(Abu Dhabi) – In a keynote statement, during the 8th session of the World Future Energy Summit, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, greeted and thanked President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, His Highness General Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, and the UAE Government for the warm welcome and hospitality given during his visit to the country.
As he addressed the importance of renewable energy, the Egyptian President commended Masdar’s outstanding efforts in hosting and organising the World Energy Summit, which, he said, highlights the UAE’s leading role at the global level in promoting renewable energy and the concept of sustainable development.
The President stressed Egypt’s commitment to addressing its long term energy security and its plans to expand its reliance on renewable energy to 20 percent by 2020. He also outlined that this target will be achieved through a comprehensive energy strategy, which includes reforms that support the adoption of all sources of energy. “As part of the strategy, Egypt plans to build a 4,300 megawatt of solar and wind power over the next three years,” he said, adding that Egypt must leverage its strategic geographic location and infrastructure to make the country an economic hub.
El-Sisi pointed to the strong historical relations and links that the UAE and Egypt share, which were established by the late Sheikh Zayed Al Nahyan, and praised the historical stance of the UAE government and its people in supporting the aspirations and needs of the Egyptian people through two revolutions.
President el-Sissi went on to say that the World Future Energy Summit is an international forum which brings forth vital discussions and challenges facing the energy, water and sustainable development sectors. He noted that the global energy consumption has doubled in the last four decades, and experts expect the numbers to double again by 2050. Coupled with the fact that more than1.3 billion people in the world are living without a source of electricity, half of them in Africa, the situation calls for concerted efforts to address this problem, which is impeding the march of progress in sisterly African nations.
(Courtesy WAM)