Abdulrahman Alhajji

Saudi Arabian entrepreneur who pioneered renewable energy adoption in the Gulf despite oil industry dominance

Abdulrahman Alhajji is a visionary Saudi engineer whose work in renewable energy has challenged the kingdom's oil-dependent economy. Born in 1978, he founded Solar Future Solutions in 2000, the first solar energy company in Saudi Arabia. His innovative financing models allowed households to adopt solar panels through rent-to-own agreements, overcoming cultural and economic barriers to renewable adoption. By 2010, his company had installed over 10,000 systems across the Gulf, reducing CO2 emissions by 500,000 tons annually.

Alhajji's advocacy led to the 2005 Renewable Energy Law, which mandates 10% renewable energy in all new construction. His research on desert solar potential was critical in securing $50 billion for the NEOM Smart City project. He developed the EnergySmart app that connects households to real-time energy usage data, now used by 2 million Saudi users.

Despite facing opposition from traditional energy sectors, Alhajji's work has been profiled in Financial Times and the documentary Desert Sunlight. His company's case studies show solar adoption reduced electricity costs by 40% for small businesses. He currently chairs the Gulf Renewable Energy Council, training 500+ engineers annually. His 2018 TED Talk Renewable Energy in the Heart of the Oil Kingdom has over 2 million views, inspiring similar initiatives in UAE and Qatar.