Masdar City Highlights Sustainable Urban Development and UAE–Turkmenistan Cooperation at CIET 2026

Your Excellency, Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Turkmenistan, distinguished Ministers, esteemed colleagues, ladies and gentlemen,

Thank you for the opportunity to contribute to this important discussion on innovative development and international cooperation. It is a privilege to be here in Turkmenistan, a country with clear ambitions for modernization, infrastructure development and long-term prosperity.

At Masdar City in Abu Dhabi, we see sustainable urban development not simply as a construction objective, but as an integrated approach to economic growth, innovation and quality of life. Masdar City brings together a sustainable urban community, a free zone and a technology ecosystem in a single city. Nearly two decades of experience have shown us that the most effective solutions begin with planning and design: how we orient buildings, manage shade and heat, reduce energy and water demand, select materials, and connect people to services and mobility.

Technology is essential, but technology alone is not enough. Sustainable development depends on combining efficient buildings and infrastructure with research, business, investment and talent. Within Masdar City, companies and institutions work across areas such as clean energy, smart mobility, life sciences, artificial intelligence and other advanced technologies.

Masdar City Free Zone is home to more than 2,800 companies from over 90 countries and has been named among the world’s top 10 free zones in the fDi Global Free Zones of the Year Awards 2026. Working side by side helps ideas move more quickly from research to practical application and commercial opportunity.

For countries investing in the next generation of infrastructure, this creates an important opportunity: to look beyond the cost of construction today to the long-term performance of buildings and industrial assets, including their energy and water use, operating costs, resilience and contribution to people’s well-being.

We see real value in strengthening dialogue between the United Arab Emirates and Turkmenistan around these shared priorities. Areas for exploration could include climate-responsive urban planning, energy-efficient buildings, solar energy, smart mobility, resource efficiency, and exchanges between businesses, universities and technology organizations.

These are areas for dialogue rather than a predetermined program, and the right priorities should be shaped together with the relevant partners.

A practical next step would be to bring together interested public- and private-sector stakeholders, identify one or two areas of common interest, and explore a focused pilot project or knowledge-exchange initiative with clear objectives and measurable outcomes.

Starting with practical, well-defined cooperation helps build confidence and creates a foundation for broader collaboration.

At Masdar City, we believe the future of construction is not about building more. It is about building better: more efficiently, more intelligently, and in a way that creates lasting value for the economy and society.

Thank you. We look forward to exchanging ideas and exploring how our shared commitment to innovation and sustainable development can support future cooperation between the UAE and Turkmenistan.