Saudi Arabia energy mix & electricity
Power plants in Saudi Arabia produced 455 TWh of electricity in 2024. Natural gas dominates the mix with 63.3%, followed by oil at 34.5%.
Electricity generation by source in 2024
Share of electricity generation by source, with the change in percentage points over the last ten years.
| Source | TWh | Share | 10-yr Δ pp |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gas | 288 | 63.3% | +16.9 |
| Oil | 157 | 34.5% | −19 |
| Solar | 8.23 | 1.8% | +1.8 |
| Wind | 1.59 | 0.4% | +0.4 |
| Total | 455 | 100% |
Saudi Arabia: electricity in context
Power plants in Saudi Arabia produced 455 TWh of electricity in 2024. That is about 1.4% of the world total, in the same league as Germany. Natural gas dominates the mix with 63.3%, followed by oil at 34.5%.
2.2% of the country’s power came from renewable sources: 147th of 158 countries (in the bottom quarter). That is 32 points below the world average of 33.8%. It is also below the average for Asia (27.3%). The carbon intensity of electricity is 692 g CO₂e/kWh; the global average is 458 g/kWh. This is one of the more carbon-intensive grids in the world. In the cleanest-grid ranking, Saudi Arabia is 145th of 158.
The decade’s big winner is natural gas, up 136 TWh between 2014 and 2024 (plus 16.9 percentage points of the mix). Oil moved the other way, falling by 18.8 TWh. The net effect: renewables gained 2.2 percentage points of share since 2014. Total generation grew by 126 TWh over the same period.
Coal has essentially never been burned for electricity here: its share has stayed below 1% throughout the record.
Solar (1.8%) and wind (0.4%) now add up to 2.2% of generation; the global figure is 17.3%. Per person, that is 242 kWh of solar electricity a year, versus a global average of 338 kWh.
Generation per person is 13,386 kWh a year, 3.5× the world average of 3,860 kWh. Imports and exports roughly cancel out.
How the power mix has changed
Electricity generation by source since 1985. Switch to shares to see the structural shift independent of demand growth.
Renewables and carbon intensity
Saudi Arabia against the world and Asia averages.
Total energy: beyond electricity
Primary energy covers transport, heating and industry too. Renewables supply 0.7% of primary energy and fossil fuels 99.3% (2024). Per person, that is 96,883 kWh a year (world: 21,654).
Substitution method: non-fossil electricity is converted to the primary energy a fossil plant would have needed.
Domestic extraction of coal, gas and oil, in energy terms.
Power plants in Saudi Arabia
The 90 power plants recorded in Saudi Arabia add up to 84.3 GW of capacity, 59% of it Oil. The largest is SHAIBA (SEC) at 6,794 MW. The database was last updated in 2021, so newer wind and solar farms and rooftop PV are under-represented.
Largest power plants
| # | Plant | Fuel | Capacity MW | Commissioned | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SHAIBA (SEC) | Oil | 6,794 | 2013 | Saudi Electricity Company (SEC) |
| 2 | RABIGH | Oil | 4,348 | 2010 | Saudi Electricity Company (SEC) |
| 3 | GHAZLAN | Gas | 4,256 | 2003 | Saudi Electricity Company (SEC) |
| 4 | Hajr for Electricity Production Co. Station | Gas | 4,098 | 2014 | Hajr for Electricity Production Company |
| 5 | QURAYYAH- CC | Gas | 3,846 | 2014 | Saudi Electricity Company (SEC) |
| 6 | Riyadh 9 | Oil | 3,617 | 2008 | Saudi Electricity Company (SEC) |
| 7 | Riyadh 10 | Oil | 3,161 | 2016 | Saudi Electricity Company (SEC) |
| 8 | MARAFIQ IWPP (1) | Gas | 2,941 | 2010 | Jubail Water and Power Company |
| 9 | JEDDAH SOUTH | Oil | 2,892 | 2016 | Saudi Electricity Company (SEC) |
| 10 | RABIGH-2 | Oil | 2,800 | 2014 | Saudi Electricity Company (SEC) |
| 11 | QURAYYAH -STEAM | Gas | 2,500 | 1992 | Saudi Electricity Company (SEC) |
| 12 | Riyadh 8 | Gas | 2,072 | 2008 | Saudi Electricity Company (SEC) |
| 13 | Riyadh 12 | Gas | 2,056 | 2016 | Saudi Electricity Company (SEC) |
| 14 | JEDDAH NO.3 | Oil | 1,808 | 2005 | Saudi Electricity Company (SEC) |
| 15 | Riyadh 11 | Oil | 1,756 | 2013 | Durmah Electric Company |
Source: WRI Global Power Plant Database v1.3 (CC BY 4.0). Explore all 90 plants on the interactive power plant map.
Solar & wind farms: Saudi Arabia
106 utility-scale facilities tracked by Global Energy Monitor (2026): 11.6 GW of solar and 400 MW of wind operating, plus 42 GW under construction or planned.
See them on the mapLargest solar & wind farms: Saudi Arabia →
How does Saudi Arabia compare?
Saudi Arabia next to 6 neighbouring countries, plus regional and world averages. Click a column to sort; use “Compare” for full side-by-side charts.
| Country | Renewable % | Low-carbon % | Fossil % | gCO₂/kWh | kWh / person | Generation TWh | Mix | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saudi Arabia | 2.2% | 2.2% | 97.8% | 692 | 13,386 | 455 | — | |
| Kuwait | 2.2% | 2.2% | 97.8% | 635 | 18,402 | 92.5 | Compare | |
| Qatar | 4.1% | 4.1% | 95.9% | 582 | 18,030 | 56.2 | Compare | |
| Iraq | 1.6% | 1.6% | 98.4% | 683 | 3,252 | 150 | Compare | |
| United Arab Emirates | 8.8% | 31.7% | 68.3% | 468 | 16,075 | 177 | Compare | |
| Jordan | 24.1% | 24.1% | 75.9% | 530 | 2,049 | 23.7 | Compare | |
| Oman | 4.5% | 4.5% | 95.5% | 544 | 9,617 | 52.8 | Compare | |
| Asia average | 27.3% | 32.1% | 67.9% | 573 | 3,749 | 18,015 | Compare | |
| World average | 33.8% | 42.6% | 57.4% | 458 | 3,860 | 31,772 | Compare |
Calculators for Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia energy: frequently asked questions
What percentage of electricity in Saudi Arabia is renewable?
What is the main source of electricity in Saudi Arabia?
How clean is the electricity in Saudi Arabia?
Does Saudi Arabia have nuclear power?
How much electricity does Saudi Arabia use per person?
How much solar power does Saudi Arabia produce?
Does Saudi Arabia import electricity?
More countries in Asia
Sources & references
- Our World in Data: Energy dataset (CC BY 4.0) — compiled from the sources below
- Ember: Yearly Electricity Data — generation, shares, carbon intensity
- Energy Institute: Statistical Review of World Energy — primary energy, fossil production
- U.S. Energy Information Administration: International Energy Data — gap-filling for smaller countries
- World Resources Institute: Global Power Plant Database v1.3 (CC BY 4.0) — power plant locations and capacity
Electricity data: Ember and Energy Institute Statistical Review via Our World in Data (CC BY 4.0); latest year 2024. Power plants: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). Rankings exclude systems under 1 TWh and values older than 2020. Figures may be revised by the original publishers.