MALÉ, 6th October, 2026 (WAM) — The Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in the Republic of Maldives, 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 the Maldives, 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, Aljneibi emphasised the UAE’s commitment to renewable energy and its readiness to strengthen cooperation with the Maldives, recognising the particular challenges faced by island states. Aljneibi outlined the UAE’s renewable energy commitments under the UAE Energy Strategy 2050 and highlighted the UAE Consensus reached at COP28 in Dubai in 2023 – a historic agreement by 198 Parties to usher in a new era of climate action.
Aljneibi also noted the launch of ALTÉRRA, a US$30 billion fund to finance climate solutions, and Masdar’s global expansion toward its target of 100 gigawatts of clean energy capacity by 2030.
Aljneibi affirmed that relations between the UAE and the Maldives are built on friendship, mutual respect and shared interests, and that the UAE is keen to strengthen its partnership with the Maldives in renewable energy.
Discussions covered electricity grid modernisation, smart grids, battery energy storage, and reducing dependence on diesel. 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 also enabled participants to review the Maldives’ current and planned projects and explore potential areas for further cooperation between the two sides.
Source: Emirates News Agency