The Industrial Transition Accelerator (ITA) has announced partnerships with the UAE and Bahrain to support industrial decarbonization across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, by adopting renewable energy methods. This partnership follows ITA’s initial success in Brazil, where it worked with the government to support sustainable industrial growth.
The MENA region’s industrial sector contributes around 40% to its GDP, which is above the global average of 26%. With abundant resources in both conventional and renewable energy, MENA is positioned to lead in integrating renewable energy sources into heavy industries.
Through these partnerships, ITA aims to support investments in green industries, focusing on renewable energy integration in industrial processes. By working with governments, businesses, and financial institutions, ITA hopes to drive capital investments in renewable energy projects that align with global decarbonization goals.
The ITA uses the Mission Possible Partnership (MPP) Global Project Tracker to monitor renewable energy projects across MENA. The analysis highlights a pipeline of green industrial projects that could use renewable energy sources for production, such as green hydrogen, solar, and wind. However, these projects need stronger demand signals from the market and financial backing to move forward.
Bahrain’s Minister of Industry and Commerce, Abdulla Bin Adel Fakhro, noted Bahrain’s efforts for sustainable industrial growth, aligning with the country’s 2022–2026 Industrial Sector Strategy. ITA’s Executive Director, Faustine Delasalle, expressed that the partnerships in MENA aim to position the region as a model for renewable energy adoption in industrial sectors.
ITA’s short-term goal is to guide major industrial projects in the UAE toward Final Investment Decision (FID) by 2026 and operational status by 2030. MPP’s data shows six net-zero industrial projects in the UAE, which could contribute about 30% of the country’s 2030 climate targets, if supported by renewable energy sources.
Three UAE companies- EMSteel, Emirates Global Aluminium, and Arabian Gulf Steel Industries, are the first to join ITA’s MENA program. Leaders from these companies stressed the importance of renewable energy sources, such as green hydrogen, in their decarbonization efforts.
