the 7th edition of the Arab Electricity Union Congress was inaugurated on Sunday, March 20, 2022 in Doha, Qatar by His Excellency Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, Minister of State for Energy of Qatar and His Excellency Prince Abdel Aziz Ben Salmane Al Saoud, Minister of Energy of Saudi Arabia as well as Mr. Abderrahim El Hafidi, Director General of the National Office of Electricity and Drinking Water and President of the Arab Union of Electricity. This is an event organized by the UAE every three years and which sees the participation of the largest Arab and international companies in the field of electricity.
This important event, which coincides with the annual meeting of the Arab Ministerial Council for Electricity, was attended by Arab Ministers of Energy from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Jordan, Egypt, Yemen , Palestine, Lebanon, Sudan and Djibouti as well as high-level delegations representing the public and private sectors. An exhibition bringing together operators and professionals in electrical equipment in the Arab world is organized on the sidelines of the UAE Congress.
In his speech at the official opening ceremony of this event organized under the theme “Towards a common vision for a promising future for electricity in the Arab World”, Mr. El Hafidi, Director General of ONEE and President of the UAE following his election for the 2th consecutively, highlighted the profound changes made by the UAE over the last three years to strengthen its role like the major international organizations as well as the main stages of restructuring.
In this context, Mr. El Hafidi recalled the actions undertaken to put in place the new model for the modernization of the Union in order to meet current and future challenges, mainly those related to securing the supply of energy to Arab countries. electricity at the best cost as well as the reinforcement of electrical interconnections. He commended the efforts undertaken by the members of the UAE for the realization of this vision despite the health pandemic which had a strong impact on the work of the Union.
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El Hafidi also underlined that a new strategic vision of the UAE will be developed in order to allow a modernization of the structures and the success of the missions recalling that the various panels of the Congress constitute opportunities for exchanges around the strategic orientations of the UAE. which represent a clear interest on the part of decision-makers and players in the electricity sector.
In the same vein, and at the initiative of l’ONEEwhose Managing Director is also Chairman of the Global Partnership for Sustainable Electricity -GSEP-, this prestigious alliance which brings together the largest electricians in the world has also joined the General Conference of the UAE, through the holding of a “Strategic Dialogue” under the theme “Decarbonization of electricity production”.
It should be noted that the Kingdom of Morocco marked its strong presence at this exhibition through a Moroccan Pavilion which brings together ONEE, Nareva and Enel Green Power Morocco. A very high-level ministerial delegation, chaired by His Excellency Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, Minister of State for Energy of Qatar and His Excellency Prince Abdel Aziz Ben Salmane Al Saud, Minister of Energy of Saudi Arabia and composed of Arab Ministers of Energy visited the Moroccan Pavilion and inquired regarding the major achievements and activities of the National Office of Electricity and Drinking Water.
The Moroccan Pavilion, which occupies a radiant location within the exhibition, has attracted the interest of managers of international companies who have expressed a desire to forge cooperation partnerships in the electrical sector. This pavilion will constitute, throughout this event, a real showcase to expose visitors to the major structuring projects developed and carried out by our country in the energy sector in general and in the renewable energy sector in particular.
