Since 2017
The UAE and Germany Strengthen Cooperation on Innovation and New Technologies
- The Partnership strengthened bilateral cooperation on innovation, renewable energy technologies, energy efficiency, and regional energy infrastructure.
- The visit of H.E. Minister Katherina Reiche underscored the importance of the partnership with the UAE and highlighted shared priorities, including reliable energy supply, technological innovation and economic growth.
- New cooperation on AI as a cross-cutting topic emerged as the UAE positioned themselves as a future leader in this domain.
- The Partnership supported young German and UAE businesses in boosting innovation and entrepreneurship through a Startup Tech Tour to Dubai.
- With the UAE as a key partner for energy connectivity and energy security in the region, the Partnership continued exchanges on regional energy interconnection.
Energy security
Decarbonisation
Foreign Trade Promotion
In response to evolving trends and strategic priorities, the Emirati-German Energy Partnership deepened its close cooperation in key areas vital to energy security, resilience, and sustainable growth. The focus lay on regional energy infrastructure, technological innovation, and artificial intelligence (AI).
Addressing shared energy challenges together
The Partnership served as an important platform for tackling critical energy challenges through knowledge exchange and technology transfer. The importance of this role was underscored by the high-level UAE visit of H.E. Minister Katherina Reiche.
At the UAE-German Energy Forum, over 160 government and industry representatives advanced their cooperation on managing the rapidly growing energy demand from data centres and strengthening energy infrastructure to support the energy transition. The Partnership also explored how AI could accelerate this transition, with a particular focus on improving data centre energy efficiency as a central lever for decarbonisation.
Boosting innovation and entrepreneurship
Innovation remained a core focus through the Emirati‑German Startup Tech Tour to Dubai, which connected German and Emirati cleantech startups with investors, incubators, and UAE funds. During the tour, startups had the opportunity to pitch their solutions to 70 participants from the UAE innovation ecosystem and to meet with key stakeholders, laying the foundation for lasting business partnerships.
Strengthening bilateral relations for regional energy security
Reflecting the UAE’s central role as a catalyst for regional energy cooperation, the Partnership explored visions for stronger energy interconnection between Europe and the MENA region.
These discussions, held with key stakeholders from GCC countries, laid the foundation for deeper exchanges the MENA–Europe Future Energy Dialogue (MEFED).
Over nearly a decade, this partnership has evolved into a mature and trusted platform — one that goes beyond dialogue to deliver tangible outcomes. Our cooperation has consistently combined strategic alignment with practical implementation, and the work undertaken in 2025 reflects this shared commitment and momentum.
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1. What has been the most tangible outcome or impact of your partnership activities in 2025?
The UAE made tangible investments in Germany’s energy sector, committed to further developing renewable technologies, such as offshore wind and battery storage in Germany, and intensified bilateral energy trade through liquefied natural gas (LNG) offtake agreements with German counterparts.
2. Which focus areas were particularly relevant for your country in 2025 and why?
The UAE strategically positioned itself as a global leader in AI, with a strong appetite for partnerships on cutting‑edge technology solutions. At the same time, its commitment to doubling energy efficiency by 2030 is accelerating demand for efficiency measures across all sectors. The Partnership reinforced these priorities by showcasing innovative companies, connecting them with funds and incubators, addressing emerging energy themes such as AI and data centres, and elevating the energy efficiency agenda in these new growth areas.
3. What were the main challenges in implementing activities in 2025, and how were they addressed?
In 2025, the Energy Partnership aligned its activities with the UAE’s growing focus on artificial intelligence. This included the announcement of a 5 GW AI campus and the UAE’s first renewable‑energy project providing 1 GW 24/7 baseload power for data centres and digital infrastructure.
Reflecting the strategic importance of AI for both countries and the learning opportunities if offers for the energy system, the Partnership integrated AI as a cross‑cutting topic. This was implemented through the inclusion of AI‑driven startups in the Startup Tech Tour to Dubai and through targeted discussions in webinars and panel sessions on the role of AI for data centres and the energy transition, ensuring continued relevance to evolving sector trends and priorities.
4. How did your activities contribute to the selected overarching goals (energy security, decarbonisation, foreign trade promotion)?
The Partnership promoted foreign trade through a Startup Tech Tour to Dubai connecting six German clean‑tech startups with investors, incubators, and major UAE funds. It also gave technology providers in industry, buildings, and data centres a platform to promote their solutions during energy efficiency webinars.
It strengthened energy security through roundtables with key GCC actors discussing visions for an interconnected EU–MENA electricity grid and supporting energy trade agreements.
Finally, the Partnership advanced decarbonisation by exploring opportunities and solutions for enhancing grid flexibility and integrating growing renewable energy shares during the Bilateral Energy Day and high-level Energy Forum.
5. What concrete activities are planned for 2026?
The High-level Steering Group Meeting of the Emirati-German Energy Partnership on the sidelines of the IRENA General Assembly in January identified priorities for 2026 in the areas of energy efficiency, renewables and system integration, and hydrogen and synthetic fuels, as well as regional energy infrastructure and the AI-energy nexus. Activities include webinars, such as on advancing efficient cooling and on policies for e-fuel ramp-up, joint Tech Tours, and supporting young talent, for example through the Young Future Energy Leaders programme. Information about specific activities will be communicated in the quarterly newsletter.
