His Excellency Eng Sharif Al Olama: Landmark Achievements Strengthen the Competitiveness and Sustainability of the UAE Energy Sector

His Excellency Eng Sharif Al Olama, Undersecretary for Energy and Petroleum Affairs at the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, affirmed that the United Arab Emirates has achieved significant milestones in the energy sector, including the expansion of clean energy, the development of the national electricity system, enhanced electricity interconnection, and the implementation of projects that harness advanced technologies and data to strengthen grid management and readiness.

His Excellency Eng Al Olama said that these achievements reflect a clear national vision aimed at building a secure, sustainable and future-ready energy system capable of meeting growing demand. He noted that this progress has been driven by cooperation between federal and local entities, national companies, and the private sector, with efforts focused on diversifying energy sources, improving sector efficiency and developing the infrastructure required to support the energy transition.

He explained that the UAE’s renewable energy capacity has increased by more than 63-fold, rising from 129 MW in 2015 to more than 8.2 GW in 2025. Clean energy accounted for 32.4% of total electricity generation in 2025, with the UAE targeting an increase to 35% by 2031.

His Excellency Eng Al Olama added that electricity generation from clean energy sources exceeded 62.4 thousand GWh in 2025, while the total installed capacity of clean energy plants reached 13,805 MW. This forms part of a diversified energy portfolio that includes nuclear energy, solar photovoltaic and concentrated solar power, wind energy, and waste-to-energy technologies.

He said: “Total electricity generation in the UAE reached 192,735 GWh in 2025, compared with electricity consumption of 174,524 GWh.”

His Excellency Eng Al Olama affirmed that these indicators reflect the UAE’s continued progress in diversifying its energy mix and strengthening the readiness of the national electricity grid. He noted that the Ministry is working with its partners to develop the electricity market, advance electricity interconnection projects, expand clean energy deployment, and harness advanced technologies to monitor the grid and manage energy resources.

On energy-related competitiveness indicators, His Excellency Eng Al Olama said: “In 2025, the UAE ranked third globally in a number of indicators related to electricity access, quality, and reliability. It also ranked second globally in indicators related to the energy transition, per capita solar energy consumption, and the green energy transition.”

He explained that the sector’s achievements also include the Cabinet’s ratification of two agreements related to the Arab Common Electricity Market, as well as the Ministry’s leadership of coordination and cooperation efforts that resulted in the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with India on an electricity interconnection project between the two countries. In addition, a Resource Adequacy Study was conducted as part of the Electricity Market Development Project to support the reliability and sustainability of electricity supplies.

His Excellency Eng Al Olama further noted the 100% completion of the Emirates Monitoring Center for the national electricity grid. As part of the second phase of the Center’s development, the Ministry also prepared and implemented a study to develop a Renewable Energy Management Program in cooperation with Siemens, supporting the monitoring of grid indicators and strengthening coordination among entities involved in the national electricity system.

He also highlighted a number of transformative energy-related projects, including an electric and hybrid vehicle battery recycling project and the Green Industrial Transformation Project. In addition, two studies and two pilot projects are being implemented in the energy sector to develop solutions related to clean energy, resource efficiency and the growing adoption of electric mobility.

His Excellency Eng Sharif Al Olama said: “National projects and policies related to the energy sector have received local and international recognition and awards in the fields of clean energy, sustainability and the electricity market. The Unified Platform for Energy and Infrastructure Data and Statistics also received the award for Best e-Science Project at the World Summit on the Information Society.”

His Excellency Eng Al Olama concluded by affirming that the Ministry will continue working with its partners to develop the national energy system and enhance its efficiency and readiness. These efforts will support energy security, strengthen the sector’s ability to keep pace with economic and population growth, and advance the UAE’s national targets for clean energy, sustainability and climate neutrality.