DUBAI, 30th April, 2017 (WAM) -- Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Vice Chairman of the Supreme Council of Energy in Dubai, and Managing Director and CEO of Dubai Electricity Authority, DEWA, has inaugurated the first international workshop for the Solar Decathlon Middle East, SDME. The two-day workshop discusses the competitions rules, regulations, and next steps.
The workshop was attended by Paul Malik, Consul General of the United States of America to Dubai, Valentina Setta, Consul General of Italy to Dubai, Richard King, SDME Senior Advisor, and a number of officials, researchers, and former participants of the Solar Decathlon. On the first day of the workshop, Al Tayer launched three new platforms of the World Green Economy Organisation, WGEO, and are Youth, Academia, and Civil Society Organisation. The WGEO was launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, in October 2016 and supported by the United Nations Development Programme, UNDP. "Launching these platforms reflects our diligent efforts to support a green economy and reinforces WGEOs pioneering position to ensure a sustainable future for us all. This will advance policies and actions to accelerate the pace towards a green economy. This will be achieved through knowledge and experience development, enhancing cooperation among various stakeholders in charge of developing strategies and by putting policies in place to ensure a sustainable future," said Al Tayer"Hosting this international competition in Dubai reflects the commitment of our leadership, headed by President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, to adopt innovation as an approach to finding solutions to the challenges that face the world. It reasserts their belief in the important role young people play in building a sustainable future," said Al Tayer in his keynote speech. He added, "Hosting this competition in the UAE for the first time in the Middle East confirms the UAEs keenness to provide young people with opportunities to unleash their energies and encourage them to be creative and innovative, making them contributors to sustainable development, leading to a positive change in peoples lives. The UAE has become a platform for innovation, a destination for innovators, and an incubator for creative minds from all over the world.""Sustainability has always been at the core of life in the UAE. Our ancestors relied on natural resources to build homes that are suitable for the local climate. Barjeel wind towers were paramount in the designs of Emirati homes. They made for a natural air-conditioning system by capturing the breeze through a vertical outlet and replacing hot air inside rooms with cool air. Today, we want you to leave your mark on the path of sustainable development and green economy around the globe, by designing energy-efficient and self-sufficient homes that reduce the environmental impact of buildings, inform the public about the importance of renewable energy, energy efficiency, and the technologies that help them optimise their energy use. The Decathlon will provide practical models for solar-run houses that can be comfortable, attractive, and affordable," said Al Tayer to the participants. The teams that have qualified for the final stage of the first Solar Decathlon Middle East include the University of Sharjah, the American University in Dubai, Ajman University of Science and Technology, the American University of Ras Al Khaimah, Heriot-Watt University Dubai, New York University Abu Dhabi, and the Petroleum Institute at Khalifa University from the UAE.Copyright Emirates News Agency (WAM) 2017.
