidate for the mass deployment of solar power as a source of renewable energy. Furthermore, countries such as Saudi Arabia have invested, or are planning to invest, billions of dollars in developing high-tech innovation hubs that could prove attractive to American companies interested in developing advanced clean technology.

It is worth noting that, while Saudi Arabia is known for its abundance of oil, it is also richly endowed with renewable energy resources, such as wind and solar. As it is located in the center of the so-called sun belt, the Kingdom has great potential to produce solar power. Jeddah, Riyadh and Dammam, which are three of the largest cities in the Kingdom, enjoy an average irradiation of 5.78 kilowatt-hours per sq. meter per day, considerably more than the global average. In other words, green energy is an obvious choice for shared economic as well as political development between the US and Saudi Arabia.

In a nutshell, Saudi Arabia is undoubtedly emerging as a front-runner when it comes to the planet’s growing drive toward green energy, renewable energy and ecofriendly practices.

• Dr. Majid Rafizadeh is a Harvard-educated Iranian-American political scientist. X: @Dr_Rafizadeh