Rwanga Foundation transforms kurdish village into a model of Gulf-driven sustainability

As Gulf states accelerate renewable energy adoption and long-term development strategies, a quiet yet powerful transformation in northern Iraq is showing how these regional priorities are taking root beyond the GCC.

In the remote village of Sheikh Wasan in the Balisan Valley, every home and public facility now runs on reliable, uninterrupted solar power — an extraordinary leap for a community long held back by hardship and energy scarcity.

The shift is driven by the Rwanga Foundation under the leadership of Kurdish businessman and philanthropist Idris Nechirvan Barzani. What began as a mission to support underserved rural communities has grown into one of the most comprehensive village-scale solar installations in the wider region. With 72 systems made up of 432 high-efficiency panels, Sheikh Wasan has replaced unreliable diesel generators with clean, cost-effective energy.

The impact is immediate. Families are saving significantly on fuel expenditures, enabling them to reinvest in agriculture, livestock, and small businesses. Local shops can refrigerate goods year-round, farmers face fewer losses, and a cohort of trained young residents now maintains the systems opening new employment opportunities in a region where job prospects are scarce.

Barzani emphasises that the project is designed not only to improve quality of life but to unlock long-term economic potential. Stable electricity, he notes, is the foundation for rural communities to connect with broader markets and achieve sustainable growth. The initiative mirrors a rising regional trend: philanthropic investment filling development gaps where state budgets and international programmes may be strained.

As Gulf nations pour resources into solar, hydrogen and clean-tech innovation, this village demonstrates how such models can extend outward supporting neighbouring regions and advancing shared sustainability goals.

Funded entirely by donations within Kurdistan, it reflects a philanthropic approach similar to GCC-backed initiatives driving social and economic renewal across the Middle East.