Lesson-Drawing and Policy Diffusion of GCC countries in the development of renewable energies: the case of the Kingdom of Bahrain

Abstract

The Gulf region is a booming economic region whose fast development depends very much on its natural energy resources. However, the accelerating pace of regional development and mega-projects also meant using more power generation and energy availability. Gas consumption in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, and the UAE surged by 50% between 2002 and 2008. GCC states occupy the top global rankings in carbon dioxide emissions per capita. The comparative study of public policy is concerned with how different governments respond to a common problem. Comparisons can be made in terms of programs, resources, or outcomes. The paper compares how GCC countries have been investing in renewable sources of energy since 2004 to cope with increasing energy demands due to their fast development, the diminishing available resources, and the fall of hydrocarbure prices sources of energy. Some countries are pioneers in the process of adoption of renewable energy policies and some are laggards. The paper argues that GCC member states used lesson-drawing (Rose 1993) and policy diffusion (Berry and Berry 2019). We use the case study of the Kingdom of Bahrain and check whether Bahrain drew lessons (copying, adapting, making a hybrid, synthesis, or inspiration) in the case of solar energy. The data is collected through reports on renewable energy programs, speeches, and interviews with government officials and executives from the energy sector on the strategy of the country in this field. The findings show that Bahrain drew lessons from others in a creative way.