Saudi Arabia
In 2020-2021, in response to the COVID 19 pandemic, Saudi Arabia has committed at least USD 6.50 billion to supporting different energy types through new or amended policies, according to official government sources and other publicly available information. These public money commitments include:
- At least USD 5.59 billion for unconditional fossil fuels through 5 policies (3 quantified and 2 unquantified)
- No public money commitments identified for conditional fossil fuels
- At least USD 906.67 million for unconditional clean energy through 3 policies (1 quantified and 2 unquantified)
- No public money commitments identified for conditional clean energy
- No public money commitments identified for other energy
By energy type, Saudi Arabia committed at least USD 5.59 billion to oil and gas (at least USD 5.59 billion to unconditional oil and gas).
In addition, no public money commitments identified for coal.
Further, no public money commitments identified for hydrogen based on fossil fuels.
Finally, no public money commitments identified for multiple fossil fuels.
A considerably larger amount of public money committed to supporting the economy and people of Saudi Arabia through monetary and fiscal policies in response to the crisis may also benefit different elements of the energy sector. However, these values are not available from official legislation and statements and therefore are not included in the database. Meanwhile, in addition to monetary and fiscal measures, the database lists other policies and regulations that can also provide benefits to producers and consumers of different energy types.
These public money commitments are additional to many other government policies that had existed to support different energy types before the COVID19 pandemic.
More information on key poverty and inequality indicators in Saudi Arabia can be found on the Inequality and Poverty Dashboard page.
At least
$5.59 billion
Supporting fossil fuel energy
$163.12
Per capita
At least
$906.67 million
Supporting clean energy
$26.46
Per capita
Saudi Arabia
In 2020-2021, in response to the COVID 19 pandemic, Saudi Arabia has committed at least USD 6.50 billion to supporting different energy types through new or amended policies, according to official government sources and other publicly available information. These public money commitments include:
- At least USD 5.59 billion for unconditional fossil fuels through 5 policies (3 quantified and 2 unquantified)
- No public money commitments identified for conditional fossil fuels
- At least USD 906.67 million for unconditional clean energy through 3 policies (1 quantified and 2 unquantified)
- No public money commitments identified for conditional clean energy
- No public money commitments identified for other energy
By energy type, Saudi Arabia committed at least USD 5.59 billion to oil and gas (at least USD 5.59 billion to unconditional oil and gas).
In addition, no public money commitments identified for coal.
Further, no public money commitments identified for hydrogen based on fossil fuels.
Finally, no public money commitments identified for multiple fossil fuels.
A considerably larger amount of public money committed to supporting the economy and people of Saudi Arabia through monetary and fiscal policies in response to the crisis may also benefit different elements of the energy sector. However, these values are not available from official legislation and statements and therefore are not included in the database. Meanwhile, in addition to monetary and fiscal measures, the database lists other policies and regulations that can also provide benefits to producers and consumers of different energy types.
These public money commitments are additional to many other government policies that had existed to support different energy types before the COVID19 pandemic.
More information on key poverty and inequality indicators in Saudi Arabia can be found on the Inequality and Poverty Dashboard page.
Public money commitments to fossil fuels, clean and other energy in Saudi Arabia recovery packages, USD billion, in 2020-2021
| Country | Jurisdiction | Category | Policy name | Sector | Energy Type | Mechanism | Value committed, USD | Date of announcement | Stage | Legislation and Endorsing Agency | Arm of Government | Primary and secondary stated objective of the policy | Date of entry into force | Implemented repeal date, if any | Value committed, national currency | Value disbursed, national currency | Value disbursed, USD: | Policy background | Links to official sources | Links to additional sources | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saudi Arabia | National | Clean unconditional | Sudair Solar PV Plant | Power generation | Solar | Budget or off-budget transfer ... | 906666666.66667 | 08/04/2021 | Electricity generation | Public finance institution | Increasing solar PV capacity | 3400000000 | The Sudair Solar PV plant in Sudair Industrial City is supported under the umbrella of the National Renewable Energy Program. The plant is estimated to have the capacity to power 185,000 homes and offset nearly 2.9 million tons of emissions per year. An important step in the country's target is to develop 70% of its renewable energy capacity. This project is funded by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund. | https://www.spa.gov.sa/viewstory.php?lang=en&newsid=2212863 |
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| Saudi Arabia | National | Clean unconditional | Sudair Solar PV Plant | Power generation | Solar | Government procurement (DT) | 08/04/2021 | Electricity generation | SOE | Increasing solar PV capacity | The Sudair Solar PV plant in Sudair Industrial City is supported under the umbrella of the National Renewable Energy Program. The plant is esimated to have the capacity to power 185,000 homes and offsetting nearly 2.9 million tons of emissions per year. An important step in the country's target to develop 70% of their renewable energy capacity. | https://www.spa.gov.sa/viewstory.php?lang=en&newsid=2212863 |
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| Saudi Arabia | National | Fossil unconditional | Hawiyah Unayzah underground gas storage site | Resources | Gas and gas products | Budget or off-budget transfer ... | 19/04/2021 | Exploration or production or processing or storage or transportation | Saudi Aramco | SOE | Increasing gas storage | The Hawiyah Unayzah underground gas storage project aims to meet variations in domestic gas demand. The project will enable Aramco to inject 1.5 billion standard cubic feet per day (bscfd) of surplus natural gas from the Master Gas System (MGS) into the Hawiyah Unayzah Reservoir by 2022. In addition, the processing facilities will be able to reproduce up to 2 bscfd of gas stored for re-introduction into the MGS by 2024. Samsung Engineering won a USD 1.85 billion contract in 2020 from Aramco to complete the project. | https://www.dmsprojects.net/saudi-arabia/projects/saudi-aramco-hawiyah-unayzah-gas-reservoir-storage/PRJ00026441 https://energynorthern.com/2021/04/19/petrochemical-projects-drive-upcoming-oil-and-gas-projects-in-saudi-arabia-by-2025 https://www.oilandgasmiddleeast.com/products-services/35917-samsung-engineering-wins-185bn-aramco-gas-storage-contract |
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| Saudi Arabia | National | Fossil unconditional | Hawiyah Unayzah underground gas storage site | Resources | Gas and gas products | Budget or off-budget transfer ... | 1850004002.0277 | 28/01/2020 | Exploration or production or processing or storage or transportation | Saudi Aramco | SOE | Increasing gas storage | 6934000000 | Saudi Aramco awarded Samsung Engineering a USD 1.85 billion contract for the construction of the Hawiyah Unayzah underground gas storage site to meet variations in domestic gas demand. The project will enable Aramco to inject 1.5 billion standard cubic feet per day (bscfd) of surplus natural gas from the Master Gas System (MGS) into the Hawiyah Unayzah Reservoir by 2022. In addition, the processing facilities will be able to reproduce up to 2 bscfd of gas stored for re-introduction into the MGS by 2024. | https://www.oilandgasmiddleeast.com/products-services/35917-samsung-engineering-wins-185bn-aramco-gas-storage-contract https://www.dmsprojects.net/saudi-arabia/projects/saudi-aramco-hawiyah-unayzah-gas-reservoir-storage/PRJ00026441 https://energynorthern.com/2021/04/19/petrochemical-projects-drive-upcoming-oil-and-gas-projects-in-saudi-arabia-by-2025 |
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| Saudi Arabia | National | Fossil unconditional | Saudi Aramco investment in unconventional Jafurah natural gas field | Resources | Gas and gas products | Budget or off-budget transfer ... | 3500000000 | 22/02/2020 | Exploration or production or processing or storage or transportation | Saudi Aramco | SOE | enhance the Company’s position in the global energy sector, and help achieve its goal of being the world’s pre-eminent integrated energy and chemicals company. | 13125000000 | Aramco announced on Feburary 2020 the regulatory approval of the development of the Jafurah unconventional gas field in the Eastern Province, the largest non-associated gas field in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to date with an investment of USD 110 billion over at least 16 years. The first phase of the investment corresponds to USD 3.5 billion and is reported as such here. The volume of gas resources in the field is estimated at 200 trillion cubic feet of rich raw gas, which will provide a valuable feedstock for the petrochemical industries. The Company expects the field’s production, to commence early 2024, to reach approximately 2.2 billion standard cubic feet per day of sales gas by 2036, with an associated approximately 425 million standard cubic feet per day of ethane, representing about 40 percent of current production. The Company also expects the field to produce approximately 550 thousand barrels per day of gas liquids and condensates. Development of the field over 22 years should provide the government a net income of about 32 billion riyals annually and contribute 75 billion riyals to the kingdom’s gross domestic product according to the Saudi press Agency. Aramco is keen on developing domestic gas production in order to shift from crude oil to gas exports and to use gas domestially for power generation and as an industrial feedstock. | https://www.aramco.com/en/news-media/news/2020/jafurah-gas-field https://www.spa.gov.sa/viewstory.php?lang=en&newsid=2037819 |
https://www.eiu.com/industry/energy/middle-east-and-africa/saudi-arabia https://www.al-jazirah.com/2020/20200521/qr1.htm |
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| Saudi Arabia | National | Clean unconditional | Producing 50% of electricity from renewables by 2030 | Power generation | Multiple renewable | New or extended regulation (IT... | 29/06/2020 | Electricity generation | Ministry of Energy | Government | diversifying the electricity mix and promoting economic diversification | Saudi Arabia's Energy Minister announced the kingdom would seek to produce 50% of its electricity from renewables by 2030. This is an ambitious goal given the current share of renewables in the electricity mix and the fact that only about 2 percent of households use renewables to meet their energy needs. Renewables such a wind and solar are also seen as a key way to increase economic diversification while ensuring the kingdom can meet its climate change commitments. | https://www.arabnews.com/node/1697306 Accessed 9 November 2020 |
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| Saudi Arabia | National | Fossil unconditional | Subsidized fuel prices halved against the backdrop of international oil price plunge | Multiple sectors | Oil and oil products | Budget or off-budget transfer ... | 11/05/2020 | Energy use (all energy types, consumption in transport, household use, buildings etc) | Saudi Aramco | Government | to adjust domestic fuel prices according to changes in export prices of crude oil | 11/05/2020 | Saudi Arabia has a long-standing policy of subsidizing consumers of petroleum products by regulating their prices at a below-market price level. In early 2020, oil price plummeted on the global market, which warranted a pass-through of price reductions on domestic consumers in Saudi Arabia. The May cut in domestic prices amounted to around 50%, bringing them at the below-market level again. Fuel price adjustment remains subject to change, according to changes in export prices of crude oil. | https://www.spa.gov.sa/viewfullstory.php?lang=en&newsid=2084858 Accessed 9 June 2020 https://www.saudiaramco.com/ar/news-media/news/2020/may-gas-prices Accessed 9 June 2020 |
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| Saudi Arabia | National | Fossil unconditional | Additional electricity subsidies as a relief measure for commercial, industrial and agricultural sec... | Multiple sectors | Oil and gas | New or extended regulation (IT... | 240000000 | 15/04/2020 | Energy use (all energy types, consumption in transport, household use, buildings etc) | Order of the King/Ministry of Energy | Government | "To confront the financial and economic impacts on the private sector and economic activities most affected by the implications of the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic" | 15/04/2020 | 900000000 | Saudi Arabia had regulated - that is subsidized - electricity prices before the COVID19 crisis. The Energy Ministry affirmed the King's order of a further 30 per cent discount for April and May 2020 in the value of electricity bills for commercial, industrial and agricultural sectors, with possible extension as part of the new package. The commercial and industrial sectors are optionally allowed to pay 50% of the value of the monthly electricity bill for the months of April, May, and June, as the remaining dues are to be collected in divided payments for six months starting from January 2021 with the possibility of postponing the period of payment if it is necessary. More than 1.6 million accounts will benefit from this discount. | https://www.spa.gov.sa/viewfullstory.php?lang=en&newsid=2075121 Accessed 1 April 2020 |
https://gulfnews.com/world/gulf/saudi/covid-19-saudi-arabia-unveils-50-billion-riyals-stimulus-package-for-private-sector-1.1587041977988 Accessed 1 April 2020 |
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