Key drivers in the development of the green economy in the gulf and levant states
https://doi.org/10.24057/2071-9388-2026-3945
Abstract
This study identifies the main factors and trends in green economy development across the Gulf and Levant countries and examines their spatial patterns. The environmentally significant processes observed in these countries suggest the possible, though not predetermined, onset of a long-term transition toward more sustainable economies. However, it remains too early to conclude that a genuine transition toward decarbonization is underway. The Gulf and Levant region has long been, and is likely to remain, an important supplier of fossil fuels to the global economy, particularly oil and natural gas. This paper examines the drivers of renewable-energy adoption in the region and identifies two groups of countries with different motivations for this transition, helping to explain this apparent paradox. The study draws on approaches at the intersection of human geography and geoecology, statistical-data visualization, retrospective analysis, and comparative geographical analysis. The studied region presents a wide range of multidirectional trends in the context of agreements to combat global climate change and the implementation of a green economy in various areas. The renewable energy sector is developing dynamically in the Gulf and Levant states. Local countries can be divided into two main groups. The first group includes wealthy countries for which renewable energy is a matter of prestige and an attempt to join the global green agenda. The second group includes poor countries for which renewable energy is a matter of energy security due to the lack of hydrocarbons and other energy resources. The Gulf and Levant states have the potential to develop green and blue hydrogen production on an industrial scale and turn the region into one of the major hydrogen-production hubs. The UAE is the regional leader in expanding green and blue hydrogen production capacity. One of the important components of the modern environmental and economic strategy of the Gulf and Levant countries is attracting foreign direct investment (FDI) into this sector.
Keywords
green economy,
Gulf and Levant countries,
low-carbon transition,
decarbonization,
renewable energy sources,
environmental image
Supporting agencies: The research was conducted as part of the state assignment of the Institute of Geography of the Russian Academy of Sciences No. 124032900015-3 (FMWS-2024-0008).
About the Authors
D. L. Lopatnikov
Laboratory of World Development Geography, Institute of Geography, Russian Academy of Sciences
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
29 Staromonetny lane, building 4, Moscow, 119017
T. A. Gladenkova
Laboratory of World Development Geography, Institute of Geography, Russian Academy of Sciences
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
29 Staromonetny lane, building 4, Moscow
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Review
For citations:
Lopatnikov D.L., Gladenkova T.A. Key drivers in the development of the green economy in the gulf and levant states. GEOGRAPHY, ENVIRONMENT, SUSTAINABILITY. 2026;19(3):6-17. https://doi.org/10.24057/2071-9388-2026-3945
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