Engineer Sharif Al Olama, the Undersecretary for Energy and Petroleum Affairs in the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, has affirmed the commitment to enhance cooperation and partnership with the private sector to establish a significant number of electric vehicle charging stations in the near future. He stated that the UAE currently boasts around 800 charging stations, with projections indicating an increase to approximately 10,000 chargers by 2030 and 30,000 by 2050.

Al Olama informed "Alittihad" that there is a targeted initiative for all government vehicles to transition to electric by 2030. The overarching goal is to have half of the vehicles operating in the country as electric or hybrid by 2050. He clarified that the National Electric Vehicle Policy, adopted by the Cabinet in July of the previous year, serves as a regulatory framework aimed at unifying infrastructure standards for electric vehicle charging stations. This policy establishes consistent principles to ensure coordination and integration among entities involved in electric vehicles across the UAE.

He highlighted that the national policy emphasizes standardizing the infrastructure for electric vehicle charging stations to ensure road quality and enhance the UAE's leading position in associated competitive indicators. The policy also sets out technical and legislative frameworks related to the recycling of electric vehicle batteries within the country, while encouraging businesses to invest in the infrastructure of electric vehicle charging stations.

Al Olama explained that the policy, developed by the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, as part of the transformational project "Global Market for Electric Vehicles," represents a qualitative leap for the country towards the future, enhancing its competitiveness in the electric vehicle sector. The new policy supports the national roadmap for electric vehicle charging stations, aligning with the overall goals of the National Energy and Water Demand Management Program, which aims to reduce energy consumption in the most energy-consuming sectors in the UAE, notably the transportation sector.

The National Electric Vehicle Policy aims to establish a national network of electric vehicle charging stations to support electric vehicle owners in collaboration with federal and local partners and the private sector. It also seeks to regulate the electric vehicle market in the country, offering incentives that serve the community and support electric vehicle manufacturers to encourage their use and increase sales. Additionally, it aims to coordinate efforts among all relevant entities, improve road quality, and maintain the global leadership enjoyed by the UAE.

The Ministry of Energy unveiled the transformative project "Global Market for Electric Vehicles" in May of last year, which is one of the transformational projects within the performance agreements for federal government entities in 2022. The project includes an integrated plan and an ambitious national program to achieve integration between the energy and infrastructure sectors, enhancing collaboration between federal and local government entities, as well as the private sector.

As part of supporting the objectives of the transformational project "Global Market for Electric Vehicles" and enhancing collaboration with key partners and the private sector, the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure signed several cooperation agreements. These agreements included Etihad Water and Electricity Company (EtihadWE), BEEAA Company, and the American University of Sharjah, as well as electric vehicle manufacturers and investors such as Audi, Siemens, BMW, Jaguar Land Rover Limited, INEV Investments, Mercedes-Benz, General Motors, and Porsche. These agreements will focus on collaborative efforts to create investment incentives in the national electric vehicle charging station network.

The private sector will play a crucial role as a result of the cooperation agreements, as it will invest in establishing the national charging network and efficiently operate and manage the network to ensure the sustainability of electric vehicle infrastructure. Al Olama emphasized, "During the past period, we have worked on enhancing communication with the private sector, opening new channels for communication, forming partnerships, and fostering collaboration in the smart mobility and hybrid vehicle sector. This supports the success of the UAE's experience in using electric cars, aligning with the country's strategy to preserve the environment and transition to clean energy in all aspects of life, as well as the UAE's Net Zero by 2050 Strategic Initiative."