‘Change is coming rapidly to UAE’s energy sector’

LONDON / WAM

The path ahead to deliver innovation in energy sector is certainly challenging, but the UAE is a nation where innovation and creativity meets a positive attitude towards change and improvement, according to Dr Matar Al Neyadi, Under-Secretary of the UAE Ministry of Energy, speaking in the run up to the recent World Energy Council annual general gathering of global energy leaders in Portugal.
In an interview published in the World Energy Council’s monthly Focus magazine for October, he said, ‘‘We are confident in the ability of the UAE energy sector, along with our international partners, to continue at the forefront of this exciting drive towards innovation. We will achieve this through visionary leadership, intelligent energy policy-making, and with the involvement of our international partners, such as the World Energy Council.
‘‘The pace of innovation within the energy sector has rapidly risen over the past decade. Following the same transformative narrative as other industries, such as telecommunications or transportation, the energy sector’s pace of change has accelerated rapidly and created new opportunities.”
Dr Al Neyadi noted that the impact of rapidly-evolving innovation within the energy sector has been immediate and has affected all stakeholders, from consumers to utilities, to regulators and policymakers.
‘‘Innovation, whether in the form of technological breakthrough, or new market improvements, has tested the resilience of the entire energy sector and many nations around the world.’’ In the UAE, he added, innovation has become a central component of the government’s energy strategy. A National Innovation Strategy was launched with the aim of making the UAE one of the most innovative nations in the world by 2021.
‘‘The 2019 World Energy Congress in Abu Dhabi will come at a crucial crossroad for the global energy sector, as well as energy-dependent industries. We look forward to showcasing the achievements of the UAE in the field of innovation and learning from other nations and partners to continuously improve the state of the energy
sector,’’ he concluded.