Today's Edition
DUBAI (WAM)
The 12th World Green Economy Summit (WGES) will begin in Dubai on Wednesday, exploring ways to accelerate the transition to a sustainable economy that has surpassed $5 trillion in annual global value and is projected to exceed $7 trillion by 2030.
Held on October 21 and 22 under the theme 'From Success to Scale: Showcasing the Green Economy', the summit is organised by the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy, Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) and the World Green Economy Organization (WGEO), under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai.
The event will bring together more than 3,300 attendees and over 80 international speakers to exchange expertise across four main thematic pillars: Energy Technology & Infrastructure, Business Strategy & Transition, Water & Food Security and Finance.
These are complemented by three cross-cutting themes: Artificial Intelligence (AI), Governance and System Enablers: Supply Chains & Circular Economy.
The World Economic Forum (WEF) notes that companies generating revenues from green markets are seeing those revenues grow twice as fast as those from conventional business lines, while the cost of solar photovoltaic (PV) technology and lithium batteries has fallen by around 90% since 2010.
Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Vice Chairman of the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy, MD & CEO of DEWA and Chairman of WGEO, emphasised that the priority is to scale solutions and accelerate their implementation, noting that the UAE and Dubai demonstrate how visions and strategies can be translated into tangible projects and achievements.
He cited the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, whose production capacity is set to exceed 8,000 megawatts (MW) by 2030, compared with its current capacity of 3,860MW, while clean energy accounts for more than 21.5% of DEWA's total production capacity.
The summit will highlight developments in regional and global climate action. Operational renewable energy capacity in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) reached 43.7 gigawatts (GW) by the end of 2025, representing growth of around 44%, while the project pipeline reached around 202GW.
Meanwhile, although global climate finance has surpassed $2 trillion, at least $6.3 trillion in annual climate investment will be required until 2030 to avoid the worst effects of climate change.
Ahead of the summit, prominent speakers highlighted key priorities. Eng. Aisha Al Abdooli, Director of Green Development and Environmental Affairs at the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, highlighted the UAE's efforts to embed sustainability across policy, economic development and decision-making.
Syed Adeel Abbas, Regional Climate Lead for the Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan and Pakistan at the World Bank, emphasised the importance of mobilising private capital and sustainable finance.
Joan Larrea, CEO of Convergence Blended Finance, highlighted the Gulf economies' role in harnessing blended finance.
Further information and registration details are available at www.wges.ae.
