Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company PJSC – Masdar, one of the world’s largest renewable energy companies and a global leader in green hydrogen, is teaming up with aerospace company Boeing to propel the sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) industry in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and globally. The partnership aims to further support the commercial aviation industry’s goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.

The Memorandum of Understanding was signed by Mohammad Abdelqader El Ramahi, Chief Green Hydrogen Officer, Masdar, and Kuljit Ghata-Aura, President, Middle East, Turkey & Africa, Boeing, during the Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (ADIPEC) 2023.

Together, Masdar and Boeing will advance and support the development and adoption of SAF policies in the UAE and beyond.  The companies will also explore advancing SAF accounting principles, which could enable the SAF industry to overcome geographical barriers as it scales.

Produced from sustainable sources such as green hydrogen, SAF can reduce carbon emissions over the fuel’s lifecycle by up to 85percent in comparison with petroleum jet fuel. SAF is widely accepted today as a drop-in replacement for up to 50 percent of conventional jet fuel in today’s jet airplanes and offers the largest potential to reduce carbon emissions over the next 30 years in all aviation segments. 

Mohammad Abdelqader El Ramahi, chief green hydrogen officer, Masdar, said, “Global net-zero goals can only be achieved through international collaboration and innovation. As the UAE’s clean energy powerhouse, Masdar is proud to be partnering with Boeing, a leading global aerospace company, to promote the development of sustainable aviation fuel projects. Together, we will advocate enabling policies to nurture this key market.  Ahead of the UAE hosting COP28 we will continue to leverage our combined knowledge, expertise and passion to support industry and create a more sustainable future for all.”

Kuljit Ghata-Aura, president of Boeing Middle East, Turkiye and Africa, said, “We are excited to team up with Masdar to spearhead the growth of the sustainable aviation fuel industry, both locally and globally, which will enable job creation, economic growth and significant business opportunities. Adopting SAF is going to be aviation's most powerful decarbonization lever. Over a decade of collaboration between Boeing and the UAE in sustainable aviation is a testament to our shared goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.”

Earlier this year, during Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, Masdar also announced that the Masdar-led initiative focusing on green hydrogen to produce SAF is actively working with licensors to certify a new production pathway for SAF from methanol.