His Excellency Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber

Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology
COP28 UAE President
Group MD & CEO of ADNOC
Chairman of Masdar
Chairman of the MBZUAI Board of Trustees

H.E. Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber is a member of the UAE Federal Cabinet, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, and the COP28 UAE President, and Chairman of the MBZUAI Board of Trustees. In his role as Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, Dr. Al Jaber oversees efforts to further expand the industrial development of the UAE, and in particular promote in country value, leveraging technology as a key enabler, as we enter the Fourth Industrial Age. The core mandate of the ministry is to increase industrial competitiveness and help drive economic growth of industrial sectors, while embedding advanced technology at the center of the nation’s industrial base.

In November 2023, Dr. Al Jaber was appointed COP28 UAE President, where he led the efforts to achieve consensus among almost 200 countries to achieve a landmark response to the Global Stock Take, named ‘The UAE Consensus’. The historic agreement delivered a package of ambitious and balanced outcomes across the entire climate agenda. This included the first time a COP decision has included clear direction for economies to transition away from fossil fuels in energy systems in a just, orderly and equitable manner, accelerating action in this critical decade, so as to achieve net zero by 2050 in keeping with the science.

The package included an unprecedented global goal to triple renewable energy capacity and double energy efficiency by 2030, and a clear call to rapidly reduce methane and other non-CO2 gases this decade. In another global first, COP28 created, operationalized and began to capitalize a fund for loss and damage and made significant recommendations to transform the international climate finance system.

The political breakthroughs at COP28 were matched by an equally impactful action agenda that mobilized $85 billion in new financial commitments, including launching Alterra, the world’s largest catalytic private investor 100 per cent focused on solutions to climate change. COP28’s action agenda also delivered the first declarations on food, agriculture and health and engaged the private sector to an unprecedented degree in practical climate action. This included the Global Decarbonization Accelerator- a comprehensive approach to decarbonizing the demand and supply side of the energy system at the same time. The GDA comprises the Industrial Transition Accelerator aimed at decarbonizing all heavy industrial energy consumers at scale and the Oil and Gas Decarbonization Charter that has committed 52 oil and gas companies – IOCs and NOCs – to end routine flaring and zero out methane emissions by 2030, as well as align around net zero by 2050.

Prior to assuming the COP28 Presidency, Dr Al Jaber has been UAE Special Envoy for Climate since November 2020 and previously served in the role from 2010 to 2016. Dr Al Jaber has over 25 years’ experience across the energy spectrum and has played a leading role in the UAE’s energy diversification. In 2006, at the direction of the UAE leadership, he established Masdar, and served nine years as its CEO, guiding its global contribution to clean technology and sustainable development. In 2009 he led Masdar's efforts in the UAE's successful bid to host the headquarters of the "International Renewable Energy Agency" (IRENA). He has continued as Chairman of Masdar, guiding the company’s strategic direction toward becoming one of the world’s largest renewable energy companies with the goal of growing its portfolio to at least 100GW by 2030.

In 2016, Dr. Al Jaber was appointed CEO of ADNOC with a mandate to transform, decarbonize and future-proof the company. At the direction of the UAE Leadership, he has led a rapid and comprehensive transformation through increased efficiencies, a comprehensive decarbonization program, strengthened financial performance, and an enhanced long-term sustainability strategy.

Through this transformation ADNOC has evolved into an advanced and progressive international energy company. Dr Sultan has leveraged technology to maintain and build on ADNOC’s position as one of the most carbon efficient oil and gas producers. ADNOC established the first industrial scale carbon capture, utilization and storage facility in the region, sources 100 per cent of its grid electricity from nuclear and solar power and is electrifying its offshore operations to further enhance cost and carbon efficiency. At the same time the company is diversifying its portfolio to grow its position in renewable energy and hydrogen.

Dr Sultan has guided ADNOC through a number of strategic firsts, including entering the global capital markets for the first time, completing the first ever IPO of an ADNOC business (ADNOC Distribution) and attracting significant FDI from strategic and private equity investors to stimulate smart growth across ADNOC’s upstream, midstream and downstream value chain.

Dr. Al Jaber also holds several leadership roles and advisory positions and counsels on issues related to Energy, Economics, Sustainable Development. In July 2020, Dr Al Jaber was appointed Chairman of Emirates Development Bank, a key partner in providing financial services for the sustainable economic and social development of the UAE. In December 2020, he was appointed as a board member to the Abu Dhabi Supreme Council for Financial and Economic Affairs, formed to enhance the competitiveness and sustainability of Abu Dhabi’s financial and economic systems. In October 2019, he was appointed Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI); the first graduate level, research-based AI university in the world.

Dr. Al Jaber was appointed to the UAE cabinet in 2013, where he served as a Minister of State of the United Arab Emirates until July 2020. Combining extensive experience in both the public and private sector, he was responsible for overseeing, developing and enhancing strategic geopolitical, social and economic partnerships with several nations. He was also the focal point for a number of comprehensive strategic partnerships with a number of countries.

Dr. Al Jaber has previously served on the United Nations Secretary General’s High-Level Group on Sustainable Energy for All. He has received various awards including the United Nations flagship award "Champion of the Earth" in 2012, given to outstanding visionaries and leaders in the fields of policy, science and entrepreneurship. In 2013 Dr. Al Jaber was appointed an honorary Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE) by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. In 2019, Dr. Al Jaber received a lifetime achievement award from his Excellency the prime minister of India, Narendra Modi, for his contributions to energy security, building bridges to emerging Asian economies and for reshaping traditional energy business models. In 2021, Dr. Al Jaber was named Energy Executive of the Year by Energy Intelligence for his contribution to transforming the energy industry as the world navigates the energy transition.