United Arab Emirates energy mix & electricity
In 2024, the United Arab Emirates generated 177 TWh of electricity. More than half of it, 68.3%, came from natural gas; nuclear power was a distant second with 22.9%.
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 | 121 | 68.3% | −31.5 |
| Nuclear | 40.63 | 22.9% | +22.9 |
| Solar | 15.21 | 8.6% | +8.3 |
| Bioenergy | 0.21 | 0.1% | +0.1 |
| Wind | 0.2 | 0.1% | +0.1 |
| Total | 177 | 100% |
United Arab Emirates: electricity in context
In 2024, the United Arab Emirates generated 177 TWh of electricity. That is about 0.6% of the world total, similar to Poland. More than half of it, 68.3%, came from natural gas; nuclear power was a distant second with 22.9%.
Renewables supplied 8.8% of the electricity, which ranks the United Arab Emirates 132nd of 158 countries (in the bottom quarter). This puts it 25 points below the world average of 33.8%. It is also below the average for Asia (27.3%). Because nuclear contributes another 22.9%, the low-carbon share is considerably higher, at 31.7%. The carbon intensity of electricity is 468 g CO₂e/kWh; the global average is 458 g/kWh. The grid is more carbon-intensive than the world average. On carbon intensity, the United Arab Emirates ranks 87th of 158 from the cleanest.
The decade’s big winner is nuclear power, up 40.6 TWh between 2014 and 2024 (plus 22.9 percentage points of the mix). Taken together, the renewable share rose by 8.6 percentage points over the decade. Total generation grew by 60.7 TWh over the same period. Carbon intensity dropped from 675 to 468 g/kWh, a 31% cut.
Wind and solar together provided 8.7% of electricity (solar 8.6%, wind 0.1%), compared with 17.3% worldwide. Per person, that is 1,379 kWh of solar electricity a year, 4.1× the global average. In solar electricity per person, the United Arab Emirates ranks 4th in the world. Solar first passed 1% of the mix in 2019.
The United Arab Emirates generates 16,075 kWh of electricity per resident each year, 4.2 times the global average. Cross-border trade is roughly balanced.
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
United Arab Emirates against the world and Asia averages.
Total energy: beyond electricity
Primary energy covers transport, heating and industry too. Renewables supply 2.5% of primary energy and fossil fuels 91% (2024). Per person, that is 138,030 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 United Arab Emirates
The WRI Global Power Plant Database lists 30 utility-scale plants in the United Arab Emirates with a combined capacity of 30.3 GW. Gas plants account for the largest slice (97% of listed capacity). The biggest single plant is Shuweihat S1 (4,889 MW, Gas). 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 | Shuweihat S1 | Gas | 4,889 | 2005 | Shuweihat CMS International Power Company |
| 2 | APC UAN | Gas | 2,430 | 2003 | Arabian power Company ADWEA IPR TEPCO and Mitsui |
| 3 | TAPCO | Gas | 2,200 | 2005 | ADWEA TAQA & CMS Generation Taweelah Limited |
| 4 | FAPCO (Fuj F2) | Gas | 2,114 | 2011 | Fujairah Asia Power Company ADWEA &Fujairah F2 CV |
| 5 | Jebel Ali "M" | Gas | 2,060 | 2010 | DEWA |
| 6 | New Mirfah (MIPCO) | Gas | 1,728 | 2016 | ADWEA |
| 7 | Taweelah A1 | Gas | 1,671 | 2000 | Gulf Total Tractebel Power Company ADWEA |
| 8 | Jebel Ali "L" - Ph ll | Gas | 1,393 | 2007 | DEWA |
| 9 | Wasit Power Station (WPS) | Gas | 1,182 | 1998 | SEWA |
| 10 | Jebel Ali "D" | Gas | 1,027 | 1979 | DEWA |
| 11 | Jebel Ali "L" - Ph I | Gas | 969 | 2005 | DEWA |
| 12 | Jebel Ali "K" | Gas | 918 | 2002 | DEWA |
| 13 | Layyah Power Station (LPS) | Gas | 911 | 1977 | SEWA |
| 14 | ESWPC (Fuj F1) | Gas | 861 | 2004 | Emirates SembCorp Water & Power Company ADWEA & SembCorp Gulf Holding Co Ltd |
| 15 | Aweer "H" - Ph lll | Gas | 818 | 2008 | DEWA |
Source: WRI Global Power Plant Database v1.3 (CC BY 4.0). Explore all 30 plants on the interactive power plant map.
Solar & wind farms: United Arab Emirates
69 utility-scale facilities tracked by Global Energy Monitor (2026): 3.9 GW of solar and 99 MW of wind operating, plus 23.8 GW under construction or planned.
See them on the mapLargest solar & wind farms: United Arab Emirates →
How does United Arab Emirates compare?
United Arab Emirates 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Arab Emirates | 8.8% | 31.7% | 68.3% | 468 | 16,075 | 177 | — | |
| Saudi Arabia | 2.2% | 2.2% | 97.8% | 692 | 13,386 | 455 | Compare | |
| Oman | 4.5% | 4.5% | 95.5% | 544 | 9,617 | 52.8 | Compare | |
| Qatar | 4.1% | 4.1% | 95.9% | 582 | 18,030 | 56.2 | Compare | |
| Bahrain | 0.3% | 0.3% | 99.7% | 902 | 23,615 | 38 | Compare | |
| Iran | 3.8% | 5.7% | 94.3% | 660 | 4,283 | 396 | Compare | |
| Kuwait | 2.2% | 2.2% | 97.8% | 635 | 18,402 | 92.5 | 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 United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates energy: frequently asked questions
What percentage of electricity in the United Arab Emirates is renewable?
What is the main source of electricity in the United Arab Emirates?
How clean is the electricity in the United Arab Emirates?
Does the United Arab Emirates use nuclear power?
How much electricity does the United Arab Emirates use per person?
How much solar power does the United Arab Emirates produce?
Does the United Arab Emirates 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.