Masdar's Cirata floating solar plant in Indonesia can power 50,000 homes. The company has been heavily focusing on South-East Asia. Photo: Masdar
Masdar's Cirata floating solar plant in Indonesia can power 50,000 homes. The company has been heavily focusing on South-East Asia. Photo: Masdar
Masdar's Cirata floating solar plant in Indonesia can power 50,000 homes. The company has been heavily focusing on South-East Asia. Photo: Masdar
Masdar's Cirata floating solar plant in Indonesia can power 50,000 homes. The company has been heavily focusing on South-East Asia. Photo: Masdar

UAE's Masdar enters the Philippines with 1 gigawatt renewable energy deal


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Abu Dhabi clean energy company Masdar has signed agreements to develop renewable energy projects with a capacity of 1 gigawatts in the Philippines, marking its entry into the South-East Asian country.

The deal with the Philippines' Department of Energy and the country's Board of Investments outlines plans to develop solar, wind, and battery energy storage systems by 2030, Masdar said in a statement on Thursday.

“This partnership marks a new chapter in the longstanding relationship between the UAE and the Philippines,” said Dr Sultan Al Jaber, UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and the chairman of Masdar.

“This agreement will create jobs, drive low-carbon socio-economic progress and expand global renewable energy capacity, in line with the UAE Consensus.”

An initial agreement was signed by Philippines ambassador to the UAE Alfonso A Ver, front left, and Masdar chief executive Mohamed Al Ramahi. It was witnessed by Dr Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and chairman of Masdar, and Philippines Energy Minister Raphael Lotilla. Photo: Masdar
An initial agreement was signed by Philippines ambassador to the UAE Alfonso A Ver, front left, and Masdar chief executive Mohamed Al Ramahi. It was witnessed by Dr Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and chairman of Masdar, and Philippines Energy Minister Raphael Lotilla. Photo: Masdar

The UAE Consensus was agreed at the UN Cop28 climate change summit in Dubai, at the end of 2023. It calls for the international community to transition away from fossil fuels to achieve net zero by 2050 and set time-bound targets to greatly increase global renewable energy capacity.

The Philippines aims to increase the share of renewable energy in its energy mix to 35 per cent by 2030 and 50 per cent by 2040.

It faces increasing energy demand due to population growth, economic expansion and increased digitalisation. Despite efforts to expand renewable energy, Philippines generates about 60 per cent of its electricity from coal.

This deal with Masdar follows an earlier agreement signed between the Philippines and the UAE in November 2024, during President Ferdinand Marcos Jr’s inaugural visit to the Emirates.

The announcement marks “a significant expansion of Masdar’s activities in Southeast Asia, a key strategic market”, said Masdar chief executive Mohamed Al Ramahi.

Masdar has been heavily focusing on South-East Asia. It has developed the largest floating solar facility in the region, the 145-megawatt Cirata plant in Indonesia. This facility can power an estimated 50,000 homes.

In February 2023, it entered the geothermal energy sector through a strategic investment in Indonesia's Pertamina Geothermal Energy.

The UAE clean energy company has also signed a landmark agreement with the Malaysian Investment Development Authority to develop 10 gigawatts of clean energy projects across the country.

Globally, Masdar’s operational, under-construction and advanced pipeline capacity reached 51 gigawatts at the end of 2024. It has a target of 100 gigawatts of renewable energy capacity by the end of the decade.

Masdar aims to achieve a production target of 1 million tonnes per year of green hydrogen – or its equivalent derivatives – in the UAE and worldwide within the next decade.

The company also announced several large acquisitions last year, including a €3.2 billion ($3.29 billion) deal to buy Greece’s Terna Energy.

“This year, there will be a lot of focus into working with our new partners [and] delivering the objectives of such transformative acquisitions,” Abdulaziz Alobaidli, Masdar's chief operating officer, told The National on the sidelines of the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week. “We will continue to explore the market. If there are any potential acquisitions that will add to Masdar and will add to our objectives, we certainly will look at that."

UK-EU trade at a glance

EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years

Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products

Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries

Smoother border management with use of e-gates

Cutting red tape on import and export of food

WOMAN AND CHILD

Director: Saeed Roustaee

Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi

Rating: 4/5

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The Sand Castle

Director: Matty Brown

Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea

Rating: 2.5/5

THE BIO

Favourite place to go to in the UAE: The desert sand dunes, just after some rain

Who inspires you: Anybody with new and smart ideas, challenging questions, an open mind and a positive attitude

Where would you like to retire: Most probably in my home country, Hungary, but with frequent returns to the UAE

Favorite book: A book by Transilvanian author, Albert Wass, entitled ‘Sword and Reap’ (Kard es Kasza) - not really known internationally

Favourite subjects in school: Mathematics and science

MO
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECreators%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMohammed%20Amer%2C%20Ramy%20Youssef%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMohammed%20Amer%2C%20Teresa%20Ruiz%2C%20Omar%20Elba%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The%20Last%20White%20Man
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ROUTE%20TO%20TITLE
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COMPANY PROFILE

Name: Rain Management

Year started: 2017

Based: Bahrain

Employees: 100-120

Amount raised: $2.5m from BitMex Ventures and Blockwater. Another $6m raised from MEVP, Coinbase, Vision Ventures, CMT, Jimco and DIFC Fintech Fund

Company%20profile
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Cricket World Cup League 2 Fixtures

Saturday March 5, UAE v Oman, ICC Academy (all matches start at 9.30am)

Sunday March 6, Oman v Namibia, ICC Academy

Tuesday March 8, UAE v Namibia, ICC Academy

Wednesday March 9, UAE v Oman, ICC Academy

Friday March 11, Oman v Namibia, Sharjah Cricket Stadium

Saturday March 12, UAE v Namibia, Sharjah Cricket Stadium

UAE squad

Ahmed Raza (captain), Chirag Suri, Muhammad Waseem, CP Rizwan, Vriitya Aravind, Asif Khan, Basil Hameed, Rohan Mustafa, Kashif Daud, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Karthik Meiyappan, Akif Raja, Rahul Bhatia

Scores

Oman 109-3 in 18.4 overs (Aqib Ilyas 45 not out, Aamir Kaleem 27) beat UAE 108-9 in 20 overs (Usman 27, Mustafa 24, Fayyaz 3-16, Bilal 3-23)

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Hot%20Seat
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Company%20Profile
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In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe

Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010

Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille

Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm

Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year

Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”

Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners

TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013 

Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
MATCH INFO

Manchester City 4 (Gundogan 8' (P), Bernardo Silva 19', Jesus 72', 75')

Fulham 0

Red cards: Tim Ream (Fulham)

Man of the Match: Gabriel Jesus (Manchester City)

The%20specs
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Tips for SMEs to cope
  • Adapt your business model. Make changes that are future-proof to the new normal
  • Make sure you have an online presence
  • Open communication with suppliers, especially if they are international. Look for local suppliers to avoid delivery delays
  • Open communication with customers to see how they are coping and be flexible about extending terms, etc
    Courtesy: Craig Moore, founder and CEO of Beehive, which provides term finance and working capital finance to SMEs. Only SMEs that have been trading for two years are eligible for funding from Beehive.
Keep it fun and engaging

Stuart Ritchie, director of wealth advice at AES International, says children cannot learn something overnight, so it helps to have a fun routine that keeps them engaged and interested.

“I explain to my daughter that the money I draw from an ATM or the money on my bank card doesn’t just magically appear – it’s money I have earned from my job. I show her how this works by giving her little chores around the house so she can earn pocket money,” says Mr Ritchie.

His daughter is allowed to spend half of her pocket money, while the other half goes into a bank account. When this money hits a certain milestone, Mr Ritchie rewards his daughter with a small lump sum.

He also recommends books that teach the importance of money management for children, such as The Squirrel Manifesto by Ric Edelman and Jean Edelman.

SPECS

Nissan 370z Nismo

Engine: 3.7-litre V6

Transmission: seven-speed automatic

Power: 363hp

Torque: 560Nm

Price: Dh184,500

La Mer lowdown

La Mer beach is open from 10am until midnight, daily, and is located in Jumeirah 1, well after Kite Beach. Some restaurants, like Cupagahwa, are open from 8am for breakfast; most others start at noon. At the time of writing, we noticed that signs for Vicolo, an Italian eatery, and Kaftan, a Turkish restaurant, indicated that these two restaurants will be open soon, most likely this month. Parking is available, as well as a Dh100 all-day valet option or a Dh50 valet service if you’re just stopping by for a few hours.
 

Ziina users can donate to relief efforts in Beirut

Ziina users will be able to use the app to help relief efforts in Beirut, which has been left reeling after an August blast caused an estimated $15 billion in damage and left thousands homeless. Ziina has partnered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to raise money for the Lebanese capital, co-founder Faisal Toukan says. “As of October 1, the UNHCR has the first certified badge on Ziina and is automatically part of user's top friends' list during this campaign. Users can now donate any amount to the Beirut relief with two clicks. The money raised will go towards rebuilding houses for the families that were impacted by the explosion.”

COMPANY PROFILE

Name: Xpanceo

Started: 2018

Founders: Roman Axelrod, Valentyn Volkov

Based: Dubai, UAE

Industry: Smart contact lenses, augmented/virtual reality

Funding: $40 million

Investor: Opportunity Venture (Asia)

If you go

The flights

Etihad flies direct from Abu Dhabi to San Francisco from Dh5,760 return including taxes. 

The car

Etihad Guest members get a 10 per cent worldwide discount when booking with Hertz, as well as earning miles on their rentals. A week's car hire costs from Dh1,500 including taxes.

The hotels

Along the route, Motel 6 (www.motel6.com) offers good value and comfort, with rooms from $55 (Dh202) per night including taxes. In Portland, the Jupiter Hotel (https://jupiterhotel.com/) has rooms from $165 (Dh606) per night including taxes. The Society Hotel https://thesocietyhotel.com/ has rooms from $130 (Dh478) per night including taxes. 

More info

To keep up with constant developments in Portland, visit www.travelportland.com. Good guidebooks include the Lonely Planet guides to Northern California and Washington, Oregon & the Pacific Northwest. 

 

Barcelona 3
Messi (27’, 32’, 87’)

Leganes 1
El Zhar (68’)

BMW M5 specs

Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor

Power: 727hp

Torque: 1,000Nm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh650,000

What went into the film

25 visual effects (VFX) studios

2,150 VFX shots in a film with 2,500 shots

1,000 VFX artists

3,000 technicians

10 Concept artists, 25 3D designers

New sound technology, named 4D SRL

 

THURSDAY'S FIXTURES

4pm Maratha Arabians v Northern Warriors

6.15pm Deccan Gladiators v Pune Devils

8.30pm Delhi Bulls v Bangla Tigers

GAC GS8 Specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh149,900

Lampedusa: Gateway to Europe
Pietro Bartolo and Lidia Tilotta
Quercus

History's medical milestones

1799 - First small pox vaccine administered

1846 - First public demonstration of anaesthesia in surgery

1861 - Louis Pasteur published his germ theory which proved that bacteria caused diseases

1895 - Discovery of x-rays

1923 - Heart valve surgery performed successfully for first time

1928 - Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin

1953 - Structure of DNA discovered

1952 - First organ transplant - a kidney - takes place 

1954 - Clinical trials of birth control pill

1979 - MRI, or magnetic resonance imaging, scanned used to diagnose illness and injury.

1998 - The first adult live-donor liver transplant is carried out

The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting 

2. Prayer 

3. Hajj 

4. Shahada 

5. Zakat 

CREW
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Updated: January 16, 2025, 2:30 PM`