A high-level delegation from Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), headed by HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of DEWA, is visiting India to promote opportunities for joint cooperation in the renewable and clean energy sectors.
The delegation includes Waleed Salman, Executive Vice President-Strategy & Business Development; Dr. Yousef Al Akraf, Executive Vice President -Business Support & HR, Mohammed Abdulkarim Alshamsi, Senior Manager - Sustainability & Climate Change, and Ahmed Abdullah, Senior Manager of External Communication at DEWA.
Al Tayer delivered a note at a high level meeting in New Delhi attended by HE Ahmad Al Falahi, Commercial Attache at the UAE Embassy in India, representatives of Indian companies operating in the energy, water and environment sectors, Confederation of Indian Industry, UAE India Business Council, and India Green Building Council.
Al Tayer’s invitation for participation in DEWA’s initiatives and events was warmly welcomed by Indian companies.
“It is an honour to be here in India and to address you all here today. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank all members of the UAE Embassy in India, who have tirelessly promoted our great nation and worked so hard to further strengthen the ties of friendship between our countries. The leadership of the UAE and India are committed to supporting and strengthening bilateral relations for the benefit of the people in both countries. Indian companies and investors in the UAE play an important role in fostering ties of friendship, and personal and business relationships. This is reflected positively in economic and trade cooperation between the two countries to serve our common interests. I come here today with the hope to add to these strong ties and to share our common goal to achieve a better, sustainable future for generations to come,” said Al Tayer.
“His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, and His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, have both mandated that renewables and sustainability are essential to the future of our nation. The UAE leadership places great importance on environmental issues that contribute to the sustainable development of the UAE. Through the UAE Vision 2021 we aim to become one of the best countries in the world by 2021. The long-term Green Economy for Sustainable Development initiative, launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, supports a diversified economy based on knowledge and innovation, while saving natural resources and the environment. This in turn strengthens the UAE’s global competitiveness, especially in renewable energy, and green economy technologies and products. In line with the Dubai Plan 2021, the Emirate aims to be a role model to the world by supporting Dubai’s economic growth through secure energy supply & efficient energy use and meeting environmental & sustainability objectives,” he added.
“Last year, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, launched the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050, to make Dubai a global centre for clean energy and green economy. The Strategy aims to provide 7% of Dubai’s energy from clean energy sources by 2020. This target will increase to 25% by 2030 and 75% by 2050. A strategy with ambitious goals and clear five main pillars that consists of: Infrastructure, legislation, funding, building capacities and skills, environment friendly energy mix. The first, Infrastructure, includes initiatives such as the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, which is the largest single-site project to generate electricity from solar energy in the world, with a planned capacity of 5,000 MW by 2030, and total investment of 13.6 billion US dollars (AED 50 billion) to save approximately up to 6.5 million tonnes per annum in emissions,” said Al Tayer.
“Furthermore, His Highness has committed a 136-million dollar (AED 500 million) fund that will be invested directly in Research and Development for next-generation clean energy sources. Dubai will host the Solar Decathlon Middle East in 2018 and 2020 to bring solar power and sustainability even closer together through innovation. Our strategy involves moving from a carbon-intensive economy to a greener one, by the Dubai Green Fund, which is worth 27 billion dollars, encouraging green investment and green growth. Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) established the Etihad Energy Service Company (Etihad ESCO) to boost the model of energy performance contracts by providing financial organisations the opportunity to invest in energy efficient projects and obtain attractive returns, with the new regulatory framework ensuring that all risks are addressed. Financial institutions can become active partners in the sustainable development vision of Dubai, with plans to retrofit more than 30,000 buildings to make them energy efficient. Through our Emirates Central Cooling Systems Corporation (Empower), the world’s largest district cooling services provider, we are trying to highlight the benefits of district cooling for both public and private sectors around the world as there is an urgent need to consolidate efforts to address the challenges facing the energy sector and create new business opportunities in renewable and clean energy sectors. Reiterating our commitment to Sustainable Development goals, The UAE Water Aid Foundation (Suqia) was launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum in 2015, to help millions of underprivileged people, who are in desperate need of drinkable water around the world. This initiative also has an annual US$1 million global award to find sustainable solutions to water scarcity around the world,” he added.
View News Headlines
