The World Future Energy Summit 2022, hosted by Masdar, Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company, held in partnership with the Abu Dhabi Department of Energy and NEOM as part of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, will put the spotlight on five critical industries that are shaping sustainability and driving investments globally.

The Solar & Clean Energy, EcoWaste, Water, Smart Cities, and Climate & Environment forums which will take place from 17 – 19 January at the World Future Energy Summit, will feature more than 275 industry leaders, who will share their insights with the Middle East's top investors, policy makers, business leaders, project owners, entrepreneurs, and technology pioneers, said the organiser.

These five industry forums at the business event for clean energy and sustainability, will provide valuable, free-to-attend platforms to access important industry content, participate in debates and panel discussions, along with exploring the latest case studies and trends from the industry.

“These five forum programmes at the World Future Energy Summit 2022 bring together leaders and stakeholders driving the sustainability agenda, though leadership and global investment strategy. Attendees can network, do business and share knowledge about issues critical to sustainable development,” said Grant Tuchten, Group Event Director at World Future Energy Summit.

The forums provide the perfect platforms for global stakeholders to network and do business, and in turn drive clean energy and sustainable development in the MENA region. Frost & Sullivan estimates that additional investment in solar in MENA could reach US$182.3 billion by 2025. At the same time, Dubai’s Clean Energy Strategy 2050 epitomises public-private partnerships widely viewed in the industry as the most efficient way to move forward.

Waste management targets set by the UAE include treating 75 percent of municipal solid waste by 2025 and 85 percent by 2035, as well as reducing municipal solid waste generation to 1.4kg per person per day by the year 2025. The EcoWaste Forum will examine new attitudes to waste management, the benefits of reducing, reusing, and recycling, and evolving approaches to waste. The forum will explore other key trends including the circular economy, connected equipment and automation, waste to Hydrogen, landfill reduction strategies, and approaches to dealing with major waste sources.

The Solar & Clean Energy Forum will discuss energy transition, hydrogen (including the UAE national strategy for hydrogen) net zero energy, sustainable finance, and energy storage.  

Arab countries are home to six per cent of the world’s population but have less than two percent of renewable water supply, according to the World Bank. To ensure its own water security, the UAE has announced three additional seawater desalination plants to be completed by 2023, with a combined capacity of 420 million imperial gallons per day. The Water Forum will explore these developments.  

The Smart Cities Forum will help drive the next generation of urban development. Topics that will be covered during the three-day Smart Cities Forum include master planning for sustainable cities, future transportation requirements, cybersecurity in smart cities, meeting net-zero carbon targets in cities, and digitalisation and efficiency in buildings.

The Climate and Environment Forum will highlight the latest advances in climate resilience and environmental protection. The forum will explore the commitments to carbon reductions targets, climate-linked finance, carbon capture and storage, decarbonising major industries and food security in desert environments.