Dubai hosts the International Sustainable Bioenergy Forum

During the International Sustainable Bioenergy Forum, which Dubai hosted today, under the slogan “From the Emirates/To the Green World,” decision-makers, experts, academics and industry leaders from around the world discussed the future of sustainable bioenergy and its role in supporting a low-carbon circular economy, developing innovative solutions for biofuels, including sustainable aviation fuel, marine fuels, and renewable transportation fuels, and encouraging young scientists to develop scientific research in this field.
The forum was held under the auspices of the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, and jointly organized by the Association of Arab Universities and the Yousef bin Saeed Lootah Award for Young Scientists.
On this occasion, Assistant Undersecretary of the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure for the Petroleum, Gas and Mineral Resources Sector, Engineer Saif Ghobash, confirmed that the UAE has made sustainability a major focus of its national agenda, setting an ambitious goal to achieve climate neutrality by 2050, through advanced initiatives to reduce emissions, promote clean energy projects, and reduce dependence on fossil fuels.
He explained that bioenergy represents an important path in the future energy mix, especially sustainable aviation fuel and low-carbon fuel, as the UAE was one of the first countries in the region to test flights using SAF fuel in cooperation with national companies.
He pointed out that the UAE Energy Strategy 2050 initiatives, circular economy programs, and carbon removal projects contribute to accelerating the transformation.
He stressed the importance of partnerships between universities and the private sector to promote innovation and develop technologies that support a low-carbon economy.
For his part, the Secretary-General of the Association of Arab Universities, Professor Dr. Amr Ezzat Salama, said that this initiative enhances investment in Arab competencies and talents, encourages young scientists to innovate and create, and supports the status of scientific research in a way that contributes to sustainable development in the Emirates and the Arab world.
For his part, the founder of the Yousef bin Saeed Lootah Award for Young Scientists, Yousef bin Saeed Lootah, said that the Young Scientists Award aims to enhance integration between academic and industrial institutions in the Arab world, and to support sustainable solutions in green chemistry, renewable energy and the circular economy, expressing pride in launching this award from Dubai, to enhance the capabilities of Arab youth and partnerships between the private, governmental and academic sectors towards a better future for all.
The forum included two working sessions with the participation of a group of international experts, in the first of which the CEO of Lanzatec, USA, Dr. Jennifer Holmgren, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Infin Slovakia Group, Professor Robert Spisak, and the Chair of the Committee on Environmental Protection, International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), Eng. Maryam Al Matroushi, while the session was moderated by Dr. Hanifa Al Balushi from Khalifa University.
The second session was attended by Julian Thiele, CEO of Decel Switzerland, Shiji Wang, General Manager, Benaio Group, China, and Shin Ito from JGC Japan, and was moderated by Professor Maria Lourdes Fernandez from the RICH Center, at Khalifa University.
At the conclusion of the forum’s activities, the winners of the Yousef bin Saeed Lootah Award for Young Scientists were honored in the three categories: the green chemistry branch, the renewable energy branch, and the circular economy branch.
The participants thanked the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure for sponsoring this international specialized initiative, the Association of Arab Universities, the Youssef Award for Young Scientists, and all participants and supporters, stressing their commitment to contributing to supporting scientific innovation and sustainable bioenergy, and opening new horizons towards a green and bright future.