Panel: Solar Market Outlook 2026-2030: Middle East, North Africa & Beyond

Tuesday, September 1, 2026

Time
1:00pm–2:15pm
Hall
Dubai World Trade Centre
Room
Conference Area: Pavilion Hall; Booth #: P.G40

Industry experts share strategic insights on solar market growth, investment trends, and policy developments across MENA and emerging markets. Explore opportunities, challenges, and innovations shaping the next five years, and understand how regional dynamics influence the global transition to renewable energy.

1:00pm–1:15pmKeynote: Trans-Mediterranean Energy and Clean Tech Cooperation Initiative

H.E. Lucie Berger

Ambassador

Delegation of the European Union to the United Arab Emirates

1:15pm–1:30pmOutlook

Lennart van Walsum (Moderator)

Director EMEA & Americas

Global Solar Council

1:30pm–2:15pmPanel: Solar Market Outlook 2026-2030: Middle East, North Africa & Beyond

Lennart van Walsum (Moderator)

Director EMEA & Americas

Global Solar Council

Olga Rudkovskaya

PHD Candidate

UCL

Hinde Liepmannsohn

Managing and Executive Director

Middle East Solar Industry Association (MESIA)

H.E. Lucie Berger

Ambassador

Delegation of the European Union to the United Arab Emirates

Speakers
Speaker
Hinde Liepmannsohn, Middle East Solar Industry Association (MESIA)

Managing and Executive Director

UAE

Hinde Liepmannsohn is the Managing and Executive Director of the Middle East Solar Industry Association (MESIA) in Dubai, bringing over 20 years of global marketing and consulting experience to the role. A dynamic and passionate leader and advocate for female empowerment in renewables, she has driven MESIA for the last 6 years, mentored young professionals for a decade, and regularly advises on international trade and clean energy initiatives.

Speaker
Olga Rudkovskaya, UCL

PHD Candidate

UAE

Olga Rudkovskaya is an expert in climate change, ESG (Environmental, Social & Governance), and sustainable finance based in the United Arab Emirates. She currently serves as Head of Department (Sustainability & ESG) at ADNOC Distribution, where she leads the company's sustainability initiatives and decarbonization strategies in alignment with national and corporate net-zero ambitions.Olga holds a degree in Environmental Science and an Executive MBA, along with multiple executive qualifications from INSEAD, Alliance Manchester Business School and UCL. She is also pursuing a PhD focused on decarbonisation in industry.Over her career, Olga has held senior sustainability and ESG leadership roles across sectors and organisations. Before joining ADNOC, she was Chief Sustainability Officer at Arabian Gulf Steel Industries (AGSI), and Region Head for Sustainability & Supply Chain at DNV, where she oversaw sustainability performance and sustainable finance matters in the Middle East. She has also served in engieering sustainability roles at firms including Parsons Corporation, and Dorsch Holding, contributing to green building implementation and environmental strategy for large-scale infrastructure and development projects.

Speaker
Lennart van Walsum (Moderator), Global Solar Council

Director EMEA & Americas

UK

Lennart's solar career started in 2008, as CEO of Krannich Solar in the Benelux. He gained further expertise at SMA in Germany and California and later joined LONGi. With a clear understanding of global regions and key industry verticals, based in London he represents today the Global Solar Council, uniting the voice of the solar industry with governments, associations, policymakers, and businesses.

Speaker
H.E. Lucie Berger, Delegation of the European Union to the United Arab Emirates

Ambassador

United Arab Emirates

H.E. Lucie Berger, took on the role of European Union Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates in September 2023.Born on January 17, 1983, in Prague, Ms Berger is fluent in Czech, English, and French, with proficiency in Arabic, German, and Spanish.Ms Berger holds a Master's degree in European Integration from the University of Economics in Prague, with expertise in European law, policies, and economics. Her thesis examined workers' mobility following the 2004 enlargement of the European Union. Her academic journey included political science, diplomacy, and international relations. She also holds a Bachelor's degree in International Trade.Ms Berger's career in international diplomacy spans over a decade and is marked by notable achievements.From 2022 to 2023, she served as the Policy Coordinator in European Commission's DG Climate Action (Brussels, Belgium). In this role, she oversaw trade negotiations and climate measures within trade policy, negotiated free trade agreements, and coordinated trade and sustainable development matters.From 2018 to 2022, Ms. Berger held the position of EU Representative in International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), and the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) in Geneva, Switzerland. During this tenure, she represented the EU and its Member States in these organizations, developed a digital diplomacy strategy, and led negotiations.Between 2015 and 2018, she served as the Head of Trade and Economic Affairs in the Gulf at the Delegation of the European Union in Riyadh. She focused on formulating trade and economic cooperation policies between the EU and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) as well as its six members, including the UAE. In this role, she launched for example the EU-GCC Trade and Investment Dialogue and initiated the EU-GCC Dialogue on Economic Diversification project.From 2012 to 2015, Ms. Berger was the Policy Officer for Climate Action in the Middle East and North Africa region and the Gulf at the European Commission's DG Climate Action (Brussels, Belgium). In this capacity, she developed climate action cooperation strategies at regional and bilateral level. She for example organised the first Union for the Mediterranean Ministerial Meeting on Environment and Climate Change in 2014, and led negotiations in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) related to the secondary impacts of climate mitigation measures on single commodity economies including the oil-producing countries.From 2006 to 2012, Ms. Berger held various roles within the European Commission, including an internship in the Spokespersons' service, project management in DG Justice, Freedom, and Security, and a significant position as a Policy Officer for the Integrated Maritime Policy in the Mediterranean, where she managed cooperation strategies and participated in fisheries negotiations.Ms. Berger's impressive linguistic skills and extensive experience in diplomacy make her a valuable asset to the EU as Ambassador to the UAE. Her dedication to international relations, security and sustainability issues will contribute to strengthening EU-UAE relations and promoting bilateral cooperation.

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