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Saudi Arabia Will Invest $270Bn To Boost Clean Energy Sector
Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Energy, Abdulaziz bin Salman Al Saud, says the country wants to be the leading exporter of hydrogen.
Although being well-known as one of the world’s largest oil producers and exporters, Saudi Arabia is making a huge commitment to developing a low-carbon energy sector, planning to boost its renewable energy percentage to 50%, and swapping any remaining oil use for natural gas. As part of the plan, the Saudi energy minister recently announced that the country will inject $270 billion into various low-carbon projects before 2030 to boost the clean energy sector.
“We are determined to be the leading exporter of hydrogen, as well as to provide clean hydrogen for local uses in heavy industries to produce green products such as green steel, green aluminum, fertilizers, and others at competitive prices,” says Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Energy, Abdulaziz bin Salman Al Saud.
Also Read: Dubai Unveils Plans For Climate-Controlled Cycling Highway
Bin Salman’s comments came while attending the in-Kingdom Total Value Add Forum and Exhibition. The announcement reinforces the kingdom’s commitments at COP27, with Saudi Arabia aiming to be an electricity exporter and expanding its transmission and distribution network.
As part of the greater Saudi Green Initiative, emissions across the region will drop by more than 270 million tons of carbon dioxide while employing a circular carbon economy approach.
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Saudi Digital Payments Reach 80% As Cash Use Shrinks
Visa data shows cards and mobile wallets dominate spending, with smartphones now driving a growing share of daily transactions.
Digital payments now account for 80% of all transactions in Saudi Arabia, according to Visa’s latest Where Cash Hides report, another marker of how quickly the Kingdom is moving away from cash.
The share is up four percentage points from a year ago. Around 67% of consumers are now largely non-cash users, paying mainly with cards or mobile wallets. Smartphones are taking a bigger role, with mobile payments making up 16% of transactions.
Cash is retreating in routine spending. Eating out dropped 9%. Bill payments fell 8%, as shoppers opt for faster checkouts and app-based payments.
“The data shows a steady move toward digital payments in Saudi Arabia. Such progress is possible only because banks, fintechs, merchants, and technology partners are moving together in the same direction, in line with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030,” said Ali Bailoun, Visa’s Senior Vice President and Group Country Manager for Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Oman.
Also Read: UAE Users Sleep Less, But More Efficiently, ŌURA Data Reveals
Despite the recent findings, it’s important to note that cash hasn’t yet disappeared. It still shows up for tips (39%), peer-to-peer transfers (28%) and rent (14%).
Visa points to security features such as tokenization, along with rewards and cashback, as factors nudging more spending onto cards and phones — a shift that tracks with Saudi Arabia’s wider Vision 2030 push to digitize commerce.
Saudi Digital Payments Reach 80% As Cash Use Shrinks
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