President George W. Bush visits Abu Dhabi, commends Masdar, government's investment in 'future energy'

The Masdar Initiative is Abu Dhabi's multi-faceted, multi-billion dollar investment in alternative and renewable energy sources; sustainable development; education; manufacturing and carbon management.

The CEO of Masdar, Dr Sultan Al Jaber, presented President Bush with a comprehensive display outlining the six business units of the initiative, including plans for Masdar City, the world's first zero-carbon, zero-waste city, and the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology (MIST), the region's first graduate-level academic institution focused on energy and sustainability and developed in cooperation with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

'President Bush was very encouraged by Masdar's activities' Dr. Sultan said. 'We had a very good conversation and I was able to share details of our efforts to date and our plans for the future. President Bush was especially interested in the partnerships we have developed with businesses and academic institutions in the United States. I look forward to continuing this discussion with United States Energy Secretary Bodman next week at the World Future Energy Summit' he continued.

Masdar, which means 'the source' in Arabic, has four primary objectives:

1. To help drive the economic diversification of Abu Dhabi;
2. To maintain - and expand - Abu Dhabi's position in evolving global energy markets;
3. To help Abu Dhabi become a developer of technology; and
4. To make a meaningful contribution to sustainable human development.

Masdar is driven by the Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (ADFEC), a wholly owned company of the government of Abu Dhabi through the Mubadala Development Company.

Following President Bush's visit, Masdar will host the inaugural World Future Energy Summit (WFES) January 21-23, which will bring together the world's leading innovators, educators, scientists, venture capitalists and experts in the field of alternative and renewable energies. WFES will stimulate innovative solutions for some of the most pressing challenges of our time: energy conservation, energy security, the environment and sustainable human development.

The summit will be the largest meeting of the 'future energy' movement and the premier event for world leaders to preview new solutions and technologies and seek partners. The summit will be a carbon-neutral certified event.