UAE Strengthens Energy Security Through Diversified Sources and Expanded Clean Energy Investment
Minister of Energy and Infrastructure Suhail Al Mazrouei reaffirms the nation's commitment to advancing its energy sector through strategic diversification, renewable expansion, and improved efficiency to ensure reliable supplies and economic competitiveness.
The United Arab Emirates continues to demonstrate unwavering commitment to energy security and sustainability, advancing a sophisticated vision for its energy future that reconciles reliable supply with emissions reduction. On the occasion of World Energy Day, observed annually on 22nd October, Suhail bin Mohammed Al Mazrouei, Minister of Energy and Infrastructure, articulated the nation’s comprehensive approach to energy transition, emphasising that energy security and climate responsibility represent complementary rather than competing objectives.
The UAE’s achievements in renewable energy expansion present a remarkable trajectory of progress. Over the past decade, the nation’s renewable energy capacity has increased more than 63 fold, rising from 129 megawatts in 2015 to exceed 8.2 gigawatts in 2025. Clean energy sources accounted for 32.4 percent of the country’s electricity generation in 2025, with ambitious targets to increase this proportion to 35 percent by 2030. This expansion reflects a deliberate strategy to integrate renewable sources into the energy mix whilst maintaining the reliability essential to national development.
Underpinning this expansion is substantial investment commitment. The UAE has committed national investments of up to AED200 billion through 2030 for clean energy projects, supported by strengthened private sector participation and collaborative partnerships across the energy sector. Minister Al Mazrouei emphasised that these investments reinforce the sector’s capacity to meet the UAE’s development requirements and economic aspirations.
Major national infrastructure initiatives play instrumental roles in diversifying the energy portfolio. The Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant, with generation capacity of 5.6 gigawatts, supplies 25 percent of the UAE’s electricity needs whilst preventing 22.4 million tons of carbon emissions annually. The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park represents another cornerstone project, with its targeted generation capacity increased by 60 percent through 2030. Internationally, Masdar’s investments have reached approximately US$45 billion, expanding its clean energy portfolio to more than 65 gigawatts, with targets to achieve 100 gigawatts by 2030.
Energy efficiency improvements remain integral to the nation’s strategy, working in concert with expanded generation capacity. The UAE recognises that optimised resource utilisation generates greater economic value whilst reducing energy consumption and emissions. This balanced approach addresses both current demand and future growth, essential as economic development and population expansion require sustained energy supply.
At the global level, the UAE continues advancing the international energy transition. The nation established the UAE Consensus, which set the global objective of tripling renewable energy capacity by 2030, and leads the Global Energy Efficiency Alliance, supporting international efforts to double the global annual rate of energy efficiency improvements. These international commitments reflect the UAE’s conviction that renewable energy expansion and energy efficiency improvements represent complementary pathways toward a sustainable global energy future.
Looking forward, Minister Al Mazrouei outlined priorities including accelerating energy project implementation, expanding private sector engagement, developing innovative financing mechanisms, and transforming emerging technologies into scalable, practical solutions. These measures are designed to deliver tangible outcomes in energy supply reliability, resource efficiency, and economic competitiveness, supporting the nation’s long-term development vision.
Source: WAM