The Geopolitics of The Global Energy Transition and its Implications on The Arab Gulf Region: A Review

Abstract

The confluence of power transitions in the international system and energy transitions in the global market presents a complex and multifaceted landscape for world developments and policies, particularly for the energy-dependent countries of the Arab Gulf states. To understand this reciprocal effect, this paper provides a review of the existing academic literature on the geopolitical implications of the global energy transition towards low-carbon renewable energy sources, both globally and in the Arab Gulf states. The paper concludes that despite the growing interest from scholars, particularly in recent years, and the multitude of investigations undertaken to examine the potential implications of climate change and renewable energy on various regions worldwide, a significant challenge has emerged in the form of inconsistencies and disagreements among these studies. This can be attributed to the over-generalization of research findings, which often neglects to define the temporal and spatial scope of influence, as well as failing to identify both the source and the affected party of the effect. These four factors are crucial in determining the nature of the geopolitical impact of the global energy transition. Therefore, we believe that there is a serious necessity to synthesize the scattered parts presented by these studies into multicoherent frameworks that clearly define these four points.