Abu Dhabi's landlords and tenants alike have a role to play in sustainability. Lee Hoagland/The National
Abu Dhabi's landlords and tenants alike have a role to play in sustainability. Lee Hoagland/The National
Abu Dhabi's landlords and tenants alike have a role to play in sustainability. Lee Hoagland/The National
Abu Dhabi's landlords and tenants alike have a role to play in sustainability. Lee Hoagland/The National


The UAE's energy future starts with what you do at home


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February 04, 2022

FAB Properties announced an agreement with Abu Dhabi Energy Services earlier this week to retrofit properties to help deliver better energy efficiency.

This is a significant partnership. FAB Properties runs a large portfolio of 20,000 properties and is a division of the UAE’s largest bank, while Ades is part of Taqa, the Abu Dhabi National Energy Company, and specialises in developing sustainable practices.

Officials at this week’s signing ceremony said they would introduce the latest energy saving techniques into FAB Properties’ portfolio and that the deal would deliver reductions in water and electricity usage and CO2 emissions.

It chimes with the country’s broader stated energy and emissions goals.

Last year, the UAE made a commitment to be carbon neutral by 2050, becoming the first Arabian Gulf state to make that pledge in the process. The UAE will also host the UN Cop28 global climate talks next year.

FAB Properties deserves praise for seeking to find reductions in emissions and in reducing energy waste, but achieving the 2050 goals will require concerted action from all sectors of society, including encouraging residents to take the train when Etihad Rail begins operating passenger services in years to come and switching to more energy efficient transport more generally.

Traditionally, policymakers around the world have raised energy tariffs in an effort to reduce consumption. The UAE’s petrol prices have been linked to the oil price per barrel since 2015. Fuel prices at the pump rose by 10 per cent on Tuesday after their regular monthly review by the Fuel Price Committee.

While there will always be discussion about making changes to the domestic electricity and water tariffs for consumers, and generally prices are low in this country, the current energy crisis in Europe, fuelled by political uncertainty in eastern Europe, shows there are potential pitfalls in high tariffs as a starting point

In the UK, for instance, wholesale gas prices are significantly higher than they were at the beginning of 2021, which has translated into energy bills that have also risen sharply as a consequence.

There may, however, be other ways to help us towards energy saving, rather than raising consumption tariffs to curb consumption.

One idea would be to incentivise private landlords and tenants to make energy-saving improvements to houses and flats, whether that is via installing better glazing to deflect heat and improve the efficiency of air conditioning systems or via the installation of rooftop solar panels to heat water tanks or, even, by swapping out sanitaryware for more efficient water saving options.

UAE petrol prices rose 10 per cent in February. Photo: ADNOC
UAE petrol prices rose 10 per cent in February. Photo: ADNOC
Today’s energy bills are full of information about consumption habits and how these compare to previous months

Currently, there are few motivations for landlords, especially private owners, to make these changes to their properties when these represent costs rather than tangible financial benefits. Tenants may also feel that they do not want to fund this sort of work from their own pocket if they are not sure how long they will live in a property.

Inevitably, that leads to a stasis, in which, by definition, houses get older and dwellings become progressively less energy efficient. Incentivising change through subsidy would help change that narrative.

In the data driven world we live in, today’s energy bills are full of information about consumption habits and how these compare to previous months. Those statistics can help move us forward.

Dubai Electricity and Water Authority said this week that its high-usage alert system had saved its customers more than Dh400m in the past three years, by quickly diagnosing leaks and defects and sending notifications to consumers when higher than normal usage was identified. That type of intervention also reduces strain on the grid.

Schemes also exist for some customers to upgrade inefficient air conditioning units in properties with the help of subsidies and grants. If such initiatives were more widely adopted they would serve two purposes. First, more efficient units would mean less demand on the network and lower bills for consumers. Second, it would encourage private landlords to shift from a default ‘no maintenance’ mindset into a place where housing stock, whether old or new, uses modern energy saving technology. It is in everyone’s interests for this to happen.

With more people buying property – Dubai registered Dh300bn worth of property transactions last year and Abu Dhabi stock has risen to its highest value in five years driven by demand – those mindsets may organically change in time if owner-occupiers are keen to save money on their household bills or improve their property. They may not, of course, especially if a landlord is absent or stubbornly refuses to consider updating their property.

Building regulations could also play a part. Some properties may still get finished with poorly fitted windows or energy inefficient fixtures. Enforcement may hold the key here, by holding contractors to the highest standards and ensuring that every new build is not signed off until it is fit for the future.

Abu Dhabi’s Masdar City has led the way in that regard for years, with its buildings being energy efficient and attaining high standards in green certification. In addition, Aldar has also recently announced its intention to build a sustainable city on Yas island. New builds are important but can only carry us so far.

Greater energy efficiency will deliver gains across our economy. If we are to make those steps forward, they may well need to start from home.

The specs: Lamborghini Aventador SVJ

Price, base: Dh1,731,672

Engine: 6.5-litre V12

Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic

Power: 770hp @ 8,500rpm

Torque: 720Nm @ 6,750rpm

Fuel economy: 19.6L / 100km

Some of Darwish's last words

"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008

His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.

The specs

Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8

Power: 640hp

Torque: 760nm

On sale: 2026

Price: Not announced yet

Volunteers offer workers a lifeline

Community volunteers have swung into action delivering food packages and toiletries to the men.

When provisions are distributed, the men line up in long queues for packets of rice, flour, sugar, salt, pulses, milk, biscuits, shaving kits, soap and telecom cards.

Volunteers from St Mary’s Catholic Church said some workers came to the church to pray for their families and ask for assistance.

Boxes packed with essential food items were distributed to workers in the Dubai Investments Park and Ras Al Khaimah camps last week. Workers at the Sonapur camp asked for Dh1,600 towards their gas bill.

“Especially in this year of tolerance we consider ourselves privileged to be able to lend a helping hand to our needy brothers in the Actco camp," Father Lennie Connully, parish priest of St Mary’s.

Workers spoke of their helplessness, seeing children’s marriages cancelled because of lack of money going home. Others told of their misery of being unable to return home when a parent died.

“More than daily food, they are worried about not sending money home for their family,” said Kusum Dutta, a volunteer who works with the Indian consulate.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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
Sweet%20Tooth
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TEACHERS' PAY - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:

- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools

- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say

- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance

- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs

- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills

- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month

- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues

Gothia Cup 2025

4,872 matches 

1,942 teams

116 pitches

76 nations

26 UAE teams

15 Lebanese teams

2 Kuwaiti teams

The%20Hunger%20Games%3A%20The%20Ballad%20of%20Songbirds%20%26%20Snakes
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%C2%A0Francis%20Lawrence%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%C2%A0%3C%2Fstrong%3ERachel%20Zegler%2C%20Peter%20Dinklage%2C%20Viola%20Davis%2C%20Tom%20Blyth%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E3%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Lexus LX700h specs

Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor

Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm

Transmission: 10-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh590,000

Virtual banks explained

What is a virtual bank?

The Hong Kong Monetary Authority defines it as a bank that delivers services through the internet or other electronic channels instead of physical branches. That means not only facilitating payments but accepting deposits and making loans, just like traditional ones. Other terms used interchangeably include digital or digital-only banks or neobanks. By contrast, so-called digital wallets or e-wallets such as Apple Pay, PayPal or Google Pay usually serve as intermediaries between a consumer’s traditional account or credit card and a merchant, usually via a smartphone or computer.

What’s the draw in Asia?

Hundreds of millions of people under-served by traditional institutions, for one thing. In China, India and elsewhere, digital wallets such as Alipay, WeChat Pay and Paytm have already become ubiquitous, offering millions of people an easy way to store and spend their money via mobile phone. Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines are also among the world’s biggest under-banked countries; together they have almost half a billion people.

Is Hong Kong short of banks?

No, but the city is among the most cash-reliant major economies, leaving room for newcomers to disrupt the entrenched industry. Ant Financial, an Alibaba Group Holding affiliate that runs Alipay and MYBank, and Tencent Holdings, the company behind WeBank and WeChat Pay, are among the owners of the eight ventures licensed to create virtual banks in Hong Kong, with operations expected to start as early as the end of the year. 

How to wear a kandura

Dos

  • Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion 
  • Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
  • Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work 
  • Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester

Don’ts 

  • Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal 
  • Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
SPECS
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The specs: 2018 Peugeot 5008

Price, base / as tested: Dh99,900 / Dh134,900

Engine: 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder

Transmission: Six-speed automatic

Power: 165hp @ 6,000rpm

Torque: 240Nm @ 1,400rpm

Fuel economy, combined: 5.8L / 100km

Updated: February 04, 2022, 4:00 AM`