Cyprus participated for the first time with a national event at the World Utilities Congress 2025, held at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre.

The event aimed to showcase Cyprus’ strengths in solar thermal energy, infrastructure and water management, and to expand public-private sector collaboration across the region.

The country’s presence was coordinated by the Ministry of Energy, together with the Cyprus Trade Centre in Dubai, one of the earliest such offices established abroad since 1977, emphasising Cyprus’ strategic advantages in the utilities and clean energy sectors.

The event, held from May 19 until 21, brought together representatives also the agriculture ministry, the Cyprus electricity authority (EAC), and Cyprus association of renewable energy companies (Seapek).

Among those attending were agriculture minister Maria Panayiotou, who participated in two high-level panels, Marios Panayides, the permanent secretary of the ministry of energy , and ambassador of Cyprus to the UAE, Meropi Christofi.

The Cypriot delegation held talks with key regional utilities, including EtihadWE, Tabreed, TAQA Water Solutions and the Emirates Water and Electricity Company.

Separate meetings were also held with international companies such as Bahri Marine, Riyadh Cables, UTEC and Huawei.

According to the announcement, the delegation visited Tabreed’s district cooling facilities, where the potential integration of solar water heaters was discussed, along with prospects for adopting similar solutions in Cyprus to improve energy efficiency.

On the sidelines, Panayidis hosted an official dinner for members of the Cypriot delegation and invited guests, including a representative of the UAE ministry of foreign affairs, as part of efforts to strengthen bilateral and commercial ties.

Ministry of energy said “the event marked an important step in advancing Cyprus’ strategy to deepen partnerships with Gulf countries while positioning the island as a reliable partner in areas such as solar technology, desalination and sustainable development.”

Recent cooperation between Cyprus and the UAE in the field of desalination also featured in the discussions.

The direct provision of mobile desalination units by the UAE government to Cyprus was described as “an example of strategic partnership in water resource management, aimed at enhancing the island’s resilience and long-term water security.”

Part of the discussions also addressed broader trends in the utilities sector, including the use of AI and data tools to improve efficiency, long-term climate targets, and the role of cross-sector collaboration in delivering scalable solutions.

Power-to-X technologies were also raised, though opinions remain divided.

A key concern, however, was how infrastructure can keep pace with rising demand, driven by urbanisation and the rapid growth of data centres.

With supply already under pressure, the challenge is scaling capacity while accelerating the green transition and reducing emissions.

One session focused on the use of AI in pipe rehabilitation as part of water management strategies, pointing to the growing role of digital tools in maintaining critical infrastructure.