The Middle East is rapidly emerging as a hub for renewable energy, particularly wind power. The region’s commitment to diversifying its energy mix and reducing carbon emissions has led to the development of several large-scale wind energy projects.
The MENA region boasts impressive wind resources, though they are not as consistent as those in north-west Europe. Southern Morocco, the areas around the Gulfs of Suez and Aqaba in Egypt, Jordan, northwest Saudi Arabia, southern Egypt, and the southeast coast of Oman are particularly windy. Additionally, parts of Libya, southern Tunisia, the Algerian Sahara, inland Iran, and Kuwait experience strong winds. Unlike much of Europe, the region benefits from vast open spaces.
These top 10 wind energy projects highlight the region’s shift towards renewable energy and its potential to become a global leader in clean energy production. As these projects come online, they will not only provide clean energy but also create jobs, stimulate economic growth, and help the region meet its sustainability goals.
1. Dumat Al Jandal Farm, Saudi Arabia
This landmark project, with an installed capacity of 400 megawatts (MW), will be Saudi Arabia’s first wind farm and the largest in the Middle East. The farm is expected to offset approximately one million tonnes of carbon dioxide annually, contributing significantly to the country’s environmental goals.
The project benefits from a 20-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with the Saudi Power Procurement Company, a subsidiary of the Saudi Electricity Company (SEC), ensuring long-term stability for the venture. Located 900 kilometres north of Riyadh in the Al Jouf region, the Dumat Al Jandal farm is a key part of Saudi Arabia’s renewable energy strategy. Ownership of the project is split, with EDF Renewables holding a 51% stake and Masdar holding the remaining 49%.
2. Masdar’s Wind Farms, UAE
The UAE has started its first wind energy initiative to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 and diversify its energy sources. Masdar, Abu Dhabi’s clean energy leader, announced the development of a significant 103.5-megawatt project spread across four sites. This includes a 45MW farm on Sir Bani Yas Island unveiled in October 2023 where the region’s first wind turbine has been installed.
This 65-meter-high turbine features three rotor blades, each with a wingspan of 52 meters, and has a production capacity of 850 kilowatts per hour. Additional locations for the farms include Delma Island (27MW), Al Sila in Abu Dhabi (27MW), and Al Halah in Fujairah, which will generate 4.5MW of electricity. This initiative is expected to supply power to over 23,000 homes annually, offsetting 120,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions. Masdar says this reduction is comparable to removing more than 26,000 cars from the road each year.
3. Ras Ghareb Farm, Egypt
This farm is the first of its kind and scale in Egypt, serving as a landmark renewable energy Independent Power Producer project. Located near the Gulf of Suez, approximately 30 kilometres northwest of Ras Ghareb, the onshore project boasts a capacity of 262.5MW. The farm was developed by Ras Ghareb Wind Energy S.A.E, a special-purpose joint venture company formed by Engie (40%), Toyota Tsusho/Eurus Energy (40%), and Orascom Construction (20%) on a build-own-operate (BOO) basis.
With an estimated investment of $400 million, the project achieved financial closure in December 2017, and construction began in 2018. The farm commenced partial operations in October 2019 and reached full capacity by December of the same year. By July 2020, it had generated over 1TWh of clean energy.
The farm can power 500,000 Egyptian households and was developed in line with the Egyptian government’s goal of sourcing 20% of the country’s electricity from renewable energy by 2022.
4. Fujeij Wind Farm, Jordan
In 2019, Korea Electric Power Co (KEPCO) inaugurated the 89.1-MW Fujeij wind farm in Hussania, Jordan. Located approximately 150 km south of Amman, the park was developed after KEPCO won the project through a competitive bidding process in 2013 and reached a financial close in late 2016. KEPCO invested a total of USD 181 million (EUR 163.3 million) in the project.
The farm features 27 Vestas turbines and operates under a 20-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with Jordan’s National Electric Power Company (NEPCO).
5. Al-Rajef Wind Farm
The first large utility-scale wind farm to become operational under Jordan’s Feed-in-Tariff (FiT) scheme, designed to promote and facilitate renewable energy development, is now up and running.
This 86.1 megawatt (MW) farm, located near the village of Al Rajef in the Ma’an Governorate, approximately 200 km south of Amman, consists of 41 wind turbine generators (WTGs) spread across 850 hectares. With a project cost of about $185 million, the farm was financed by EBRD, Proparco, and DEG, and is a key contributor to Jordan’s ambitious renewable energy targets. The farm is expected to save the country around $15 million annually in gas costs by displacing fossil fuels. Additionally, the Al Rajef Farm (ARWF) will help reduce more than 160,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions and save 380,000 cubic meters of water each year.
6. Suez Wind Energy
ACWA Power Consortium and the Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company have signed a 25-year Power Purchase Agreement with a total investment of US$1.5 billion for the development, construction, and operation of a 1.1 GW wind power plant.
The wind power plant will be located in the Gulf of Suez and Gabal El Zeit region, near Ras Gharib city, and will be developed under a ‘Build, Own, Operate’ model. ACWA Power will lead the project, overseeing the development, financing, engineering, construction, operation, and maintenance of the plant, which will supply power to Egypt’s unified national grid.
The plant will utilise wind turbines with a 220-meter tip height and cutting-edge technology, ensuring highly efficient performance. Once operational, the plant will have the capacity to power 1,080,000 homes while offsetting nearly 2.4 million tons of carbon emissions annually.
7. Midelt Wind Farm, Morocco
In 2021, Morocco’s National Electricity Office (ONEE) completed the construction of the 210 MW Midelt wind project, situated northeast of the town of Midelt, covering an area of 2,300 hectares. The project, which took 24 months to build, required an investment of MAD 2.5 billion (US$282 million). The Midelt plant is part of Morocco’s broader 850 MW integrated wind energy program, which also includes farms in Boujdour (300 MW), Tiskrad (Tarfaya, 100 MW), and Jbel Lahdid (Essaouira, 270 MW).
In December 2020, ONEE, the Moroccan Agency for Sustainable Energy (Masen), and a consortium consisting of Nareva Holding and Enel Green Power, signed contracts for the 270 MW Jbel Lahdid wind project in Essaouira. The project, with a budget of MAD 2.8 billion (US$316 million), is expected to be commissioned in phases starting in the first half of 2023. Morocco is targeting a 52% share of renewable energy in its total power capacity by 2030.
8. Dhofar Wind Farm, Oman
Located in the Dhofar Governorate of Oman, the Dhofar Wind Power Project is Masdar’s first large-scale wind farm in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). The 50MW project was funded by the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD), the UAE’s primary national entity for development aid.
Situated on the Thumrait plateau, the site offers optimal conditions for wind energy, with average wind speeds ranging between 7 and 8 meters per second. The project features 13 turbines developed by GE, each with a capacity of 3.8 MW. These turbines represent the latest advancements in GE’s wind turbine technology, enhancing both annual energy production and operational flexibility.
The electricity generated by the Dhofar Wind Power Project will play a crucial role in meeting Oman’s growing energy needs and supporting its economic growth.
9. Dakhla Wind Farm, Morocco
The construction of a seawater desalination plant and a wind farm in Dakhla was progressing rapidly according to the most recent update in 2023. In June 2022, the head of government oversaw the signing of public-private partnership agreements for these projects. The desalination plant was designed to produce between 90,000 and 100,000 cubic meters of water per day to irrigate 5,000 hectares of agricultural land. According to reports, the plant received its energy from a wind farm with a capacity of 40 megawatts (MW). The project was commissioned by the French company Engie and the Moroccan company Nareva.
10. Sohag Wind Farm, Egypt
Construction of one of the world’s largest wind farms in Egypt is set to begin by March 2026, according to a company involved in the project. The onshore megaproject, with a cost exceeding $10 billion, is expected to start generating electricity by 2032. The electricity produced by the Sohag farm will significantly contribute to Egypt’s energy needs, particularly as the nation faces severe power cuts during its scorching summers. This project aligns with Egypt’s ambitious goal of increasing the share of renewables in its energy mix to 42% by 2030, which includes plans to phase out some of its gas-powered plants as renewable energy production expands.
