UAE-NL: 50 years

PHOTO JAY PANGALINAN

I am Dr. Hissa Abdullah Alotaiba, UAE Ambassador to the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the Permanent Representative of the UAE to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemicals Weapons. I am honored to be the first female ambassador of the United Arab Emirates as well as the first woman to hold the position of ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

BY H.E. DR. HISSA ABDULLAH ALOTAIBA, AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

TThe Kingdom of the Netherlands is famous for its pristine nature and the serious efforts it places on sustainable development and environmental preservation, a common goal shared by the UAE.

This emphasis on sustainability is clearly demonstrated by the biotope design of the

Netherlands Pavilion at Expo 2020 and their well-deserved win for the award of Sustainable Construction Project of the year. This year, the United Arab Emirates and the Kingdom of the Netherlands celebrated 50 years of bilateral relations and we look forward to continually growing and strengthening these ties especially in the economic, cultural and environmental fields underpinned by continued innovation and cooperation. Natural resources are getting scarce around the globe, the effects of climate change become more discernible and the global population is on the rise, these factors combined affect the links between the water, energy and agricultural sector. Consequently, the Netherlands has decided to

THE EMPHASIS ON SUSTAINABILITY IS CLEARLY DEMONSTRATED BY THE BIOTOPE DESIGN OF THE NETHERLANDS PAVILION AT EXPO 2020 AND THEIR WELL-DESERVED WIN FOR THE AWARD OF SUSTAINABLE CONSTRUCTION PROJECT OF THE YEAR.

set the focus on the energy-water-food nexus. Agricultural production will have to increase considerably in order to reach the selfsufficiency levels, energy has to be more sustainable and greener and water scarcity has to be rapidly addressed. Both the UAE and the Netherlands possess considerable expertise in the field. The Netherlands succeeded in becoming self-sufficient in food production with its very early investment in technology years ago. When it comes to water, as big parts of the Netherlands are below sea level, the Dutch have acquired a specific know-how when dealing with water issues to reach a very satisfying level of water quantity and especially quality as tap water in Holland is known to be amongst the purest in Europe. As far as energy is concerned, the focus is currently to produce as much greener, more sustainable energy as possible in order to minimise pollution. In order to secure a more health-conscious, durable environment and to positively impact the future for its younger generations, the UAE is actively promoting sustainability and accordingly has an increasing demand for the durable solutions that the Netherlands has to offer to these three particular challenges and therefore, the cooperation between the two countries in this field is placed very highly.

In 2017, the UAE has launched its Energy Strategy 2050, which is the first unified energy plan in the country that balances the production and consumption sides and global environmental obligations. It also ensures a comfortable economic environment for growth in all sectors. The energy strategy targets a mix of clean renewable, nuclear and fossil energy to ensure a balance between economic needs and environmental goals; the energy mix according to the strategy includes clean coal, gas, nuclear energy, solar energy, wind energy and biofuels as follows: 44% of clean energy 38% of gas 12% clean coal 6% of nuclear energy

Because of its desert climate, the UAE suffers from a water shortage, so it relies heavily on seawater desalination to provide potable water. The country has also built several dams to conserve water wealth. It has also developed a water security strategy to ensure the sustainability and continuity of access to water during normal and extreme emergency conditions.

The issue of food security is crucial, and we are recently witnessing the international race to achieve self-sufficiency, especially after the Corona pandemic and the international closures it witnessed. The United Arab Emirates was a forerunner in developing a comprehensive plan to achieve food security and sufficiency, and it quickly appointed the first female food security minister in the world.

The country’s future food security file aims to conduct more research, develop plans and apply modern technologies in this field. The Kingdom of the Netherlands has great practical experience in this sector, as it occupies an advanced position globally in the agricultural sector, equipment and modern agricultural technology, in addition to its national commitment to sustainable agriculture since 2000.