Irena headquarters agreement with UAE ratified

Abu Dhabi: The UAE announced on Sunday the formal ratification of its headquarters agreement with the International Renewable Energy Agency (Irena).

The agreement confirms Irena’s position as the global hub for renewable energy, and the first international organisation headquartered in the Middle East.

The announcement was made during the first day of the annual Irena Assembly in Abu Dhabi, in the presence of ministers and officials from 150 countries. It formally accords Irena all the rights, privileges and protections of an international organisation.

The agreement also highlights the UAE’s emergence as a global centre of excellence for renewable energy.

Abu Dhabi is home to Masdar, the renewable energy city, and this week is hosting thousands of industry leaders and policy makers for Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW).

“I want to thank the UAE’s leadership for their support of Irena’s headquarters ratification, which represents a major milestone for the future of the agency,” said Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, the UAE’s Special Envoy for Energy and Climate Change and chief executive officer of Masdar.

“The UAE now has its first fully fledged international organisation, reflecting and enhancing our position as a global hub for the energy industry,” he added.

“The ratification of our headquarters agreement, and the presence of a record-breaking number of ministers and policy makers at the 2013 Assembly, marks Irena’s coming of age,” said Adnan Ameen, Irena director-general.

“What began as a visionary idea in 2009 has truly taken form. The renewable energy era is upon us,” he added.