Penetration of Electric Vehicles in Gulf Region and its Influence on Energy and Economy

Electric mobility seems to bring a paradigm shift in the road transport sector worldwide. Huge consumption of fossil fuels and ever-increasing traffic congestion have caused concerns over future energy consumption, economy growth, and greenhouse gas emissions in the Gulf Cooperation Council region's member countries. The introduction of electric vehicles (EVs) in the two most populous countries of the region, i.e., the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and UAE is considered a promising option to address environmental pollution and future economy-related fears region. This paper presents key drivers for the countries to adopt electric transportation. This research study investigates the impact of EVs penetration on energy, economy, and environment of KSA and UAE through EV stockpile forecasting using linear regression analysis. The obtained results suggest that expected growth in KSA and UAE's power sector will enable them to keep up 5% and 30% EVs penetration by 2030, respectively. In this regard, a set of policies are proposed, which will enable the countries to pace up their efforts to achieve the intended greenhouse gases (GHG) emission reduction goals. Though the presented research is focused on the case study of KSA and UAE, the research findings are generalized enough to be applied to all other regions of the region. The suggested set of policies will serve as guidelines for the relevant stakeholders about the necessary measures required for sustainable road transport electrification in KSA and UAE.