The head of the United Arab Emirates' national oil company was named Thursday as president of this year's COP28 climate talks. Sultan Al-Jaber, chief executive of the UAE's Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), will be the first CEO to take the role at the UN summit, the official WAM news agency reported. "I sincerely believe that climate action today is an immense economic opportunity for investment in sustainable growth," he was quoted as saying, promising a "pragmatic" approach. Al Jaber, the UAE's minister of industry, is also the Gulf state's special envoy for climate change and has taken part in more than 10 COP meetings. He is CEO of Masdar, the UAE's renewable energy company, and has "played a key role in shaping the country's clean energy path", the statement said. The UAE will host the COP28 climate talks in Dubai in November and December. More than 70 thousand participants are expected to take part in the conference, including heads of state, government officials, international industry leaders, and private sector representatives. They will discuss the issue of climate change, and review innovative solutions that support multilateral cooperation and climate diplomacy.