The Prospects for Sustainable Innovation Within Oil-Rich Gulf Cooperation Council

This book presents an empirical study of the potential emergence of alternative, yet renewable, energy options as part of the energy system of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The analysis is cast in the context of innovation system studies in order to look into the prospects for such sustainable innovation endeavours in this rapidly developing and major oil-producing GCC nation, whose economy is still heavily reliant on the unsustainable practice of oil sales. Given that no explicit...
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This book presents an empirical study of the potential emergence of alternative, yet renewable, energy options as part of the energy system of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The analysis is cast in the context of innovation system studies in order to look into the prospects for such sustainable innovation endeavours in this rapidly developing and major oil-producing GCC nation, whose economy is still heavily reliant on the unsustainable practice of oil sales. Given that no explicit innovation policy as such exists in Saudi Arabia, this book also provides inputs for the future development of a sustainable innovation policy for Saudi Arabia. It should be recognised, however, that the arguments made in this book are not conclusive only with regard to the context of Saudi Arabia. They may also be relevant to other oil producing countries (especially those in the GCC region) which seek a competitive position in the renewables arena.The book aims to investigate the prospects for sustainable innovation that would lead to the development of a sizeable renewable energy industry in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. More specifically, the book will examine the potential policy-orientated inducements (i.e. drivers) and blocks (i.e. barriers) that could either enable or inhibit the transition towards such sustainable energy systems.