The oil-rich United Arab Emirates is "rightly proud" of its role in brokering the first climate accord calling for a transition away from fossil fuels, the COP28 president said Wednesday.

"We should be proud of our historic achievement and the United Arab Emirates, my country is rightly proud of its role in helping to move this forward," Sultan Al Jaber told the UN climate summit in Dubai.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the world needed to find a new way and by following our north star, we have found that new path," he added.

-Nations adopt first-ever climate deal on fossil fuels-

Nations adopted Wednesday the first-ever UN climate deal that calls for the world to transition away from fossil fuels.

"We have the basis to make transformational change happen," Al Jaber said before the deal was adopted by consensus, prompting delegates to rise and applaud.