UAE to deploy sustainable energy, water solutions in Egypt

29 / 05 / 2020

By Marwa Nassar - -

The UAE humanitarian initiative, ‘20by2020’ of the Zayed Sustainability Prize, is planning to deploy sustainable solutions in energy and water-related projects in Egypt as well as Indonesia, Cambodia, Bangladesh, Madagascar and Costa Rica.

The first phase of the 20by2020 is currently overseeing the installation of solutions in 10 countries – with four countries already rolled out to date, including Jordan, Nepal, Tanzania and Uganda.

The initiative will also deploy another 10 solutions by the end of the year; however, the timings are dependent on the individual country-specific conditions in light of the global pandemic.

Within this context, the 20by2020 installed sustainable lighting solutions in Jordan’s Prince Hamzah Hospital which is currently treating the largest number of COVID-19 patients in the country.

Sunna Design, the Zayed Sustainability Prize 2018 winner under the ‘Energy category’ and a France-based SME, is installing its high-performance energy-efficient LED solar lights within the parameter of the popular public hospital, to provide sustainable lighting and enhance the safety of the area for more than 3,000 people and more than 100 medical staff, on a daily basis.

The 20by2020 is a UAE-driven initiative led by the Zayed Sustainability Prize in partnership with Abu Dhabi Global Market, Abu Dhabi Fund for Development, Mubadala Petroleum, Year of Tolerance and Masdar, in addition to Majid Al Futtaim, who recently joined the initiative in support of the Jordan deployment.

Commenting on the occasion, Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, UAE Minister of State and Director General of the Zayed Sustainability Prize said: “The 20by2020 initiative deploys the solutions of Zayed Sustainability Prize winners and finalists, to effectively impact communities and address some of the world’s most pressing challenges in health, food, energy and water. This is in line with the vision of the UAE’s wise leadership to support development efforts around the world and embody the legacy of the late Sheikh Zayed to strengthen sustainability, and this is an area that represents an inspiring roadmap as we seek positive progress.”

Al Jaber added, “The latest 20by2020 deployment, comes at a time when medical staff at Prince Hamzah Hospital, a key pillar in Jordan’s public healthcare sector, take on a critical role in combating COVID-19, and we are honored to provide practical sustainable solutions to further bolster the hospital’s strong capabilities and efforts.”

Al Jaber went on to say that the steadfast support of the 20by20 partners has been instrumental in the initiative’s global success, as all parties work collaboratively to leverage common values and empower communities through impactful solutions.

On his part, Dr. Saad Jaber, Jordan’s Minister of Health, stated, “The 20by2020 initiative coincides with the pivotal responsibility and role that Prince Hamzah Hospital and its staff are playing in treating the largest number of coronavirus patients in Jordan, in partnership with the Ministry of Health. On behalf of the Hospital and Jordan’s healthcare sector, I would like to extend our thanks and appreciation to the Zayed Sustainability Prize, in addition to the 20by2020 partners, for installing these important environmentally-friendly solutions, and we look forward to exploring other avenues of future collaboration.”

The 20by2020 initiative oversees the donation and deployment of previous Prize winners’ and finalists’ technologies, to communities around the world, with the aim of championing and effectively driving the sustainability and humanitarian values of the UAE’s founding father, the late Sheikh Zayed, while pursuing key global sustainable development goals.