With WFES entering its 11th year, the event established a new direction for the energy ecosystem, bringing together global innovators, industry leaders and policy makers to shape the transformation of the industry. Over the four days, 850 exhibiting companies from 40 countries welcomed more than 33,000 attendees. More than 100 start-ups participated in WFES 2018, where over 10,000 pre-arranged business meetings were held. Exhibiting companies and a total of 18 national pavilions showcased some of the world’s latest and most advanced technologies, which are expected to play an integral part in the future of the energy industry.
Naji El Haddad, Group Event Director for the Middle East at Reed Exhibitions, said: “As a business-first event that provides a global platform for all those involved in the energy sector, the World Future Energy Summit 2018 has proven one of the most successful editions to date. The figures speak for themselves and have exceeded all expectations.
“These business successes were bolstered by new additions, including the Climate Innovations Exchange, pairing cleantech innovators with international investors. Our new Dialogue Hall that hosted the conferences also brought a cutting-edge and engaging platform for speakers and delegates,” El Haddad added.
During the four-day World Future Energy Summit, the International Solar Alliance hosted its first-ever gathering in Abu Dhabi, and signed a letter of intent with YES Bank for its first financing commitment of up to USD 5 billion by 2030. The organization also signed nine solar projects across five ISA member countries, including UAE, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, India and Spain.
Saudi Arabia announced its intention to launch up to USD 7 billion worth of renewable energy projects in 2018, as part of the country’s plan to have 9.5 gigawatts (GW) of solar and wind capacity installed by 2023. The majority of the funding is expected to be spent on solar plants, with four (GW) of solar energy projects to be contracted throughout the year.
Held in the Dialogue Hall at ADNEC, the WFES conference hosted high-level speakers including local ministers and foreign dignitaries, such as H.E. Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, UAE Minister of Climate Change and Environment, and Turki Al Shehri, Head of the Renewable Energy Project Development Office (REPDO) at the Ministry of Energy, Industry and Mineral Resources (MEIM) in Saudi Arabia. A range of experts presented at the new Dialogue Hall, including Tarik Hamame, an advisor at the Moroccan Agency for Sustainable Energy (Masen), and technology futurist Ian Khan.
