Presenting the sector's critical role in advancing sustainable energy practices

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.

Equally critical, water security and energy-intensive desalination are becoming central to infrastructure planning across the region, reinforcing the need for integrated water-energy systems alongside grid modernisation, flexibility, and industrial decarbonisation.

The Innovation theatre will bring together leaders to showcase the sector's critical role in advancing sustainable energy practices and driving decarbonisation efforts, reflecting the full transition journey from system redesign and grid expansion, to flexibility, water resilience, firm power, and climate-ready urban infrastructure.