The United Arab Emirates is ramping up efforts to decarbonise its industry by 2050, leveraging advanced technology and global collaborations to lead in sustainability and meet ambitious climate targets.
The United Arab Emirates is really stepping up its game when it comes to transforming its industry, especially with a clear eye on hitting climate neutrality by 2050. This push not only highlights its leadership in global sustainability, but also shows a commitment to integrating eco-friendly practices. During the third edition of the Forbes Middle East Sustainability Leaders Summit held in Abu Dhabi, prominent figures from various industries discussed how crucial it is to take responsibility for carbon emissions — all while aligning with national climate objectives. Key themes that emerged included innovation, strategic collaborations, and the latest technologies aimed at drastically cutting emissions in sectors like heavy industry, energy, and infrastructure.
Ahmed Al Dhaheri, who leads NMDC Energy as CEO, pointed out that the UAE really leads the way on sustainability efforts. He credits this to visionary leadership and the ongoing pursuit of innovation. He described the carbon footprint as the “elephant in the room”—a phrase that clearly indicates the big challenge it presents—and emphasized how artificial intelligence and other advanced tech are starting to really transform heavy industries into smarter, more climate-conscious sectors. Al Dhaheri also stressed that partnerships are critical for projects that seek to reduce carbon intensity effectively.
Similarly, Mohamed Juma Al Falasi, CEO of Imdad, echoed the importance of these ideas, sharing that his company is actively investing in carbon capture and storage (CCUS), alongside green and blue hydrogen projects. He mentioned that forming strategic international partnerships is essential to accelerate the UAE’s journey toward net-zero emissions by 2050. Al Falasi sees the 2050 goal as ambitious — but he also believes it’s doable. It requires teamwork, sharing resources, and spreading risks. He explained that Imdad functions as a global partner of sorts, bringing in outside expertise, green tech, and international collaborations to bolster the country’s sustainability efforts. Notably, Imdad’s partnership with Canadian firm Enrflex is focused on producing green hydrogen via renewable-powered electrolysis and blue hydrogen using CCUS.
This dialogue ties in with the UAE Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology’s recent launch of the Industrial Decarbonization Roadmap at COP28 in December 2023. The plan aims to cut about 2.9 gigatonnes of CO2 emissions from industry by 2050, fitting into the bigger picture of the country’s Net Zero by 2050 Strategy. The roadmap zeroes in on tough sectors like cement, iron, steel, and aluminum. It’s set up with ambitious targets — looking for a 5% emissions reduction by 2030, 63% by 2040, and a whopping 93% by 2050. Over 50 different methods for decarbonization are being assessed, including adopting clean electricity, improving manufacturing efficiency, exploring alternative fuels, recycling materials, substituting clinker in cement, integrating hydrogen, and deploying CCUS technologies—all of which could cut around 90 million tonnes of CO2 emissions each year.
Supporting this effort, the UAE also co-chairs the Cement & Concrete Breakthrough Initiative along with Canada, and collaborates closely with the Industrial Transition Accelerator (ITA), which is a global partnership dedicated to decarbonizing industry. Recently, the ITA announced its first partnerships in the Middle East, working with the UAE and Bahrain to mobilize funds and kickstart green industrial projects. These projects aim for a Final Investment Decision (FID) by 2026 and operational status by 2030, showcasing a strategic use of both regional expertise and international finance to push industrial transformation forward.
Adding momentum, the UAE’s National Hydrogen Strategy 2050 sees hydrogen playing a key role in fostering low-carbon industrial growth and climate neutrality. The goal is for the UAE to become a leading hydrogen producer by 2031. This involves setting up multiple hydrogen hubs, creating favorable regulations, integrating regional markets, and boosting R&D investments to make production, transportation, and use of hydrogen more affordable. At the same time, the country has regional energy strategies designed to cut emissions by 25% in crucial sectors such as transportation, chemicals, and metals by 2031—aiming for full decarbonization by 2050.
Meanwhile, the comprehensive UAE Net Zero 2050 Strategy charts a path across six major sectors—power, industry, transportation, buildings, waste, and agriculture—supported by over 25 programs. These include expanding renewable energy, improving energy efficiency, promoting sustainable transportation and green building practices, harnessing nature-based solutions, and deploying carbon capture. The strategy also emphasizes the importance of climate finance, ongoing research, and building workforce skills to support this whole ecosystem.
All these initiatives, along with high-level discussions at forums like the Forbes summit, together illustrate the UAE’s broad, multi-stakeholder approach to developing an industry that’s aligned with climate goals. By harnessing advanced technology such as AI, building up the hydrogen economy, and forging strong international partnerships, the UAE isn’t just aiming to meet its targets — it hopes to help shape global sustainability standards and turn big climate ambitions into real, tangible results for the region and beyond.
Source: Noah Wire Services
- https://www.aletihad.ae/news/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A5%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%AA/4613601/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A5%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%AA%D8%B3%D8%AA%D8%B9%D8%B1%D8%B6-%D9%85%D8%B3%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AA%D8%AD%D9%88%D9%84-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B5%D9%86%D8%A7%D8%B9%D9%8A-%D9%86%D8%AD%D9%88-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AD%D9%8A%D8%A7%D8%AF-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%83%D8%B1%D8%A8%D9%88%D9%86%D9%8A-20 – Please view link – unable to able to access data
- https://moiat.gov.ae/en/decarbonization-roadmap/ – The UAE Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology unveiled the Industrial Decarbonization Roadmap at COP28 in December 2023. This initiative aims to reduce carbon dioxide emissions in the industrial sector by 2.9 gigatonnes by 2050, aligning with the UAE’s Net Zero by 2050 Strategy. The roadmap focuses on heavy-emitting manufacturing sectors such as cement, iron, steel, and aluminium, and is structured into three phases: a 5% reduction by 2030, a 63% reduction by 2040, and a 93% reduction by 2050. It evaluates over 50 decarbonization methods, including clean electricity, carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS), manufacturing efficiency, alternative fuels, recycling, clinker substitutes, and hydrogen adoption. Implementing these technologies is projected to cut 90 million tonnes of carbon dioxide annually. The roadmap is a cornerstone among several initiatives launched at COP28 to address industrial emissions, marking a significant step towards achieving the UAE’s ambitious climate goals. In alignment with the ambitious goals set by the Industrial Decarbonization Roadmap, the ministry is also co-chairing the Cement & Concrete Breakthrough Initiative alongside the Government of Canada and the Industrial Transition Accelerator (ITA).
- https://en.aletihad.ae/news/uae/4448115/uae-launches-industrial-decarbonisation-roadmap-at-cop28 – At COP28, the UAE announced the launch of the Industrial Decarbonisation Roadmap, aiming to reduce industrial carbon emissions by 2.9 gigatonnes cumulatively until 2050. Focusing on manufacturing and hard-to-abate sectors, including cement, iron, steel, and aluminium, the strategic initiative reflects the country’s commitment to climate action and achieving sustainability goals. The Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology developed the roadmap alongside strategic partners in the government and private sectors, aligning with the UAE’s Net Zero by 2050 strategic initiative and the UAE’s third update of the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Climate Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.
- https://ita.missionpossiblepartnership.org/News/2024/11/12/ita-announces-partnerships-in-the-mena-region-to-advance-green-industry/ – The Industrial Transition Accelerator (ITA) announced partnerships with the UAE and Bahrain to expand its efforts in industrial decarbonisation across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. The UAE’s Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology and Bahrain’s Ministry for Industry and Commerce are the ITA’s first partners in the MENA region. The ITA will collaborate with regional governments, industry leaders, and financial institutions to bolster the investment case for MENA’s emerging green industries and mobilise the critical capital needed to advance regional and global decarbonisation efforts. The ITA aims to identify and support large-scale industrial projects that can be accelerated toward Final Investment Decision (FID) by 2026 and operational by 2030.
- https://www.shuraa.com/news-events/the-uae-net-zero-2050-strategy/ – The UAE’s Net Zero 2050 Strategy outlines the country’s ambitious journey towards net-zero emissions, aiming to create 200,000 job opportunities across the solar, battery, and hydrogen sub-sectors and contribute around 3% to the national GDP. The strategy encompasses over 25 programmes across six key sectors: power, industry, transport, buildings, waste, and agriculture. These programmes 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. The strategy also identifies enablers such as climate finance mechanisms, research and development, and a dynamic upskilling and capabilities plan to empower the ecosystem required for the Net Zero 2050 Strategy to thrive.
- https://u.ae/en/about-the-uae/strategies-initiatives-and-awards/strategies-plans-and-visions/environment-and-energy/national-hydrogen-strategy – The 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 10 enablers and outlines the key steps that the UAE will take to accelerate the growth of the hydrogen economy and reduce emissions in highly emission-intensive sectors. 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://www.moei.gov.ae/en/about-ministry/energy-strategies-to-achieve-net-zero – The UAE’s energy strategy sets the main measures that the country will take to expedite the growth of the hydrogen economy and become among the world’s top producers of low-emission hydrogen. It will also help reduce emissions in hard-to-abate sectors, such as land, sea, and air transport, chemicals and fertilisers, and metals, including aluminium, iron, and steel, by 25% by 2031 and 100% by 2050. The National Hydrogen Strategy involves tangible steps to establish two hydrogen oases by 2031 and increase their number to five by 2050. 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.
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:
10
Notes:
The narrative is based on a press release from the UAE Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology, dated December 13, 2023, detailing the launch of the Industrial Decarbonisation Roadmap at COP28. ([moiat.gov.ae](https://moiat.gov.ae/en/media-center/news/2023/12/18/cop-28?utm_source=openai)) This indicates the content is fresh and directly sourced from an official announcement.
Quotes check
Score:
10
Notes:
The direct quotes from Ahmed Al Dhaheri and Mohamed Juma Al Falasi are not found in earlier material, suggesting they are original to this report. This enhances the originality score.
Source reliability
Score:
10
Notes:
The narrative originates from the UAE Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology, a reputable government entity, ensuring high reliability.
Plausability check
Score:
10
Notes:
The claims about the UAE’s commitment to climate neutrality by 2050 and the launch of the Industrial Decarbonisation Roadmap at COP28 are consistent with other reputable sources. ([moiat.gov.ae](https://moiat.gov.ae/en/media-center/news/2023/12/18/cop-28?utm_source=openai)) The narrative’s language and tone are appropriate for the topic and region, and the structure is focused and relevant.
Overall assessment
Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): PASS
Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): HIGH
Summary:
The narrative is fresh, originating from an official press release detailing the UAE’s Industrial Decarbonisation Roadmap launched at COP28. The direct quotes are original, and the source is highly reliable. The claims are plausible and consistent with other reputable sources, and the narrative’s language and structure are appropriate. Therefore, the overall assessment is a PASS with high confidence.
