New details about the massive $25 billion UAE-US partnership reveal plans to provide all-day power for data centres and meet the rapidly growing needs of energy-intensive technology industries, mainly in the US.
Abu Dhabi's sovereign wealth fund ADQ and US private equity firm Energy Capital Partners (ECP) announced the 50-50 partnership on Wednesday, launched with an initial combined contribution of $5 billion. This will go towards creating 25 gigawatts-worth of new-build power generation and energy infrastructure with capital investments of more than $25 billion over the next five years.
"The project will explore the potential of adding 24/7 renewable power to the energy mix in the future," an ADQ representative told The National in a written statement. For now, it will primarily focus on "gas-fired power generation assets that can meet the growing needs of hyperscalers and other energy-intensive industries". This will provide "new power" directly to data centres and other projects, rather than supplying greater power grids, in high-need areas in the US.
Rapid demand
Data centres – used to power advanced AI technology – alone consumed 4.4 per cent of total US electricity in 2023. That figure could reach 12 per cent by 2028, according to a US Department of Energy (DOE) report published last December.
This growth is exemplified by recent major US projects including a $20 billion investment by the Dubai real estate developer Damac Properties in January. The investment will support "massive new data centres" in Texas, Arizona, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Ohio, Illinois, Michigan and Indiana, said Donald Trump, who was the president-elect at the time.
"We are focusing on north-east and south-west demand pockets in the United States and expect to sign the first PPA [power purchase agreement] within the next 12 months," the Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund said in a statement. The power projects will provide bespoke energy solutions to customers by working with data centre operators and their tenants alike to identify their needs and build power-generation assets that fulfil their requirements, it added.
ADQ, which focuses on critical infrastructure and supply chains, has a footprint in over 130 countries through the operations of its portfolio companies, including the US, in sectors including health care and agriculture. The wealth fund manages $225 billion in assets as of June last year. Energy and utilities make up 39 per cent of the global investor's portfolio.
US-UAE synergy
The ADQ-ECP deal comes alongside the visit to the US of the UAE's National Security Adviser and Deputy Ruler of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed. Mr Trump said discussions with Sheikh Tahnoon, who chairs ADQ, centred on efforts to strengthen co-operation on the economy and technology.
The two leaders discussed improving ties in sectors such as artificial intelligence and infrastructure, according to the UAE state news agency Wam, on Wednesday. Last week, UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology Dr Sultan Al Jaber said the Emirates views the US as a major business partner in energy and technology, during a keynote address at the annual global energy conference CERAWeek by S&P Global in Houston, Texas.
Dr Al Jaber, who is also Adnoc's managing director and group chief executive, unveiled what he called the world's first renewable and battery storage facility at the opening of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week in January.
Abu Dhabi clean energy technology Masdar is able to combine 5 gigawatts of solar capacity with 19 gigawatt hours of battery storage to produce one gigawatt of "uninterrupted clean power", he said at the time. The technology can provide this continuous stream of power at scale and around the clock in the UAE capital and transform renewable energy into a reliable baseload energy for the first time, he added.
Most sought after workplace benefits in the UAE
- Flexible work arrangements
- Pension support
- Mental well-being assistance
- Insurance coverage for optical, dental, alternative medicine, cancer screening
- Financial well-being incentives
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
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Volunteers offer workers a lifeline
Community volunteers have swung into action delivering food packages and toiletries to the men.
When provisions are distributed, the men line up in long queues for packets of rice, flour, sugar, salt, pulses, milk, biscuits, shaving kits, soap and telecom cards.
Volunteers from St Mary’s Catholic Church said some workers came to the church to pray for their families and ask for assistance.
Boxes packed with essential food items were distributed to workers in the Dubai Investments Park and Ras Al Khaimah camps last week. Workers at the Sonapur camp asked for Dh1,600 towards their gas bill.
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Workers spoke of their helplessness, seeing children’s marriages cancelled because of lack of money going home. Others told of their misery of being unable to return home when a parent died.
“More than daily food, they are worried about not sending money home for their family,” said Kusum Dutta, a volunteer who works with the Indian consulate.
Jordan cabinet changes
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- Nayef Hamidi Al Fayez, Minister of Environment
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- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
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- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
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Cryptojacking: Compromises a device or network to mine cryptocurrencies without an organisation's knowledge.
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If you go
Flight connections to Ulaanbaatar are available through a variety of hubs, including Seoul and Beijing, with airlines including Mongolian Airlines and Korean Air. While some nationalities, such as Americans, don’t need a tourist visa for Mongolia, others, including UAE citizens, can obtain a visa on arrival, while others including UK citizens, need to obtain a visa in advance. Contact the Mongolian Embassy in the UAE for more information.
Nomadic Road offers expedition-style trips to Mongolia in January and August, and other destinations during most other months. Its nine-day August 2020 Mongolia trip will cost from $5,250 per person based on two sharing, including airport transfers, two nights’ hotel accommodation in Ulaanbaatar, vehicle rental, fuel, third party vehicle liability insurance, the services of a guide and support team, accommodation, food and entrance fees; nomadicroad.com
A fully guided three-day, two-night itinerary at Three Camel Lodge costs from $2,420 per person based on two sharing, including airport transfers, accommodation, meals and excursions including the Yol Valley and Flaming Cliffs. A return internal flight from Ulaanbaatar to Dalanzadgad costs $300 per person and the flight takes 90 minutes each way; threecamellodge.com
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• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%
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Getting there
The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly to Johannesburg or Cape Town daily. Flights cost from about Dh3,325, with a flying time of 8hours and 15 minutes. From there, fly South African Airlines or Air Namibia to Namibia’s Windhoek Hosea Kutako International Airport, for about Dh850. Flying time is 2 hours.
The stay
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Maros Sefcovic is juggling multiple international trade agreement files, but his message was clear when he spoke to The National on Wednesday.
The EU-UAE bilateral trade deal will be finalised soon, he said. It is in everyone’s interests to do so. Both sides want to move quickly and are in alignment. He said the UAE is a very important partner for the EU. It’s full speed ahead - and with some lofty ambitions - on the road to a free trade agreement.
We also talked about US-EU tariffs. He answered that both sides need to talk more and more often, but he is prepared to defend Europe's position and said diplomacy should be a guiding principle through the current moment.
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