Scotland's position as a leading player in renewables has been reinforced with a unique collaboration being agreed between First Minister Alex Salmond and one of the world's leading renewables innovators.

As a result of his five-day tour of Qatar and the UAE this week, the First Minister (FM) has agreed plans with the alternative energy company Masdar to draw up plans for a partnership with Scotland that will boost university research into renewable energy sources and promote other initiatives.

The discussions between the FM and Dr Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, Masdar's chief executive, took place during a visit by Mr Salmond to Masdar City, a ground-breaking initiative in the desert which showcases advances in the development, commercialisation and deployment of renewable technology.

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The First Minister said: "I firmly believe this agreement will yield great results for Abu Dhabi, great results for Scotland, and I do believe it will lead to significant advances that will benefit this entire planet. That's the importance of what's been talked about.

"Dr Al Jaber insisted that he doesn't want just a memorandum of agreement, he wants a framework for action. He's looked at two areas in particular: cooperation over research into renewables technology between universities, and direct investment and partnerships for specific projects.

"This is the first time Masdar will have had an agreement with a government agency - a country. Masdar's previous agreements have been with individual companies, so this is quite a breakthrough for us both."

Dr Al Jaber said:"Masdar is pleased to partner with Scotland on a number of upcoming renewable energy initiatives. We discussed a number of areas of collaboration and I look forward to working closely with him over the coming months to move these ideas forward.

"Scotland is a leading player in the renewable energy field and we are delighted to combine our knowledge and experience through this mutual and beneficial partnership."

Details of the deal will be drawn up by Masdar and Scottish Enterprise, with a view to an agreement being signed in January.

(GK)