The UAE is among the world's top 10 countries as a market that is geared towards electric mobility, a report has found, according to the consultancy Arthur D Little.
The UAE electric vehicle market, which is currently in its early stages, is projected to grow at an annual rate of 30 per cent between 2022 and 2028, according to the global electric mobility readiness index 2022 compiled by Arthur D Little.
Passenger vehicles constitute about 95 per cent of the EV market in the UAE due to an increase in rental car services, it said. The Emirates is placed in eighth position in the index.
Norway leads in EV adoption with a top spot. It is followed by the “ambitious followers” category — China, Germany, Singapore and the UK — where all prerequisites for EV mobility are in place and EVs are on the verge of becoming mainstream.
They are followed by the “emerging EV markets” group — the US, Japan, the UAE and Thailand. In these countries, customers are becoming more comfortable with the idea of EVs as infrastructure is being stepped up, the report said.
The report evaluated market readiness in five major categories that drive EV adoption — macroeconomic factors, competitive landscape, customer readiness, public charging infrastructure, and total cost of ownership and regulation.
Governments across the region are accelerating the development of EV technology. The region’s largest economy, Saudi Arabia, has pledged to become carbon neutral by 2060 and have 30 per cent of vehicles in Riyadh electric by 2030.
The UAE aims to become carbon neutral by 2050. Under the UAE Vision 2021, the government has promoted EV adoption across the nation. It has converted 20 per cent of the government agency cars to EVs and is aiming for 42,000 on the streets by 2030.
“Governments in the Middle East are increasing[ly] receptive to EV technology on the roads with the UAE ranking high in readiness for electric mobility,” said Joseph Salem, partner and travel and transportation practice lead at Arthur D Little Middle East.
“We aim to help the public better understand the full scope and potential of e-mobility and support automotive organisations through an insight into the readiness of markets for e-mobility."
There is a global move towards the use of EVs that are charged from the electric grid as more consumers choose transport powered by clean energy.
EV owners spend 60 per cent less on fuel than owners of internal combustion engine vehicles, according to a 2020 Consumer Reports study. Owning an EV would save the typical driver $6,000 to $10,000 over the life of the vehicle, compared with owning a comparable petrol-powered vehicle, the study found.
About 52 per cent of UAE residents are considering a switch to hybrid or electric motoring as the increase in fuel prices comes to bear on the way consumers think about transport, according to a survey in May by Audi Abu Dhabi.
Nearly 25 per cent of people surveyed are waiting for more EV options to be launched before buying, the research, which polled 1,000 residents in the UAE, found.
The UAE government is also expanding efforts to shift to greener technology, most notably under its Net Zero 2050 Strategic Initiative, which calls for Dh600 billion ($163.37bn) to be invested in clean and renewable energy sources in the next three decades.
EVs are expected to play a major part in this programme, as transport is the biggest contributor to carbon emissions.
In May, Mubadala Investment Company, Abu Dhabi’s strategic investment arm, signed an agreement with French utility Engie to develop a digital platform to charge EVs in the UAE capital and across the Middle East.
The willingness of consumers in the UAE to use EVs has continued to attract investments.
The UAE, which has nearly 325 charging stations, has one of the biggest charging-station-to-vehicle-ratios in the world, Arthur D Little said in its report. Dubai launched an EV green charger initiative in 2015 to increase the number of charging stations.
To promote the use of EVs, Dubai Electricity and Water Authority and Road Transport Authority are working jointly on incentives such as free parking, exemption from toll and reduced registration fees. They aim to make public transport emission-free by 2050.
MATCH DETAILS
Barcelona 0
Slavia Prague 0
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits
Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Storage: 128/256/512GB
Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4
Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps
Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID
Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight
In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter
Price: From Dh2,099
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
Also on December 7 to 9, the third edition of the Gulf Car Festival (www.gulfcarfestival.com) will take over Dubai Festival City Mall, a new venue for the event. Last year's festival brought together about 900 cars worth more than Dh300 million from across the Emirates and wider Gulf region – and that first figure is set to swell by several hundred this time around, with between 1,000 and 1,200 cars expected. The first day is themed around American muscle; the second centres on supercars, exotics, European cars and classics; and the final day will major in JDM (Japanese domestic market) cars, tuned vehicles and trucks. Individuals and car clubs can register their vehicles, although the festival isn’t all static displays, with stunt drifting, a rev battle, car pulls and a burnout competition.
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
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
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2.9-litre%20twin-turbo%20V6%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E8-speed%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E536hp%20(including%20138hp%20e-motor)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E750Nm%20(including%20400Nm%20e-motor)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh1%2C380%2C000%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Enow%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Stan%20Lee
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20David%20Gelb%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The cost of Covid testing around the world
Egypt
Dh514 for citizens; Dh865 for tourists
Information can be found through VFS Global.
Jordan
Dh212
Centres include the Speciality Hospital, which now offers drive-through testing.
Cambodia
Dh478
Travel tests are managed by the Ministry of Health and National Institute of Public Health.
Zanzibar
AED 295
Zanzibar Public Health Emergency Operations Centre, located within the Lumumba Secondary School compound.
Abu Dhabi
Dh85
Abu Dhabi’s Seha has test centres throughout the UAE.
UK
From Dh400
Heathrow Airport now offers drive through and clinic-based testing, starting from Dh400 and up to Dh500 for the PCR test.
Dark Souls: Remastered
Developer: From Software (remaster by QLOC)
Publisher: Namco Bandai
Price: Dh199
