Source : WAM
The World Future Energy Summit, scheduled at ADNEC Abu Dhabi from 13th to 15th January as part of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week hosted by Masdar, will spotlight the critical role of green hydrogen in industrial decarbonisation.
Amid the UK’s goal to scale low-carbon hydrogen production to 10GW by 2030, the Summit offers a platform for policymakers, industry leaders, and investors from the UAE and UK to explore collaborative solutions.
The event will demonstrate how the UAE’s expertise in renewable energy and large-scale Carbon Capture, Utilisation, and Storage (CCUS) projects can support the expansion of the UK’s green hydrogen sector, fostering strategic partnerships and cross-border investment.
Market analysts note that the early hype around green hydrogen has now evolved into a phase of market realism over the past two years. This has prompted the UK to advance a more ambitious agenda for low-carbon hydrogen, emphasizing actionable, scalable projects. Increasingly confident statements from senior UK Government officials reflect a shift from intent to tangible progress in project delivery and investment.
Sarah Jones, UK’s Minister of State for Industry, recently confirmed this stance. “I am convinced hydrogen must be at the heart of our plans to grow the economy and to become net zero by 2050,” she said. “Already, Government and industry are delivering real projects to kickstart the UK hydrogen economy.”
The UAE is well placed to benefit from, and actively fuel, the growth of the expanding UK green hydrogen industry.”
Dr. Carole Nakhle, the CEO of Crystol Energy and Secretary General of the Arab Energy Club, will speak at the Summit next week. She added, “The UK and the UAE share a long-established strategic relationship that goes far beyond energy, but hydrogen is now a natural extension of that partnership as both countries pursue industrial decarbonisation and long-term growth.
After the initial surge of enthusiasm, the hydrogen market has entered a more sober and disciplined phase, where scale, capital strength, technical expertise, and genuine long-term commitment will determine who succeeds. For that potential to translate into delivery, the UK will need a clear and stable regulatory framework that gives international partners such as the UAE the confidence to commit capital at scale and over decades.”
Last year, the World Future Energy Summit hosted two roundtable discussions bringing together leaders from clean energy companies, industry groups, and financial and governmental institutions from both countries. The sessions concluded that there is strong potential for deeper UAE-UK collaboration in green hydrogen.
With shared ambitions and complementary expertise, 2026–2030 could mark a new era of UAE-UK partnership in the green hydrogen sector. Scaling hydrogen in the UK from pilot projects to industry-wide deployment will require significant, sustained funding. The UK Government estimates that £9 billion (AED44.6 billion) of private sector investment will be needed for 27 upcoming hydrogen projects under its flagship hydrogen programme.
In June 2025, the UK invested an additional £500 million in public funds to develop hydrogen infrastructure, demonstrating long-term commitment. This presents an opportunity for the UAE to cement itself as a strategic partner in the UK’s green hydrogen journey.
Domestically, the UAE has already allocated billions to scale its hydrogen production at projects such as the Ta’ziz Industrial Hub and a gigawatt-scale facility in KEZAD. Internationally, UAE investors committed £18.5 billion in 2025 to a green hydrogen and ammonia project in Dakhla, Morocco, aiming for a 1 million tonnes per year capacity. Both public and private UAE investment is now poised to support UK projects, provided clear government guidance and viable, de-risked initiatives are in place.
In another Future Energy Insights episode, Cornelius Matthes, CEO of Dii Desert Energy, outlined the reasoning behind the UAE’s increasing eagerness to grow its own domestic capabilities in green hydrogen, with a view to creating an industry that outstrips local demand and taps into the growing global appetite for decarbonisation.
“The UAE has a target of 1.4 million tonnes per year by 2031, but with so many new projects in the pipeline, I’m confident it will exceed that level, even if they don’t all materialise,” he said.
The Summit’s Green Hydrogen Innovation Hub will again feature over 20 startups whose technologies could accelerate global hydrogen integration and scaling.
Through strategic planning and collaboration, the UAE and UK can leverage their combined expertise, resources, and investment networks to maximize the benefits of early adoption of green hydrogen.
The World Future Energy Summit 2026 will continue to examine the growing UAE-UK links in clean energy and regional markets, highlighting their roles in the global transition toward sustainable, low-carbon industrial solutions.
