MALÉ, 12th October, 2026 (WAM) — The Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in Malé, in cooperation with the Maldives’ Ministry of Climate Change, Environment and Energy, organised a virtual roundtable to explore opportunities for cooperation in the energy sector.
The UAE side was led by Heba Aljneibi, Chargé d’Affaires at the UAE Embassy in Malé, with representatives of Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar) and Global South Utilities (GSU).
The Maldivian side was led by Mohamed Faiz, Minister of State for Climate Change, Environment and Energy, who chaired the session, alongside senior ministry officials and representatives of the State Electric Company Ltd (STELCO).
In her opening remarks, Heba Aljneibi affirmed that relations between the United Arab Emirates and the Republic of Maldives are built on friendship, mutual respect and shared interests. She further emphasised the UAE’s commitment to deepening its partnership with the Maldives and its readiness to strengthen cooperation with the Maldives in renewable energy, recognising the particular challenges faced by island states. She highlighted the UAE’s commitment to accelerating the global energy transition, as reflected in the UAE Consensus reached at COP28, which set a global goal of tripling renewable energy capacity and doubling the rate of energy efficiency improvement by 2030.
Discussions covered electricity grid modernisation, smart grids, battery energy storage, and reducing dependence on diesel while increasing the share of renewables. Participants also explored desalination projects across 40 islands, water and sewerage networks, the integration of renewable energy, and regional waste-to-energy facilities, alongside training, capacity building and knowledge exchange.
The roundtable provided an opportunity for the participants to review the Maldives’ current and planned projects and explore potential areas for further cooperation between the two sides.
Source: Emirates News Agency