WFES 2025 in Abu Dhabi underlined the growing momentum for renewable energy from solar, storage and C&I in MENA, with batteries emerging as a key enabler for grid stability, agriculture and data centers. Industry leaders pointed to Iraq, Libya, Yemen and Saudi Arabia as key growth markets, highlighting growing interest in AI-powered data centers, solar plus storage solutions and an expanding regional supply chain.
The latest World Future Energy Summit (WFES), held last week in Abu Dhabi, UAE, highlighted the central role of solar energy, renewables and energy storage in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), even as most countries in the region continue to invest heavily in oil and gas.
Although the trade show did not grow in size this year, it attracted wider participation across the supply chain, with dedicated areas for manufacturers and service providers from India, China, Germany, Switzerland and Turkey, among others.
“WFES is unlike anything else in this region. It is where the decision makers really come. If you go to the largest suppliers, you see participation at chairman level,” Solarabic CEO Waleed AlHallaj told us. pv magazine. “This is not just about the UAE or Saudi Arabia. It is about the entire MENA region. We see emerging markets such as Syria, Libya and Yemen. WFES is becoming increasingly international and technology-oriented.”
According to AlHallaj, the commercial and industrial (C&I) segment is growing in the Middle East, especially in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, thanks to the increased adoption of battery energy storage systems (BESS). “We face major challenges with access to electricity in parts of the region,” he said. “In other areas, the electricity grid is so saturated, with a high share of renewable energy sources, that energy storage is the only solution.”
He identified Iraq, Yemen and Libya as the most promising emerging markets in the region, citing ongoing grid stability challenges and strong growth potential. Morocco, Algeria and Egypt are also expected to see expansion in the agricultural sector, where solar and storage solutions are gaining popularity. “I heard that Morocco installed more than 1 GW last year in the agricultural sector alone,” AlHallaj said.
Saudi Arabia is also becoming increasingly attractive, especially because of the opportunities to match the rising demand for electricity from data centers with sustainable generation and storage. “The next emerging market here is power supply for AI data center facilities (AIDC),” said Hong Soo Goh, director of grid technology at Sungrow. “They require enormous power for large language model training and AI inference, which creates significant opportunities.”
“This new segment also supports the development of battery energy storage in the region,” he added. “Batteries are the only systems fast enough to meet the aggressive timelines of AIDC data centers. PV can be combined with BESS to create reliable power supplies that can support 24/7 computing loads.”
Sungrow identified Kuwait and Iraq as particularly interesting markets for its warehousing business, while also including Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan in a broader macro-regional strategy.
Rystad Energy analyst Nishant Kumar said WFES will enable visitors and exhibitors to better understand the region’s fragmented value chain and competitive dynamics. “In this region we see a clear top-down vision, from ministries to key developers such as Masdar, but also from other players pursuing climate and renewable energy goals,” he said. pv magazine. “The ecosystem represented at this event clearly supports that journey.”
Kumar identified battery storage and operations and maintenance (O&M) as the most promising segments in the MENA market. “Ensuring power reliability and facility integrity will be critical,” he said. “New segments will only emerge when the market reaches a certain level of confidence, and that is one of the most encouraging signs from this event.”
The Middle East Solar Industry Association (MESIA) attended the event with 27 member companies. “This is a testament to how important WFES has become to the solar industry,” said Hinde Liepmannsohn, Executive Director of MESIA. “We see emerging markets such as Libya, Yemen and Iraq becoming more interesting in terms of potential volumes. Political stability remains a challenge, but our members are increasingly exploring investment opportunities and local events in these countries.”
The number of PV component suppliers at WFES has increased significantly this year, said Fazle Moyeen Quazi, global head of technical services at Saudi ACWA Power. “We are seeing a growing number of suppliers, which is very helpful for developers like ACWA Power,” he said pv magazine. “We meet not only technology OEMs, but also second and third tier suppliers, EPC contractors, developers, ministers and regulators. It is a truly global platform.”
Quazi identified energy storage and artificial intelligence as the key emerging trends in the region. “Clipping losses and curtailments are forcing more and more PV plant operators to deploy storage,” he said. “Storage performs well in peak shaving and significantly improves system resilience and stability. Battery response at primary, secondary and tertiary control levels is impressive. We are also seeing early momentum in green hydrogen.”
Overall, WFES 2026 confirmed the increasing strategic role of solar and energy storage in MENA, with batteries supporting grid stability, C&I projects, agriculture and data center growth. The growing supplier base indicates increasing market maturity and accelerated adoption of solar-plus-storage in both established and emerging regional markets.
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