Modernising the UAE capital's public transport vehicles could reduce harmful emissions in the city by up to 90 per cent, a report by Environment Agency Abu Dhabi found.
A study by air quality experts compared emission standards for light duty vehicles in the UAE – including typical Abu Dhabi taxis – with those in Europe.
The country's current minimum standard for light duty vehicles (LDVs) is Euro 4, an emission class phased out in European clean-air zones in 2005 due to its high levels of air pollutants, which are blamed for serious respiratory problems.
The gold standard is fleet electrification, but there's a mountain to climb
Sean Maguire,
Director of Strategic Partnerships of the Clean Air Fund
The latest Euro 6 class of vehicles in the EU cannot emit more than 80mg of odourless nitrogen oxides (NOx) per kilometre.
Meera Harara, an air quality expert at Environment Agency Abu Dhabi, said transport contributes to about 34 per cent of nitrogen oxide emissions and about 17 per cent of pollution in the capital, with taxis and buses heavy contributors.
“Our focus was on LDVs, due to them being the majority of the fleet,” she said.
“We saw that 80 per cent of the Abu Dhabi fleet was occupied by privately-owned vehicles, 16 per cent were taxis and just four per cent were public.
“Cars were running on diesel, petrol, gas, natural gas and electric hybrid, so we wanted to see how each type of fuel performed in terms of its average vehicle age.”
Of the taxi fleet, 84 per cent were Toyota Camry models, with vehicles manufactured before 2018 responsible for more than half the total NOx emissions.
Diesel LDVs were the oldest and dirtiest of the four groups of vehicles overall, while public LDVs such as taxis were found to emit more NOx pollutants than privately-owned, petrol-fuelled vehicles.
Using remote-sensing technology on Abu Dhabi streets, analysts tested air quality to see which vehicles were the worst polluters.
The study took place across 15 dates at six sites in the capital and captured 83,000 usable data sets.
Measurements were then validated through emissions data, and licence plate records.
“We've compared how we're performing against the latest models in Europe and seen that we're emitting 10 times more due to us still being on the Euro 4 standard,” said Ms Harara.
“The implementation of Euro 6 regulations would decrease our emissions by 90 per cent.”
Air clean-up
Steps have already been taken in the capital to clean up the air.
Since the Abu Dhabi Integrated Transport Centre deployed public buses that complied with Euro 6 regulations in 2019, the Environment Agency has seen particulate emissions halved for those vehicles.
A new air quality improvement plan also aims to identify smog hotspots and cut harmful exposure to pollutants.
It will include annual detailed emirate-wide air quality maps, red-flagging high pollution zones.
A network of 22 air monitors across Abu Dhabi, 20 of which are fixed and two are mobile, are analysing air quality.
Those monitors gave a hazardous reading in July due to high winds whipping up dust into the atmosphere, contributing to pollutants.
Sean Maguire, Director of Strategic Partnerships of the Clean Air Fund, said the widespread uptake of electric vehicles was a long-term solution for reducing pollution.
“Air pollution is deadly, and kills or contributes to up to seven million deaths a year,” he said.
“To address air pollution, you must first understand where it's coming from – one of the big issues is still road transport.
“The gold standard is fleet electrification, but there's a mountain to climb.
“There's roughly 1.5 billion internal combustion engine vehicles on the world's roads at the moment, but only 20 million plug-in electric vehicles.
“In China last year, 4.4 million plug-in electric vehicles were sold, so there is hope.
“That’s where the future is, in terms of dynamic action on air pollution.”
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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
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Final results:
Open men
Australia 94 (4) beat New Zealand 48 (0)
Plate men
England 85 (3) beat India 81 (1)
Open women
Australia 121 (4) beat South Africa 52 (0)
Under 22 men
Australia 68 (2) beat New Zealand 66 (2)
Under 22 women
Australia 92 (3) beat New Zealand 54 (1)
Sri Lanka Test squad:
Dimuth Karunaratne (stand-in captain), Niroshan Dickwella (vice captain), Lahiru Thirimanne, Kaushal Silva, Kusal Mendis, Kusal Janith Perera, Milinda Siriwardana, Dhananjaya de Silva, Oshada Fernando, Angelo Perera, Suranga Lakmal, Kasun Rajitha, Vishwa Fernando, Chamika Karunaratne, Mohamed Shiraz, Lakshan Sandakan and Lasith Embuldeniya.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
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
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The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
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
One in nine do not have enough to eat
Created in 1961, the World Food Programme is pledged to fight hunger worldwide as well as providing emergency food assistance in a crisis.
One of the organisation’s goals is the Zero Hunger Pledge, adopted by the international community in 2015 as one of the 17 Sustainable Goals for Sustainable Development, to end world hunger by 2030.
The WFP, a branch of the United Nations, is funded by voluntary donations from governments, businesses and private donations.
Almost two thirds of its operations currently take place in conflict zones, where it is calculated that people are more than three times likely to suffer from malnutrition than in peaceful countries.
It is currently estimated that one in nine people globally do not have enough to eat.
On any one day, the WFP estimates that it has 5,000 lorries, 20 ships and 70 aircraft on the move.
Outside emergencies, the WFP provides school meals to up to 25 million children in 63 countries, while working with communities to improve nutrition. Where possible, it buys supplies from developing countries to cut down transport cost and boost local economies.
Results
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Emergency
Director: Kangana Ranaut
Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry
Rating: 2/5
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Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
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