Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, ruler of Dubai and the United Arab Emirates’ Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, told a media gathering Friday he is directing the UAE to host the next round of the United Nations climate talks in 2023.
“We should not let time pass us by. We should keep it alive. So we agreed to host the next conference in 2023 to contribute to the realization of the Paris Agreement,” Mohammed told reporters at the World Future Energy Summit, in Dubai. “Dubai is a pioneer in this field, and that is why we are working so hard to build up the UAE economy and our technology base.”
The summit, expected to attract 7,000 leaders, experts and advocates from 80 countries this year, is aimed at setting a course for sustainable energy future and to help set targets for countries to fight climate change.
Dubai has been at the forefront of the battle to cut down on carbon emissions and is in the race to host the World Expo in 2020, an event that brings about $20 billion in foreign investment.
Zakir Naik, chairman of the Sustainable Energy Authority of India, took part in a private roundtable discussion with Mohammed, who also exchanged views with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and his visit to China for talks.
“The integration of India and the Middle East region with China will be another example of good cooperation between the two countries,” Naik said.