MENA and the Global Energy Conundrum

The Middle East and North Africa region (MENA) is addicted to fossil fuels, but so too is the rest of the world economy. Solutions to the energy transition have thus to be found in a coordinated global shift in both the supply and demand for fossil fuels and clean(er) energy, where multilateral institutions can play an important role. These institutions could help bolster international technology transfers to MENA, as well as scale up investment and trade in clean energy to facilitate the global energy transition. Given the potential in MENA for solar power, the region could remain a global hub, this time for clean energy.