This oil-rich country has stood in the way of climate action. It’s quietly building a clean energy empire

A dark geometric sprawl breaks up an expanse of ocher-hued sand in Saudi Arabia. Close up, the structure is made up of row after row of solar panels, glimmering in the intense sun as it beats down on this scrubby, arid land about 60 miles south of the city of Jeddah.

Al Shuaibah 2 is Saudi Arabia’s largest solar farm, with a capacity of more than 2 gigawatts, enough to power around 350,000 homes . But it won’t keep its crown for long. Even larger installations are already in development as mega solar farms proliferate across the country’s desert lands.

“There is a solar boom, no one can deny that,” said Nishant Kumar, renewable and power analyst at the research firm Rystad Energy. Saudi Arabia has pledged to generate 50% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030 and the race is