ABSTRACT
For the Middle East and North African (MENA) countries, the transition to sustainable energy is essential. Most countries in this region are importers of fossil fuels; at a time of increasing energy demand, this puts considerable pressure on national budgets and raises energy security concerns. Energy demand is growing by an annual average of 6 to 8 per cent, which means that it will double by 2020 and triple by 2030 (OECD 2013). But, due to excellent renewable energy resources (i.e. solar irradiation and wind speed) (DLR 2005), the expected inflow of financial resources intended for renewable energy projects (Hanni et al. 2011) has the potential to enable these countries to enhance their technological capabilities, to catch up with more advanced economies and to gain new, dynamic, competitive advantages.
