The United Arab Emirates is accelerating its position as a global hub for clean energy investment through a series of projects announced and launched in 2026 by its leading national firms.
These projects underscore the UAE’s commitment to delivering reliable, sustainable energy solutions across Asia, Africa, and Europe, driving both economic growth and significant carbon emission reductions to combat climate change.
In January, the UAE adopted the Sustainable Digital Services IT Guideline aimed at promoting renewable energy use, advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence and cloud computing, and environmentally friendly IT practices.
The Abu Dhabi Department of Energy also introduced the Solar Energy Self-Supply Policy during the World Governments Summit 2026, which provides flexible frameworks for clean energy generation and storage, specifically empowering the agricultural sector to transition toward a high-efficiency power system. Furthering this sector-specific innovation, Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar) partnered with Elite Agro to launch the first agricultural photovoltaic (AgriPV) project in the MENA region at Al Foah farm in Al Ain, providing a scalable model for integrating renewable energy into sustainable agriculture.
Domestically, the UAE’s installed renewable energy capacity has exceeded 7.7 gigawatts (GW), with projects under development expected to raise total capacity to more than 23 GW by 2031. Installed capacity grew 117 percent between 2022 and 2025, reflecting the effectiveness of national policies and the acceleration of strategic projects.
Globally, Masdar has reached a global capacity of 65 GW of clean energy as it heads towards its goal of 100 GW by 2030.
International expansion in 2026 includes the development of the 150 MW Quipungo Solar Photovoltaic project in Angola , which is slated to power 300,000 homes and generate 2,000 jobs. Additionally, Masdar achieved financial close on a 300 MW solar photovoltaic power plant and 75 MWh capacity battery energy storage system in Uzbekistan, part of a broader investment exceeding $2 billion in the region.
The company also signed a memorandum of understanding with Germany’s RWE Renewables to expand renewable energy deployment and battery storage systems, targeting up to 1 GW of capacity by 2030 and exploring further expansion to 1 GW by 2035.
Masdar also entered a binding agreement with TotalEnergies to establish a $2.2 billion 50/50 joint venture that will merge their onshore renewable activities in nine countries across Asia.
In parallel, Abu Dhabi-based Global South Utilities, a Resources Investment company, is expanding the UAE’s footprint in clean energy through projects including a 5 MWp grid-connected solar photovoltaic power plant in Berbera in the Horn of Africa, to reduce reliance on diesel and improve energy security.
The company also formed an industrial collaboration with Weiheng, a Chinese global manufacturer of battery energy storage systems, aimed at localising advanced clean-energy manufacturing in Abu Dhabi and supporting the UAE’s industrial development, energy transformation, and Global South supply-chain ambitions.
Separately, the Statistical Centre for the Cooperation Council for the Arab Countries of the Gulf (GCC-Stat) said its Climate Statistics 2024 report showed significant progress in renewable energy and climate resilience across the region.
Rainfall levels rose 49.4 per cent in 2024 compared with the 30-year long-term average (1980-2010), indicating shifts in regional weather patterns, the report said.
Temperature data from 23 monitoring stations across GCC countries showed relative stability, with maximum temperatures remaining below 49 degrees Celsius between 2012 and 2024, without extreme spikes.
The report highlighted strong growth in the solar energy sector, with installed capacity of solar power plants recording an average annual growth rate of 88.1 percent during the period (2013-2024). Electricity generation from solar energy rose from 0.13 thousand gigawatt-hours in 2013 to 23.5 thousand gigawatt-hours in 2023.
Wind energy capacity also increased, rising from 4.8 megawatts in 2015 to 567 megawatts in 2024. All GCC countries have introduced advanced early warning systems using mobile cell broadcast technology to improve responses to extreme weather, and have incorporated climate change and adaptation topics into educational curricula, the report said.
WAM