United arab emirates Country Commercial Guide
Learn about the market conditions, opportunities, regulations, and business conditions in united arab emirates, prepared by at U.S. Embassies worldwide by Commerce Department, State Department and other U.S. agencies’ professionals
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Renewable Energy and Clean Energy
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Overview

There are many opportunities for U.S. exporters in the renewable energy and clean energy sectors in the UAE, and the UAE is investing billions of dollars in major projects in these sectors. The UAE aims to invest over $163 billion by 2050 to meet the growing energy demand and ensure sustainable growth for the country’s economy. The UAE continues to be at the frontline of the energy transition in the MENA region, underpinned by strong government commitment and investments. This transition is creating numerous opportunities for U.S. exporters.

Milestones include: 

  • The establishment in 2006 of the Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar) and the first carbon-neutral zero waste city (Masdar City).
  • The establishment of the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation in 2009
  • The International Renewable Energy Agency’s (IRENA) designation of Abu Dhabi as its headquarters in 2009 and IRENA’s relocation on the edge of the Masdar City campus in 2015.
  • The development of strategic mega solar projects and UAE climate action efforts, illustrated in the UAE’s ratification of the Paris agreement in 2016.
  • The designation of a UAE special climate change envoy and the dedication of a Sustainability Pavilion at the Expo Dubai World’s Fair, which ran from October 2021 to March 2022.
  • The announcement of 2023 and 2024 as the UAE Year of Sustainability.
  • The hosting of COP 28 in the UAE from November 30 to December 12, 2023.
  • Net Zero 2050 target. In July 2023, the UAE announced a strategy to invest $54 billion in renewables by 2030 as part of its strategy to reach net zero emissions by 2050.
     

In January 2017, the UAE launched the national “Energy Strategy 2050,” considered to be the country’s first unified energy strategy based on supply and demand. The strategy is very ambitious and aims to increase the contribution of clean energy in the total energy mix from 25% to 50% by 2050 and reduce the carbon footprint of power generation by 70%. It also seeks to increase the consumption efficiency of individuals and corporates by 40%.

The strategy targets an energy mix that combines renewable, nuclear, and other clean energy sources to meet the UAE’s economic requirements and environmental goals. Among the seven emirates that make up the UAE, most of the renewables activity is concentrated in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Four solar projects at various stages of development are expected to drive this growth: the Al Dhafra (2 GW), Abu Dhabi PV3 (1.5 GW), and the fourth (950 MW) and fifth (900 MW) phases of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum (MBR) solar facility. The MBR plant is said to be the world’s largest single-site solar installation with a planned total capacity of 5GW when fully operational by 2030.

Leading Sub-Sectors

Leading sub-sectors in renewable energy are solar power, chemicals and derivatives, hydrogen, waste-to-energy, and waste-to-solar.

Opportunities

With multiple government initiatives, the country has witnessed significant growth in renewable projects in recent years.

Solar 

Based on the ongoing project developments in photovoltaic (PV) solar panels, PVs will continue to offer multiple prospects for U.S. exporters. Concentrated solar panels are another prospect and constitute the second-largest technology by installed capacity.

Hydrogen

The UAE’s National Hydrogen Strategy 2050, unveiled in 2023, is a comprehensive roadmap designed to position the country as a leading global producer and exporter of low-carbon hydrogen. By 2050, the UAE aims to produce 14 to 22 million tons of hydrogen and hydrogen derivates annually. Masdar has already made headway in hydrogen production and power generation. Masdar aims to produce an annual capacity of up to one million tons of green hydrogen by 2030. To achieve this, Masdar has entered partnerships with international and local companies to develop hydrogen projects. On Project Green Falcon, for example, Masdar is in collaboration with Siemens Energy, TotalEnergies, Marubeni Corporation, the Abu Dhabi Department of Energy, Etihad Airways, Lufthansa Group, and Khalifa University to develop green hydrogen and sustainable aviation fuels. Another key project is the Masdar and Engie cooperation on a $5 billion strategic alliance to develop a 200-megawatt green hydrogen plant to produce green ammonia in the UAE.

The Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) is developing a pilot green hydrogen mobility project. The project is the first of its kind in the Middle East and North Africa to use solar power to produce hydrogen. The pilot plant has been designed to accommodate future applications and test platforms of different uses for hydrogen, such as for industry and transportation. 

The UAE company Helios Industry undertook a technical study for a new green hydrogen and green ammonia project in Abu Dhabi. Helios plans to spend almost $1 billion on the construction of this facility in two phases over several years. The plant will be built in Khalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi (KIZAD) where, at peak capacity, it will produce about 200,000 tons of green ammonia from 40,000 tons of green hydrogen. It will run the electrolysis process on solar power generated by an 800-MW facility. The project is expected to utilize Thyssenkrupp technologies, including a multi-megawatt electrolyzer for the first phase. According to the announcement, this will be the first commercial plant to produce carbon dioxide-free green ammonia from renewable resources in the UAE.

Desalination growth to meet water consumption needs creates demand for investment in desalination projects that utilize solar capacity. Dubai is at the forefront of deploying distributed solar capacity and aims to push generation and efficiency initiatives for households. 

Chemicals and Derivatives

There are numerous large opportunities in services and exports for chemicals and derivatives manufacturing. The projects are very ambitious in scale and SMEs are advised to partner with major U.S. industry players as suppliers or subcontractors. 

The Ruwais Derivatives Park in Abu Dhabi is a designated industrial hub for the chemical derivatives sector in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. It is targeted to become the world’s largest integrated refinery and petrochemicals complex.  The park is operated by Ta’ziz company, ADNOC’s 60/40 joint venture with Abu Dhabi’s industrial holding company ADQ.  Ruwais Park will also have opportunities in planning and construction of a new port, utility plants, infrastructure, feedstock supply and shared services. These facilities will be made available to new investors under a ‘plug-and-play’ concept, meaning that new projects can be plugged into the existing park infrastructure. 

Waste-to-Energy

The first phase of Dubai’s $1 billion energy-from-waste project, purported to be the biggest and most efficient in the world, was inaugurated in July 2023. The consortium to develop the 200-megawatt facility is led by Dubai Holding and includes Dubal Holding, Itochu Corporation, Hitachi Zosen Inova, Besix Group, and Tech Group.  The project is fully operational since September 2024 handling full capacity.

In May 2023, Emirates Water and Electricity Company and Abu Dhabi Waste Management Company (Tadweer), announced the receipt of proposals for the development of the greenfield Abu Dhabi Waste-to-Energy (WtE) Independent Power Project. Set to be one of the region’s largest WtE facilities, the project will have an expected annual processing capacity of 900,000 tons of waste, enabling an expected carbon emissions reduction of 1.1 million tons per year. The WtE project is also expected to generate enough electricity to power up to 52,500 households.

Waste-to-Solar: The Emirates Waste to Energy Company, a joint venture between BEEAH and Masdar, has announced plans to convert a landfill in Sharjah to a solar farm. The company’s Sharjah Waste to Energy Facility, completed in 2022, has an annual processing capacity of 300,000 metric tons of non-recyclable waste to generate 30 megawatts of electricity.  Once Sharjah’s zero-waste targets are achieved, the facility’s adjacent landfill will be repurposed into a 120-megawatt solar energy farm. Phase 2 was announced in January 2025.

Resources

Trade Shows & Exhibitions
Please contact us for additional information regarding trade shows, U.S. pavilions, and export promotion services that may be available for U.S. companies.
ADIPEC – Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference  
Date: November 3-6, 2025
Venue: Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center (ADNEC), Abu Dhabi, UAE

Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW)
Date: January 12-18, 2026
Venue: Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center (ADNEC), Abu Dhabi, UAE

World Future Energy Summit (WFES)
Date: January 13-15, 2026
Venue: Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center (ADNEC), Abu Dhabi, UAE

Make it in the UAE
Date: May 4-7, 2026
Venue: Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center (ADNEC), Abu Dhabi, UAE