The UAE recorded the largest increase in renewable energy capacity worldwide over the past decade, a new index has revealed, reflecting the government's key focus on enacting initiatives to achieve its net-zero ambitions.
Capacity in the Emirates surged to 2,540 megawatts in 2020 from a modest 13MW in 2011, Australia-based aggregator Compare the Market said in its “Green Fuel Index” report.
“Countries are increasingly relying more on renewable sources, such as wind and solar, for their energy as they attempt to go green,” the report said.
“The UAE — where renewable capacity has grown by almost 20,000 per cent over the last decade — has traditionally relied on its plentiful supplies of oil but has recently made a big effort to shift away from fossil fuels.”
The UAE is expanding efforts to shift to greener technologies under its Net Zero 2050 Strategic Initiative, which calls for Dh600 billion ($163bn) to be invested in clean and renewable energy sources in the next three decades.
The plan was announced in the run-up to the Glasgow Cop26 summit in November. The UAE won the bid to host Cop28 in 2023.
The plan is a follow-up to the Energy Strategy 2050 programme introduced in 2017 — the first unified energy strategy in the country to be based on supply and demand — which aims to increase the contribution of clean energy in the total energy mix from 25 per cent to 50 per cent by 2050.
It also seeks to reduce the carbon footprint of power generation by 70 per cent, thus saving Dh700bn by 2050, as well as increase consumption efficiency of individuals and corporates by 40 per cent.
The strategy is aiming for an energy mix of 44 per cent clean energy, 38 per cent gas, 12 per cent clean coal and 6 per cent nuclear to meet the UAE’s economic requirements and environmental goals.
Aside from harnessing solar energy, the UAE made history with the opening of the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant in April 2021, becoming the Arab world's first country to run a nuclear programme.
In its first year, Barakah's Unit 1 prevented the release of more than five million tonnes of carbon emissions, equivalent to more than one million cars driven for a year.
The UAE's efforts are being spearheaded by Dr Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and the Emirates' special envoy for climate change, who has continuously championed the benefits of renewable energy and encouraged an inclusive approach that will serve as the foundation for the future economy.
Masdar, Abu Dhabi's clean energy company which Dr Al Jaber is chairman of, has advanced clean energy, sustainable real estate and green technology initiatives and projects in the Emirates and throughout the world. Masdar is active in more than 35 countries globally, and has invested over $20 billion in renewable energy projects with its partners.
Saudi Arabia has also invested heavily in boosting its renewable energy capacity and was ranked second after the UAE in the Compare the Market study. The kingdom's renewable energy capacity surged to 413MW from 3MW over the past decade, it found.
“Like the UAE, Saudi Arabia is another country that has had a strong reliance on oil for its energy needs but has been pushing towards more renewable alternatives with an increase of over 13,000 per cent in the last 10 years,” the report said.
Barbados, Malta and Bahrain ranked in the top five countries that reported the largest increases in renewable energy capacity and are the only ones that recorded a capacity growth of at least 10-fold since 2011.
In terms of producing the highest amount of renewable energy capacity per person, Iceland ranked first globally, generating 7,830MW for every one million people. The majority of this comes from hydropower, with a significant amount also coming from geothermal, the report said.
Norway, Sweden, Canada and Austria rounded out the top five in the list dominated by European countries, with EU member states sourcing an average of 22 per cent of their energy from renewables — two percentage points ahead of the goal they set in 2009 — according to the World Economic Forum.
Norway, meanwhile, is the country that relies the most on green energy at 97.4 per cent, followed closely by Iceland (97.3 per cent), Andorra (96.9 per cent), Costa Rica (86.8 per cent) and Switzerland (81.6 per cent).
When ranked by renewable energy segments, Norway was the top producer of hydropower during the 10-year period, while South Korea topped the list in terms of marine power. Denmark produced the most wind power, Australia generated the most solar power and Iceland topped the rankings globally for geothermal energy.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8
Power: 503hp at 6,000rpm
Torque: 685Nm at 2,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Price: from Dh850,000
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Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
EPL's youngest
- Ethan Nwaneri (Arsenal)
15 years, 181 days old
- Max Dowman (Arsenal)
15 years, 235 days old
- Jeremy Monga (Leicester)
15 years, 271 days old
- Harvey Elliott (Fulham)
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- Matthew Briggs (Fulham)
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Muguruza's singles career in stats
WTA titles 3
Prize money US$11,128,219 (Dh40,873,133.82)
Wins / losses 293 / 149
Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas
Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa
Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong
Rating: 3/5
BIGGEST CYBER SECURITY INCIDENTS IN RECENT TIMES
SolarWinds supply chain attack: Came to light in December 2020 but had taken root for several months, compromising major tech companies, governments and its entities
Microsoft Exchange server exploitation: March 2021; attackers used a vulnerability to steal emails
Kaseya attack: July 2021; ransomware hit perpetrated REvil, resulting in severe downtime for more than 1,000 companies
Log4j breach: December 2021; attackers exploited the Java-written code to inflitrate businesses and governments
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How to register as a donor
1) Organ donors can register on the Hayat app, run by the Ministry of Health and Prevention
2) There are about 11,000 patients in the country in need of organ transplants
3) People must be over 21. Emiratis and residents can register.
4) The campaign uses the hashtag #donate_hope
THE POPE'S ITINERARY
Sunday, February 3, 2019 - Rome to Abu Dhabi
1pm: departure by plane from Rome / Fiumicino to Abu Dhabi
10pm: arrival at Abu Dhabi Presidential Airport
Monday, February 4
12pm: welcome ceremony at the main entrance of the Presidential Palace
12.20pm: visit Abu Dhabi Crown Prince at Presidential Palace
5pm: private meeting with Muslim Council of Elders at Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
6.10pm: Inter-religious in the Founder's Memorial
Tuesday, February 5 - Abu Dhabi to Rome
9.15am: private visit to undisclosed cathedral
10.30am: public mass at Zayed Sports City – with a homily by Pope Francis
12.40pm: farewell at Abu Dhabi Presidential Airport
1pm: departure by plane to Rome
5pm: arrival at the Rome / Ciampino International Airport
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
In Full Flight: A Story of Africa and Atonement
John Heminway, Knopff
HAJJAN
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THE DETAILS
Solo: A Star Wars Story
Dir: Ron Howard
Starring: Alden Ehrenreich, Emilia Clarke, Woody Harrelson
3/5
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
THE BIO
Favourite car: Koenigsegg Agera RS or Renault Trezor concept car.
Favourite book: I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes or Red Notice by Bill Browder.
Biggest inspiration: My husband Nik. He really got me through a lot with his positivity.
Favourite holiday destination: Being at home in Australia, as I travel all over the world for work. It’s great to just hang out with my husband and family.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Anxiety and work stress major factors
Anxiety, work stress and social isolation are all factors in the recogised rise in mental health problems.
A study UAE Ministry of Health researchers published in the summer also cited struggles with weight and illnesses as major contributors.
Its authors analysed a dozen separate UAE studies between 2007 and 2017. Prevalence was often higher in university students, women and in people on low incomes.
One showed 28 per cent of female students at a Dubai university reported symptoms linked to depression. Another in Al Ain found 22.2 per cent of students had depressive symptoms - five times the global average.
It said the country has made strides to address mental health problems but said: “Our review highlights the overall prevalence of depressive symptoms and depression, which may long have been overlooked."
Prof Samir Al Adawi, of the department of behavioural medicine at Sultan Qaboos University in Oman, who was not involved in the study but is a recognised expert in the Gulf, said how mental health is discussed varies significantly between cultures and nationalities.
“The problem we have in the Gulf is the cross-cultural differences and how people articulate emotional distress," said Prof Al Adawi.
“Someone will say that I have physical complaints rather than emotional complaints. This is the major problem with any discussion around depression."
Daniel Bardsley
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs
Engine: 1.6-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 217hp at 5,750rpm
Torque: 300Nm at 1,900rpm
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Price: from Dh130,000
On sale: now
