Over the last decade, the utilities sector in the Middle East has emerged as a key player in cleantech innovation, driven by national sustainability visions and significant investments. New industry leaders are shaping the region’s energy resilience and competitiveness, yet challenges remain in scaling and operationalising clean technologies, particularly those from emerging players. With rising transition costs, infrastructure investment gaps, and global competition from markets like the US and China, the sector must prioritise deploying clean technologies at scale to advance climate action and energy security.
Globally, utilities are committing substantial resources to clean energy, with UNEZA partners, launched at COP28 under IRENA and UN Climate Change leadership, aiming to invest over $116 billion annually in clean power and grid infrastructure. This renewed focus on cleantech reflects the urgency of addressing climate crises. Electrification is transforming key industries, including utilities, transportation, and energy, creating significant opportunities for ESG-driven innovations and investments.
The Cleantech Innovation theatre will bring together leaders to showcase the sector's critical role in advancing sustainable energy practices and driving decarbonisation efforts.
• Power generation (renewables, hybrid systems, advanced gas turbines)
• Long-duration & grid-scale energy storage (batteries, flow batteries, thermal storage)
• Nuclear (SMRs, advanced nuclear technologies)
• Hydrogen (green & blue hydrogen, ammonia, storage & transport infrastructure)
• Critical minerals & rare earth supply chain resilience
• Carbon capture, utilisation & storage (CCUS)
• Direct air capture (DAC) and carbon removals
• Circular waste-to-energy and synthetic fuels
• Carbon trading, offsets & nature-based solutions
• Industrial decarbonisation pathways
• Climate tech scale-up funds and investment
• Energy certificates, power purchase agreements & PPPs
• Government-to-government partnerships and global cross-sector alliances
• Energy transition M&A trends
• Demand response with AI-powered flexibility markets
• Process electrification for heavy industry
• Net-zero buildings & carbon standards
• Next-gen cogeneration & waste heat recovery
• Semiconductors for grid optimisation & efficiency
• Smart grids, microgrids & DER implementation
• IoT sensors for leak detection and energy monitoring
• AI-driven predictive maintenance & demand management
• Real-time data analytics for system efficiency
• Water reuse & zero-liquid discharge systems
• AI & IoT for water optimisation
• Water-energy nexus integration
• Transboundary water cooperation & resilience policy
• Nature-based water infrastructure & desalination innovation
• Solar- and wind-powered desalination technologies
• Energy-efficient water treatment & purification
• Sustainable water sourcing & extraction
• Full lifecycle EV integration (charging networks, V2G, fleet electrification)
• Advanced battery chemistry (solid-state, sodium-ion, recycling)
• Green hydrogen & e-fuels for heavy transport, aviation & shipping
• Integrated transport-energy-water urban infrastructure
• Sustainable urban design & adaptive cooling technologies
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