The UAE is raising its clean energy target to around 35% by 2030-31. The target will cover both nuclear and renewable power. Minister of Energy and Infrastructure Suhail bin Mohammed Al Mazrouei announced the update while speaking to the Emirates News Agency. He spoke on the sidelines of Middle East Energy 2026 at Dubai World Trade Centre, where the exhibition is running from September 1 to 3.
Al Mazrouei said the country had adjusted its numbers and may see the figure go even higher. Reaching the target will require new projects, stronger competition and greater private-sector participation in power generation. He also said the UAE continues to update its energy strategy as costs fall and technology advances.
The minister pointed to one of the world’s largest round-the-clock solar deployments. The project is designed to supply 1 gigawatt of uninterrupted solar power day and night. He said its price is highly competitive with natural gas.
Al Mazrouei also linked this shift to recent progress in battery storage. Batteries can now store electricity for up to 24 hours at competitive prices. In the past, they could store power for only two to three hours. This is allowing solar to compete with gas and nuclear as a baseload source.
Clean energy accounted for 32.4% of the UAE’s electricity generation in 2025. Installed clean energy capacity reached 13,805 megawatts. Al Mazrouei also cited recent geopolitical shocks in the region as a reason to diversify energy sources and strengthen resilience across the electricity system.
