An oil giant pursues the sun

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia - Ever since a team of American geologists discovered oil in the Saudi Arabian desert 80 years ago, the kingdom's vast crude reserves, estimated at one-fifth of the world's total, have been the primary engine of its economic growth - and a major source of its international clout.

But Saudi leaders are now looking to exploit another plentiful resource: the sun.

During a recent swing across the United States, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman signed a $200 billion deal with Japan's SoftBank conglomerate to build solar parks in his kingdom that can produce 200 gigawatts of electricity by 2030. That is a staggering figure, equivalent to roughly half the world's entire solar capacity at the end of 2017.

Although the agreement was not binding, it signaled the intention of the