Vice President of the Republic of Maldives, Mr. Faisal Nasim, during his visit to Lootah Biofuel Factory, praised Yusuf bin Saeed Lootah Group’s projects that focus on sustainability, circular economy and environment, as well as its educational initiatives. The Lootah Biofuel Factory produces biofuel from used cooking oil to supply fleets of large companies in the UAE with cost-effective and environmentally friendly fuel.

Mr. Yousif Saeed Lootah, CEO of Lootah Biofuels, briefed the Vice President of Maldives on the innovative, sustainable solutions the company offers to meet long-term energy needs through clean energy alternatives currently produced in the UAE from used cooking oil, which add a positive dimension in terms of waste recycling that is in line with the UAE’s sustainable development and energy strategies, and climate neutrality and circular economy objectives.

“Given that President H.H. Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has declared 2023 as the ‘Year of Sustainability’ and the UAE is set to host the Conference of Parties for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) – COP28 in November, the Lootah Biofuel Plant is an important part of the country’s ecosystem to address the challenges of climate change,” said Mr. Yousuf Saeed Lootah.

He added, “The circular economy contributes to higher efficiency and responsibility in production and consumption while widening opportunities for growth for companies committed to sustainability practices. Circular economy policies are not only focused on promoting environmental health but also support the private sector transition to cleaner production methods and technologies yet remain profitable. This can be effectively achieved by adopting consumption and production methods and technologies that safeguard the quality of life for current and future generations, increase natural resource use efficiency, and reduce waste.”

It is worth noting that Lootah Biofuels Company has been working in this sector since 2010, and the Lootah Biofuels Plant, located in Dubai Industrial City, was inaugurated in October 2022 by the Emirates Circular Economy Council during its third meeting for the year 2022 in October; the inauguration was attended by Mariam bint Mohammed Almheiri, Minister of Climate Change and the Environment, Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy, Omar bin Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy, and Remote Work Applications, Sheikha Shamma bint Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, CEO of Alliances for Global Sustainability, as well as several senior environmental and circular economy figures.

For his part, Vice President of the Republic of Maldives, Faisal Nasim, said, “Republic of Maldives, whose many islands are located at an altitude close to sea level, is one of the countries most concerned about environmental sustainability and has launched several initiatives to combat the effects of climate change. We appreciate the UAE’s great role in preserving the environment, and it is great to see large projects supporting clean energy like Lootah Biofuels are in line with the country’s vision and global developments.”

Paying tribute to the important role played by the late businessman Haji Saeed bin Ahmed Lootah, the Vice President of the Republic of Maldives also visited the educational projects unde Saeed bin Ahmed Lootah Charitable Foundation’s projects, including Lootah Technical Centre, Al Islamic School and Dubai University Medical Hospital. He was briefed on the social and humanitarian role of the foundation, which has contributed to the growth of education in supporting different segments of society

The Foundation established the Foundation for Education in 1982, the Islamic Foundation for Education in 1983, the Dubai Medical College for Girls in 1986 and the Dubai Pharmacy University in 1992, in addition to many research and educational projects and other charitable works to serve the citizens and residents of the United Arab Emirates.