Delegates at Saudi Arabia’s flagship Future Investment Initiative (FII) conference in Riyadh flocked to a panel discussion on Green Hydrogen on 25 October. The nascent low-carbon fuel has generated considerable buzz over the past two years, with its proponents asserting that it will be a key pillar of the energy transition.

Despite its reputation as the ultimate petro-state, Saudi Arabia has not escaped hydrogen fever and attendees wanting to watch the discussion were spilling out into the corridor. Indeed, the kingdom arguably kicked off commercial-scale green hydrogen developments in the Middle East when it launched its massive $5bn project at Neom in the far north-west in mid-2020 (MEES, 10 July 2020). Appetite for green hydrogen has since spread elsewhere in the GCC, with the UAE and Oman (MEES, 28 October) both advancing ambitious plans. (CONTINUED - 1019 WORDS)