· Delegate numbers up 16% from last year

· Four day conference provides world leading platform for the renewable energy and environment industry

Abu Dhabi, [WorldofRenewables.com]

The Fourth World Future Energy Summit (WFES) 2011, hosted by Masdar, was officially opened today under the patronage of H. H. General Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi & Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

Many of the world’s foremost influencers and thought leaders on renewable energy, including heads of state, policy makers, government officials, business leaders, technologists, financiers and academics have travelled from all over the world to Abu Dhabi to debate, discuss and promote the challenges and solutions relating to the world’s energy needs. Delegate numbers were up by 16% from 2,700 in 2010 to 3,150 at this year’s opening ceremony.

Dr Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, the CEO of Masdar, the Abu Dhabi based company focused on developing commercially scalable sustainable energy solutions, and host of WFES 2011, provided the welcome speech at the opening policy and strategy forum before introducing a number of highly regarded keynote speakers including: HE Ban Ki Moon Secretary General, United Nations; HE Olafur Ragnar Grimsson, President of Iceland; HE Asif Ali Zardari, President of Pakistan; HE Jose Socrates Carvalho, Prime Minister of Portugal; HE Sheikh Hasina Prime Minister of Bangladesh; HE Nikoloz Gilauri Prime Minister of Georgia; HRH Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden and HRH Prince Guillaume, Crown Prince of Luxembourg.

Although recognising the challenges, HE Ban Ki-Moon, The Secretary General to the United Nations, provided a speech that was optimistic for the future: “Our challenge is transformation; we need a global clean energy revolution, a revolution that makes energy available and affordable for all. We need to get our priorities right, but we are on the brink of an exciting sustainable future – clean energy for all.”

In addition, HE Ban Ki-Moon also paid tribute to Abu Dhabi’s continued commitment to the support and development of energy solutions “Abu Dhabi is becoming justifiably renowned as a hub for progress.”

Now in its fourth year, WFES has grown to be one of the leading global forums for renewable energies. 3,150 delegates including 35 official delegations attended today’s fully packed opening ceremony – an increase of 16% – and over 25,000 visitors are expected to attend the event over the course of the four days. The 2010 event attracted over 24,000 delegates from 148 counties – over two thirds of all the recognised countries in the world – a clear indication that the international community is finally waking up to the importance and opportunities that are associated with alternative energies.