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Abstract: This paper analyses the renewable energy issues and electricity production in Middle East compared with Iran. Nevertheless, the use of renewable energy has started to be an interesting issue for people and also governments in Middle East, especially in Iran where all different types of renewable energy sources (RES) are available and also possible to implement for gaining required energy. There are many different kinds of renewable energy sources like geothermal, bio fuel, tidal and so on, but wind and solar energies are more available and accessible than other types in Middle Eastern countries. Nowadays, the rapidly increasing demand for electrical energy and the high restriction on pollution levels have led to an increasing interest in large-scale utilization of renewable energies across many countries in Middle East. This paper analyzes the electricity production in Middle East and also reviews different aspects of renewable energy issues in Iran. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Environmental and socioeconomic challenges facing many hydrocarbon-rich nations could help them evolve from hydrocarbon-based (black) into renewables-based (green) economies. In this paper, we present a case study for application of this Black Into Green (BIG) method for Iran. We show that with international cooperation Iran could indefinitely meet its energy and freshwater needs by leveraging large-scale renewable energy harvesting systems integrated with seawater pumped storage hydropower, reverse osmosis desalination, and enhanced distribution systems. This BIG transition could be facilitated by allocating a significant portion of Iran's potential hydrocarbon-based income to acquire, develop, and deploy renewable energy technology that utilizes Iran's immense solar and wind energy potential. Our analysis shows that developing just 1% of identified sites would provide over 30 TWh of annual renewable electricity generation and storage, and 221 million m 3 /day of renewably-powered desalination capacity to meet the freshwater needs of over 85% of its population. In addition to providing renewable energy design and manufacturing technology, the international community could also work with Iran to help evolve its nuclear power program toward small modular reactors for baseload power generation. Such an arrangement would contribute to regional and global security, and greatly reduce the Middle East's carbon emissions of which Iran is the largest emitter. Results from this holistic approach could then serve as a model for the world economy to work with other resource-rich nations to reduce their environmental impact while modernizing their economies and helping them achieve the socioeconomic goals outlined in the UN's Brundtland report. • Presents strategy for a sustainable economy to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic. • Case study for Iran with oil (black) exchanged for renewables (green). • Wind and solar energy with coastal pumped storage hydro and reverse osmosis. • 1% of viable sites could supply Iran with 10% of power and 45% of freshwater needs. • Distributed economic and environmental benefits meet UN sustainable development goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]