Mohammad bin Rashed, Mohammad bin Zayed and Egypt’s President Sisi Award ZFEP 2015 Winners

His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Rashed al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE, Ruler of Dubai, His Excellency Abdulfattah El Sisi, President of the Republic of Egypt and His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, Awarded the 7th Zayed Future Energy Prize winners at an awards ceremony today during the opening of the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week.

Women in Sustainability Unite at Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week

Bid success for Noor Midelt Phase 1 hybrid solar power plant in Morocco

The Moroccan Agency for Sustainable Energy (MASEN) has announced that the consortium of EDF Renewables, Masdar, and Green of Africa has been awarded the tender for the design, financing, construction, operation and maintenance of the Noor Midelt Phase 1 multi-technologies solar power plant.

Overcoming the Barriers to Sustainable Building Design

Today, it is rare to meet a person or organisation that does not accept sustainable design as the way forward for building design. All facets of the construction industry support sustainable design and initially all new building projects embrace sustainability as one of their key attributes. Yet more often than not, the finished project has compromised sustainability. In many cases, the sustainability considerations have been discarded outright. Why is this the case?

GE Unveils Ecomagination Center in Masdar City

GE today unveiled its ecomagination Center in Masdar City to develop innovative solutions for driving sustainable growth. Masdar City, located in Abu Dhabi, UAE is one of the world’s most sustainable cities and is on a mission to discover a “greenprint” for how cities can accommodate for denser populations, while reducing energy, water and waste.

5 Pacific Countries to Receive Grants from UAE’s $50m Renewable Energy Fund

The United Arab Emirates today signed partnerships with five Pacific island countries to deploy renewable energy projects, financed from the US$50 million UAE-Pacific Partnership Fund. The solar and wind projects – in Fiji, Kiribati, Samoa, Tuvalu and Vanuatu – represent one of the largest capital investments in the region’s clean energy sector. With grant financing from Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD), project completion is expected in late 2014.

Indian Ocean Rim Countries Launch Partnership to Accelerate Growth of Renewable Energy Markets

Ministers and senior officials from 25 Indian Ocean Rim Association countries today launched a series of new initiatives to accelerate the deployment of renewable energy throughout the Indian Ocean region.

Crown Prince Inaugurates Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week

Attracting over 30,000 participants from 150 countries, including world leaders, policy makers, thought leaders, decision-makers, experts, scientists, business leaders and academics, the significant platform for international dialogue and cooperation will tackle the world's pressing issues in energy, water and environment, accelerate the global adoption of renewable energy, address water challenges in arid regions, elevate the water - energy nexus topics on the global agenda, and encourage the dialogue between broad industry stakeholders to strengthen strategic partnerships as well as stimulate investment in water, energy and environment projects and empower the young generations and entrepreneurs.

Masdar Launches Renewable Energy Desalination Program

Masdar today launched a pilot program to test and develop advanced energy-efficient seawater desalination technologies suitable to be powered by renewable energy sources. The long-term goal of the program is to implement renewable energy-powered desalination plants in the United Arab Emirates and to have a facility at commercial scale by 2020.

5,000 Students Attend WFES and International Water Summit in Abu Dhabi

More than 5,000 school and university students from across the UAE experienced how world leaders are addressing the challenges of energy, climate change, sustainable development and water conservation during this year’s World Future Energy Summit (WFES) and International Water Summit (IWS) in Abu Dhabi. The students, representing more than 800 schools and universities from all seven emirates, were hosted by Masdar, Abu Dhabi’s renewable energy company.

Shams 1 Wins Project of the Year Award

“We are delighted that Shams 1 has received such a prestigious award,” said Yousif Al Ali, the general manager of Shams Power Company, a subsidiary of Masdar. “This demonstrates the leading role that Masdar plays in the region’s renewable energy sector. It also represents a realisation of the vision that our wise leadership has for renewable energy in the UAE.”

Masdar Sponsors Two “Green” Films at 6th Annual Abu Dhabi Film Festival

In addition to sponsoring the films, Masdar will host a private screening of Trashed, a documentary film about the ever-increasing global problem of waste and overflowing landfills. The private screening will be joined by the movie’s director Candida Brady, and will be held at the Emirates Palace. The event will also include a question and answer session between the director and students and faculty from the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology – the Middle East’s first graduate research institution dedicated to renewable energy and clean technologies. The movie features Academy Award-winning actor Jeremy Irons.

Construction Begins on Masdar and International Renewable Energy Agency Headquarters Complex

Masdar today announced the awarding of the design and construction contract for its new headquarters complex, which will also house the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). The headquarters will be one of the most advanced, sustainable multi-use complexes in the United Arab Emirates. It will be the cornerstone of Masdar City – the special economic zone, clean-technology cluster and low-carbon city in Abu Dhabi. Completion is set for summer of 2014.

Abu Dhabi Named Host City For The First Round-The-World Solar Flight By Solar Impulse 2

Abu Dhabi, capital city of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), will be the start and finish of the first solar-powered flight around the world, which co-founders and pilots, Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg are planning to undertake in March 2015 with Solar Impulse 2.

Investments in Clean Energy Can Play Critical Role in Driving Economic Growth in Western Region

Abu Dhabi, UAE – 18 May, 2014: Investments in clean energy can play a critical role in driving economic growth in Abu Dhabi’s Western Region, home to Masdar’sShams 1 concentrated solar plant, according to Yousif Al Ali, General Managerof the Shams Power Company.

Masdar to Build the First Large-Scale Wind Farm in the GCC

Masdar, Abu Dhabi’s renewable energy company, today signed a joint development agreement with the Rural Areas Electricity Company (RAECO) to build the first large-scale wind farm in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). The $125 million, 50-megawatt wind farm in the Sultanate of Oman will be constructed in the country’s Dhofar Governorate.

Abu Dhabi Prepares for the Arrival of Solar Impulse 2

Solar Impulse representatives have arrived in Abu Dhabi to meet with local authorities in beginning preparation for the plane’s arrival in January. With the historic flight scheduled to take off from Abu Dhabi next March, pilots of the Solar Impulse 2 (Si2) will conduct test flights and perform fine-tuning exercises this January, in preparation for the five month journey. The plane, and its two co-founders, will attempt to fly around the world – without a drop of fuel – only using the power of the sun.

A High-level Delegation Visits Shams 1 Solar Plant

Ambassadors from 18 countries recently visited Shams 1 – a 100-megawatt solar-thermal project located in Abu Dhabi’s Western Region. The tour of Shams 1 was part of a broader visit to the region organized and hosted by the Ruler's Representative Court in the Western Region.

Solar Impulse 2 Arrives in Abu Dhabi

Solar Impulse 2 (Si2), the world’s first solar-powered plane able to fly day and night without a drop of fuel, arrived in Abu Dhabi by cargo plane from Switzerland. Si2’s crew of 80 technicians, engineers and a communications team will spend the next week re-assembling the giant plane and readying it for public display this month at Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW) in advance of its March take-off on its round-the-world flight.

Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week 2015 Kicks Off UAE’s ‘Year of Innovation’

Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW) is the first major event of 2015 reinforcing the UAE’s ‘Year of Innovation’ – a federal initiative promoting innovation as a strategic pathway to strengthen the country’s economy and global competitiveness. The yearly platform, January 17-24, directly supports the federal innovation strategy by promoting technology and attracting investment in priority sectors, including renewable energy, transportation, water and education.