In a development that gives a strong impetus to the renewable energy push in the Middle East region, the UAE Cabinet approved the national energy UAE Cabinet approves national energy and hydrogen strategies, along with setting up of UAE Ministry of Investment.
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, chaired the UAE Cabinet meeting at Qasr Al Watan, Abu Dhabi, in the presence of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Presidential Court; H.H. Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, and Minister of Finance; and H.H. Lt. General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior. His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum said,
“Today, I chaired the Cabinet meeting in Qasr Al Watan, in Abu Dhabi, where we adopted under the directives of the President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, the establishment of the Ministry of Investment and appointed Mohamed Hassan Al Suwaidi as the minister. Our aim is to develop the investment vision of the UAE, and promote the investment environment and the competitiveness of this sector in the country.”
Ministry of Investment
Under the directives of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the UAE Cabinet has approved the establishment of the Ministry of Investment, and appointed Mohamed Hassan Al Suwaidi as the minister.
The Ministry will support the UAE’s business objectives, and investments policies and promoting its world-class infrastructure, as a global platform to attract investments in various sectors.
The ministry will be responsible of proposing the general investment policies of the UAE in coordination with the relevant authorities, in addition to preparing strategies, legislation, plans, projects and national programmes to promote the investment environment in the country and enhance its competitiveness.
UAE National Energy Strategy 2050
The Cabinet approved the updates on the UAE National Energy Strategy 2050, aiming at increasing reliance on renewable energy, improving energy efficiency and promoting the use of clean energy. The strategy will support research and development programmes in energy technologies, in addition to encouraging innovation and investment in energy sector.
The National Strategy will work on strengthening the country’s capacity to provide clean and sustainable energy, raising its global competitiveness in the energy sector and consolidating its position as one of the most countries attracting innovation and investment in the sector.
The strategy provides new investment opportunities in renewable energy, supports efforts to strengthen cooperation with international partners to achieve sustainability goals in the energy sector, and constitutes a long-term national programme to balance meeting energy needs with ensuring the sustainability of natural resources for future generations.
The strategy aims to triple the contribution of renewable energy by 2030, to reduce the effects of climate change and achieve climate neutrality. The strategy’s objective is to achieve up to AED100 billion financial savings by 2030, and increase national energy investments between AED150 – 200 billion until 2030, in addition to raising the share of clean energy in the total energy mix to 30 percent by 2031. His Highness added,
“As a result of the accelerated economic growth, we approved the updated UAE National Energy Strategy, which aims to triple the contribution of the renewable energy over the next 7 years, and invest AED150 to AED200 billion during the same period to meet the country’s growing demand for energy.”
The ‘Third Update of the Second NDC’ under the Paris Agreement
As per The Third Update of the Second NDC, the UAE aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 182 million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (MtCO2e) by 2030, in a decrease of 19 percent compared to the level of base year 2019. The level of emission reduction will be 40 percent compared to the business-as-usual scenario for the year 2030, officials said.
NDC aligns the UAE’s Nationally Determined Contributions with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris agreement. It shows the UAE’s active contribute to reducing emissions and limiting the global temperature increase in this century to 2°C.
Despite its classification as a non-Annex I country, in the Third Update of the Second NDC, the UAE adheres to base-year targets and fixed-level targets, ensuring transparency and accountability.
UAE National Hydrogen Strategy
Within the UAE’s initiatives and projects to invest in new clean energy sources, and as part of the country’s preparations to host COP28, the UAE Cabinet approved the National Hydrogen Strategy to support low carbon local industries, contribute to achieving climate neutrality and enhance the UAE’s position enhance among the largest producers of hydrogen by 2031, through 10 main enablers.
The strategy aims at accelerating the growth of hydrogen economy and enhancing the global position of the UAE among the world’s largest producers of low-carbon hydrogen, through developing energy policies, and attracting investments in this sector. His Highness Sheikh Mohammed said,
“We also approved the National Hydrogen Strategy, which has recently emerged as one of the most important types of clean energy. The strategy aims to promoting the UAE’s position as a producer and exporter of low-emission hydrogen over the next eight years through the development of supply chains, the establishment of hydrogen oases and a national research and development centre.”
Mariam bint Mohamed bin Zayed… Chairperson of Quality of Education Centre
The UAE Cabinet issued a decision appointing H.H. Sheikha Mariam bint Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan as Chairperson of the Quality of Education Centre.
The Centre will be responsible for endorsing educational goals and targets across all levels of education in the country, and approving the overarching framework, policies, strategies, legislation, and educational systems for all stages of education, in coordination with the Ministry of Education and educational institutions in the UAE.
Also, the Centre will monitor the performance of the education sector and ensure the alignment of its outputs with current and future labour market demands.
His Highness noted, “We appointed H.H. Sheikha Mariam bint Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan as Chairperson of the Quality of Education Centre. The Centre will be responsible of developing an evaluation system, monitoring the quality of education and setting targets and outputs for all levels and types of education in the country.”
National Electric Vehicles Policy
Also, the UAE Cabinet has approved a national policy on electric vehicles. It aims to develop cooperation with federal and local partners as well as the private sector, to build a national network of electric vehicle chargers that supports the needs of owners of electric vehicles and regulates its market in the UAE.
The policy will contribute in reducing energy consumption in the transport sector by 20 percent, through the Green Mobility Project, in addition to reducing carbon emissions by 2050, building a unified database of electric vehicle charging stations and contributing to raising road quality and maintaining the world’s first rank in this index.
During the meeting, the Cabinet also granted a preliminary approval to the autonomous vehicle project for WeRide company that develops autonomous vehicles. The approval comes to support technological developments in the sustainable transport sector and to reduce carbon emissions. His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid also said,
“We approved the National Electric Vehicles Policy which aims to build a national network of electric vehicle chargers, organising the market of electric vehicles, promoting associated industries to ensure lower emissions, lower energy consumption and maintain the quality of roads. We also adopted the first national preliminary approval for autonomous vehicle in the UAE for WeRide company. The company will begin testing all types of autonomous vehicles in the country, reflecting a change in the country’s future mobility patterns.”
Federal Law on Private Education
The Cabinet also adopted amendments to the federal law on private education, in line with the new structure of the UAE’s education sector, and defining roles for new education institutions, including the UAE Federal Agency for Early Education (FAEE), and the National Centre for Education Quality, in addition to the roles of the Ministry of Education and local educational institutions.
The meeting also adopted a new framework for governing federal bodies of higher education institutions to ensure the quality of local and international educational services, and outputs in the UAE.
The meeting approved a federal law establishing the Financial Stability Council, which aims to promote financial stability in the country, monitor associated risks, tackle and prevent financial crises, and develop proactive measures to manage and protect economic, financial and monetary systems in the UAE. His Highness Sheikh Mohammed said,
“The Cabinet also approved a federal law establishing the Financial Stability Council, which aims to promote financial stability in the country, monitor associated risks, tackle and prevent financial crises, and develop proactive measures to manage and protect economic, financial and monetary systems in the UAE.”
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum added, “The UAE is a global financial hub trusted by thousands of financial institutions and millions of investors around the world. Our goal is to maintain this confidence.”