As per the newest report from GlobalData, a data and analytics company, Qatar's renewable energy portion of overall installed electricity capacity is expected to grow from 12% by 2025 to 25.9% by 2035. The report, issued on 13th October 2026, evidences the trend of Qatar's electricity sector becoming transformed, as the country accelerates the use of utility-scale solar systems to broaden the energy mix and cut back on domestic gas consumption in generating electricity.
Solar to Lead Expansion at 12.4% Annual Growth
GlobalData's report, Qatar Power Market Trends and Analysis by Capacity, Generation, Transmission, Distribution, Regulations, Key Players and Forecast to 2035, projects that Qatar's total installed power capacity will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.2% between 2025 and 2035. Solar photovoltaic capacity is expected to expand at a CAGR of 12.4% over the same period, far outpacing the overall market and driving the renewable share to nearly 26% by the end of the forecast horizon.
The power sector of Qatar is no longer completely dependent on natural gas and the shift has now taken a structured hybrid form as stated by Attaurrahman Ojindaram Saibasan, a power analysis expert at GlobalData. "The unprecedented growth of solar power generation in Qatar is driven by the country's National Renewable Energy Strategy, which includes substantial investments in projects like Al Kharsaah solar plant and others like Ras Laffan and Mesaieed authorized in 2021, beside major Dukhan development program further delivering inexpensive clean energy generation across the region."
Utility-Scale Solar Pipeline Takes Shape
Qatar's solar expansion is anchored by a series of large-scale projects. The 800 MW Al Kharsaah plant, the country's first utility-scale solar facility, began supplying the grid in June 2022. It is owned by project company Siraj-1, in which Siraj Energy-a joint venture of QatarEnergy and Qatar Electricity & Water Co.-holds 60%, with TotalEnergies and Marubeni holding the remaining 40%. The plant sells its output to state utility Kahramaa under a 25-year agreement.
In April 2025, QatarEnergy inaugurated the 458 MW Ras Laffan and 417 MW Mesaieed solar plants, taking Qatar's cumulative solar capacity to 1,675 MW. Samsung C&T built both facilities. The next major milestone is the 2 GW Dukhan project, for which QatarEnergy selected Samsung C&T as EPC contractor in September 2025. The first 1 GW phase is due to connect to the Kahramaa grid by the end of 2028, with full capacity expected by mid-2029. QatarEnergy has stated that Dukhan and its existing plants will supply up to 30% of Qatar's peak electricity demand and cut carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 4.7 million metric tons per year.
Natural Gas Remains the Backbone
Despite the rapid expansion of renewables, natural gas will remain central to Qatar's power and water infrastructure. GlobalData projects that gas-fired capacity will continue to grow in absolute terms and account for about 74% of installed capacity in 2035. Combined-cycle gas turbines and cogeneration plants underpin Qatar's independent water and power projects, which supply both electricity for summer cooling loads and thermal energy for seawater desalination.
"The cogeneration of potable water and power is a structural feature of Qatar's utility system," Saibasan noted. "Gas-fired IWPP facilities provide critical firming capacity to absorb the large influx of solar energy during midday hours while securing baseload water desalination. Expanding flexible gas generation and modernizing grid management are essential prerequisites for accommodating the planned 4 GW renewable target by 2030 without compromising system security."
Policy Framework and Emissions Targets
A number of large projects form Qatar's solar expansion programme. The 800 MW Al Kharsaah plant was the first utility-scale solar facility in the country to start generating electricity for the grid in June 2022. It is owned by Siraj-1, which is a project company in which Siraj Energy, a joint venture of QatarEnergy and Qatar Electricity & Water Co., has a share of 60%. The remaining 40% is held by TotalEnergies and Marubeni. The electricity produced by the plant is sold to the national utility Kahramaa based on a 25-year contract.
Qatar has committed to lowering greenhouse gas emissions by 25% by 2030 in its new Nationally Determined Contribution. The construction of solar facilities is also meant to produce more natural gas for export, thus strengthening Qatar's position of one of the top liquefied natural gas producers in the world.
Outlook
Due to the increase in solar energy capacity happening at a pace over three times that of the overall expansion of energy capacity, Qatar is now working on correcting its energy system, which has heavily relied on gas until now. In the next ten years, it will be shown whether the country can incorporate a variable amount of solar power while also ensuring the reliability of the energy and water networks, which, according to the forecasts of GlobalData, requires additional investments in flexible gas production and the organization's grid system.
