Saudi Arabian Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman and his UAE counterpart Suhail al-Mazrouei emphasized the need to diversify energy sources by reducing fossil fuel dependence and increasing dependence on renewable energy.
The ministers were speaking at the World Future Energy Summit 2020 in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.
“We are talking about conversion of our energy mix whereby we will be using more gas and more renewable,” said Prince Abdulaziz.
The UAE is aiming for 50 percent of its energy mix to be zero-emission, al-Mazrouei added, with a “reduction of the emissions by 70 percent.”
Last week, Saudi Arabia’s energy ministry issued a request for qualifications from companies looking to taking part in the third round of its national renewable energy program, according to a statement released by state news agency SPA.
The Kingdom has said it plans to generate 9.5 gigawatts (GW) of electricity from renewable sources a year by 2023 through 60 projects, involving an estimated investment of between $30 billion and $50 billion.
