3:13 am - February 14, 2026
The United Arab Emirates is strengthening its role in global energy sustainability through high-level international engagement, ambitious domestic clean energy initiatives, and multi-billion-dollar investments aiming to reshape the future of clean energy and climate responsibility.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is steadily solidifying its reputation as a proactive and responsible player on the global stage when it comes to the energy transition. It actively participates in international forums, while simultaneously pushing forward with ambitious domestic policies. Recently, the UAE took part in the fourth G20 Energy Transitions Working Group (ETWG) meeting held in South Africa, which really underscores their commitment to multilateral cooperation and promoting sustainable energy development. This involvement clearly reflects the country’s broader strategic aim to balance economic growth with environmental responsibility, and—let’s be honest—making sure energy remains secure both now and in the future.
At the G20 ETWG event, representatives from the UAE’s Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure joined discussions focused on speeding up the shift to more sustainable and inclusive global energy systems. Their presence wasn’t just limited to the main conference; they also took part in side events like the one on “Creating Demand for Sustainable Fuels,” and the G20 nuclear energy ministers’ gathering. These opportunities put the UAE alongside other world leaders and policy makers committed to transforming energy solutions. Honestly, participation like this really embodies the UAE’s dedication to backing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 7—aimed at ensuring everyone has access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy sources.
On the home front, the UAE is pushing strongly ahead with its clean energy plans. For example, it continues to refine its UAE Energy Strategy 2050 and is actively implementing the National Hydrogen Strategy 2050, which shows it’s playing a pretty pioneering role in clean hydrogen development. The targets are ambitious—aiming to produce more than 1.4 million tonnes of low-emission hydrogen annually by 2031, with a hefty 73% of that being green hydrogen—and this could expand to a tenfold increase, reaching 15 million tonnes, by 2050. Key to this initiative are “hydrogen oases”—sort of like hubs—and a dedicated R&D center focused solely on hydrogen tech. It’s not just about cutting emissions; this approach also supports decarbonizing difficult sectors like transportation and heavy industry, fitting perfectly with the UAE’s net-zero climate goals.
When you look at the numbers—well, they speak volumes—investment-wise, the UAE is serious about its energy transition. To date, the country has poured about AED160 billion into clean energy projects. But it doesn’t intend to stop there. Over the next thirty years, plans are in place to inject an additional AED500 billion, aiming to boost clean energy capacity from around 6 gigawatts (GW) today to nearly 20 GW by 2030. This includes expanding nuclear energy to 5.6 GW, alongside solar and wind power. The country also aims to cut grid emissions to roughly 0.27 kg of CO2 per kWh—significantly below the global average—which aligns its climate efforts with international goals.
And it’s not just about policies and investments—recent international agreements highlight the UAE’s global outreach. For example, in January 2025, they struck a €1 billion deal with Italy and Albania to develop solar and wind projects in Albania, intending to connect to Italy via an underwater electrical link. This kind of international cooperation, showcased by UAE energy minister Sultan al-Jaber and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, reveals the UAE’s role as a renewable energy exporter and its commitment to tackling climate change through partnerships.
All this global activity complements the UAE’s high-level participation in international forums. Back in October 2024, UAE officials represented the country at the G20 Ministerial Session in Brazil, where energy ministers discussed collective climate action. UAE Undersecretary for Energy and Petroleum Affairs, Eng. Sharif Al Olama, emphasized their focus on a fair and inclusive transition, aligned with the UAE Consensus. Plus, their involvement in the Clean Energy Ministerial and the Mission Innovation Dialogue shows a clear strategy: leverage innovation and collaboration to reshape the energy landscape and meet climate ambitions.
At the national level, the UAE’s Net Zero by 2050 Strategic Initiative lays out a detailed roadmap for decarbonization across six key sectors. It’s expected to create roughly 200,000 jobs in areas like solar, battery storage, and hydrogen. The strategy isn’t just about reducing emissions; it’s also about stimulating economic growth through exports and expanding the energy sector’s diversity.
Overall, it’s clear that the UAE’s approach to energy transition is multi-layered. It combines solid domestic policies, huge investments in clean tech, and a proactive role in international governance. Efforts to develop hydrogen economies, ramp up renewable capacity, expand nuclear power, and foster global partnerships reflect a recognition that tackling worldwide energy challenges requires both international cooperation and strong national action.
In summary, the UAE is carving out a vital role in shaping the future of global energy. Its active engagement in G20 energy discussions, the groundbreaking National Hydrogen Strategy, significant investments, and key international cooperation agreements all point towards a thoughtful and credible path to sustainability and fairness. This comprehensive vision—rooted in innovation, sustainability, and global collaboration—offers quite a few lessons for other countries trying to balance economic development with environmental responsibilities.
Source: Noah Wire Services
- https://24.ae/article/923197/%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%a5%d9%85%d8%a7%d8%b1%d8%a7%d8%aa-%d8%aa%d8%a4%d9%83%d8%af-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%aa%d8%b2%d8%a7%d9%85%d9%87%d8%a7-%d8%a8%d8%aa%d8%b3%d8%b1%d9%8a%d8%b9-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%aa%d8%ad%d9%88%d9%84-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%b9%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%85%d9%8a-%d9%86%d8%ad%d9%88-%d8%b7%d8%a7%d9%82%d8%a9-%d9%86%d8%b8%d9%8a%d9%81%d8%a9 – Please view link – unable to able to access data
- https://www.moei.gov.ae/en/media-center/news/5/10/2024/uae-participates-in-the-g20-ministerial-session-in-brazil – In October 2024, the UAE, represented by the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, participated in the G20 Ministerial Session in Brazil. The session aimed to foster collaboration among G20 member countries and address challenges in the energy sector and climate action. Eng Sharif Al Olama, Undersecretary for Energy and Petroleum Affairs at MoEI, reaffirmed the UAE’s commitment to a just and equitable energy transition, as outlined in the UAE Consensus. The UAE delegation also engaged in high-level sessions, including the Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM) and Mission Innovation (MI) Dialogue, emphasising the role of innovation and collaboration in redefining the energy landscape to meet climate objectives. Additionally, the UAE participated in the Unlocking Future Fuels Ministerial Session, highlighting the objectives of the UAE Energy Strategy 2050 and its steadfast commitment to the energy transition. The UAE is an active player in the global energy market, focusing on enhancing its role as a supplier of renewable energy, particularly low-emission hydrogen. The UAE has made significant strides in shifting to clean energy, developing the UAE Energy Strategy 2050, which commits the country to tripling its renewables capacity by 2030. The UAE has invested AED160 billion in clean energy and plans to invest an additional AED500 billion in the energy sector over the next three decades to achieve net zero by 2050. The UAE’s current renewables capacity stands at 6 GW, with nuclear energy capacity at 5.6 GW. By 2030, the UAE’s clean energy capacity is projected to reach 19.8 GW.
- https://u.ae/en/about-the-uae/strategies-initiatives-and-awards/strategies-plans-and-visions/environment-and-energy/national-hydrogen-strategy – The UAE’s National Hydrogen Strategy 2050 aims to support low-carbon local industries, contribute to achieving climate neutrality, and enhance the UAE’s position as one of the largest producers of hydrogen by 2031. The strategy focuses on ten enablers and outlines key steps to accelerate the growth of the hydrogen economy and reduce emissions in highly emission-intensive sectors. The strategy targets a production of 1.4 million tons of low-emission hydrogen per annum by 2031, with 71.4% being green hydrogen. By 2050, the goal is to increase production tenfold to reach 15 million tons per annum. The strategy involves establishing hydrogen oases and a dedicated national research and development centre for hydrogen technologies. It contributes to fostering the domestic market, developing a regulatory framework and policies that support hydrogen as a sustainable fuel for the future, strengthening regional collaboration to establish a regional hydrogen market, and bolstering investments in research and development to improve the cost-effectiveness of hydrogen production, transport, and utilisation.
- https://apnews.com/article/86289dbc2d029c684923efa656fd04a2 – In January 2025, Italy, Albania, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) signed a clean energy cooperation agreement to produce renewable energy such as solar and wind in Albania with UAE expertise. Some of this energy will be transferred to Italy via an underwater cable. The deal is valued at around 1 billion euros and aims to help Italy meet its sustainable energy targets. Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni emphasised that the initiative aligns with efforts to transition from fossil fuels amidst growing energy demand due to AI technologies. UAE’s Sultan al-Jaber highlighted the agreement’s role in tripling renewable energy as part of the UAE’s goal to be carbon-neutral by 2050. The deal signifies the importance of international cooperation in addressing climate change and advancing clean energy solutions.
- https://moei.gov.ae/en/media-center/news/24/7/2023/minister-of-energy-and-infrastructure-highlights-uaes-steadfast-commitment-to-robust-energy – In July 2023, the UAE’s Minister of Energy and Infrastructure highlighted the country’s steadfast commitment to a robust energy transition. The updated UAE Energy Strategy 2050 aims to position the UAE at the forefront of the global energy transition. It supports the target of achieving a grid emission factor of 0.27 kg CO2/kWh by 2030, which is lower than the global average, to achieve net zero in the energy and water sectors by 2050. The strategy also aims to more than triple the share of renewable energy by 2030 to stay on track with its climate change mitigation goals and increase the share of installed clean energy capacity in the total energy mix to 30% by 2030.
- https://u.ae/en/about-the-uae/strategies-initiatives-and-awards/strategies-plans-and-visions/environment-and-energy/the-uae-net-zero-2050-strategy – The UAE’s Net Zero 2050 Strategy builds upon the UAE Net Zero by 2050 strategic initiative, outlining the UAE’s ambitious journey towards net zero, and the National Net Zero by 2050 Pathway, which sets out the timeline and mechanisms for this transition. This strategy is designed to act as a stimulus for economic and societal advancement by leading the transition to net zero emissions. It is expected to create 200,000 job opportunities across the solar, battery, and hydrogen sub-sectors, contribute around 3 per cent to the national GDP, and enhance export opportunities. The strategy has over 25 programmes across six key sectors: power, industry, transport, buildings, waste, and agriculture. The programmes will focus on enhancing efficiency, expanding the utilisation of renewable energy sources, implementing sustainable transportation and green building practices, incorporating nature-based solutions, and employing carbon capture technologies.
Noah Fact Check Pro
The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first
emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed
below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may
warrant further investigation.
Freshness check
Score:
8
Notes:
The narrative references the UAE’s participation in the fourth G20 Energy Transitions Working Group (ETWG) meeting held in South Africa, highlighting the country’s commitment to accelerating the global transition to clean energy. This event occurred recently, indicating the content is current. The article also mentions the UAE’s National Hydrogen Strategy 2050, which was updated in July 2023, further supporting the freshness of the information. ([moei.gov.ae](https://www.moei.gov.ae/en/media-center/news/4/7/2023/minister-of-energy-and-infrastructure-reveals-details-of-the-updated-uae-energy-strategy-2050-and?utm_source=openai))
Quotes check
Score:
7
Notes:
The narrative includes direct quotes attributed to UAE officials, such as Eng. Sharif Al Olama, Undersecretary for Energy and Petroleum Affairs. A search for these quotes reveals no exact matches in earlier publications, suggesting they are original to this report. However, the phrasing and content are consistent with previous statements from UAE officials, indicating a possible reuse of similar language.
Source reliability
Score:
6
Notes:
The narrative originates from 24.ae, a news outlet based in the UAE. While it provides detailed information on the UAE’s energy initiatives, the outlet’s reputation and editorial standards are not widely known internationally, which may affect the perceived reliability of the information.
Plausability check
Score:
8
Notes:
The claims regarding the UAE’s participation in the G20 ETWG meeting and the details of the National Hydrogen Strategy 2050 align with known UAE energy policies and recent developments. The reported figures, such as the target to produce 1.4 million tonnes of low-emission hydrogen annually by 2031, are consistent with previously announced goals. The narrative’s tone and language are appropriate for the subject matter and region, with no significant inconsistencies or signs of disinformation.
Overall assessment
Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): PASS
Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): MEDIUM
Summary:
The narrative provides current and plausible information regarding the UAE’s energy initiatives, including its participation in the G20 ETWG meeting and the National Hydrogen Strategy 2050. While the source’s reliability is somewhat uncertain due to limited international recognition, the content’s consistency with known UAE energy policies and the originality of the quotes support its credibility. However, the outlet’s lesser-known status warrants a medium confidence level in the overall assessment.
