GCC Mega Developments Could Generate Up to a Third of Electricity Demand with On-Site Solar, BCG Finds

• New report reveals large-scale urban projects across the Gulf can achieve significant cost savings and enhanced sustainability through on-site solar integration
• In the region, up to 35% of electricity demand can be met through on-site solar, depending on design, density, and local frameworks.

Dubai, UAE,July 29, 2026 – Large-scale urban developments across the Gulf could generate up to approximately one-third of their electricity demand while reducing costs by a similar margin, according to a new report from Boston Consulting Group (BCG) on renewable-powered cities.

Edoardo Geraci, Managing Director and Partner, BCG

The report, titled Mega-Projects Powered by Renewables: A Practical Playbook for Saudi Arabia, highlights how integrating solar energy directly into development design can unlock significant economic, environmental, and operational benefits. The findings are based on modelling of large-scale developments in high-irradiance Gulf markets and reflect conditions increasingly common across the region.

Peter Jameson, Managing Director and Partner, BCG

While the underlying analysis draws on conditions observed in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), the implications are relevant across GCC mega-developments where high solar irradiance, large master-planned footprints, and evolving self-consumption frameworks create similar opportunities.

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