UAE and Germany Host Energy Cooperation Forum to Boost Sustainable Partnerships

The UAE and Germany are deepening their energy partnership with a focus on artificial intelligence and future power grids. A major forum in Abu Dhabi brought together experts from both countries to explore how AI can reshape energy systems and how to build the infrastructure needed for clean energy connections between Europe and the Gulf.

The UAE Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure hosted the forum alongside Germany's Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action. The timing coincided with a visit from German Energy Minister Katarina Reiche, highlighting the strategic importance both countries place on this collaboration.

The partnership between the UAE and Germany started in 2017 and expanded in 2022 to include climate cooperation. Since then, both countries have made significant progress in hydrogen development, sustainable aviation fuels, renewable energy, grid connections, and industrial emission reduction.

Engineer Sharif Al Olama, the UAE's Undersecretary for Energy and Petroleum Affairs, emphasized two main areas that will define the energy sector over the next decade. The first involves future energy networks that will connect Europe and the Gulf through clean energy, hydrogen, and digital infrastructure. This aligns with the UAE Consensus from COP28, which aims to double energy efficiency and triple renewable energy capacity by 2030.

The second focus area centers on AI's role in developing energy systems. Data centers powered by AI are growing rapidly, and they need more energy, cooling solutions, and operational flexibility. The UAE continues building its capabilities in solar power, district cooling, hydrogen, and advanced battery storage.

The combination of UAE leadership in AI technology and German engineering expertise creates a strong foundation for setting global standards in sustainable digital infrastructure. Both countries see significant potential in working together on hydrogen supply chains, sustainable aviation fuels, storage solutions, grid flexibility, carbon markets, and industrial decarbonization.

The forum also addressed energy efficiency, digital transformation, and support for startups and private sector companies. Officials expect the discussions to produce practical steps that will strengthen cooperation and build on the momentum from COP30 toward a more sustainable energy future.

For investors and energy companies, this partnership signals growing opportunities in the clean energy corridor between Europe and the Middle East. The focus on AI integration into energy systems also reflects how technology companies and traditional energy firms are converging as data centers become major electricity consumers.