The Rashid bin Humaid Ramadan Majlis organized a dialogue session themed “Sustainable Development in the UAE: Integrating Infrastructure and Protecting Environment for Green Future,” attended by His Excellency Suhail bin Mohammed Faraj Faris Al Mazrouei, Minister of Energy and Infrastructure.
The dialogue session was attended by His Excellency Eng. Sharif Al Olama, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure for Energy and Petroleum Affairs, and His Excellency Eng. Mohammed Saeed Al Nuaimi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, as well as assistant undersecretaries, directors of municipalities, and general managers, along with a host of sustainability and energy officials and experts.
It was moderated by His Excellency Mohammed Abdullah Al Kaabi, Executive Director of the Ajman Government Media Office. It featured discussions on sustainable urban planning strategies, eco-friendly buildings, green transportation, renewable energy, and stressed the importance of local and international cooperation to achieve sustainable development goals.
Speakers emphasized the UAE’s commitment to reinforcing sustainability through innovative policies and ambitious projects that support the green economy, protect the environment, and balance between economic growth and environmental sustainability.
They also reviewed the most prominent national initiatives and strategies that strengthen the UAE’s position as a leader in sustainable development.
His Excellency Sheikh Rashid bin Humaid Al Nuaimi, Chairman of the Municipality and Planning Department – Ajman (MPDA), started the session with a speech emphasizing that the UAE’s wise leadership places great importance the balance between economic development and the protection of the environment and its natural resources to achieve sustainable development. His Excellency emphasized the need for concerted efforts by government institutions and private sector partners to achieve the State’s vision on a more prosperous future and enhance its global leadership in sustainability.
Sheikh Rashid highlighted the UAE’s efforts and initiatives in the energy sector, including the UAE Energy Strategy 2050, geared towards doubling the contribution of renewable energy. His Excellency also pointed to the “Sludge for Energy” project, implemented by the Ajman Wastewater Treatment Plant Company, the first of its kind in the Arabian Gulf. This project produces green electricity from wastewater treatment plant sludge, in line with the State’s strategy to support clean energy.
In turn, His Excellency Suhail bin Mohammed Al Mazrouei praised the sessions of the Sheikh Rashid bin Humaid Majlis, which always strives to attract selected experts and specialists in various fields to spread awareness, promote a culture of cooperation, and promote the values of national identity. He also highlighted the efforts of the Emirate of Ajman within the Emirates Infrastructure and Housing Council, which contributed to developing appropriate solutions to all challenges to achieve the wise leadership’s vision to ensure quality infrastructure all over emirates.
His Excellency emphasized that the UAE consolidates its leadership in the energy and infrastructure sectors, thanks to its vast resources and future-oriented priorities, attracting investments, in conjunction with the digital transformation and the race for technology, robotics, and green mobility. He emphasized the ability of Emirati youth to prove their ability to compete in various sectors to lead their country globally.
For his part, Eng. Sharif Al Olama noted that since the decision to merge the Ministry of Energy with the Ministry of Infrastructure into the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure and to attach the Zayed Housing Program and the Federal Transport Authority – Land and Maritime to the new ministry in 2020, the Ministry has been working to explore opportunities for cooperation between various entities and maximize the benefits of key sector strategies. He emphasized that the Ministry, which includes four important sectors, is the largest ministry in the world.
Al Olama highlighted the National Program for Energy and Water Demand Management in 2021. This program represents the Ministry’s commitment to unifying efforts in the field of rationalizing energy and water consumption, with the aim of increasing the efficiency of the three most important energy-consuming sectors: transportation, industry, and construction, by 40% by 2050. It is expected to reduce energy demand by 45% and water demand by 50% by 2050. The Program has also made significant achievements in reducing approximately 14 million tons of carbon emissions annually, resulting in annual savings of approximately $2 billion.
Al Olama also highlighted the UAE’s initiatives in the sector, including the National Green Building Regulations, in cooperation with the UAE municipalities, which aims to encourage energy conservation in buildings and the use of environmentally friendly materials. He also highlighted an initiative to collaborate with the private sector to curb emissions from existing buildings, including 2,800 buildings belonging to government institutions.
Al Olama highlighted the Ministry’s cooperation with the Etihad Water and Electricity (EtihadWE) to establish the Emirates Electric Vehicle Charging Stations Company, with the aim of providing a fast and advanced infrastructure for electric vehicles across the emirates. This is the first national electric vehicle charging network, fully owned by the UAE government. This network has contributed to car sales reaching 25.7% of electric vehicles in the State as part of green mobility initiatives, especially given the growth in car sales within the State of approximately 8%.
He pointed to the enhancement of the distributed solar energy systems project, which helps generate electricity from solar energy by installing solar panels on the roofs of their properties, then transferring the resulting energy to feed the public grid, thus contributing to the overall output of renewable energy sources. He also highlighted the Ministry’s commitment to new strategic projects targeting cooperation within and outside countries in the region, including Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and India.
Engineer Mohammed Saeed Al Nuaimi tackled the UAE’s general environmental policy, which aims to enhance the UAE’s life quality and focus on preserving a sustainable environment that supports long-term economic growth. The policy embraces the implementation of more than 100 initiatives to enhance agricultural and livestock resources, support production, enhance its contribution to the national economy, and leverage technology and its applications to achieve sustainability.
Al Nuaimi explained that the UAE’s strategy to combat climate change aims to support the UAE’s economic development priorities through sustainable infrastructure that adapts to climate change, such as green buildings and green transportation. He pointed to the cooperation between entities to develop numerous sustainable initiatives to address some challenges; desert soil, water availability, sustainable agriculture, and the promotion of local production. This includes the establishment of the National Agricultural Canter, one of the initiatives of the national “Plant the Emirates” program.
This session was one of the Rashid bin Humaid Ramadan Majlis sessions, aiming to exchange insights and experiences on vital issues and raise awareness about the importance of sustainability as a key pillar for achieving a prosperous future for future generations.
