A fleet of “dark vessels” linked to clandestine oil trading from Iran and Russia is producing a small country’s worth of previously uncounted carbon emissions, the Cop29 climate summit has heard.
Ships spotted in satellite images after failing to “ping” their location gave out 375 million tonnes of CO2 last year, according to new estimates. Vessels in the “shadow fleet” are believed to sail in poor condition and run the risk of oil spills by transferring fuel at sea.
Insurers say dark vessels have flourished since Russian oil sales were restricted over the war in Ukraine, and have also been used by Iran and Venezuela to circumvent sanctions. They operate outside international rules at a time when the maritime industry is under pressure to marshal global efforts to clean up.
Ships must be subject to “concrete, binding regulations” to achieve a goal of carbon-neutral shipping by 2050, Camille Bourgeon, a technical officer at the International Maritime Organisation, told delegates at the Cop29 talks on Wednesday. The emissions figures from Climate Trace, a tracker co-founded by Al Gore, are thought to be the first estimate of the dark fleet’s CO2 footprint.
“We are seeing a rise in ships that are deliberately turning off their safety equipment, called dark vessels, in order to avoid embargoes; or illegal fishers will often do this,” said Gavin McCormick, a fellow co-founder of Climate Trace. “About 7 per cent of shipping emissions, or something as large as the emissions of the nation of Ireland, are now from dark vessels.”
Cop29 summit – in pictures
Large cargo ships normally carry transponders that ping their location to base stations on the mainland, in what is known as an Automatic Identification System (AIS) that prevents them colliding at sea. Scientists can work out a vessel's CO2 footprint from the path it takes and the specifications of its engine, which show how much power it must have used.
Where no pings were received, analysts at Climate Trace and Global Fishing Watch drew on images from the European radar satellite Sentinel-1 to spot ocean-faring vessels, work out their length and how many did not match with AIS tracking, and use that data to estimate the carbon footprint of the missing "dark" ones. The spacecraft takes an image of Earth's entire surface every 12 days.
Hundreds of ships making up as many as one in five of the world’s oil tankers are part of the “dark fleet”, according to the insurer Allianz, which said in a May briefing that Russia's shadow tankers had emerged in response to Western sanctions over Ukraine. Data can sometimes be lacking because of a lack of AIS coverage rather than because of any clandestine activity, and turning off transponders can be a legitimate anti-piracy tactic when passing through dangerous waters.
However, the US Treasury Department wrote in a memo to fuel carriers in September that vessels carrying petroleum to Syria "have been known to intentionally manipulate their AIS transponders to mask their movement". Last month it ordered sanctions on six vessels believed to be part of a "shadow fleet" exporting oil despite international sanctions on Tehran.
The European Parliament last week accused Russia of trading oil on “unsafe and uninsured vessels” with “no regard for international safety or the potential for irreversible environmental damage” from an oil spill. It said the "scale and sophistication" of Russia's operations "set it apart" from similar tactics used by Iran, Venezuela and North Korea.
Countries exposed to environmental disasters, such as Fiji and Barbados, are using Cop29 to lobby for a CO2 levy on shipping to raise funds for the climate fight. “International shipping is committed to do more on climate action,” Arsenio Dominguez, secretary general of the International Maritime Organisation, told an event in Baku on Wednesday.
In the switch to clean fuel for ships “we need standards, we need them to be consistent across jurisdictions”, said Lais de Souza Garcia, the head of a renewable energy division in Brazil’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. “If we have fragmented rules, it’s going to be impossible to tell a business they are going to be able to scale production.”
Maritime unions are meanwhile using Cop29 to lobby for proper training on green vessels. Singapore plans to train 10,000 personnel in the coming years in operating refitted ships. Concerns have been raised about a shortage of seafarers and the safety of handling alternative fuels such as methanol.
"There’s a huge trade coming in and out of South Africa, but there are very few jobs," said Zazi Nsibanyoni-Mugambi of the National Union of Metalworkers. "African workers in the shipping industry need to capture a meaningful stake in this transition."
The Africa Institute 101
Housed on the same site as the original Africa Hall, which first hosted an Arab-African Symposium in 1976, the newly renovated building will be home to a think tank and postgraduate studies hub (it will offer master’s and PhD programmes). The centre will focus on both the historical and contemporary links between Africa and the Gulf, and will serve as a meeting place for conferences, symposia, lectures, film screenings, plays, musical performances and more. In fact, today it is hosting a symposium – 5-plus-1: Rethinking Abstraction that will look at the six decades of Frank Bowling’s career, as well as those of his contemporaries that invested social, cultural and personal meaning into abstraction.
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
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Wicked: For Good
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater
Rating: 4/5
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
WORLD CUP SEMI-FINALS
England v New Zealand
(Saturday, 12pm UAE)
Wales v South Africa
(Sunday, 12pm, UAE)
Sweet%20Tooth
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The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
The five types of long-term residential visas
Obed Suhail of ServiceMarket, an online home services marketplace, outlines the five types of long-term residential visas:
Investors:
A 10-year residency visa can be obtained by investors who invest Dh10 million, out of which 60 per cent should not be in real estate. It can be a public investment through a deposit or in a business. Those who invest Dh5 million or more in property are eligible for a five-year residency visa. The invested amount should be completely owned by the investors, not loaned, and retained for at least three years.
Entrepreneurs:
A five-year multiple entry visa is available to entrepreneurs with a previous project worth Dh0.5m or those with the approval of an accredited business incubator in the UAE.
Specialists
Expats with specialised talents, including doctors, specialists, scientists, inventors, and creative individuals working in the field of culture and art are eligible for a 10-year visa, given that they have a valid employment contract in one of these fields in the country.
Outstanding students:
A five-year visa will be granted to outstanding students who have a grade of 95 per cent or higher in a secondary school, or those who graduate with a GPA of 3.75 from a university.
Retirees:
Expats who are at least 55 years old can obtain a five-year retirement visa if they invest Dh2m in property, have savings of Dh1m or more, or have a monthly income of at least Dh20,000.
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
The biog
Name: Younis Al Balooshi
Nationality: Emirati
Education: Doctorate degree in forensic medicine at the University of Bonn
Hobbies: Drawing and reading books about graphic design
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
Name: Brendalle Belaza
From: Crossing Rubber, Philippines
Arrived in the UAE: 2007
Favourite place in Abu Dhabi: NYUAD campus
Favourite photography style: Street photography
Favourite book: Harry Potter
How to come clean about financial infidelity
- Be honest and transparent: It is always better to own up than be found out. Tell your partner everything they want to know. Show remorse. Inform them of the extent of the situation so they know what they are dealing with.
- Work on yourself: Be honest with yourself and your partner and figure out why you did it. Don’t be ashamed to ask for professional help.
- Give it time: Like any breach of trust, it requires time to rebuild. So be consistent, communicate often and be patient with your partner and yourself.
- Discuss your financial situation regularly: Ensure your spouse is involved in financial matters and decisions. Your ability to consistently follow through with what you say you are going to do when it comes to money can make all the difference in your partner’s willingness to trust you again.
- Work on a plan to resolve the problem together: If there is a lot of debt, for example, create a budget and financial plan together and ensure your partner is fully informed, involved and supported.
Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
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SPECS%3A%20Polestar%203
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OPTA'S PREDICTED TABLE
1. Liverpool 101 points
2. Manchester City 80
3. Leicester 67
4. Chelsea 63
5. Manchester United 61
6. Tottenham 58
7. Wolves 56
8. Arsenal 56
9. Sheffield United 55
10. Everton 50
11. Burnley 49
12. Crystal Palace 49
13. Newcastle 46
14. Southampton 44
15. West Ham 39
16. Brighton 37
17. Watford 36
18. Bournemouth 36
19. Aston Villa 32
20. Norwich City 29
Company%20Profile
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Profile box
Company name: baraka
Started: July 2020
Founders: Feras Jalbout and Kunal Taneja
Based: Dubai and Bahrain
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: $150,000
Current staff: 12
Stage: Pre-seed capital raising of $1 million
Investors: Class 5 Global, FJ Labs, IMO Ventures, The Community Fund, VentureSouq, Fox Ventures, Dr Abdulla Elyas (private investment)
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
West Indies v India - Third ODI
India 251-4 (50 overs)
Dhoni (78*), Rahane (72), Jadhav (40)
Cummins (2-56), Bishoo (1-38)
West Indies 158 (38.1 overs)
Mohammed (40), Powell (30), Hope (24)
Ashwin (3-28), Yadav (3-41), Pandya (2-32)
India won by 93 runs
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl
Power: 153hp at 6,000rpm
Torque: 200Nm at 4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Price: Dh99,000
On sale: now
Results
5pm: Warsan Lake – Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 2,200m; Winner: Dhaw Al Reef, Sam Hitchcott (jockey), Abdallah Al Hammadi (trainer)
5.30pm: Al Quadra Lake – Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Mrouwah Al Gharbia, Sando Paiva, Abubakar Daud
6pm: Hatta Lake – Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: AF Yatroq, George Buckell, Ernst Oertel
6.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup – Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Ashton Tourettes, Adries de Vries, Ibrahim Aseel
7pm: Abu Dhabi Championship – Listed (PA) Dh180,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Bahar Muscat, Antonio Fresu, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
7.30pm: Zakher Lake – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh80,000 (T) 1,400m; Winner: Alfareeq, Dane O’Neill, Musabah Al Muhairi.
