GeothermalENERGY IN THE MIDDLE EAST – A PLAY-BASED REVIEW

The Middle East hosts commercial geothermal power in only one country, Türkiye, yet its geology spans active rift volcanism, transform-fault hydrothermal systems, radiogenic basement and some of the thickest sedimentary basins on Earth. Geologic® prepared a review that reassesses regional prospectivity through the geothermal play-type framework rather than by enthalpy class alone. Its thesis: the region's most distinctive geothermal asset is not anomalous heat flow but the petroleum endowment built on top of it — a vast archive of deep wells, temperature records and calibrated basin models, plus rigs and subsurface teams, sitting directly above medium-enthalpy basin plays.

Nine countries are assessed on literature audited to mid 2026 and condensed into a transparent matrix distinguishing proven, present and speculative plays. Only Türkiye's extensional play (1,717.3 MWe installed) and Iran's Sabalan volcanic play are proven at reservoir depth; Saudi Arabia holds the broadest undrilled portfolio, and Egypt combines the region's longest quantitative thermal record with the strongest well-repurposing fundamentals. The G2COOL geothermal district-cooling plant at Masdar City, operating since December 2023, demonstrates the recommended direct-use entry at operating scale. A resource-assessment workflow for petroleum provinces and an effort-ranked research agenda translate the review into action.