Gargash urges GCC states to be a key player in renewable energy issues

Doha - Feb 22, 2012 (WAM) - UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Dr. Anwar Mohammed Gargash called on GCC countries to be a key player in renewable energy issues. "States producing the hydrocarbon energy should play a role in the development of renewable energy sources", Gargash said in a statement made to the Qatar News Agency (QNA) on the sidelines of 2012 Brookings Doha Energy Forum. Dr. Gargash said that the development of renewable energy is an important issue for hydrocarbon-producing countries, including the UAE, stressing that contribution to develop this field will put them on the world map. In this context, he said the UAE is working to develop renewable energy sources through Abu Dhabi based renewable energy company "Masdar" which aims to invest in the renewable energy and clean technology, pointing out that UAE's policy in the field of energy based on the diversity of energy sources to meet the growing needs that depend mainly on the state's estimates on the increased electricity demand during the coming period. He also added that this diversity comes from multiple sources of energy as the UAE is relying on traditional energy sources to secure part of its energy needs, especially the oil. Answering a question about constructing a pipeline to transport UAE's oil across Al Fujairah without passing through the Strait of Hormuz in the Gulf, Dr. Anwar Gargash said it is no secret that all energy-producing countries in the Arabian Gulf live in a very difficult area and we must assure the security of the waterways. Gargash explained the strategic importance of building a pipeline from Ruwais to Fujairah to bypass Hormuz when exporting UAE's oil. The construction of the 360km-long pipeline will start this year, added Gargash. - Emirates News Agency, WAM