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Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum has visited today the headquarters of Abu Dhabi’s renewable energy company, Masdar, in the capital Abu Dhabi, where he toured Masdar City and reviewed major clean energy projects and initiatives.

HH toured Masdar city, which hosts a number of international firms and R&D centers that focus on renewable energy including Masdar Institute, the world’s first graduate-level university dedicated to providing real-world solutions to issues of sustainability.

During the visit, Sheikh Mohammed highlighted the importance of innovation, clean technology and ‘positive energy’ in promoting the sustainable development of the UAE, and said that the country, through initiatives such as Masdar, was demonstrating its capacity to lead the world in helping to secure a clean energy future.

"Masdar has played an integral role in building a robust foundation for sustainable development within the UAE and globally, along with other clean energy projects such as Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park in Dubai. They honor the vision and legacy of the UAE’s Founder Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, and the continued support and guidance of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, and His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces ," Sheikh Mohammed said.

HH also reviewed the projects being executed by Masdar locally and globally, which are part of the UAE’s strategy to increase the contribution of clean sustainable energy to the total energy mix to 24% by 2021. He also visited the headquarter of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), and reviewed its activities and accomplishments since 2009.

Sheikh Mohammed said: "The UAE’s ongoing efforts in clean technology and renewable energy further reinforce the country’s position on the international stage, alongside the selection of Dubai to stage Expo 2020, the choice of Masdar City to host the headquarters of the International Renewable Energy Agency, and the successful landing of Solar Impulse 2 in Abu Dhabi, completing its pioneering flight around the world using only the power of the sun. These achievements show that the UAE stands at the forefront of global development and that the future is full of opportunity."

Sheikh Mohammed also said that Masdar, as the Middle East’s first comprehensive initiative in clean technology and renewable energy, had successfully demonstrated the importance of integrating renewable energy in the energy mix, as well as clean energy’s growing commercial viability, through the many projects it had developed in the UAE and around the world in the ten years since its inception.

During his visit, Sheikh Mohammed was accompanied by HH Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai; HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority; Dr Sultan bin Ahmad Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of State and Chairman of Masdar; Mohammed Ibrahim Al Shaibani, Director-General of the Ruler’s Court of Dubai; and Khalifa Saeed Suleiman, Director-General of Dubai's Department of Protocol and Hospitality.

For his part, Dr. Al Jaber expressed his thanks and gratitude to Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid for visiting the headquarters of Masdar.

He valued it as an informative visit for the young Emirati men and women who expressed their extreme delight and deep pride on the visit, which they said would strengthen their determination and persistence to develop their works. They would also be encouraged to study hard and deliver more success and progress in the service of their nation and pave the way for promising youths to increase academic attainment and unlock their innovative energies for building a future that is full of scientific achievements and innovations, which would leverage the UAE's leading standing globally and ensure its prosperous future.