Global Heads of State Confirmed to Attend World Future Energy Summit 2011

Global Heads of State Confirmed to Attend World Future Energy Summit 2011

Leaders from seven countries set to join UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon at Opening Ceremony on January 17, 2011.

January 14, 2011 2:44 by Rasha Reslan

Reed exhibitions, the organiser of World Future Energy Summit (WFES) 2011, announced today the names of the global heads of state scheduled to speak at the opening ceremony of WFES 2011, held in Abu Dhabi from 17-20 January.

HRH Guillaume, Crown Prince of Luxembourg and HRH Crown Princess Victoria, Princess of Sweden, are confirmed to be taking part in the Opening Ceremony alongside the presidents and prime ministers of seven leading nations in the field of renewable energy. His Excellency Ban Ki-Moon, Secretary General of the United Nations will also be speaking. This will be His Exellency’s first appearance at the Abu Dhabi event and closely follows the recent progress made to renew international efforts to combat climate change during talks at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP16) in Cancun, Mexico, from 29 November – 10 December 2010.

The Opening Ceremony will open with an address from Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, CEO of Masdar, the wholly-owned subsidiary of the Mubadala Development Company focused on advancing the development, commercialisation and deployment of renewable energy and clean technology solutions, and host of WFES 2011.

Other heads of state speaking at the opening ceremony will include HE Ólafur Ragnar Grimsson, President, Iceland; HE Asif Ali Zardari, President, Pakistan; HE Jose Socrates Carvalho Pinto de Sousa, Prime Minister of Portugal; HE Sheikh Hasina, Prime Minister, Bangladesh; and HE Nikoloz Gilauri, Prime Minister, Georgia. Christina Figueres, Executive Secretary, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) is also confirmed to make a special address on day one of the Abu Dhabi event.

Frederic Theux, President, Reed Exhibitions, said of today’s announcement, “It is a pleasure and an honour to welcome international world leaders to this year’s World Future Energy Summit. The attendance of their Excellencies is true testament to the esteem in which the event is now held globally, as leaders from around the world gather to shed light on the importance of taking the steps necessary to make all nations more environmentally cautious. We look forward to welcoming their Highnesses and Excellencies to Abu Dhabi for this year’s event.”

Held under the Patronage of His Highness General Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed forces and Hosted by Masdar, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Mubadala Development Company focused on advancing the development, commercialisation and deployment of renewable energy and clean technology solutions, the World Future Energy Summit themed ‘enabling future energy solutions’ will run from 17-20 January 2011 and comprises the four day conference, alongside two exhibitions – a World Future Energy Exhibition and World Future Environment Exhibition.

For further information and programme details of the World Future Energy Summit 2011, visit www.worldfutureenergysummit.com