UAE Strengthened Energy & Sustainability Partnerships in Hong Kong and Korea

Eng. Sharif Al Olama, Undersecretary for Energy and Petroleum Affairs at the UAE Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, concluded official visits to Hong Kong and South Korea aimed at advancing cooperation in energy, sustainability, and water management. The visits underscored the UAE’s global commitment to accelerating the energy transition.

In Hong Kong, Al Olama reviewed sustainability initiatives at the international airport, including battery energy storage, rooftop solar expansion, and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) adoption. He also explored potential partnerships on SAF production, supply chains, and ultra-fast EV charging networks for deployment in the UAE.

In Busan, South Korea, Al Olama participated in the Clean Energy Ministerial, where he showcased the UAE’s progress in low-carbon energy and efficiency. He also urged EU states to join the Global Energy Efficiency Alliance (GEEA) and held discussions on hydrogen development, grid stability, and EV platforms with leading Korean companies.

In Seoul, he co-chaired the 8th UAE–Korea Joint Operation Committee on Water Resource Cooperation, focusing on desalination, renewable energy integration, and wastewater reuse. Al Olama stated that the visits reflected the UAE’s dedication to building global partnerships that support sustainable energy and water solutions.

Bilateral energy-and-water cooperation across Hong Kong (aviation SAF, EV charging, energy storage) and South Korea (hydrogen, grid stability, EV platforms, water treatment) reflects strategic UAE positioning across multiple regional partnerships. The Global Energy Efficiency Alliance (GEEA) advocacy positions the UAE as multilateral convener rather than solely bilateral actor.

The desalination-renewable integration dimension is particularly significant. Gulf water security depends on desalination, which is energy-intensive; combining desalination with renewable-energy supply reduces both operating cost and Scope 2 emissions. Korea's water technology capability combined with UAE market scale creates a plausible bilateral cooperation case.

For hydrogen producers, water utilities, EV OEMs, aviation-fuel producers and financial institutions supporting cross-border sustainable-infrastructure investment, Cognitud's energy transition, climate action and impact assessment teams help clients evaluate bilateral partnership opportunities, structure sustainability-linked commercial arrangements aligned with UAE-Korea and UAE-Hong Kong priorities, and prepare disclosures aligned with CDP Water, ISSB and jurisdictional sustainability frameworks.