**7.1 Introduction**

Since embarking on the national industrial development and the industrials program in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Ministry of Energy, Industry and Mineral Resources launched two solar PV projects with a combined generation capacity of 1.51 GW enough to power 226,500 households. These projects will be tendered by mid-2019 to attract a total investment of \$1.51 billion Saudi Riyals creating over 4500 jobs during construction, operations, and maintenance [13]. The program will be phased and rolled out in a systematic and transparent way to ensure that the Kingdom benefits from the cost-competitive nature of renewable energy. The National Renewable Energy Program aims to substantially increase the share of renewable energy in the total energy mix, targeting the generation of 27.3 gigawatts (GW) of renewable energy by 2024 and 58.7 GW by 2030. This initiative sets out an organized and specific road map to diversify local energy sources, stimulate economic development, and provide sustainable economic stability to the Kingdom in light of the goals set for Vision 2030, which include establishing the renewable energy industry and supporting the advancement of this promising sector.
