Clearness-Index-Driven Assessment of Solar Energy Potential in Saudi Arabia's Empty Quarter: A Comparative Study with Abqaiq and Hail (2005–2024)

This work presents a clearness-index-driven assessment of solar energy potential in Saudi Arabia’s Empty Quarter, using Sharurah (17.48°N, 47.12°E) as a representative hyper-arid desert site. The analysis is based on NASA POWER climatology (2005–2024) and compares Sharurah with two additional locations: Abqaiq (eastern oil/industrial region) and Hail (inland northern desert city).

For each site, monthly and annual global horizontal irradiation (H) are extracted, extraterrestrial irradiation (H₀) is computed from solar geometry, and the clearness index Kt=H/H0K_t = H/H_0Kt=H/H0 is derived. Sharurah (Empty Quarter) shows the highest annual irradiation (≈2438 kWh/m²·yr) and a very high clearness index (≈0.699), followed by Hail, while Abqaiq exhibits lower values due to industrial and aerosol effects. Using a fixed-tilt PV model with plane-of-array gain 1.15 and performance ratio 0.80, the specific PV yield at Sharurah is estimated at ≈2243 kWh/kWp·yr.

A land-use scenario assuming PV deployment on 5% of the Saudi portion of the Empty Quarter (~21,500 km²) yields an annual generation potential of ≈2894 TWh, equivalent to roughly 9 times Saudi Arabia’s current electricity consumption. Economic evaluation in Saudi Riyal (SAR) suggests a simple payback period of about 4.5–5.9 years, with carbon payback in less than one year. The study highlights the Empty Quarter as a strategic solar resource for large-scale decarbonisation, green hydrogen production, and potential electricity export from Saudi Arabia.