1. Introduction

The Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf, also known as the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), was established in 1981. It comprises Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) – which is a federation that is comprised of seven emirates: Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ras Al Khaima, Fujairah, Umm Al Quwain, Ajman and Dubai. The Arab states of the Gulf are characterised as having substantial fossil fuel resources and their principal source of energy generation is derived from fossil fuels. Energy is a crucial commodity and we consume it in all aspects of our lives, from small domestic appliances and technologies such as electric toothbrushes and mobile phones to huge industrial plants. In general, the GCC countries have encountered unprecedentedly rapid socio-economic growth accompanied by energy consumption patterns that have created a surge in demand (Bachellerie, 2012). Furthermore, these countries vary in the time projected to reach a post-oil era and some possess only small endowments, which are expected to deplete within the next twenty years (Krane, 2012). Therefore, in view of worldwide concerns over energy supply, the GCC countries in parallel with other countries are working on reducing their reliance on fossil fuel. In this pursuit, renewable energy resources and principally solar energy stand out as an appropriate response since, on the one side, solar energy is a free, neat and non-diminishing alternative and, on the other side, the Gulf region receives an abundant amount of daily solar radiation. Furthermore, utilising solar radiation for power generation will assist the GCC countries to meet the challenge of continually increasing demand along with achieving the objective of social, economic and environmental pillars of sustainability (The global partnership for environment and development: a guide to Agenda 21, 1992).

However, despite the several initiatives that are proving useful in the GCC countries to employ renewable energy (mainly solar energy) to generate electricity, these countries still lack an integrated adoption plan that will enhance the domestic diffusion of solar appliances that would complement these initiatives. Therefore, the chapter inspects the energy policy in these states, indicating the measures that would help in the domestic uptake of solar energy appliances and consequently assist these states to accomplish the target goals of energy in line with their future economic vision.