Sustainable shipping and autonomous electric freight technology has been underestimated in terms of the impact it can make on reducing climate emissions, but the scope for the industry is booming in the Middle East, according to industry executives.
The growth of the sector in the Middle East will also enable other regions to see the potential for success and implementation on a larger scale, according to Robert Falck, chief executive of Einride, a Sweden-based freight mobility company.
“We’re super excited to be here with all the great ambition and cool projects,” he said on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum’s special meeting in Riyadh.
“I think that autonomous [freight shipping] will probably be scaled in volume first here in the Middle East,” he added.
While Einride doesn’t yet have any vehicles, smart grids or clients in Saudi Arabia, the company has a strong presence in the UAE.
Last year, it signed a preliminary agreement with the UAE's Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure to establish a 550km freight ‘Falcon Rise’ mobility grid, with the eventual aim of enabling the use of electric and autonomous vehicles.
The Falcon Rise grid will implement Einride’s “full freight mobility offering” across Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah, covering 2,000 electric lorries, 200 autonomous lorries and eight charging stations with more than 500 charging points, the company said last year.
Mr Falck confirmed that the company was progressing with the project.
“We’re going to announce our first big clients that will make this system real,” he said during an interview with The National’s Business Extra podcast recorded in Riyadh.
The UAE, and the Middle East overall, have shown an interesting mix of intangible factors that could lead to success for those in the electric freight sector, Mr Falck said.
“There's a lot of high ambition … and it's a melting pot of knowledge and ideas about the future.”
Globally, the value of the global autonomous vehicle market is forecast to reach about $2.3 trillion by 2032, from about $121.78 billion in 2022, the latest data from Precedence Research shows.
Meanwhile, fully autonomous robotaxis are expected to become commercially available at a large scale by 2030, and fully autonomous trucking is expected to reach viability between 2028 and 2031, McKinsey's latest survey released this year found.
Investments of more than $4 billion are needed for full-journey autonomous lorries, it added.
Countries such as the UAE and Saudi Arabia are aiming to have wide-scale deployment of autonomous transport to support their sustainability agendas and transform urban planning.
In July last year, the UAE Cabinet has approved the first preliminary national licence for self-driving cars, granting it to Chinese company WeRide.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia aims for 15 per cent of its public transport vehicles to be autonomous by 2030, according to officials.
For Einride, one of its touted products is the Autonomous Gen 2, a cabless, electric and autonomous freight vehicle.
“We were the first in the world to get a permit to operate on a public road in Sweden in 2019, we’ve been doing that for five years now,” he said.
“We now have permits to operate in Sweden, Europe and the US,” he added, also talking about plans for the UAE.
“We have vehicles in the UAE already and we’ve shown them at exhibitions,” he said. “We’ll start to go live with operations starting this summer.”
The company also offers Einride Saga, what it describes as an “intelligent freight operating system” that uses data and artificial intelligence to potentially increase the efficiency of the entire ecosystem.
“For us it’s not just selling a truck, it’s providing an entire system,” he said.
Speaking at a panel at the WEF meeting in Riyadh, Mr Falck said both electric and diesel vehicles would play a role in the years ahead.
“The coexistence is something we need to continue to develop,” he said.
“We need to see more advanced biodiesels developed, and we need to see electric taking more and more of the percentage of mobility.”
While companies like Tesla and consumer-orientated vehicles have a majority of the media spotlight, Mr Falck said sustainable shipping companies like Einride, which provide digital, electric and autonomous technology solutions, don’t necessarily mind flying under the radar.
“We’ve become the biggest electrifier of heavy duty freight transport in the world today,” he said.
The company's clients include PepsiCo, Heineken, Mars, Maersk and GE Appliances, among others.
Also in attendance at WEF's special meeting in Riyadh was Essa al-Saleh, chief executive of Volta, another commercial electric lorry manufacturer.
“We're looking to expand our business beyond Europe, so the GCC presents a unique opportunity from both a capital perspective and from an opportunity to build assembly plants and a supply base to support that growth,” he said.
“It's a potential market, there's a lot of interest here from stakeholders in this region,” he added.
Volta was founded in Sweden in 2019 but briefly filed for bankruptcy protection in October last year after one of its battery suppliers went bankrupt.
The company recently relaunched as Volta Commercial Vehicles Limited and registered in the UK.
According to Mr Al-Saleh, the company plans to ship its first vehicles in Germany, France, UK and Scandinavia by the end of 2024.
Commercial vehicles are approximately 10 years behind where passenger vehicles are in terms of electrification, but perceptions within the freight industry are quickly changing, he said.
“The scepticism in the marketplace around EVs is going away and it's more accepted, but now it's a matter of addressing the 'how' aspect … the reference point isn't how much diesel you are going to spend, it's how much energy you're going to consume,” he added.
Key products and UAE prices
iPhone XS
With a 5.8-inch screen, it will be an advance version of the iPhone X. It will be dual sim and comes with better battery life, a faster processor and better camera. A new gold colour will be available.
Price: Dh4,229
iPhone XS Max
It is expected to be a grander version of the iPhone X with a 6.5-inch screen; an inch bigger than the screen of the iPhone 8 Plus.
Price: Dh4,649
iPhone XR
A low-cost version of the iPhone X with a 6.1-inch screen, it is expected to attract mass attention. According to industry experts, it is likely to have aluminium edges instead of stainless steel.
Price: Dh3,179
Apple Watch Series 4
More comprehensive health device with edge-to-edge displays that are more than 30 per cent bigger than displays on current models.
MEDIEVIL%20(1998)
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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)
Other workplace saving schemes
- The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
- Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
- National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
- In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
- Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
ALL THE RESULTS
Bantamweight
Siyovush Gulmomdov (TJK) bt Rey Nacionales (PHI) by decision.
Lightweight
Alexandru Chitoran (ROU) bt Hussein Fakhir Abed (SYR) by submission.
Catch 74kg
Omar Hussein (JOR) bt Tohir Zhuraev (TJK) by decision.
Strawweight (Female)
Seo Ye-dam (KOR) bt Weronika Zygmunt (POL) by decision.
Featherweight
Kaan Ofli (TUR) bt Walid Laidi (ALG) by TKO.
Lightweight
Abdulla Al Bousheiri (KUW) bt Leandro Martins (BRA) by TKO.
Welterweight
Ahmad Labban (LEB) bt Sofiane Benchohra (ALG) by TKO.
Bantamweight
Jaures Dea (CAM) v Nawras Abzakh (JOR) no contest.
Lightweight
Mohammed Yahya (UAE) bt Glen Ranillo (PHI) by TKO round 1.
Lightweight
Alan Omer (GER) bt Aidan Aguilera (AUS) by TKO round 1.
Welterweight
Mounir Lazzez (TUN) bt Sasha Palatkinov (HKG) by TKO round 1.
Featherweight title bout
Romando Dy (PHI) v Lee Do-gyeom (KOR) by KO round 1.
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
The years Ramadan fell in May
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
if you go
The flights
Emirates have direct flights from Dubai to Glasgow from Dh3,115. Alternatively, if you want to see a bit of Edinburgh first, then you can fly there direct with Etihad from Abu Dhabi.
The hotel
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Located in the heart of Mackintosh's Glasgow, the Dakota Deluxe is perhaps the most refined hotel anywhere in the city. Doubles from Dh850
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Events and tours
There are various Mackintosh specific events throughout 2018 – for more details and to see a map of his surviving designs see glasgowmackintosh.com
For walking tours focussing on the Glasgow Style, see the website of the Glasgow School of Art.
More information
For ideas on planning a trip to Scotland, visit www.visitscotland.com
'The worst thing you can eat'
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
Company%20profile
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The Birkin bag is made by Hermès.
It is named after actress and singer Jane Birkin
Noone from Hermès will go on record to say how much a new Birkin costs, how long one would have to wait to get one, and how many bags are actually made each year.
RESULT
Uruguay 3 Russia 0
Uruguay: Suárez (10'), Cheryshev (23' og), Cavani (90')
Russia: Smolnikov (Red card: 36')
Man of the match: Diego Godin (Uruguay)
