State Electric Company Limited (STELCO) Managing Director Dr. Ali Azwar has met with the United Arab Emirates’ Head of Mission and Chargé d’Affaires to the Maldives, Heba Hamoud Nafea Saeed Aljneibi, with discussions focusing on opportunities for greater cooperation in the energy sector.
Azwar paid a courtesy call on the UAE diplomat, during which the two sides exchanged views on areas of mutual interest and explored avenues for strengthening engagement between the UAE and the Maldives’ energy sector.
The discussions come as the Maldives works to strengthen its electricity infrastructure and increase the use of renewable energy, while responding to growing power demand in densely populated areas and across the islands.
STELCO, the state-owned utility responsible for electricity services in the Greater Malé Region and several other islands, has been undertaking a number of projects aimed at increasing generation capacity and improving the reliability of power services.
The company is also involved in the government’s wider push towards cleaner energy, as the Maldives seeks to reduce its dependence on imported fossil fuels. The country’s reliance on fuel imports makes electricity generation particularly vulnerable to fluctuations in international energy prices and places additional pressure on foreign currency expenditure.
The UAE, meanwhile, has established itself as a major investor in renewable energy and energy infrastructure internationally, including through projects focused on solar power and other clean-energy technologies.
Relations between the Maldives and the UAE extend across several areas, including economic development, infrastructure and investment. The two countries have also maintained close diplomatic ties, with the UAE supporting development initiatives in the Maldives over the years.
STELCO said the latest meeting provided an opportunity to explore ways of building on those relations through closer cooperation in the energy sector.
