Senior policymakers, industry experts, and stakeholders exchange insights on scaling up Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) production, enabling policy frameworks, and strengthening cross-regional partnerships.
This was part of a high-level session on SAF jointly convened by the European Union and the United Arab Emirates as part of the Dubai Airshow 2025 Sustainability Programme.
The session, highlighting the growing momentum for international cooperation on decarbonising the aviation sector, was organised by the Delegation of the European Union to the UAE under the EU Green Diplomacy Weeks initiative, in collaboration with the UAE Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure (MoEI) and the EU-Funded EU-GCC Cooperation on Green Transition Project.
Discussions focused on aligning strategies to accelerate the use of SAF, which is a crucial step toward achieving net-zero emissions in aviation.
It highlighted the complementarity between the EU’s RefuelEU Aviation Regulation, which mandates a minimum 2 per cent SAF blend by 2025 rising to 70 per cent by 2050, and the UAE’s Net Zero by 2050 Strategic Initiative and National Hydrogen Strategy, which prioritise clean fuels as part of a diversified and sustainable energy mix.
Lucie Berger, Ambassador of the European Union to the UAE, commented: “The European Union and the UAE share a common ambition to lead global efforts in sustainable aviation. By working together, we can unlock innovation, scale up clean fuel production, and create the partnerships needed to achieve climate neutrality.”
Saif Ghubash, Assistant Under-Secretary for the Petroleum, Gas, and Mineral Resources Sector at the MoEI, added: “Sustainable aviation fuels are essential to achieving our national net-zero goals. Through collaboration with the EU, we aim to accelerate local production, strengthen supply chains, and advance policies that support a greener aviation future.”
The session was part of broader efforts of the EU under the EU-GCC Cooperation on Green Transition Project, which promotes partnerships on energy, environment, and sustainable finance across the Gulf region.
