The Egyptian energy sector is on track to become the leader in Middle Eastern renewable energy initiatives, stated one of Egypt’s high-ranking government officials.

“Wind farms clustered in the Saidi area of Egypt will employ thousands and produce 20 per cent of the country’s diversified energy needs by 2020,” said Dr Hassan Younes, Egyptian Minister of Electricity and Energy at this week’s World Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi.

Dr Younes revealed that Egypt’s stand-alone project involves moving farms that generate electricity from the wind to the Saidi area, creating new sustainable-energy jobs for thousands of Egyptian workers in the process.

The Egyptian Minister was a special guest at the Media Roundtable panel organised by CNBC Arabiya at the summit. Roundtable participants were overall optimistic on the future of the transition from fossil energy consumption to renewable energy, provided that there would be sufficient awareness amongst the public on this initiative.

Arab communities have come under increased pressure to become more aware of the environmental and health risks that stem from the region’s high concentration of fossil fuel-burning energy producers.-TradeArabia News Service