Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman lauds final agreement, thanks UAE DUBAI: Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman on Wednesday expressed his agreement with the COP28 presidency on the final deal signaling consensus among participating countries, The global leaders approved a call to transition away from fossil fuels to reach net zero. Prince Abdulaziz said the deal would not affect Saudi Arabia’s hydrocarbon exports. “The text provides alternatives. But I think these texts do not affect our exports, do not affect our ability to sell,” the energy minister told Al-Arabiya television. He also thanked the UAE, which hosted the UN climate summit this year, saying there was full cooperation and coordination between the two countries throughout. COP28 delivered historic negotiated outcomes to operationalize Loss and Damage, securing $792 million of early pledges, providing a framework for the Global Goal on Adaptation, and institutionalizing the role of the Youth Climate Champion to mainstream youth inclusion at future COPs. The Saudi energy minister said the deal took us back to the essence of the Paris Agreement and the final text focused on countries determining their own pathways. He appreciated the fact that the text did not impose anything but sought to strengthen participation of each country according to its unique circumstances. “There are several alternatives in the agreement for countries to transition, none of them are imposed,” the energy minister said. “We are transitioning in the Kingdom because this is our national interest,” he added. He also pointed out that the final agreement also mentioned hydrogen, which “is not just green anymore, but clean hydrogen.”