Arab countries will sign an agreement in Cairo next week to pave the way for power trading between the GCC and the broader Middle East and North Africa region.
One of the most important agenda items at an Arab ministerial meeting in the Egyptian capital will be the signing of the pan-Arab electricity market agreement, “which will set in motion the possibility of trading between the GCC and [other] Arab countries”, Ahmed Al Ebrahim, chief executive of the GCC Interconnection Authority, told The National during the RAK Energy Summit in Ras Al Khaimah.
Mr Al Ebrahim also said an electricity interconnection project linking Iraq with the GCC grid is expected to start operations in 2025.
“We're planning to start exporting electricity to Iraq next year. We are having our discussions with the Iraqi side on all the agreements and all the details,” he said.
“That will be a good start for the GCC countries now with the energy transition, on how to utilise the excess capacity coming from renewables to sell to other regions who are in need.”
The GCC, comprising Bahrain, the UAE, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Oman, commissioned a study in 1986 on the idea of connecting electricity grids across the Middle East.
Subsequent studies laid out a road map and in 2001, the GCCIA was formed. By 2011, all GCC countries were connected, with the exception of Oman, which was linked up the following year.
A project to connect Saudi Arabia with Egypt undertaken by the Saudi Electricity Company is in an “advanced stage” and may be completed next year or in 2026, Mr Al Ebrahim said. It would allow for 3,000 megawatts of electricity to be exchanged between the two countries.
Asked if the GCC would be the main power supplier to a pan-Arab grid, Mr Al Ebrahim said it would depend on availability and pricing. "It's not always one side selling to the other side but it's dynamic, depending on the potential in the market," he said.
"We in the GCC have very similar peak times [and] connecting with other regions like Egypt ... will [result in] a window of opportunity to export and maybe sometimes import."
By connecting a number of grids, a failure in one region can be mitigated by drawing power from others, reducing the likelihood of widespread blackouts.
Countries such as Lebanon, Egypt and Iraq have been facing severe and prolonged power cuts due to ageing infrastructure, fuel shortages and surging demand during the summer.
The agreement will be signed against the backdrop of soaring geopolitical tension in the Middle East, which have severely affected some economies and raised questions about the feasibility of certain long-term infrastructure projects involving countries from the region.
However, there is a strong "political will" in the GCC to establish an interconnected power grid, Mr Al Ebrahim said.
"We have all the support we need from the GCC and the Arab world," he added. "Most of the Arab countries are also supporting it, especially Egypt, Jordan, Morocco and some of the others."
The long-term vision is to have an interconnected global power grid, which will enable electricity to be generated in any region, such as Asia, Africa or Europe, and then transmitted to areas of high demand, the official said.
For instance, India and the UAE are in "serious discussions" to link their electricity grids, Mr Al Ebrahim said, without providing further details.
Last year, Indian media reported that the world's most populous country was considering linking its power grid to those of Saudi Arabia and the Emirates through undersea cables.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
What is blockchain?
Blockchain is a form of distributed ledger technology, a digital system in which data is recorded across multiple places at the same time. Unlike traditional databases, DLTs have no central administrator or centralised data storage. They are transparent because the data is visible and, because they are automatically replicated and impossible to be tampered with, they are secure.
The main difference between blockchain and other forms of DLT is the way data is stored as ‘blocks’ – new transactions are added to the existing ‘chain’ of past transactions, hence the name ‘blockchain’. It is impossible to delete or modify information on the chain due to the replication of blocks across various locations.
Blockchain is mostly associated with cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Due to the inability to tamper with transactions, advocates say this makes the currency more secure and safer than traditional systems. It is maintained by a network of people referred to as ‘miners’, who receive rewards for solving complex mathematical equations that enable transactions to go through.
However, one of the major problems that has come to light has been the presence of illicit material buried in the Bitcoin blockchain, linking it to the dark web.
Other blockchain platforms can offer things like smart contracts, which are automatically implemented when specific conditions from all interested parties are reached, cutting the time involved and the risk of mistakes. Another use could be storing medical records, as patients can be confident their information cannot be changed. The technology can also be used in supply chains, voting and has the potential to used for storing property records.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Dengue%20fever%20symptoms
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How the bonus system works
The two riders are among several riders in the UAE to receive the top payment of £10,000 under the Thank You Fund of £16 million (Dh80m), which was announced in conjunction with Deliveroo's £8 billion (Dh40bn) stock market listing earlier this year.
The £10,000 (Dh50,000) payment is made to those riders who have completed the highest number of orders in each market.
There are also riders who will receive payments of £1,000 (Dh5,000) and £500 (Dh2,500).
All riders who have worked with Deliveroo for at least one year and completed 2,000 orders will receive £200 (Dh1,000), the company said when it announced the scheme.
FROM%20THE%20ASHES
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Khalid%20Fahad%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStarring%3A%20Shaima%20Al%20Tayeb%2C%20Wafa%20Muhamad%2C%20Hamss%20Bandar%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Story of 2017-18 so far and schedule to come
Roll of Honour
Who has won what so far in the West Asia rugby season?
Western Clubs Champions League
Winners: Abu Dhabi Harlequins
Runners up: Bahrain
Dubai Rugby Sevens
Winners: Dubai Exiles
Runners up: Jebel Ali Dragons
West Asia Premiership
Winners: Jebel Ali Dragons
Runners up: Abu Dhabi Harlequins
UAE Premiership Cup
Winners: Abu Dhabi Harlequins
Runners up: Dubai Exiles
Fixtures
Friday
West Asia Cup final
5pm, Bahrain (6pm UAE time), Bahrain v Dubai Exiles
West Asia Trophy final
3pm, The Sevens, Dubai Hurricanes v Dubai Sports City Eagles
Friday, April 13
UAE Premiership final
5pm, Al Ain, Dubai Exiles v Abu Dhabi Harlequins
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
More coverage from the Future Forum
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Difference between fractional ownership and timeshare
Although similar in its appearance, the concept of a fractional title deed is unlike that of a timeshare, which usually involves multiple investors buying “time” in a property whereby the owner has the right to occupation for a specified period of time in any year, as opposed to the actual real estate, said John Peacock, Head of Indirect Tax and Conveyancing, BSA Ahmad Bin Hezeem & Associates, a law firm.
