By Cornelius Matthes, CEO of Dii Desert Energy and the MENA Hydrogen Alliance
This year’s annual summit of Dii was quite special – being the 15th jubilee edition. We had a record attendance of over 60 CEOs and a few special guests. The closed round table with H.E. Sharif al Olama was quite impactful as well.
Already on the day after our conference, we made a handshake agreement with Tolunay Yildiz, Chairman and CEO of our Turkish partner Yeo to host the next annual event in Istanbul, probably the first week of October 2026.
It was great to see that a few weeks later, the news that COP 31 will also be in Turkey (in Antalya) came out, so we will be able to create some good synergies here.
2026 seems to be the year of Turkey.
Istanbul has long been on our shortlist as location for an annual event. The time seems just right now and also thanks to Tolunay’s initiative we will make this happen.
In challenging geopolitical times, Istanbul could not be more symbolic, as the bridge between Asia and Europe, connection between Black and Mediterranean sea.
The largest European city has a rich history and Turkey is crucial for Europe’s energy security, but also has a strong track record for the energy transformation, with a major installed capacity of geothermal and hydro, in addition to the many GW in solar and wind.
We are looking forward to seeing you all next year in Istanbul, but in the meantime, I would like to wish you and your families Merry Christmas, a joyful holiday period and dynamic start into 2026.