Bridging the Gap Between Captial and Projects
Bridging the Gap Between Captial and Projects
28 April 2025 in AGDM Atrium, Abu Dhabi
Partners
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Sheikha Shamma bint Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan is an entrepreneur, founder, and sustainability and climate change expert. In 2023 she was selected as a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader.

She is driven by the belief that creating change requires diverse stakeholders working together to find and implement interconnected macro- and micro-solutions that unlock progress. As a result, Sheikha Shamma has founded and leads a number of high-impact entities.

These include the UAE Independent Climate Change Accelerators (UICCA), which works to propel the growth of a thriving green economy by advancing green financing frameworks and advocating for effective policy and regulation, in order to accelerate the development and implementation of climate technology solutions. UICCA’s initiatives include a launchpad programme for climate SMEs, a policy think tank, and community engagement platforms intended to empower the most climate-vulnerable demographics.

Sheikha Shamma has played a significant role in inspiring climate action at a grassroots level in the UAE through the establishment of The Climate Tribe, a subsidiary of the UICCA focused on creative storytelling, impact production and community engagement.

She is also the Founder of Reset MENA, a consulting business which provides energy and water efficiency solutions, and Chairperson of Alliances for Global Sustainability, which identifies, advises and invests in high-performing sustainability ventures.

In addition, Sheikha Shamma is a senior advisor to and active member of many high-level councils, alliances and businesses, including the Atlantic Council Global Energy Center’s Women Leaders in Energy and Climate Fellowship (2022-2023 cohort); the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on the Future of Net Zero Living; the Advisory Board of Yale’s Center for Environmental Law and Policy; the Emirates Green Building Council; The Global Climate Finance Centre (GCFC) and the UAE Circular Economy Council. In October 2024, she was also appointed Chairperson of the Advisory Board for Chapter Zero UAE.

Sheikha Shamma is the Director of Aurora50, an enterprise with a powerful vision to achieve gender balance in the workplace, while concurrently serving as the Chair of the Aurora50 Advisory Council.

She holds an MSt in Sustainability Leadership and an MPhil in Modern Middle Eastern Studies from the University of Cambridge.

We are truly honored to have H.H. Sheikha Shamma bint Sultan bin Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President and Chief Executive Officer of UAE Independent Climate Change Accelerators (UICCA), as our distinguished opening keynote speaker. Her remarkable leadership and unwavering commitment to climate action have paved the way for innovative and sustainable solutions worldwide. Under her visionary guidance, we are inspired to take bold, decisive action to bridge the gap between capital and projects. Join us as we explore groundbreaking ideas and work together to drive transformative change on our journey towards a sustainable future.

Agenda

08:00

Registration & Networking Breakfast

09:00

Session 1: Global Policy and Regulation – Unpacking National and Regional Policies Supporting Decarbonization and Investments


Moderator:
Frank Wouters, Chairman Dii Advisory Board and MENA Hydrogen Alliance


Keynotes:

  • H.H. Sheikha Shamma bint Sultan bin Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President and Chief Executive Officer, UAE Independent Climate Change Accelerators (UICCA)
  • H.E. Hamad Sayah Al Mazrouei, CEO, ADGM Registration Authority (ADGM)

  • Horst H. Mahmoudi, Executive Chairman, Smartenergy

Expert Panel Session 1 – Panelists:

  • Dipak Sakaria, Energy Transition Expert Advisor, Ministry of Energy & Infrastructure, UAE

  • Petra Schwager, Chief, Climate and Technology Partnerships (CTP) Division, UNIDO
  • Cornelius Matthes, CEO, Dii Desert Energy
  • Wael Almazeedi, CEO, Avance

  • Hector Perea, Director of Portfolio Management, XRG Low Carbon Energies investment platform

10:30

Networking Coffee and Tea Break

11:00

Session 2: MEA/Europe Synergies for Decarbonization

 

Moderator:
Ali A. Shehab, Global Director of Special Projects and Services, DNV


Keynotes:

  • H.E. Lucie Berger, Ambassador of the European Union to the United Arab Emirates
  • H.E. Arthur Mattli, Ambassador of Switzerland to the UAE and Bahrain
  • Jorgo Chatzimarkakis, CEO, Hydrogen Europe

Expert Panel Session 2 – Panelists:

  • Capt. Saif Al Mheiri, Chief Sustainability Officer, AD Ports Group
  • David Smith, EVP, Marubeni
  • Dimitrios Dimitriou, Vice President - ESG & Sustainability, EMSTEEL Group
  • Siddharth Malik, CEO, Jindal Renewables

  • Anas Aljuaidi, CEO, Mannesmann Energy

12:30

Business Networking Lunch

14:00

Session 3: Supply and Demand – Scaling up green molecule production

 

Moderator:
Jana Boyd, Chief Strategy Clean Energy & AI integration, Legacy Global Initiative


Keynotes:

  • Andreas Michael Feil, First Secretary, German Embassy UAE

  • Dr. Alejandro Rios Galvan, Independent SAF Consultant
  • Andrès Isaza, Chief Commercial Officer, Smartenergy

Expert Panel Session 3 – Panelists:

  • Dr. Sami Kamel, CEO, Dutco Cleantech
  • Raghu Viswanathan, Director eFuels & Supply Chain Strategy, Smartenergy
  • Alexandros Kosmas, Head of International Cooperation Middle East & Africa, Airbus

  • Alexis Rostand, Managing Director, Eiffel Investment Group

  • Pedro Amaral Jorge, CEO, APREN

15:30

Networking Coffee and Tea Break

16:00

Session 4: Bridging the Gap – Financing mega-scale green molecule projects


Moderator:
Elias El Mrabet, Executive Vice President, Global Climate Finance Center (GCFC)

 

Keynotes:

  • Nabil Ayoun, MENA Programme Lead, Industrial Transition Accelerator (ITA), Mission Possible Partnership

 

Expert Panel Session 4 – Panelists:

  • Mohamed Hesham, Group Chief Investment Officer, 2PointZero

  • Gido Van Graas, Global Head of Energy and Natural Resources, First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB)

  • Maheur Mourali, Chief Investment Officer, the Arab Energy Fund

  • Karim Mourad, Global Head of Infrastructure and CIO for the Infrastructure Department, Abu

    Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA)

  • Sami Neffati, Managing Partner, abrdn Investcorp Infrastructure Partners

17:30

Closing Remarks & Key Takeaways

18:30

Exclusive Networking Dinner

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SpeakerS

H.H. Sheikha Shamma bint Sultan bin Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan

H.H. Sheikha Shamma bint Sultan bin Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan
President and Chief
Executive Officer, UAE Independent Climate Change Accelerators (UICCA)

H.E. Hamad Sayah Al Mazrouei

H.E. Hamad Sayah Al Mazrouei
CEO, ADGM Registration Authority (ADGM)

H.E. Lucie Berger

H.E. Lucie Berger
Ambassador of the European Union to the United Arab Emirates

H.E. Arthur Mattli

H.E. Arthur Mattli
Ambassador of Switzerland to the UAE and Bahrain

Horst H. Mahmoudi

Horst H. Mahmoudi
CEO & Executive Chairman
Smartenergy

Alexandros Kosmas

Alexandros Kosmas
Head of International Cooperation Middle East & Africa, Airbus

Ali A. Shehab

Ali A. Shehab
Global Director of Special Projects and Services, DNV

Alexis Rostand

Alexis Rostand
Managing Director, Eiffel Investment Group

Andreas Michael Feil

Andreas Michael Feil
First Secretary, German Embassy UAE

Anas Aljuaidi

Anas Aljuaidi
CEO, Mannesmann Energy

Andrès Isaza

Andrès Isaza
Chief Commercial Officer, Smartenergy

Capt. Saif Al Mheiri

Capt. Saif Al Mheiri
Chief Sustainability Officer, AD Ports Group

Cornelius Matthes

Cornelius Matthes
CEO, Dii Desert Energy

David Smith

David Smith
EVP, Marubeni

Dimitrios Dimitriou

Dimitrios Dimitriou
Vice President, ESG & Sustainability, EMSTEEL Group

Dipak Sakaria

Dipak Sakaria
Energy Transition Expert Advisor, Ministry of Energy & Infrastructure, UAE

Dr. Alejandro Galvan

Dr. Alejandro Galvan
Director, Sustainable Bioenergy Research Consortium; Chief Research Scientist

Dr. Sami Kamel

Dr. Sami Kamel
CEO, Dutco Cleantech

Elias El Mrabet

Elias El Mrabet
Executive Vice President, Global Climate Finance Center

Frank Wouters

Frank Wouters
Chairman Dii Advisory Board and
MENA Hydrogen Alliance

Gido van Graas

Gido van Graas
Global Head of Energy and Natural Resources, First Abu Dhabi Bank

Hector Perea

Hector Perea
Director of Portfolio Management, XRG

Jana Boyd

Jana Boyd
Chief Strategy Clean Energy & AI integration, Legacy Global Initiative

Jorgo Chatzimarkakis

Jorgo Chatzimarkakis
CEO, Hydrogen Europe

Karim Mourad

Karim Mourad
Global Head of Infrastructure and CIO for the Infrastructure Department, Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA)

Maheur Mourali

Maheur Mourali
Chief Investment Officer, Arab Energy Fund

Mohamed Hesham

Mohamed Hesham
Group Chief Investment Officer, 2PointZero

Nabil Ayoun

Nabil Ayoun
MENA Programme Lead, Industrial Transition Accelerator (ITA), Mission Possible Partnership

Pedro Amaral Jorge

Pedro Amaral Jorge
CEO, APREN

Petra Schwager

Petra Schwager
Chief Climate and Technology Partnerships Division, UNIDO

Raghu Viswanathan

Raghu Viswanathan
Director eFuels & Supply Chain Strategy, Smartenergy

Sami Neffati

Sami Neffati
Managing Partner, abrdn Investcorp Infrastructure Partners

Siddharth Malik

Siddharth Malik
CEO, Jindal Renewables

Wael Almazeedi

Wael Almazeedi
CEO, Avance

Waleed El Kalash

Waleed El Kalash
Managing Director MEA, Smartenergy

Registration

No more registrations possible — all spots are fully booked.