The first MENA Solar Conference honours the most prominent participating speakers and researchers

Dubai, UAE, 18 November 2023: HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of DEWA, honoured distinguished international speakers, experts, and researchers who participated in the first edition of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Solar Conference. HE also honoured 12 international researchers who presented the best research papers and innovations that focus on advancing diverse solar photovoltaic systems and devices for optimal performance, improve their efficiency and reliability in various climatic conditions and successfully transitioning them from laboratories to the commercial scale.

Al Tayer commended the outstanding efforts of the participants, emphasising their crucial role in sharing knowledge and experiences, to develop the solar energy sector. He underscored their commitment to fostering innovation, research, and development to facilitate the shift towards a more sustainable future.

“The conference served as a global platform to discuss and explore technologies and solutions aimed at addressing the challenges posed by climate change and pollution worldwide, with a particular focus on the MENA region. The event also highlighted technologies capable of mitigating these challenges and accelerating the improvement of photovoltaic solar energy systems. We are pleased with the significant turnout of researchers, speakers, specialists, and students, along with the constructive and inspiring discussions that unfolded during the conference,” HE added.

Dr Lawrence L. Kazmerski, member of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, University of Colorado Boulder, USA; Prof. Mohammad Nazeeruddin, , Professor and Molecular Engineering Laboratory Director, Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne, Switzerland; Dr Shanhui Fan, Professor and Senior Fellow, Stanford University, USA; Mowafak Al Jassim, Chief Scientist and Director of the Photovoltaic Technology Group at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, USA; Dr Steven Ringel, Professor and Associate Vice President, Ohio State University, USA; and Dr Xiaojing Hao, Professor and ARC Future Fellow, University of New South Wales (UNSW), Australia,, participated in the event along with many experts from around the world.

The conference also honoured the young participants in the “CleanTech” Youth program, affiliated with the Innovation Center of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority. The initiative was introduced to attract emerging talents and future leaders in the energy sector, offering them insights and avenues to thrive in the field of clean and renewable energy. It includes a varied array of training workshops, inventive educational sessions, and on-site visits. The workshops focus on various aspects of clean energy, highlighting the use of substitutional technologies and deepening knowledge of participants about entrepreneurship.

The MENA Solar Conference was organised by DEWA, in collaboration with the IEEE Electron Devices Society, from November 15 to 18 at the Dubai World Trade Centre. This inaugural event in the region brought together esteemed experts and researchers representing 120 universities and research centers across 38 countries. The conference delved into discussions on over 200 research papers spanning various aspects of solar energy.

The conference highlighted six research areas in solar energy - including new and non-traditional concepts for future technologies, silicon cells, the use of perovskite and organic materials, the reliability of solar energy systems in the Middle East and North Africa region, monitoring and forecasting solar radiation for the development and testing of solar technologies, and electronic devices for solar energy systems and grid integration.