When the World Future Energy Summit convenes at ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi from 13–15 January, as part of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week hosted by Masdar, the conversation will return to one of the energy transition’s most watched levers: green hydrogen and its role in industrial decarbonisation. The gathering is designed as more than a showcase. It is a meeting point for industry leaders, policymakers, and investors who are now focused on what it takes to move from ambition to implementation.
That timing matters for the UK, which has set out its aim to expand low-carbon hydrogen production to 10 GW by 2030. With that target as the backdrop, the Summit is positioned as a practical platform for UAE and UK stakeholders to explore where collaboration can unlock progress, and how cross-border partnerships might help turn national plans into scalable projects.
Market watchers, meanwhile, have been signalling a shift in tone. Leading analysts argue that the “hurricane of hype” around green hydrogen has, over the past two years, given way to a more grounded phase marked by market realism. In that context, the UK is widely seen as moving into a more assertive development agenda, placing low-carbon hydrogen prominently within its energy plans and pairing stated intent with clearer movement toward investable projects.
UK Signals, UAE Capabilities, Shared Direction
Public messaging from senior UK figures increasingly reflects that shift from aspiration to action. Sarah Jones, the UK’s Minister of State for Industry, recently underscored the centrality of hydrogen to the country’s longer-term economic and climate objectives. “I am convinced hydrogen must be at the heart of our plans to grow the economy and to become net zero by 2050,” she said. “Already, Government and industry are delivering real projects to kickstart the UK hydrogen economy.”
Within that momentum, the UAE appears particularly well placed not only to benefit from the UK market’s expansion, but also to help drive it. The Summit will highlight how Emirati experience in renewable energy, alongside large-scale Carbon Capture, Utilisation, and Storage CCUS projects, can support the scaling of the UK’s green hydrogen market. In practical terms, that expertise can form a basis for strategic partnerships and cross-border investment designed to accelerate delivery.
Dr. Carole Nakhle, CEO of Crystol Energy and Secretary General of the Arab Energy Club, is scheduled to speak at the Summit next week, and she frames hydrogen as a natural next step in a relationship that already runs deep. As she puts it, the UK and UAE share a long-established strategic partnership that extends well beyond energy, with hydrogen now emerging as an extension of that connection as both nations pursue industrial decarbonisation and long-term growth.
She also points to the changed complexion of the sector itself. In her view, the post-surge period is defined by discipline, where scale, capital strength, technical expertise, and genuine long-term commitment will separate progress from promise. For that potential to translate into delivery, she argues, the UK will need a clear, stable regulatory framework capable of giving international partners such as the UAE confidence to deploy capital at scale and across decades.
Capital, Projects, and a Window From 2026 to 2030
Recent discussions suggest that alignment is not theoretical. In a two-part roundtable held last year, the World Future Energy Summit brought together leading figures spanning both countries’ clean energy companies, industry groups, and financial and governmental bodies. The conclusion was direct: there is exceptionally fertile ground for deeper UAE–UK cooperation on green hydrogen development.
The years 2026 to 2030 now stand out as a potentially decisive period, shaped by overlapping interests, shared ambitions, and complementary strengths. Yet turning pilots and isolated case studies into industry-wide integration in the UK will demand funding on a scale that matches the challenge. The UK Government’s own projections indicate that an additional £9 billion (AED44.6 billion) in private sector capital will be required to keep 2030 ambitions on track, with funding expected to flow primarily through 27 hydrogen projects forming the next stage of the government’s flagship hydrogen programme.
Public investment has also continued to signal intent. In June 2025, the UK Government committed a further £500 million of public funding specifically to advance hydrogen infrastructure, a move widely read as an indicator of long-term commitment to building out the sector.
For the UAE, that landscape represents a notable opening to entrench itself as a durable strategic partner in the UK’s green hydrogen journey. Domestically, the UAE has already earmarked billions of dollars to expand production capacity, including developments such as the Ta’ziz Industrial Hub and a gigawatt-scale hub in the Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi KEZAD. The picture abroad points in the same direction, with appetite for large commitments rising quickly.
Last year, UAE private interests pledged £18.5 billion to a new green hydrogen and ammonia project in Dakhla, Morocco, aimed at developing a facility with capacity of 1 million tonnes per year. With that precedent set, private and public investment sources within the UAE are described as ready to move toward the UK as well, provided they are encouraged by a suitable mix of clear government signals and a robust pipeline of viable, de-risked projects.
Industry voices have also offered a rationale for why the UAE is sharpening its focus on domestic capability at the same time as it looks outward. In a Future Energy Insights episode, Cornelius Matthes, CEO of Dii Desert Energy, explained the logic behind the UAE’s growing eagerness to build an industry that can exceed local demand and connect to rising global appetite for decarbonisation. “The UAE has a target of 1.4 million tonnes per year by 2031, but with so many new projects in the pipeline, I’m confident it will exceed that level, even if they don’t all materialise,” he said.
Reflecting the sector’s expanding prominence, the World Future Energy Summit 2026, which already hosts several major players, will again include the Green Hydrogen Innovation Hub, a dedicated zone featuring more than 20 startups whose innovations may help accelerate global integration and upscaling. It is a reminder that the pathway to scale is being shaped not only by large capital commitments, but also by the technologies, tools, and execution models that can make projects bankable and repeatable.
With careful planning and close cooperation, the UAE and the UK can bring their respective resources, expertise, and investment links into sharper alignment, strengthening the case for early adoption and shared advantage in green hydrogen. At its core, the Summit will examine the growing ties between the two countries and their regional markets, set within the broader global move toward cleaner energy sources that can drive faster industrial decarbonisation.
