Serving as a catalyst in the rapidly evolving energy landscape in the region, Middle East Energy, the energy-focused event in the Middle East and Africa, will field a portfolio of regional and industry experts, thought leaders and disruptors ready to accelerate action towards net-zero targets.

Over three days, speakers will take to stages across a dedicated Leadership Summit, Technical Seminar, and focused Intersolar and electrical energy storage (ees) conference at the event, which runs April 16 from 18 at the Dubai World Trade Centre under the auspices of the UAE’s Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure.

This edition's conference focuses on photovoltaics, utility-scale solar, energy storage and green hydrogen.

It is aimed at guiding the region through energy transition by providing concentrated insights into the transformative dynamics of renewables.

The conference will present outlooks for the Mena region’s solar market, energy storage market and its technologies and examine new utility scale solar technologies and asset management. It will also explore pathways to transitioning human talent from oil and gas to renewables.

Under the theme of ‘Ideas, Innovations and Solutions Driving Change’ the Technical Seminar will feature a series of thought-provoking presentations and conversations exploring the practical application of the latest research, innovation, and technological advancements in the energy and utilities sector crucial to building, operating, and maintaining power plants, and transmission and distribution grids.

It will also showcase a range of innovative product showcases and scientific papers, with stakeholders getting the first-hand opportunity to discover ground-breaking advancements, projects, energy solutions, and cutting-edge technologies that are among topics to be scrutinised are the risks and challenges of financing power projects; pathways to sustainable buildings and net zero targets and the role of AI, grid modernisation and challenges in the Egyptian grid, power opportunities in Africa, the shaping of a new regulatory environments, renewable integration for smart cities, smart transport infrastructure and the region’s green hydrogen potential.

The summit’s opening plenary session panel, which will include industry experts such as Dr Sinjar Tomeh of Syria’s Ministry of Electricity, Abderrahim El Haffidi of Morocco’s National Office for Electricity and Water and Mohammed Al Ta’ani of the Arab Renewable Energy Commission will set the tone for the significant role that the Middle East’s energy sector plays on a global front.

Al Ta’ani commented: "While also reviewing the status quo, we will need to encourage the use of clean renewable energy in the Arab world by disseminating awareness and motivating investments due to its positive revenue on all Arab countries. The aim must be to promote meaningful ways for expanding the use of alternative energy sources rather than on non-renewable."

Frank Wouter, Chair of the MENA Hydrogen Alliance, who will participate in the green hydrogen panel says green hydrogen will be instrumental in achieving the target agreed at COP28 of triple renewables by 2030.

"We can’t do it without investing and amplifying our resources in the area," he said. "We need to start looking at where it makes sense to build more renewables. There is a lot more space in Africa, the Sahel region, the Sahara, and elsewhere, and these places have fantastic renewable energy resources. But it’s difficult to mobilise capital to get to these investments. We need to collectively come together to make these ambitious plans a reality."

Key highlights are presentations by Professor William Holderbaum of the UK’s Reading University who will explore control of energy-based forecasting for application and Dr Feras Alasali of Jordan’s Hashemite University who will analyse smart grid resilience under cyber-physical threat.