Leading government officials and private sector stakeholders from the Middle East convene in the UAE for a key summit that focuses on solar technology and the energy-rich region’s drive toward clean energy.
The event dedicated to the solar industry goes underway on Monday and will run until Wednesday in Dubai, Trade Arabia reported. This will be the second year Dubai hosts the event, which will have new workshops and host the Global Solar Leaders Summit: a high level summit bringing together senior government officials and private sector stakeholders from across MENA to discuss and debate the region’s solar future.
The Middle East and North Africa region, which is expected to attract more than $50 billion investment in solar power over the next five years, has been the focus of solar energy experts over the last decade. The Global Solar Leaders Summit, which has attracted key government ministers from across the region as keynote speakers, will provide a platform for discussion about the future of solar energy in the region.
Jordan’s Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Ibrahim Saif is expected to elaborate on the country's reform plans in the energy sector, followed by a keynote from Abid Sher Ali, Pakistan’s minister of state for water and power.
Henry Rotich, Kenya's minister of finance and acting minister of energy, will also address the summit alongside Masdar’s Chief Operating Officer Ahmed Belhoul. As the cost of solar photovoltaic panels fall and investment soars, a special panel debate will take place to address the implementation of policies by governments across the region. Co-pilot of Solar Impulse 2, Bertrand Piccard, will address a panel with a keynote speech entitled "Pushing the boundaries of solar innovation".
