His Excellency Eng Sharif Al Olama, Undersecretary for Energy and Petroleum Affairs at the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, participated in the 50th edition of Middle East Energy, where he delivered a keynote address and took part in a fireside chat highlighting the UAE’s progress towards its 2030 clean energy milestones and its vision for a cleaner, smarter and more resilient energy system.
Speaking during the session titled ‘The UAE 2030 Milestones: Accelerating the Clean Energy Mix,’ His Excellency Eng Al Olama highlighted the UAE’s balanced and pragmatic approach to the energy transition, combining ambitious climate action with energy security, affordability, reliability and long-term economic growth.
He said: “The question before us is not simply how we generate more energy. It is how we build an energy system that is cleaner, smarter, more efficient, more resilient and capable of supporting long-term economic growth.”
His Excellency Eng Al Olama noted that energy is a fundamental enabler of industry, technology, mobility, and prosperity, as well as an increasingly important driver of national competitiveness. Against a backdrop of rising demand and rapid technological change, including the growing influence of artificial intelligence, he stressed the need for energy systems capable of supporting data centers, electrification, future mobility and industrial expansion.
He highlighted the UAE’s growing clean energy portfolio, supported by investments in world-class solar projects, the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant, energy storage, grid infrastructure and emerging technologies. He also pointed to the UAE’s 24/7 renewable energy RTC project, which integrates solar generation with large-scale battery storage to provide continuous clean electricity.
Energy efficiency was another central theme of His Excellency’s participation. Describing it as the “first fuel,” he emphasized that the cleanest and most affordable unit of energy is the one that does not need to be produced.
He explained that improving energy efficiency is both an environmental and economic priority, helping to reduce costs, strengthen energy security, ease pressure on electricity grids, improve industrial productivity and meet growing demand without unnecessary investment in additional capacity.
During the fireside chat, His Excellency Eng Al Olama highlighted the Global Energy Efficiency Alliance (GEEA), launched by the UAE to help move the global energy-efficiency agenda from commitments to practical implementation.
The Alliance brings together governments, technology providers, industry, and financial institutions to connect tangible energy-efficiency opportunities with the expertise, technology and financing needed to transform them into measurable, bankable and scalable projects.
His Excellency Eng Al Olama noted that while many of the technologies, solutions, and sources of capital required to improve energy efficiency already exist, stronger connections are needed between them.
“The technology exists. The capital exists. The demand exists. What is often missing is the bridge between them,” he said.
His Excellency Eng Al Olama also called for stronger collaboration across the energy ecosystem, emphasizing the role of governments in establishing enabling policies and regulatory frameworks, the private sector in delivering technology and innovation, and financial institutions in mobilizing the capital needed to scale solutions.
“The next phase of the global energy transition will not be judged only by targets announced. It will be judged by projects delivered, systems modernized, demand reduced and investment mobilized,” he said.
His Excellency Eng Al Olama reaffirmed the UAE’s commitment to investing in clean energy, strengthening energy efficiency, modernizing infrastructure and advancing innovation in partnership with stakeholders around the world.
“The future of energy will not be shaped by those who wait for change. It will be shaped by those who have the courage to lead it,” he concluded.