Israeli Minister Heads to Abu Dhabi Renewable Energy IRENA Meet

In an historic move, for the first time Jerusalem sent an Israeli cabinet minister to Masdar City in the United Arab Emirates.

With no diplomatic ties with Israel, National Infrastructures Minister Uzi Landau said that he did not meet with any Emirati officials while at the newly established International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), reports AP. The bold move means that maybe, just maybe, environmental concerns will eventually outweigh political problems, even if the UAE didn’t officially support Landau’s visit.

With Israel as a member state, “special arrangements” had to made to allow the Israeli into the UAE. In a phone interview from Abu Dhabi, Landau said: “They had to do it since they committed themselves to making it possible for all member states, with or without relations, to participate in the agency’s activities.”

And confirmation from the UAE’s Foreign Ministry agreed: that allowing Israelis and other individuals with no diplomatic ties to the UAE was “part of obligations in hosting (the agency) in the UAE.”

Established around a year ago, IRENA was set up to promote sustainable energy in the Middle East and the rest of the world. It’s the first ever international organization of its kind to be based in the UAE.

::AP

Read more about IRENA on Green Prophet:
Masdar City Is Home to New International IRENA Group
IRENA Convenes In Sharem, Sinai

Author: Karin Kloosterman

Karin Kloosterman is an award-winning journalist, innovation strategist, and founder of Green Prophet, one of the Middle East’s pioneering sustainability platforms. She has ranked in the Top 10 of Verizon innovation competitions, participated in NASA-linked challenges, and spoken worldwide on climate, food security, and future resilience. With an IoT technology patent, features in Canada’s National Post, and leadership inside teams building next-generation agricultural and planetary systems — including Mars-farming concepts — Karin operates at the intersection of storytelling, science, and systems change. She doesn’t report on the future – she helps design it. Reach out directly to [email protected]