Answer extracted from the Beyond the Deck podcast — listen to the full episode below.
What will the GCC's energy mix look like in 10+ years? Nuclear, hydrogen, LNG, and AI
The GCC's energy future won't rely on a single solution—it will be a balanced portfolio of multiple technologies working in tandem. Nuclear will remain part of the mix, low-carbon molecules like hydrogen and CCUS will play a massive role, renewable energy will continue growing as costs decline, LNG will stay crucial for the next five years, and artificial intelligence will permeate operations, decision-making, and tariff-setting across the entire sector. Private sector participation is also expected to increase significantly.
This shift marks a fundamental departure from the energy conversations of five years ago, when the focus was almost exclusively on net zero and eliminating hydrocarbons entirely. As Carmen Hamze explores in this episode of Beyond the Deck, the GCC took a balanced, pragmatic approach earlier than most regions—and now the global energy sector is catching up to that thinking.
The portfolio approach: from silos to integration
The energy sector in the GCC is moving away from isolated subsectors and toward an integrated portfolio strategy that accounts for AI, data centers, and broader sustainability. Rather than viewing oil, gas, nuclear, and renewables as competing interests, policymakers and investors now see them as complementary components of a resilient system.
This framework is grounded in what energy strategists call the energy trilemma: balancing sustainability, energy security, and affordability. In the GCC's context, that means ensuring reliable power for rapid economic growth and data center expansion while reducing carbon intensity and maintaining competitive energy costs. The details of how this balance plays out in practice reveal the sophistication required to navigate the region's transformation.
Low-carbon molecules and the backbone of stability
Within this diversified mix, low-carbon molecules—including hydrogen, LNG, and carbon capture, utilization, and sequestration (CCUS)—are expected to become central to the GCC's energy strategy beyond the five-year horizon. These technologies bridge the gap between traditional fossil fuel infrastructure and pure renewable systems.
LNG will remain essential in the short to medium term, ensuring global energy security and regional competitiveness. Meanwhile, green hydrogen and CCUS represent longer-term bets that align with both profitability and climate ambitions. Gas itself is being reframed not as a legacy fuel, but as the backbone infrastructure supporting the integration of renewable energy sources. As gas plants can ramp up and down, they provide the flexibility that intermittent renewables require.
"There's not one solution that's going to solve everything. It's multiple—green hydrogen will still be in place, LNG and CCUS will be key."
Carmen Hamze — Partner at Rollenberger, energy strategist with over 14 years in the GCC sector. Hamze holds a background in biology and healthcare consulting, and has built deep expertise in energy strategy and sustainability through years of consulting at a major GCC utility and advising on the region's energy transition.
The data-driven approach to energy infrastructure is already reshaping investment decisions. Understanding exactly what each technology contributes—and when—allows the private sector to invest more confidently, a conversation that unfolds in depth during this episode.
Digital transformation and AI as operational enablers
Beyond hardware and molecules, digital tools and artificial intelligence will permeate decision-making, operations, and tariff-setting across the energy value chain. Smart grids, AI-driven demand forecasting, and real-time optimization of generation and distribution are no longer theoretical—they're becoming essential competitive advantages.
This digital layer also addresses one of the sector's biggest challenges: the mismatch between software scalability and physical infrastructure constraints. Data centers can spin up new computational capacity almost instantly, but power plants take years to build. How the GCC is solving this timing problem will define its position as a global energy hub in the coming decade.
The role of private sector investment is also accelerating. Governments are increasingly partnering with private companies to share risk, accelerate deployment, and introduce efficiency improvements that state-owned utilities alone cannot always achieve quickly enough.
Key takeaways
- The GCC's energy future is built on multiple simultaneous solutions: nuclear, renewables, low-carbon molecules, LNG, and digital optimization—not a single technology.
- Low-carbon molecules (hydrogen, CCUS, LNG) will be central to bridging the gap between traditional infrastructure and pure renewable systems over the next decade.
- Gas will evolve from a legacy fuel to the flexible backbone supporting renewable integration and grid stability.
- AI and digital systems will reshape operations, forecasting, and tariff-setting, enabling the energy sector to respond in real time to data center demand and market changes.
- Private sector participation will increase significantly, bringing capital, efficiency, and innovation to a region that has historically relied on state investment.
See also
What skills and educational background are needed for careers in the modernized energy sector?
Beyond traditional engineering roles, the sector now requires foundational expertise in AI, data science, and understanding of the energy ecosystem to succeed in the GCC's transformed market.
What role can smart meters and digitalization play in improving energy efficiency?
Smart meters provide real-time data on customer consumption, enabling more accurate billing and allowing consumers to see their usage patterns, which drives behavioral change and long-term efficiency improvements.
How are data centers and AI demand shaping energy infrastructure planning in the GCC?
Data center energy demand is a major consideration for policymakers and investors. The key challenge is that while software can scale up and down easily, physical infrastructure must be built in advance to support this explosive growth.