To celebrate and reflect on Masdar’s 14-year anniversary, Masdar CEO Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi welcomed His Excellency Dr Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, Masdar Chairman and Founding CEO, to deliver an address during the company’s second-ever Masdar Live virtual event, which took place yesterday.
Welcoming the 250 Masdar employees and consultants who joined the event, Mr Al Ramahi reflected on the company’s pioneering journey over the past 14 years and how HE Dr Al Jaber has been part of this journey every step of the way.
After sharing Ramadan greetings to all of the staff working from home and those on the ground on projects around the world, HE Dr Al Jaber emphasised how the UAE leadership are committed to ensuring the long-term health and wellbeing of the country’s citizens and residents, which is “the definition of sustainability and lies at the center of Masdar’s mission.”
Reflecting on Masdar’s 14-year anniversary, which was celebrated last month, HE remarked how Masdar has positioned the UAE as a constructive global citizen working on positive solutions to global issues and diversified the country’s economy to develop a balanced energy portfolio.
HE said: “Since 2006, Masdar has been at the cutting-edge of renewable adoption in this region and contributed to clean energy access in emerging markets and developing nations. We were a first mover in this field, overcoming many challenges, from people not believing that a hydrocarbon economy could be serious about renewables, to skeptics, who tried to stop us from hosting IRENA right here in Abu Dhabi.”
HE Dr Al Jaber cautioned that 2020 would be a tough year for Masdar to keep its successful track record going, but also acknowledged that the company has successfully tackled difficult challenges in the past, and will be bolstered into the future by the support that can be provided by youth.
HE said: “Masdar has always been powered by the brightness of youth. Your pioneering spirit has been the engine of Masdar’s success from the very beginning and this same spirit is what will leverage the possibilities that lie ahead. Let’s use our natural agility and market intelligence to seek out opportunities as economies rebuild, and be ready to act on them.”
Following his address, HE Dr Al Jaber answered questions from staff members Mariam Al Mazrouei, Analyst, Business Development and Investment, Clean Energy; Dr Ibraheem Almansouri, Head, Engineering, Clean Energy; Michelle Sabti, Assistant Manager, Corporate Relations, Brand & Strategic Initiatives; Shaikha Al Hosani, Senior Officer, Brand & Strategic Initiatives and Zaid Kokh, Senior Executive, Marketing and Events, Brand & Strategic Initiatives.
During the Q&A, His Excellency spoke about the need to prepare for the opportunities that would be available to Masdar during the COVID-19 recovery period and how employees can best support the company in these unprecedented times.
HE said: “In my view, you should stay focused on ensuring the maximum efficiency and that you are well optimised across your operations and across your cost structure. You should also be focused on ensuring that you are working very hard and very diligently on identifying new revenue streams while maximising your profitability.”
Looking to the future, HE Dr Al Jaber focused on the potential for Masdar as an “engine” for innovation and creativity, and called for the company to start delivering more ideas and new ideas to spur further development and opportunities at ADNOC.
HE added: “We must leverage our strengths and expertise, the knowledge we have been able to gain over the years through our partnerships, through our relationships, through our industry platforms and our good record of innovation to maintain our edge and our leadership in this very important sector.”
Before concluding his official part in the meeting, HE Dr Al Jaber delivered an important and inspirational message about how Masdar’s staff have all been selected to work for an extraordinary organization, and this should not be forgotten. HE reiterated the wise and generous support provided to the company by His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and the UAE’s leadership, and the need for collaborative efforts to build on Masdar’s past successes.
Yesterday’s Masdar Live finished with a video on the achievements of the company, and the large-scale adoption of renewable energy in the region through Masdar-led projects, over the past 14 years.
