The UAE skies hummed with record levels of air traffic on the opening day of Cop28, as tens of thousands of delegates from across the world arrived in Dubai for the summit.
The General Civil Aviation Authority told The National 2,848 air traffic movements were posted on November 30.
In the three days before Cop28 and the three days after it started, the number of scheduled and non-scheduled aircraft movements rose by 13 per cent, the civil aviation regulator said.
Non-scheduled movements represented 15 per cent of this traffic, it said.
“Cop28 traffic demand witnessed significant growth for private jet, and general aviation operations reached 15 per cent and remarkable demand for DWC airport,” the GCAA said.
The UN-run Blue Zone at Dubai's Expo City has had 97,000 people register as delegates – far more than the 70,000 expected.
Negotiators, campaigners and lobbyists have attended the conference’s Blue Zone, where the bulk of climate talks are taking place. The UN-administered Blue Zone is also the setting for climate protests.
More than 400,000 members of the public have applied for one-day passes for the Green Zone, which is hosting activities in conjunction with the conference.
Climate campaigners typically voice concerns about the emissions from private jets that government and business leaders use to fly to climate conferences and gatherings such as Davos.
The number of delegates at this Cop event in Dubai – nearly three times as many as the Cop 26 attendance in Glasgow and about four times more than the 2015 gathering that culminated in the Paris Agreement – underscores the importance of the climate agenda.
While the skies above Cop28 were busy with air traffic, hotels in Dubai have recorded a “noticeable jump” in occupancy rates, according to data by CoStar Group, the parent company of hotel analytics provider STR.
Dubai showed its highest December occupancy on the books for December 1 (43.7 per cent), and December 2 (44.2 per cent) – the second and third days of Cop28, CoStar data showed.
Compared to the same period in the previous year, the figures were lower, standing at 30.8 per cent and 29.4 per cent, respectively.
The emirate has hosted several events in the past few weeks that have attracted an influx of international visitors.
These include the Dubai Airshow on November 13, the International Civil Aviation Organisation's Conference on Aviation and Alternative Fuels (CAAF/3) on November 20 and the Cop28 UN climate summit on November 30.
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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Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Tewellah by Nawal Zoghbi is out 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
Traits of Chinese zodiac animals
Tiger:independent, successful, volatile
Rat:witty, creative, charming
Ox:diligent, perseverent, conservative
Rabbit:gracious, considerate, sensitive
Dragon:prosperous, brave, rash
Snake:calm, thoughtful, stubborn
Horse:faithful, energetic, carefree
Sheep:easy-going, peacemaker, curious
Monkey:family-orientated, clever, playful
Rooster:honest, confident, pompous
Dog:loyal, kind, perfectionist
Boar:loving, tolerant, indulgent
ZAYED SUSTAINABILITY PRIZE
What drives subscription retailing?
Once the domain of newspaper home deliveries, subscription model retailing has combined with e-commerce to permeate myriad products and services.
The concept has grown tremendously around the world and is forecast to thrive further, according to UnivDatos Market Insights’ report on recent and predicted trends in the sector.
The global subscription e-commerce market was valued at $13.2 billion (Dh48.5bn) in 2018. It is forecast to touch $478.2bn in 2025, and include the entertainment, fitness, food, cosmetics, baby care and fashion sectors.
The report says subscription-based services currently constitute “a small trend within e-commerce”. The US hosts almost 70 per cent of recurring plan firms, including leaders Dollar Shave Club, Hello Fresh and Netflix. Walmart and Sephora are among longer established retailers entering the space.
UnivDatos cites younger and affluent urbanites as prime subscription targets, with women currently the largest share of end-users.
That’s expected to remain unchanged until 2025, when women will represent a $246.6bn market share, owing to increasing numbers of start-ups targeting women.
Personal care and beauty occupy the largest chunk of the worldwide subscription e-commerce market, with changing lifestyles, work schedules, customisation and convenience among the chief future drivers.
