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Surging power demand in MENA with supply shifting to gas, renewables, and nuclear
- an hour ago (2025-09-18)
- David Flin
According to a report, The Future of Electricity in the Middle East and North Africa, by the International Energy Agency (IEA), electricity consumption in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) has tripled since 2000 and is predicted to rise by an extra 50 per cent by 2035.
Africa Energy Week 2025
The increase has come about due to rising population, increased incomes, industrialisation, and the electrification of transport. Cooling and desalination alone are expected to supply around 40 per cent of additional consumption over the next decade.
Natural gas and oil currently dominate the region’s power mix, making up over 90 per cent of generation. However, policy plans across several countries intend to reduce the role of oil. Oil-fired output is forecast to fall from the current 20 per cent to 5 per cent by 2035. Natural gas is predicted to meet half of the growth, solar PV increasing tenfold and nuclear capacity tripling.
MENA is likely to expand power capacity by over 300 GW over the next decade. Investment in the region’s power sector was $44 billion in 2024 and is expected to rise by 50 per cent by 2035, with 40 per cent directed to grid upgrades to reduce transmission losses.