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30 years ago solar energy was much too expensive. Now 1 kWh of solar produced electricity is cheaper than from oil fired power plants, but you must transfer it to the users worldwide. High voltage power grid lines are possible, but expensive too.

Solar panels last at least 30 years and can be recycled. In 30 years the efficiency of new solar panels is perhaps 50% better than now.

Indeed some countries in the region have been promoting use of solar power; including countries whose power grid had suffered due to armed conflicts in the region (e.g. Lebanon). It remains to be seen how these countries will in fact incorporate solar power in their energy mix plan/strategy for the coming decades - several countries have not yet, to my knowledge, developed policies that govern non-fossil fuel energy resources!

Due to dependence on fossil fuels. and high costs, inadequate policies, and technical challenges hinder the transition to renewable energy in the Middle East. These are the main prominent reasons.

One point was just not mentioned: High interest rate. If you have a lot of money, you want to make more of it. The investment cost of renewable energy technology is higher than for coal or oil plants. So the return on investment is not so high for renewables. But on the long run the sun will never send you any bill, so you have fewer operational costs. Prices for oil and othe fossils will rise. This will now make renewables more profitable. But this is only because now PV modules are produced in Millions every week.

The maximum lifetime expectancy of solar energy is infinite if you accept, that you will recycle modules. You can produce electrical energy as long as the sun will shine - so you will have energy for the next million years.

But the lifetime of fossil fuels will end very soon. Now more than one third of the oil has been brought out of the reservoirs, the next third will be received with very high costs. The last third you will never get. In some years the fossil oil will be too expensive compared with renewable energy. If the oil producing countries will not change to renewable energy, they will have nothing to sell. It would be much better to let the fossil oil stay in the ground. Their is just now too much carbon dioxide in the air and the oceans.

I realized I did not add the site of the Solar energy project in Lebanon. It is available on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/company/inaraleb/

The project has been mainly funded by USAID.