President appoints Irena Representative

President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan has issued a decree appointing Dr Thani Al Zeyoudi, as the United Arab Emirates’ first permanent representative to the International Renewable Energy Agency (Irena).

Upon the appointment, Dr Al Zeyoudi presented his credentials to Irena’s Director-General, Adnan Amin, at the headquarters of Irena in Abu Dhabi.

His appointment, the first for Irena, follows landmark legislation in the UAE that allows for the Agency’s member countries to establish formal representation and assign permanent representatives to Irena in Abu Dhabi.  Currently, Irena has 119 member countries, with 44 in the process of joining.

Dr Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of State and the UAE's special envoy for energy and climate change, said: "We are pleased that the UAE is the first country to appoint its permanent representative to Irena.

“This step reflects the importance of this position for the renewable energy sector in the UAE and contributes to the alignment of our local and global strategies.

“We look forward to furthering cooperation with Irena and the international community to increase the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix and achieve sustainable development."

Commenting on the appointment, Adnan Amin, Irena Director-General, said, "It is fitting to receive Dr Al Zeyoudi as the first permanent representative to Irena.

“The UAE is not only our host country, but an active partner in our mission to build a clean energy future.

“The UAE has been a strong international advocate of renewable energy adoption and implementation.

“We look forward to achieving Irena’s objectives and promoting renewable energy solutions around the world."

The appointment also marks a milestone in the UAE’s diplomacy around clean energy, where the permanent representative will advance the UAE’s efforts on multilateral cooperation.

" Irena is the first major multilateral organisation to be headquartered in the Middle East, and it heralds an era of change in the heart of the energy industry," said Dr Al Zeyoudi.

"I am privileged and humbled to represent the UAE to Irena, especially with the significant developments that are currently taking place in the sector."

Dr Al Zeyoudi currently serves as Director of Energy and Climate Change at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.  Previously he was part of the carbon markets team at Masdar, and worked on the Zakum field for Abu Dhabi Marine Oil Company, part of the Adnoc group. Dr. Al Zeyoudi holds a PhD in Strategy, Programme, and Project Management from Skema Business School in France.

The International Renewable Energy Agency (Irena) is mandated as the global hub for renewable energy cooperation and information exchange by 119 Members. Over 40 additional countries are in the accession process and actively engaged. Formally established in 2011, Irena is the first global intergovernmental organisation to be headquartered in the Middle East.

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