Energy efficiency | The Official Platform of the UAE Government

Energy Efficiency and Demand Management

Energy efficiency means using less energy to deliver the same level of service or performance through efficient technologies, equipment, buildings and operating systems.

Energy and water demand management is broader. It focuses on managing the amount, timing and patterns of consumption to reduce overall demand, peak loads and pressure on infrastructure and resources. Measures include energy and water efficiency, load management, smart technologies, tariffs, behavioural change, policies and retrofit programmes.

Energy efficiency is therefore a key pillar of demand management, which provides a broader framework for optimising energy and water use across individuals, facilities, sectors and the UAE.

National Energy and Water Demand Management Programme 2050

Read about the National Energy and Water Demand Management Programme.

Local Energy Efficiency Initiatives

The National Energy and Water Demand Management Programme is complemented by a range of local strategies and programmes implemented by relevant authorities across the UAE, supporting improved energy and water efficiency and contributing to the achievement of national targets.

Abu Dhabi – Abu Dhabi Energy and Water Efficiency Strategy 2030

The Abu Dhabi Department of Energy leads the implementation of the Abu Dhabi Energy and Water Efficiency Strategy 2030, which aims to enhance energy and water efficiency and reduce demand through an integrated package of regulatory and implementation programmes and policies. By 2030, compared with the 2013 business-as-usual scenario, the Strategy aims to:

Reduce electricity consumption by 22%.
Reduce water consumption by 32%.

The updated Strategy includes 10 programmes covering key areas such as building and infrastructure efficiency, demand management, water-use efficiency, high-efficiency appliances and equipment, cooling systems, awareness, and behavioural change.

Dubai – Dubai Demand Side Management Strategy 2050

The Dubai Supreme Council of Energy implements the Dubai Demand Side Management Strategy 2050, which provides an integrated framework to enhance the efficient use of electricity, water, and transport fuels and support the transition towards more sustainable consumption patterns. The Strategy aims to achieve savings in electricity, water, and transport fuel consumption of:

At least 30% by 2030.
50% by 2050, compared with the business-as-usual scenario.

The Strategy includes 12 main programmes, supported by 7 implementation mechanisms covering policies and regulations, data, measurement and verification, awareness, financing, research, development and innovation, and stakeholder collaboration.

Ras Al Khaimah – Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Strategy 2040

Ras Al Khaimah Municipality implements the Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Strategy 2040, which provides the Emirate’s long-term framework for improving energy and water efficiency and increasing the contribution of renewable energy. By 2040, compared with the business-as-usual scenario, the Strategy aims to:

Achieve at least 30% savings in electricity consumption.
Achieve 20% savings in water consumption.
Increase the share of renewable energy to 20% of the energy supply mix.

The Strategy includes 9 programmes, supported by 5 key enablers, covering green buildings, building retrofits, energy management, high-efficiency appliances, street lighting, water-use and irrigation efficiency, solar energy, waste-to-energy, and high-efficiency vehicles.

Sectoral Policies and Initiatives

The UAE implements an integrated package of policies, regulations, guidelines, transformational projects, and sector-specific initiatives to enhance energy and water efficiency and achieve the targets of the National Demand Management Programme through 2050. The national package includes policies regulating the energy services market and electric vehicles, regulations for green buildings, industrial energy management, and motor efficiency, as well as national guidelines and transformational projects across the buildings, transport, and agriculture sectors.

Buildings and the Built Environment Sector

Efforts in the buildings sector focus on improving energy and water efficiency in new and existing buildings and encouraging investment in retrofits and high-efficiency technologies. Key policies and initiatives include:

Energy Services Companies (ESCOs) Market Regulation Policy, supporting the development of a national energy services market and greater private-sector participation in financing and implementing retrofit projects.
National Green Building Requirements and Specifications Regulation, aimed at strengthening and harmonising energy, water, and sustainability requirements in the built environment.
Federal Government Buildings Energy and Water Consumption Reduction Project, based on the deployment of energy-efficiency technologies and investment models in partnership with energy service companies.
Federal Buildings Solar Energy Project and UAE Sustainable Cooling Project, supporting more efficient and sustainable solutions for building operation.

The Programme identifies the ESCO market policy, the green building regulation, sustainable cooling, and solar energy for federal buildings among the key outputs supporting the national demand management agenda.

Industry Sector

Efforts in the industrial sector focus on strengthening energy management in industrial facilities, improving the efficiency of processes and equipment, and developing digital mechanisms for performance measurement and savings monitoring. Key policies and initiatives include:

Federal Energy Management Regulation for Industrial Facilities, providing a national framework to improve energy management efficiency in factories.
Conducting energy management and sustainability assessments for 47 industrial facilities to identify reduction opportunities and improve performance.
Industrial Registry Platform, supporting the implementation of energy management requirements and the integration and monitoring of industrial facility data.
Industrial Areas Thermal Mapping Platform, which uses satellite imagery and thermal analysis to help identify high-consuming facilities and better target energy-efficiency programmes.
Green Certification Programme for Industrial Facilities, encouraging factories to adopt sustainability practices and improve resource efficiency.

The Department’s programme documentation highlights the launch of the Industrial Registry Platform, the development of green certification criteria, and the use of thermal mapping to identify major industrial consumers and support implementation of the regulation.

Transport and Green Mobility Sector

The transport sector focuses on improving energy efficiency and accelerating the transition to electric vehicles and low-emission mobility through an integrated national framework covering policy, infrastructure, and technical requirements. Key policies and initiatives include:

Establishment of UAEV to support the development of national electric vehicle charging infrastructure.
Implementation of the Unified Electric Vehicle Charging Tariff.
National Guideline for the Installation of Electric Vehicle Charging Stations.
National Bidirectional Charging Guideline, supporting V2G, V2H, and V2B applications and the future integration of electric vehicles with electricity grids and buildings.
National AC and DC Charging Specifications and Requirements, supporting interoperability, safety, and harmonisation of technical requirements for charging infrastructure.

The Programme therefore brings together policy, regulation, tariffs, infrastructure, technical standards, and future technologies to support the development of an integrated national electric mobility ecosystem. The Department’s programme documentation includes the National Electric Vehicles Policy, charging installation guidelines, bidirectional charging guidance, and AC and DC charging specifications within the national portfolio.

Agriculture and Water-Use Efficiency Sector

Efforts in the agriculture sector focus on reducing water demand, improving irrigation efficiency, strengthening sustainable groundwater management, and using data and advanced technologies to improve water resource management. Key initiatives include:

National Guideline for Efficient Irrigation Systems, supporting the adoption of more efficient irrigation systems and technologies.
Smart Irrigation Platform and geospatial platforms, using data to improve irrigation management and support informed decision-making.
Strengthening sustainable groundwater management and promoting the use of alternative water sources.
Supporting the adoption of smart agriculture and irrigation technologies and practices that reduce water losses and improve water-use efficiency.

The Programme identifies water conservation, high-efficiency irrigation, geospatial platforms, and expanded partnerships and innovation as key priorities for the agriculture sector.

Energy Efficiency in Data Centres and Digital Infrastructure

The UAE is placing increasing emphasis on energy efficiency in data centres and digital infrastructure, in light of the rapid growth of artificial intelligence applications and digital services and the associated increase in electricity demand and cooling requirements.

In 2025, the National Team for Reviewing the Impact of Data Centres on the UAE Energy Sector was established to assess the impact of data centre growth on energy demand, identify and classify existing facilities, review their geographic distribution, benchmark against international best practices, and work towards developing a federal policy to regulate data centre operations in a manner that enhances efficiency, sustainability, and the UAE’s competitiveness in digital infrastructure.

The UAE is also testing advanced technological solutions to improve the operational efficiency of data centres. In 2026, a pilot project was launched to apply artificial intelligence technologies to optimise the management of energy systems, cooling systems, and operational loads, with the aim of exploring opportunities to reduce energy consumption, improve cooling efficiency, increase operational capacity, and enhance the reliability and resilience of digital infrastructure.

These efforts support the development of a more efficient and sustainable framework for data centres in the UAE and help align the growth of the digital economy and artificial intelligence with national energy efficiency and demand management objectives.

Leadership in Energy Efficiency

Institutional Excellence and Capacity Building in Energy Management

Emirates Energy Management Award - The Emirates Energy Management Award is the national edition of the global Energy Management Leadership Awards under the Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM) initiative. It aims to encourage government and private-sector entities in the UAE to adopt energy management systems in accordance with the ISO 50001 standard and achieve measurable improvements and savings in energy consumption.

International Leadership in Energy Efficiency

Global Energy Efficiency Alliance (GEEA)- The UAE launched the Global Energy Efficiency Alliance (GEEA) to support the outcomes of the UAE Consensus at COP28 and accelerate international efforts to double the global rate of energy efficiency improvement to more than 4% annually by 2030. The UAE chairs the Alliance, reflecting its role in advancing international cooperation on energy efficiency.

Global Cooling Pledge

The UAE, as the host country of COP28, launched the Global Cooling Pledge as the first collective global effort to comprehensively address cooling-related emissions, improve the efficiency of cooling technologies, and expand access to sustainable cooling solutions. The Pledge is one of the key outcomes of the COP28 Presidency Action Agenda.