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UAE Freezones Biz News Updates
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UAE gears up for mega energy conference
Conference attended by dozens of heads of states will be held outside New
York for the first time
A scale model of the Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park being
built in Dubai. One of the biggest solar energy projects in the region with
a capacity of 1,000 megawatts by 2030, the park would make a substantial
contribution to the UAE’s future energy needs. This is among a raft of
initiatives adopted by the UAE to diversify energy resources by adopting
clean and green energy solutions.
The UAE will play host to dozens of heads of state, scores of national
energy ministers and hundreds of top leaders from the energy industry as it
gears up to hold the World Energy Forum in Dubai next month to build a
roadmap towards cleaner, safer and more sustainable energy that can benefit
all nations and people.
Held under the patronage of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al
Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai,
this will be the first time that this high-level international energy
conference will be taking place outside the headquarters of the United
Nations. Dubai was selected to host the event after fierce competition from
other international venues and cities. More than 2,000 top delegates from
around the world will participate in the three-day event that runs from
October 22 to 24 at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition
Centre.
The forum is taking place at a time when authorities in the UAE and Dubai
have taken major initiatives to diversify their energy resources by adopting
clean and green energy solutions. The event will not only enhance the global
awareness of Dubai’s Integrated Energy Strategy 2030, but will also provide
a significant momentum to its various initiatives.
“In line with its 2021 Vision, the UAE has recently unveiled an ambitious
initiative that lays the foundations for a green economy. This initiative
underlines our country’s firm commitment to maintaining a sustainable
environment while focusing on long-term economic growth. So join us in this
call to action for the sustainable development of all nations of the world,”
Shaikh Mohammad said in a message to delegates issued earlier.
With the United Nations designating 2012 as the International Year of
Sustainable Energy for All, leaders from UN member states, international
organisations and corporations participating at the forum will seek tangible
progress towards cleaner, safer and more sustainable energy as well as
achieving universal access to modern energy services.
“The United Nations recognizes that having access to sustainable energy is a
paramount issue for all countries that are aspiring to economic and social
development in order to improve the lives and destinies of their citizens.
At this timely international gathering, world leaders and energy experts
will come together and seek to find long-term energy solutions that will
inevitably involve a variety of energy mixes as well as innovative
technologies, but that will also require a clear vision, courage and
political will to bring about the change in the world,” Dr Harold Hyun-Suk
Oh, Chairman of World Energy Forum, said in a statement issued earlier.
The conference will ensure that the voices of the nations and peoples who
are excluded or underrepresented must be heard so that they too can benefit
from modern energy services. A renewed debate on nuclear energy in light of
Japanese experience in recent times will also feature in discussions. Apart
from a special session on the role of energy in solving global water crises,
other sessions where delegates can share their experiences and best
practices will focus on governmental policy issues and legal framework, and
the link between national and international energy policies and consumption,
and climate change.
Major impact on economy
The World Energy Forum 2012 is expected to have a major impact on Dubai’s
economy, especially on the tourism sector, as more than 2,000 global leaders
and delegates descend on the city next month.
Tourism already contributes 31 per cent to Dubai’s GDP, a senior Dubai
Government official told Gulf News. “This event will increase the
contribution of business tourism to our economy as we strengthen our
position as a major global business hub,” Eyad Ali Abdul Rahman, Executive
Director of the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing, Dubai’s
tourism promoter and regulator, said.
“Dubai is now rated among the top global conference hubs – with the likes of
London, New York and Hong Kong. The successful hosting of the World Energy
Forum will help Dubai gain in its bid for Expo 2020, that will set another
benchmark for the emirate,” said Ghassan Aridi, Chief Executive of Alpha
Tours,
Dubai - which successfully organised a large number of global events,
including the Annual Meetings of the World Bank Group and the International
Monetary Fund in 2003 that brought in 16,000 delegates and participants from
184 countries - is more than mature as a venue to host world-class events.
With more than 500 hotels hosting 85,000 rooms that collectively serve more
than eight million tourists a year, Dubai’s large convention facilities
along with eight exhibition halls provide the ideal platform for such
events. According to industry officials, the forum will also will boost the
meetings, incentives, convention and exhibition (MICE) segment, for which
Dubai has become a regional hub.
“This high-profile event will help Dubai’s economy and raise the city’s
international profile as a major conference destination,” said Michel Noblet,
Managing Director of Hospitality Management Holdings, a UAE-based hotel
operator that manages more than 30 hotels and resorts. “We expect hotel
rates to go up during the event and this will help the tourism sector,
including catering, transportation, restaurants and airlines,” he said. |
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Courtesy Al Nisr Publishing LLC
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