Saudi Arabia has installed the largest area of solar energy facilities in recent years, more than any other country in the world.

Error detected

Saudi Arabia has not installed the largest area/volume of solar energy facilities in the world, nor 'more than any other state on the planet'.

At end-2025 Saudi Arabia's cumulative solar PV capacity was about 12 GW, against roughly 1,000+ GW for China and more than 40 GW for at least seven countries.

Omissions

• The speaker conflates announced projects, targets (e.g. the 130 GW renewable capacity goal for 2030) and the country's world-class solar irradiation with actually installed capacity.
• No ranking is cited for 'area' of solar installations; even measured in land area, China, India and the United States host far more installed PV area than Saudi Arabia.
• Saudi Arabia's cumulative solar capacity of about 12 GW at end-2025 places it well outside the global top ten; China alone is estimated to have passed 1,000 GW at end-2024.
• Sources describing 2025 data were published in 2026, i.e. after the reference period but before the session date, so the MEP could have known them.

Sources

• PrimaryIEA Photovoltaic Power Systems Programme (IEA-PVPS) — Snapshot of Global PV Markets 2025China alone is estimated to have passed 1 TW; the European Union ... 25 countries have more than 10 GW of total cumulative capacity and seven have more than 40 GW.
• PrimaryIRENA — Renewable capacity statistics 2026 (press release)2025 saw total renewable power capacity reach 5 149 gigawatts (GW) after the addition of 692 GW, or a 15.5% of annual increase ... China, the United States and the European Union together account for 550 GW (or 79.5%) of the new renewable capacity installed in 2025
• Secondarypv magazine — Saudi Arabia adds around 7.8 GW of solar in 2025Saudi Arabia adds around 7.8 GW of solar in 2025. Saudi Arabia had a record year for solar deployment last year, taking cumulative capacity past ...
• SecondarySaudi Energy Consulting — Saudi Solar Energy Boom: 70 GW by 2030As of the end of 2025, Saudi Arabia has installed approximately 12 gigawatts (GW) of solar capacity, a dramatic increase from virtually zero in ...