Managing Lightning Risk for Saudi Arabia’s Wind Sector

In the Asir and Jazan provinces of Southwest Saudi Arabia, lightning strikes pose a growing threat to the Kingdom’s ambitious wind-power expansion. With Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 targeting 40GW of wind capacity by 2030 and a national push to source 50% of power from renewables, every strike avoided translates directly into megawatts saved and millions in costs averted.[1] The growth in Saudi Arabia’s wind power generation continues beyond 2030; according to GlobalData, Saudi Arabia’s onshore wind power will grow at a CAGR of 22% during 2023-2035.[2] As such, effective lightning-risk management is no longer optional – it’s integral to the resilience and financial viability of Middle East and North Africa’s (MENA) wind-energy rollout.