<![CDATA[The accelerating penetration of solar photovoltaic and wind generation has increased the need for energy storage systems capable of supporting grid stability, flexibility, adequacy, and resilience. This study presents a structured bibliometric-informed review of energy-storage research and deployment developments during 2023–2025, with attention to short-, medium-, and long-duration technologies, policy, digitalization, and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Literature was identified through Scopus, Web of Science, and IEEE Xplore and complemented by authoritative institutional and government reports. The analytical corpus contains 41 dated sources from 2023–2025, supplemented by a small number of earlier or undated contextual sources. Publication-year trends, recurrent citation patterns within the reviewed corpus, thematic concentration, technology performance, cost, discharge duration, and technology readiness were synthesized. The corpus increased from 11 publications in 2023 to 13 in 2024 and 17 in 2025, indicating rising research attention. The evidence shows that lithium-ion/LFP remains dominant for short-duration services, while sodium-ion, flow batteries, LAES, A-CAES, hydrogen, thermal storage, and pumped hydro address increasingly diverse duration and sectoral requirements. The literature is also shifting from technology-specific studies toward hybrid storage, grid-forming capability, circularity, AI-enabled operation, and market design. For MENA systems, portfolio-based solutions appear more appropriate than reliance on a single technology. Robust low-carbon grids therefore require coordinated technological, economic, regulatory, and digital strategies.]]>
