Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Department of Energy Awaidha Murshed Al Marar has said that the department is implementing the directives and visions of the UAE’s leadership to enhance the stature of Abu Dhabi as a global centre of energy and sustainability, by advancing the sector, increasing its contribution to the emirate’s overall development, and creating a global model of energy management according to the best and latest international standards.

In his statement on the occasion of World Energy Day on Thursday, Al Marar pointed out that the energy sector is a cornerstone of Abu Dhabi’s overall development, noting that the Department is keen to reinforce the readiness of the sector to face various global changes and increase its contribution to the Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030 and the UAE National Energy Strategy 2050.

“Under the framework of adopting these ambitious goals, we aim to reinforce our supply security to fulfil the growing needs for water and electricity, to serve the development objectives of all vital sectors, which will be implemented through the department’s efforts to diversify Abu Dhabi’s energy mix, as part of a future vision aimed at diversifying energy sources, increasing the use of clean and renewable energy, and achieving the highest levels of efficiency in the management of energy and water,” he added.

“Abu Dhabi plans to generate one-third of its energy from clean energy sources, including from nuclear reactors that will be operational within four years,” he further added.

“We are working with all licenced authorities in the emirate to increase the efficiency of water and electricity services at all times. The department is also leading the water and energy rationalisation efforts,” Al Marar said in conclusion.

Meanwhile,  Khalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi, KIZAD, has announced it won three fDi Global Free Zones of the Year 2020 awards and was named winner of fDi Magazine’s Middle East - Large Tenants category.

The fDi Magazine Awards, part of the Financial Times Group, cited KIZAD for its outstanding growth within its community of large companies. The Industrial Zone is currently home to more than 600 companies and some of the largest organisations in the World.

KIZAD was also highly commended for Free Zone of the Year, SME, for its innovative initiatives to support small and medium enterprises, its continued focus on providing cost-effective infrastructure solutions and for building an ecosystem that encouraged companies of any size to expand their operations within its free zone.

Additionally, KIZAD brought home fDi’s Bespoke Award for Supplier Development, a recognition of KIZAD’s industry cluster-based approach, which puts businesses close to their suppliers and customers, adding to the overall cost-effectiveness for investors.

fDi Magazine selected this year’s final winner from over 100 free zone competitors from across the world, with one of the highest concentrations being from the Middle East. The award was judged by the Financial Times Specialist editorial team and a panel of independent judges from the region.

Great emphasis has been placed on the core growth of free zones over the past 12 months, both in terms of tenants and increase in total area taken up. In addition, fDi Magazine also looked closely at the key facilities available within the free zones and implementation of new offerings to tenants.

Abdullah Al Hameli, Head of Industrial Cities and Free Zone of Abu Dhabi Ports, said, “We are proud of winning these prestigious fDi Magazine awards, which validates our efforts for attracting industry, in line with the vision and forward-thinking approach of the leadership of the country, KIZAD works closely with its customers and partners to offer solutions for specific requirements that enable businesses to leverage Abu Dhabi as the base for their operations. “Despite the global challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen continued growth in KIZAD over the last year, a clear indication that our strategy to promote Abu Dhabi as a destination for manufacturing and industrial investments is delivering results.”

With a total area of 410 sqkm of which 100 sqkm is specifically designated as free zone, KIZAD is the largest industrial hub for integrated trade and logistics in the region, offering investors a highly-efficient base for their trading, manufacturing units, export operations, and related activities.

The industrial zone is part of Abu Dhabi Ports’ Industrial Cities and Free Zone portfolio, which has over 544 sqkm of industrial land, as well as 1400 local, regional and international investors operating within the food, logistics, automotive, polymers, metals, oil and gas, life sciences, and advanced technology industries.

WAM