UAE Promotes Cross-Border Power Corridors, Targets 100 GW by 2030

Post by : Bianca Suleiman

Dubai, UAE – At the Singapore-IRENA High-Level Forum held during Singapore International Energy Week (SIEW) 2025, Eng. Sharif Al Olama, Undersecretary for Energy and Petroleum Affairs at the UAE Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, presented the UAE’s roadmap for accelerating clean-energy deployment.

The session, organised under the theme "Envisioning Energy Tomorrow, Building Systems Today," convened government officials, industry executives and technical specialists to examine pathways for regional market integration while safeguarding domestic energy objectives.

Al Olama explained that the UAE’s clean-energy push rests on enduring policy certainty, competitive market frameworks and robust international linkages. This policy foundation, he said, has drawn substantial foreign capital, produced ultra-low renewable tariffs and validated the role of open procurement and dependable power-purchase agreements.

Through Masdar, the UAE has extended its investments into over 40 countries, contributing more than 50 GW of installed renewable capacity to date. The UAE is now directing efforts to scale that footprint to 100 GW by 2030 and to manufacture one million tonnes of green hydrogen each year.

Speakers at the forum stressed the urgency of mobilising cross-border capital, noting Southeast Asia’s projected 60% rise in electricity demand by 2040. They identified critical enablers such as predictable long-term market signals, harmonised regulations and grids, plus innovative financing mechanisms to mitigate investment risk.

Al Olama cited the GCC Power Grid as an operational precedent, highlighting its role in cutting generation costs by more than $3 billion, improving system reliability and lowering emissions. He proposed replicating similar green power corridors to link the Middle East with Southeast Asia and expand sustainable energy trade globally.

The UAE delegation’s contributions to SIEW 2025 underscored a commitment to scaling clean-energy investment, strengthening regional cooperation and forging multilateral partnerships that advance shared energy security and sustainable growth.