Abu dhabi: Eng. Sharif Al Olama, Undersecretary for Energy and Petroleum Affairs at the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, visited Hong Kong and the Republic of Korea to strengthen energy and water cooperation. During his visit, he engaged with high-level officials and toured sustainability-focused facilities to gain insights into their initiatives.
According to Emirates News Agency, in Hong Kong, Eng. Al Olama visited the Hong Kong International Airport, where he explored its sustainability initiatives. These included the deployment of the largest Battery Energy Storage System in Hong Kong, expansion of rooftop solar PV capacity, adoption of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF), and integration of AI-driven airport technologies. He met with Vivian Kar Fai Cheung, CEO of the Airport Authority Hong Kong, to discuss UAE-Hong Kong collaboration on SAF production, supply chain development, and certification pathways. The discussions aligned with both parties' decarbonisation goals.
Eng. Al Olama expressed his admiration for the Airport Authority's leadership in renewable energy and green building standards, which align with the UAE's efforts to achieve net zero. He highlighted that airports play a crucial role in connecting people and driving economic growth. The UAE's Dubai and Abu Dhabi International Airports, along with Emirates and Etihad Airways, lead in SAF adoption and carbon reduction as part of the broader commitment to sustainable energy transition.
In Hong Kong, Al Olama also visited Tellus Power, a leader in EV charging solutions, to explore future collaboration on developing EV charging stations, focusing on ultra-fast charging networks and smart charging solutions.
Al Olama then traveled to Busan, Korea, to participate in the Clean Energy Ministerial Plenary Session. He emphasized the UAE's commitment to accelerating an inclusive, secure, and resilient energy transition through innovations in clean hydrogen and SAF. These investments serve domestic needs and provide scalable solutions for global decarbonisation and economic opportunities. He also highlighted the Global Energy Efficiency Alliance (GEEA) as a cornerstone of this transition and encouraged the European Commission to have EU Member States join the GEEA.
In Seoul, Al Olama co-chaired the 8th Joint Operation Committee Meeting for Water Resource Cooperation with the Republic of Korea. He discussed UAE's water sector policies, focusing on sustainable water supply sources, membrane-based desalination, renewable energy integration, water efficiency technologies, and wastewater reuse. The UAE is also preparing to co-host the 2026 UN Water Conference with Senegal to accelerate achieving Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG6). The cooperation between the UAE and Korea in water resource management is seen as a successful model for meeting global climate targets.
While in Seoul, Al Olama engaged with Fuel Cell Innovations to explore collaboration opportunities in hydrogen production, carbon capture, and joint research with UAE institutions. He also held discussions with Korea Electric Power Corporation, focusing on grid stability management, KEPCO's regulatory role, and the operation of the national EV charging platform, ChargeLink.