Abu Dhabi: Sami Khoreibi did his homework well before returning to the UAE and starting his own business.
On a trip to Abu Dhabi, the young entrepreneur who had lived in Canada since the age of four saw great potential in a green idea back home. That's when he started Enviromena Power Systems, a solar developer that designs and builds solar projects in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena).
"My passion was always to start my own business and be involved in a company from inception to full growth," Khoreibi said.
Today, the 29-year-old is very well doing so. He's the chief executive of Enviromena, a rapidly growing company that has attracted investors from the Middle East, Europe and North America.
Here's a look at Masdar City
In April 2009, just two years after the company's establishment, Enviromena took on a large project. The company designed, installed and operated the largest solar power plant system in the region.
Located in Masdar City, Abu Dhabi, the 10 megawatt solar power plant generates clean electricity that supports the ongoing construction activities in Masdar City and which will later be a power provider for the Masdar Institute.
The power plant serves the city's purpose in becoming the first carbon neutral and zero waste city in the world. It is part of the Masdar Initiative, which is driven by the Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar).
The $50 million project produces 17,500 megawatts of clean electricity and offsets 15,000 tonnes of carbon emissions per year.
"This is really one of the best places in the world from a solar perspective," Khoreibi said. "An average solar panel [here] produces around twice as much as a solar panel in Germany based on how much sun you get."
Excessive energy that is being produced during the day at the Masdar City plant goes straight to Abu Dhabi's grid, offsetting the power production of the city itself, Khoreibi explained. "So everybody in Abu Dhabi is using a bit of solar energy right now."
"With a 10 megawatt installation today, I wouldn't be surprised if suddenly we see hundreds of MWs in the region tomorrow," Khoreibi said.
Enviromena, which started off with four people, today has a staff of 30.
"We're expecting to expand our staff to meet the demands of what we think is a very exciting market place," Khoreibi said.
Khoreibi sees a lot of potential for the renewable energy industry to grow and be as competitive as the conventional energy in this part of the world.
"We're really seeing an awakening of the potential for renewable whether it's in places like Jordan Qatar and North Africa, and the rest of the Middle East and North Africa as well," he said. "But the pie is big enough for everyone to build successful entities."
The third World Future Energy Summit on renewable energy is set to take place from January 18 to 21 at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre.
Hosted by Masdar, the event will gather world leaders, top government officials, environmental experts and global business leaders to present their views and discuss renewable energies and policies.
