Cyprus makes landmark debut at World Utilities Congress 2025 with national pavilion

For the first time, the Republic of Cyprus participated with a dedicated national pavilion at the prestigious World Utilities Congress 2025, held from May 27 to 29 at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre. This significant milestone underscores Cyprus’s evolving role as a regional hub for clean energy, sustainable infrastructure, and cross-border collaboration.

Organised under the auspices of the Cyprus Trade Centre in Dubai and the Ministry of Energy, Commerce and Industry, the Cyprus Pavilion highlighted the island nation’s strategic strengths and commitment to fostering public-private partnerships in the sectors of electricity, water management, solar energy, and infrastructure development.

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The Pavilion featured the participation of key national stakeholders, including the Electricity Authority of Cyprus (EAC), the Water Development Department of the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, the Cyprus Union of Solar Thermal Industrialists (EBHEK), and the Cyprus Trade Centre – UAE, in coordination with the Ministry of Energy, Commerce and Industry.

These entities engaged in high-level discussions and networking sessions, exploring a wide range of themes including power generation and distribution, desalination technologies, water resource optimization, solar thermal energy, and commercial cooperation opportunities.

The Pavilion attracted several distinguished guests, including Dr Maria Panayiotou, minister of agriculture, Rural Development and Environment of Cyprus; Marios Panayides, permanent secretary, Ministry of Energy, Commerce and Industry; Meropi Christofi, Ambassador of the Republic of Cyprus to the UAE, and Farid Al Awlaqi, CEO of TAQA Generation
along with many senior executives, international stakeholders, and industry leaders.

Minister Panayiotou contributed to two key ministerial panels, namely “Looking Ahead to COP30: Strengthening the Role of Energy in Updated National Plans” and “Powering Energy Security through Strategic Cross-Border Water Cooperation.” During these discussions, she emphasised Cyprus’s deepening collaboration with the UAE, particularly in desalination efforts. A notable example is the recent initiative whereby the UAE Government provided mobile desalination units to Cyprus, underscoring the strategic partnership and shared commitment to energy-water security and climate resilience.

The Cypriot delegation also held productive meetings with prominent regional entities including EtihadWE, Tabreed, TAQA Water Solutions, and Emirates Water and Electricity Company, as well as leading companies such as Bahri Marine, Riyadh Cables, UTEC, and Huawei at both B2B and B2G levels. A technical visit to Tabreed’s district cooling facilities explored the integration of solar thermal collectors and the potential to replicate such sustainable technologies in Cyprus.

Cyprus’s presence at the World Utilities Congress marks a decisive step in promoting the nation’s expertise and enhancing industrial cooperation in energy, water, solar, and sustainable development. It also reaffirms Cyprus’s strategy to deepen engagement with the UAE and the broader Gulf region, driving forward a shared vision of a cleaner, more resilient future.