BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE COUNTRY'S RELATIONSHIP WITH SDG 7 

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has a distinctive relationship with SDG 7 as a major oil and gas producer that is rapidly investing its hydrocarbon wealth in solar and nuclear energy to diversify its future energy system. The UAE Energy Strategy 2050 aims to triple the contribution of renewable energy by 2030, increase installed clean-energy capacity to 19.8 GW, and mobilise AED 150–200 billion in investment by 2030. This reflects a long-term strategy to prepare the economy and energy system for a future less dependent on hydrocarbons (Government of the UAE, 2025).

The UAE has become particularly prominent in large-scale solar and nuclear power. The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park in Dubai has reached 3.86 GW and is expected to exceed 8 GW by 2030, while the four reactors of the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant provide up to 5.6 GW and approximately 25% of the UAE’s electricity needs. The country therefore represents an unusual model in which an oil-exporting state is using both renewables and nuclear power to build a diversified low-carbon electricity system (Dubai Electricity and Water Authority, 2026; Emirates Nuclear Energy Company [ENEC], 2026).

CURRENT CHALLENGES AND RECENT DEVELOPMENTS

The UAE’s central challenge is reconciling its continuing role as a major hydrocarbon producer and exporter with its ambition to become a clean-energy leader. Oil and gas remain economically and strategically important, while rapid population and economic growth continue to increase domestic energy demand. Diversifying electricity generation can preserve hydrocarbons for export, reduce emissions and prepare the country for a global economy in which fossil fuels may play a smaller role over the long term (Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure of the UAE, 2023). 

Recent developments demonstrate the scale of this diversification. The 2 GW Al Dhafra Solar PV plant was inaugurated in 2023, while Dubai continues to expand one of the world’s largest single-site solar developments. At the same time, all four Barakah nuclear reactors provide continuous low-carbon electricity, complementing variable solar generation. The UAE therefore offers an important SDG 7 case of an oil state attempting to use present hydrocarbon wealth to finance a diversified post-oil energy system based increasingly on solar, nuclear and other clean technologies (Government of the UAE, 2024; ENEC, 2026). 

LIST OF REFERENCES

Dubai Electricity and Water Authority. (n.d.). Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park. Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://dewa.gov.ae/en/about-us/strategic-initiatives/mbr-solar-park

Emirates Nuclear Energy Company. (2024). Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant - Overview. Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://enec.ae/our-subsidiaries/enec-operations/overview/

Government of the United Arab Emirates. (2024). Solar Energy. Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://u.ae/en/information-and-services/environment-and-energy/water-and-energy/types-of-energy-sources/solar-energy

Government of the United Arab Emirates. (2025). UAE Energy Strategy 2050. Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://u.ae/en/about-the-uae/strategies-initiatives-and-awards/strategies-plans-and-visions/environment-and-energy/uae-energy-strategy-2050

Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure of the UAE. (2023). Updated UAE Energy Strategy 2050 and National Hydrogen Strategy. Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://www.moei.gov.ae/en/media-center/news/4/7/2023/minister-of-energy-and-infrastructure-reveals-details-of-the-updated-uae-energy-strategy-2050-and