Billions of dollars are expected to be spent over the next 10 years to connect the country's first nuclear power and renewable-energy plants to homes and businesses, providing a shot in the arm for a host of local companies.
Such alternative-energy projects often require longer transmission lines and the recalibration of existing infrastructure as they are usually located hundreds of kilometres from city centres.
In the UAE, companies are boosting production of infrastructure materials including long-distance power lines and the plastic used to insulate them.
"The focus on renewables will change the shape of the grid," said Andrew Shaw, the managing director of Ducab, a cable maker owned by the governments of Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
"The trend is towards more linkage. It's more efficient. It's not enough just to build a plant nowadays."
Those changes are driven by the Abu Dhabi Government's aims to obtain 7 per cent of the emirate's power from renewable sources and up to 25 per cent from nuclear energy in the coming decade.
The Government plans to use four nuclear reactors, two 100-megawatt (mw) solar plants and 500mw of solar panels on Abu Dhabi's urban rooftops. The emirate's other clean-power project, a cutting-edge hydrogen power plant that was to be built by BP, is awaiting word from the Government on how carbon dioxide would be purchased from the plant.
Excluding one of the 100mw solar plants and the rooftop solar panels, for which budgets have not been announced, spending on infrastructure to transmit power from the new plants will total at least US$5.6 billion (Dh20.56bn), according to figures provided by Bob Bryniak, a regional utilities consultant.
The cost of the wiring, piping and substations needed to transmit the electricity from power plants is usually equal to at least 25 per cent of a plant's cost, said Mr Bryniak, the chief executive of the Dubai management consultancy Golden Sands.
The expansion would be particularly welcome because utilities had caught up with demand they had trouble meeting in Dubai's boom years of the mid-2000s, he said.
"The recession has had a silver lining," Mr Bryniak said. "It's allowed the utilities the catch up to capacity."
Local infrastructure growth could also be a boon for Borouge, the Abu Dhabi Government's joint venture with the Austrian plastics maker Borealis. Last week, Borouge awarded the last major contract for its Borouge 3 development, part of a rapid expansion of production capacity. The facility will make a speciality polymer used to insulate electricity cables that are laid underground.
But infrastructure development will be tempered by the high price of copper, a main component of power lines. A rise in copper prices driven by rapid infrastructure development in China has led Ducab to increase the prices of some of its products, said Ashish Chaturvedy, Ducab's marketing manager.
"It has to be passed on to the customer," he said.
The higher cost of cables has not held up infrastructure projects in the region, he said, because the cost of delaying a project can outweigh the high cost of copper.
"It's always very tricky," Mr Chaturvedy said. "The rise in copper tends to put the customer away. But most of the projects are already committed."
Ducab plans to make its first high-voltage cables as early as this spring at a new factory in Jebel Ali, part of a joint venture with utility companies of Dubai and Abu Dhabi. The Dubai Electricity and Water Authority and the Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority, each of which holds a 25 per cent stake in Ducab's high-voltage cable business, are expected to buy the factory's first output.
"We are investing so that they don't have to go overseas," said Mr Shaw, who was meeting this week with clients at an electricity conference in Dubai that attracted exhibitors from as far away as France and Taiwan.
ayee@thenational.ae
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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Japan
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Norway
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Canada
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The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
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.
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels?
The number of asylum applications in the UK has reached a new record high, driven by those illegally entering the country in small boats crossing the English Channel.
A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current records began in 2001.
Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation while their claim is assessed.
The Home Office provides the accommodation, meaning asylum seekers cannot choose where they live.
When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to hotels or large sites like former military bases.
Ain Issa camp:
- Established in 2016
- Houses 13,309 people, 2,092 families, 62 per cent children
- Of the adult population, 49 per cent men, 51 per cent women (not including foreigners annexe)
- Most from Deir Ezzor and Raqqa
- 950 foreigners linked to ISIS and their families
- NGO Blumont runs camp management for the UN
- One of the nine official (UN recognised) camps in the region
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
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
GRAN%20TURISMO
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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
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The%20specs
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Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
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
Soldier F
“I was in complete disgust at the fact that only one person was to be charged for Bloody Sunday.
“Somebody later said to me, 'you just watch - they'll drop the charge against him'. And sure enough, the charges against Soldier F would go on to be dropped.
“It's pretty hard to think that 50 years on, the State is still covering up for what happened on Bloody Sunday.”
Jimmy Duddy, nephew of John Johnson
