Ahmed Al Jaber

Ahmed Al Jaber is a member of the UAE Federal Cabinet, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, the UAE’s special envoy on climate change, Chairman of Masdar, and President-Designate of COP28 – the first CEO to serve in this role.

In 2006, directed by the UAE leadership, Dr Al Jaber led the team that established Masdar, with the mandate to advance the adoption of renewables within the UAE, across the region and globally.

In 2009, under the guidance of the leadership and the ongoing support of H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, Dr Al Jaber led Masdar’s efforts in the UAE’s successful bid to host the headquarters of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) in Masdar City, with a mission to promote clean technology and sustainable development globally.

In 2009, he was appointed by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon to the Advisory Group on Energy and Climate Change (AGECC), which published its final report in 2010. The recommendations from this report formed the basis of the Sustainable Energy for All initiative launched in 2011.

In 2012, Dr Al Jaber received the UN Champions of the Earth award for his work on advancing clean energy technologies to mitigate the threats of climate change. He has served two terms as Special Envoy for Climate Change (2010–2016, 2020–present). He has also played a critical role in a number of UNFCCC Conference of the Parties (COPs), including the milestone COP21 that took place in 2015 in Paris.

Dr Al Jaber was appointed to the UAE cabinet in 2013, where he served as Minister of State of the UAE until July 2020. He has also previously been the chief executive officer of the energy platform at Mubadala, the Abu Dhabi government's strategic investment arm.

Dr Al Jaber continues to hold several important positions relating to the UAE’s energy sector. In 2014, he was appointed as Chairman of the board of directors at Masdar, where he has continued to support the pioneering renewable energy company’s growth and ability to capitalize on high-value opportunities. Two years later, Dr Al Jaber was appointed Group CEO of ADNOC, where he focuses on increasing efficiencies while fostering a more commercial mindset. In 2020, Dr Al Jaber was appointed as Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, where he oversees efforts to expand the industrial development of the UAE, leveraging technology as a key enabler in the Fourth Industrial Age.

Dr Al Jaber also holds several advisory positions, counselling on issues related to energy, economics, strategic communications and sustainable development. These include Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence, the world’s first graduate-level, research-based AI university, based at Masdar City in Abu Dhabi. He has also served on the United Nations Secretary General's High-Level Group on Sustainable Energy for All.

In 2013, Dr Al Jaber was made an honorary Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE) by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. In 2019, he received a lifetime achievement award from the prime minister of India, Narendra Modi.

With the additional role of COP28 President-Designate, under the guidance of the UAE leadership, Dr Al Jaber will continue to advocate for a practical and realistic energy transition, mobilizing solutions for vulnerable countries and delivering the most inclusive COP possible.