USE OIL FOR BETTER PURPOSES

A prominent expert in the field of renewable energy technology has called on Saudi Arabia to invest heavily in solar technology. Professor Ali Sayigh, director general of the UK-based World Renewable Energy Network, was speaking at a public lecture on solar energy organized by the Center of Research for Excellence in Renewable Energy at King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM). “Saudi Arabia has the resources to allocate substantial funds for research in this particular field. Keep oil underground or maybe use it for better purposes, such as for producing medicines or chemicals. There is no point in burning it all up,” he said. “Just as you have a basket of currencies, have a basket of energies: Oil, gas and renewables. There is no harm in that.” He said Saudi Arabia and other Arab and Middle Eastern countries are ideally suited for producing solar energy as they have a very high concentration of solar rays. The sun burns brightest in this part of the world and therefore the production of solar energy is much easier here.