GCC-East Asia Relations in the Fields of Nuclear and Renewable Energy: Opportunities and Barriers

This paper is one of the first attempts to delineate the contours of emerging GCC–East Asia relations in the fields of nuclear and renewable energy. On one hand, the GCC countries have been seeking technology from across the world to develop the foundation of their nuclear and renewable energy industries. East Asian countries, on the other hand, see their technological expertise in these fields as an exportable asset that can contribute to the sustainable growth of their economies. However, the paper also identifies some barriers to the progress of GCC–East Asia nuclear and renewable energy cooperation. First, East Asian firms compete in GCC markets with firms from other countries that also have a developed competitive export-oriented nuclear/renewable energy technology. Second, in the long run, a rise in competition between firms within the two regions may also create barriers to cooperation between the GCC and East Asia. This is particularly the case for the solar industry.

By: Makio Yamada