GCC seeks to invest $131B on electricity
dubai — The Middle East Electricity (MEE) show, the region’s leading power event, opened on Tuesday at the Dubai World Trade Centre amid bullish forecasts that GCC countries would be investing $131 billion in the power sector in coming years.
Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, inaugurated the show that drew global energy and power industry leaders and supplies to Dubai.
Running until March 8 under the theme ‘Energising the Industry’, the 43rd edition of the power industry showcase, hosted by the UAE Ministry of Energy & Industry, has drawn more than 62,000 industry professionals.
Some 1,500 exhibitors from 66 countries, supported by 23 dedicated national pavilions, including Germany, the UK, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, China and more, are displaying the latest technologies, products and services across 5 dedicated sectors: power generation, transmission and distribution, lighting, solar and, for the first time, energy storage and management.
Suhail bin Mohamed Faraj Faris Al Mazrouei, the UAE Minister of Energy and Industry, said the UAE continues to lead the regional agenda in developing and driving growth across the regional power sector and looks forward to enhancing the country’s leading role.
Anita Mathews, group director — industrial portfolio at event organisers Informa Exhibitions, said the MEE served as the world’s leading platform for the power industry to come together, share ideas, trade and network at the highest level.
The opening day of the event coincided with an important announcement by the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) of awarding a Dh871 million contract for a sea water reverse osmosisbased desalination plant in Jebel Ali with a capacity for 40 million gallons per day. This plant is expected to be commissioned by May 2020 to meet the reserve margin criterion set for peak water demand for the year 2020 and beyond.
Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD and CEO of Dewa, said the project is in line with the decoupling plans for water desalination and power production and water desalination using solar energy.
“The big projects launched by Dewa have contributed in reducing the production cost of electricity through solar energy on a global level, and we continue to decouple
The Uae continues to lead the regional agenda in driving growth across the regional power sector Suhail bin Mohamed Faraj Faris Al Mazrouei, UAE Minister of Energy and Industry
electricity production from water desalination to obtain 100 per cent desalinated water using a mix of clean energy and waste heat by 2030,” he said.
Running alongside the show, Informa is also debuting the Global Smart Energy Summit (GSES), featuring more than 110 speakers and some of the biggest corporate champions in sector transformation.
Opened by speakers from Smart Dubai and Tesla, other global thought leaders set to address the summit include representatives from the US National Renewable Energy Laboratory, US Department of Energy, Nasa and regional energy ministries. GSES sessions cover a broad spectrum of topics relating to smart energy solutions, with 3 days of conferences expected to attract over 700 attendees exploring reform patterns across the entire power spectrum.