52 Results

Recent search
    Saved search
      The Impact of Displacing Fuel Oil on Saudi Refineries

      The Impact of Displacing Fuel Oil on Saudi Refineries

      Walid Matar

      Saudi Arabia aims to displace fuel oil in its electricity system and industry. Such a move ­will impact the operation of its oil refineries, and this commentary explores ­these potential effects.

      Walid Matar Matar, Walid
      03 November 2024
      Using Satellite Technology to Measure Methane Emissions in Arabian Gulf Countries

      Using Satellite Technology to Measure Methane Emissions in Arabian Gulf Countries

      Anwar Gasim, Walid Matar, Abdelrahman Muhsen, Srivatsan Anand, Julian Akani Guery

      Decision makers need high-quality information on the level of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to take effective climate actions. Of the GHGs, methane can be particularly difficult to measure. Huge discrepancies exist in methane emission estimates at the global, national, and…

      Anwar Gasim Gasim, Anwar
      Walid Matar Matar, Walid
      Abdelrahman Muhsen Muhsen, Abdelrahman
      Srivatsan Anand Srivatsan Anand
      Julian Akani Guery Julian Akani Guery
      30 October 2024
      Web-Based User Interfaces for Mathematical Models to Support Decisions: The Fuel Distribution Network Optimizer
      Evaluation of Public Investment Projects

      Web-Based User Interfaces for Mathematical Models to Support Decisions: The Fuel Distribution Network Optimizer

      Nourah Al Hosain, Jaidaa Alidrisi, Amr Alruthai, Walid Matar, Abdelrahman Muhsen, Pavithra Kumar Shetty, Lama Yaseen, Abeer AlGhamdi

      Mathematical models provide quantitative analyses that can inform policy decisions. We argue that two attributes can support models’ adoption by policymakers: an intuitive graphical interface and active engagement between modelers and policymakers.

      Nourah Al Hosain Al Hosain, Nourah
      Jaidaa Alidrisi Alidrisi, Jaidaa
      Amr Alruthai Alruthai, Amr
      Walid Matar Matar, Walid
      Abdelrahman Muhsen Muhsen, Abdelrahman
      Pavithra Kumar Shetty Shetty, Pavithra Kumar
      Lama Yaseen Yaseen, Lama
      Abeer AlGhamdi AlGhamdi, Abeer
      30 September 2024
      An Exposition of Bilinear “Implicit” Subsidy Equations
      Evaluation of Public Investment Projects

      An Exposition of Bilinear “Implicit” Subsidy Equations

      Walid Matar

      The price-gap method is popularly applied to estimate energy subsidies, and it simply involves calculating the difference between the market and domestic prices of a good multiplied by the quantity consumed. In the case where subsidies impose foregone revenue rather…

      Walid Matar Matar, Walid
      10 September 2024
      Using Satellite Technology to Measure Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Saudi Arabia
      Climate Change Policies and Governance

      Using Satellite Technology to Measure Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Saudi Arabia

      Anwar Gasim, Walid Matar, Abdelrahman Muhsen

      Measuring and monitoring greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are crucial to address climate change and fulfill Paris Agreement objectives. This paper explores the potential of satellite technology in measuring and tracking CH4, CO2, and N2O emissions in Saudi Arabia, collaborating with…

      Anwar Gasim Gasim, Anwar
      Walid Matar Matar, Walid
      Abdelrahman Muhsen Muhsen, Abdelrahman
      07 December 2023
      Energy Policy Pathways to Inform Climate Policy in Saudi Arabia
      Evaluation of Public Investment Projects

      Energy Policy Pathways to Inform Climate Policy in Saudi Arabia

      Walid Matar, Noura Mansouri, Evar Umeozor

      Saudi Arabia has announced plans to cut greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 278 million tons of CO2 equivalent (CO2e). In this regard, this paper contributes a modeling view of the climate-related effects of various energy policies on the Saudi energy…

      Walid Matar Matar, Walid
      Noura Mansouri Mansouri, Noura
      Evar Umeozor Umeozor, Evar
      13 November 2023
      A Decomposition Approach to Energy Policy Analysis
      Evaluation of Public Investment Projects

      A Decomposition Approach to Energy Policy Analysis

      Walid Matar

      Index decomposition analysis (IDA) has been used to study energy use movements since the 1980s. Methods at that time consisted primarily of multiplying factors that ultimately yielded the aggregate quantity, such as energy use. IDA is a straightforward way for…

      Walid Matar Matar, Walid
      18 September 2023
      Modeling the Distribution and Transshipment of Refined Oil Products
      Evaluation of Public Investment Projects

      Modeling the Distribution and Transshipment of Refined Oil Products

      Walid Matar

      KAPSARC has developed an optimization model to characterize the distribution of oil products after the refining stage. The model ensures that the demand for any group of refined oil products is simultaneously met while minimizing the social costs associated with…

      Walid Matar Matar, Walid
      11 May 2023
      Real Gross Domestic Income for Saudi Arabia From 1986 to 2021
      Evaluation of Public Investment Projects

      Real Gross Domestic Income for Saudi Arabia From 1986 to 2021

      Walid Matar

      A country’s national income is defined as the total market value of its output. The most used measure for national income is gross domestic product (GDP). One way to estimate GDP for a country is to sum its government consumption,…

      Walid Matar Matar, Walid
      4 April 2023
      Alternative Fuels for Saudi Cement Manufacturing with Time-varying Carbon Pricing
      Evaluation of Public Investment Projects

      Alternative Fuels for Saudi Cement Manufacturing with Time-varying Carbon Pricing

      Walid Matar, Doaa Filali

      After cement production in Saudi Arabia surged in the first half of the 2010s due to the country’s rapid economic development, it has slowed measurably in recent years as economic growth has declined. This is shown in Figure 1, along…

      Walid Matar Matar, Walid
      Doaa Filali Doaa Filali
      17 January 2023
      Long-run Effects of Real-time Electricity Pricing in the Saudi Power Sector
      Models, Data and Tools

      Long-run Effects of Real-time Electricity Pricing in the Saudi Power Sector

      Walid Matar

      This study explores the potential effects of real-time electricity pricing on the operations of Saudi Arabia’s power generation sector. The Kingdom currently sets fuel prices for power utilities at levels that suppress the costs of power generation. However, this analysis…

      Walid Matar Matar, Walid
      22 March 2021
      On the Incremental Investment in Residential Energy Efficiency: A Saudi Perspective

      On the Incremental Investment in Residential Energy Efficiency: A Saudi Perspective

      Taylor & Francis Online

      This paper examines the marginal welfare gain of adopting higher energy efficiency after another efficiency measure has already been installed. For example, how does installing stringent thermal insulation influence energy efficiency investment decisions thereafter? A mathematical model that embeds a…

      Walid Matar

      2021
      Can Oil Refiners Adjust to a Greater Supply of Shale Oil?
      Future of Global Oil Markets

      Can Oil Refiners Adjust to a Greater Supply of Shale Oil?

      Walid Matar, Rami Shabaneh

      The advent of American shale oil and its prospects for continued production growth have raised concerns about whether oil refineries can handle the increasingly lighter crude oil supply. To provide a perspective on this issue, we run a global oil…

      Walid Matar Matar, Walid
      Rami Shabaneh Shabaneh, Rami
      6 January 2021
      Real Gross Domestic Income for Saudi Arabia: A Measure of National Income
      Productivity and Economic Diversification

      Real Gross Domestic Income for Saudi Arabia: A Measure of National Income

      Anwar Gasim, Walid Matar

      “A country’s national income is defined as the total market value of its output. The most used measure for national income is gross domestic product (GDP). One way to estimate GDP for a country is to sum its government consumption,…

      Anwar Gasim Gasim, Anwar
      Walid Matar Matar, Walid
      27 December 2020
      On the Incremental Investment in Residential Energy Efficiency: A Saudi Perspective
      Electricity Sector Transitions

      On the Incremental Investment in Residential Energy Efficiency: A Saudi Perspective

      Walid Matar

      It has been shown in the literature that, in aggregate, actual household energy efficiency adoption is less than would be expected economically. Energy economists and policy analysts have described this phenomenon as the ‘energy efficiency gap.’ There could be myriad…

      Walid Matar Matar, Walid
      14 September 2020