Expo City Dubai, DEWA Partner To Boost Renewable Energy, Help UAE Achieve Net-Zero Emissions By 2050

Expo City Dubai and Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) have signed an agreement to boost renewable energy. This aligns with the goal of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.

This agreement was formalized on Tuesday in the presence of Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Ruler of Dubai and vice president and prime minister of the UAE, as well as Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and chairman of the Executive Council of Dubai.

Expo City Dubai, an exhibition and trade center, will expand its on-site renewable energy capacity, and DEWA will be responsible for providing it with solar energy via International Renewable Energy Certificates (I-RECs) sourced from the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park.

This initiative is in line with COP28's mission, which is to ensure that solutions are implemented globally to limit the temperature rise to 1.5 degrees amid climate change's growing impact.

Initially, DEWA will provide 100,000 megawatt-hours of power, and I-RECs will be incorporated to cater to future requirements of Expo City Dubai. However, the exhibition center is also planning to have an independent on-site power-generating unit in the future.

The signing was also attended by Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, president of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, chairman and chief executive of Emirates Airline and Group and chairman of Expo City Dubai Authority; Reem Al Hashimy, UAE minister of international cooperation and CEO of Expo City Dubai Authority; Dr. Sultan bin Ahmed Al Jaber, UAE minister of industry and advanced technology, special envoy for climate change and COP28 UAE president-designate and Dr. Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, CEO of DEWA.

Expo City Dubai's chairman said during the ceremony that as "the global population continues to gravitate towards urban centers, it is critical these centers balance meeting the needs of their communities with environmental sustainability – a strategic priority for the UAE," WAM reported.

Al Hashimy added, "This agreement reflects an important step forward in our focus on sustainable development and the transition to clean energy, with Expo City being one of five urban hubs in Dubai's growth."

DEWA's CEO, on the other hand, lauded the support received by the nation's leadership to host the upcoming COP28 summit in Expo City Dubai. Regarding the agreement, he said this collaboration "signifies a groundbreaking step towards sustainable development, aligning with Dubai's commitment to achieving net zero emissions by 2050."

The COP28 summit will be held from Nov. 30 to Dec. 12.