The World Future Energy Summit 2022, which takes place at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC), from 17-19 January, will put the spotlight on five critical industries that are shaping sustainability and driving investments globally
The Solar & Clean Energy, EcoWASTE, Water, Smart Cities, and Climate & Environment forums which will take place at the Summit, will feature more than 275 industry leaders, who will share their insights with the Middle East's most powerful investors, policy makers, business leaders, project owners, entrepreneurs, and technology pioneers.
These five industry forums at the world’s leading business event for clean energy and sustainability, provide valuable, free-to-attend platforms to access great industry content, participate in debates and panel discussions, along with exploring the latest case studies and trends from the industry.
Grant Tuchten, group event director at World Future Energy Summit, said, “These five forum programmes at the World Future Energy Summit 2022 bring together leaders and stakeholders driving the sustainability agenda, though leadership and global investment strategy. Attendees can network, do business and share knowledge about issues critical to sustainable development.”
The forums provide the perfect platforms for global stakeholders to network and do business, and in turn drive clean energy and sustainable development in the MENA region. Frost & Sullivan estimates that additional investment in solar in MENA could reach US$182.3 billion by 2025. At the same time, Dubai’s Clean Energy Strategy 2050 epitomises public-private partnerships widely viewed in the industry as the most efficient way to move forward.
The Solar & Clean Energy Forum will discuss energy transition, hydrogen (including the UAE national strategy for hydrogen) net zero energy, sustainable finance, and energy storage. Key speakers include Hind Almutawa, director of Electricity and Energy Trade, Ministry of Energy & Infrastructure, UAE; AbdulAziz Al Obaidli, director of UAE Assets, Generation, Taqa; Bruce Stedall, Asset Management director, Transco; Ahmed AlMazrouei, director, Electricity & Energy Trading Department, Ministry of Energy & Infrastructure, UAE; Lukas Sokol, head, City Design, Sustainable Planning & Approvals, Masdar; Carmen Vidal, Chief Procurement Officer, Engie; and Mothana Bahjeat Qteisha, senior managing director, MEA & APAC, Jinko Power.
Waste management targets set by the UAE include treating 75 percent of municipal solid waste by 2025 and 85 percent by 2035, as well as reducing municipal solid waste generation to 1.4kg per person per day by the year 2025. The EcoWASTE Forum will examine new attitudes to waste management, the benefits of reducing, reusing, and recycling, and evolving approaches to waste. The forum will explore other key trends including the circular economy, connected equipment and automation, waste to Hydrogen, landfill reduction strategies, and approaches to dealing with major waste sources.
Confirmed speakers for the EcoWASTE Forum include Daker El Rabaya, managing director of Waste Processing, Treatment and Disposal, Bee’ah; Pablo Arribere Jimenez, senior director - Operational Excellence & Innovation, Bee’ah; Ali Moidu, CEO, Dubai Technologies; Naseebah AlMarzooqi, director of Studies, Research and Development, Ministry of Energy & Industry, UAE; and Franco Lusuriello, CEO, BTS Biogas.
Arab countries are home to six per cent of the world’s population but have less than two percent of renewable water supply, according to the World Bank. To ensure its own water security, the UAE has announced three additional seawater desalination plants to be completed by 2023, with a combined capacity of 420 million imperial gallons per day.
The Water Forum will explore these developments and will feature world class speakers including Dr Corrado Sommariva, CEO & founder, SWPC; Fatima Al Shaygi, vice president of Thermal & Water, Taqa; Rami Ghandour, managing director, Metito Utilities; Dr Shehab Al Ameri, Water Asset Division Manager, Transco; and Dr Mohamed Abdel Hamyd Dawoud, advisor - Water Resources, Environment Quality, Environment Agency, Abu Dhabi. It will update attendees on decarbonising desalination, water efficiency strategies, water re-use priorities, food security - water nexus, and digitalisation and innovation highways.
Rami Ghandour, managing director at Metito, said, “Integrating advanced water management strategies enables more sustainable communities.
“The Water Forum this January will aim to tackle challenges related to the implementation of such strategies and the importance of public-private partnerships in developing more capital-intensive water projects. The Forum will also discuss the latest eco-friendly technologies that can be applied in the Middle East for greener operations.” Ghandour added.
The Smart Cities Forum will help drive the next generation of urban development and feature industry veterans including HE Eng. Yousef Al Ali, assistant undersecretary for the Electricity, Water & Future Energy Sector, UAE Ministry of Energy & Infrastructure; Khalid Mohamed Al Qubaisi, CEO, Abu Dhabi Energy Services Company; Greg Fewer, Group chief Financial & Sustainability officer, Aldar; Stephan Gobart, head of Strategy, Innovation & Customer Experience, Engie; Chris Wan, head, Design Management, Masdar; and Karim El-Jisr, chief sustainability officer, Diamond Developers. Topics that will be covered during the three-day Smart Cities Forum include master planning for sustainable cities, future transportation requirements, cybersecurity in smart cities, meeting net-zero carbon targets in cities, and digitalisation and efficiency in buildings.
The Climate and Environment Forum will highlight the latest advances in climate resilience and environmental protection with well-known industry figures such as Dr Christian Tock, deputy director general, Industry, New Technologies and Research, Ministry of Economy, Luxemburg; Capucine Jeunet, Sustainability business division director, Schneider Electric; Dr Majid Sultan Al Qassimi, partner, Soma Mater; Bruce Smith, director of Forecasting and Planning, Emirates Water and Electricity Company; and Mohamed Al Hosani, CEO - Consultancy, Research and Innovation, Bee’ah. The forum will explore the commitments to carbon reductions targets, climate-linked finance, carbon capture and storage, decarbonising major industries and food security in desert environments.
The World Future Energy Summit 2022, organised by RX Global, is hosted by Masdar as part of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week.
