Environment & Energy | Monday 18 January, 2016 8:00 am |

Driving the Middle East and North Africa’s business opportunities in sustainability across energy, water, and waste management, the most expansive and in-depth Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week 2016 opens today.

 

Hosted by Masdar, and running from 16-23 January 2016 at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center, Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week’s will host the 9th World Future Energy Summit (WFES) 2016, the 4th International Water Summit, in partnership with the Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority, and the 3rd EcoWASTE, held in partnership with Tadweer, the Center of Waste management in Abu Dhabi.

 

The three co-located events are set to attract more than 33,000 attendees, including over 80 government ministers and visitors from more than 170 countries, and 650 exhibiting companies from over 40 countries, especially from key markets such as the Egypt, India, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and Morocco.

 

The Opening Ceremony on Monday, 18 January is set to feature a keynote from President Enrique Peña Nieto of Mexico, joined by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. Additional heads of state are expected to attend from the Cook Islands, Kosovo, Morocco, Nigeria, Palau, Seychelles, and Serbia.

 

Continuing the momentum from the 2015 Paris Climate Conference (COP21), Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week’s Abu Dhabi Global Action Day will be a high-level meeting that aims to turn global climate change goals outlined in the Paris Climate Agreement and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development into actionable policies.

 

Conference programs across all there events will address the most pressing challenges and opportunities across the key themes of policy and strategy, finance and funding, project and investment opportunities, and technology and innovation.

 

Organizers are seeing strong growth in the number and diversity of buyers, exhibitors, and pre-registered visitors, with 217 percent growth in the number of buyers to reach 320 buyers from 15 countries, and 216 percent growth in the number of meetings hosted by Sustainability Business Connect to reach more than 6,000 pre-scheduled meetings. Key product markets include energy efficiency in buildings and solar photovoltaic modules.

 

Among the leading decision-making buyers are the Enara Energy Investments in Egypt; the National Solar Energy Federation of India; ACWA Power, the Holy Makkah Municipality, and Saudi Aramco in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; Ministry of Electricity and Water, Kharafi National, and Kuwait Oil Company in Kuwait; Oval Engineering and Salalah Sanitary Drainage Services Company in Oman; CH2M Hill, DEWA, Drake & Scull, and Ghantoot Group in the UAE.

 

“The most expansive edition of the World Future Energy Summit will bring together industry leaders, policy makers, and investors to find long-term solutions to the dramatic challenges facing the region’s energy, water, and waste sectors; support regional sustainability plans; and drive new business for international and regional companies,” said Naji El Haddad, Group Event Director for WFES, IWS, and EcoWaste.

 

New to Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week and WFES this year are the Solar Expo, showcasing the latest in solar technology, the Sustainable Transport on fuel-efficient vehicle technology, the Egypt Energy Forum, showcasing renewable energy opportunities in Egypt, the Future Cities Forum on global best practices urban sustainability, and the Energy Efficiency TechTalk.

 

The International Water Summit will address the Middle East’s water supply and demand gap, and water sustainability challenges and opportunities. The new Innovate@IWS connects innovators and clean technologists with investors, partners, and end users.

 

Discussing new ways to sustainably reuse, reduce, and recycle waste, the third EcoWASTE will host the second Municipalities Roundtable on developing cross-border cooperation in the MENA region.