Rising carbon emissions is one of the greatest challenges facing our planet today, as world leaders have made apparent at the ongoing Cop27 climate summit. Related to that is the fact that energy security is also a pressing concern. And there are several complex factors that affect energy security. Access is, of course, an important one, but there are many others that have a notable effect – namely, geopolitics, security of trade flows and lack of diversity of energy sources. Replacing the fossil-fuel infrastructure is no easy feat; nor can we expect a smooth transition to a more diversified mix - focused on renewables, overnight. This would require consistent support from several stakeholders across the public and private sectors and is also reliant on significant investment.
Despite increased efforts by governments around the world, energy-related carbon emissions rose by 6 per cent last year to 36.3bn tonnes – their highest-ever level, according to analysis by the International Energy Association. This has triggered a global re-evaluation of energy creation and delivery, in addition to a reassessment of the most effective ways to finance such projects given the reduction in credit opportunities as a result of the financial downturn.
The Covid-19 outbreak, moreover, highlighted the extent to which fates are intertwined; local and regional problems often have global effects. And this is where the power of investors – not just banks or the ultra-wealthy, but ordinary, retail investors – becomes very evident.
Previously seen as a last resort for entrepreneurs trying to raise capital, crowdinvesting – a form of crowdfunding regulated in many countries, in which those giving money have a clearly defined stake in the profits – has now emerged as a viable and important alternative financing source following destabilisation in parts of the global financial sector in the aftermath of the pandemic. At the same time, we have also witnessed a paradigm shift towards cleaner and more accessible energy generation.
We have witnessed a paradigm shift towards cleaner and more accessible energy generation
The global crowdfunding market is estimated to reach $43.5 billion by 2028, up from $17.4bn in 2021. And around $136 million was raised through crowdfunding between 2015 and 2020 for companies and projects that deal with energy access.
When it comes to crowdinvesting, inclusion and equality are among its core tenets. Anyone who believes in the potential of a technology, or a cause, can support it – and in doing so can make a meaningful contribution to vital fields, such as clean energy. It is also a powerful communication tool which allows full transparency and open communication around project financing and delivery, reinforcing its potential as a source of empowerment. In the energy sector, investors and users become one and the same – shifting from a top-down model to a decentralised one that better serves the interests of citizens, communities and local businesses alike.
While there are clear advantages to the crowdinvesting of clean energy projects, there are also challenges - one being the inherent difficulties of the mechanism itself, namely that the project owners must convince a wide range of people about its clear benefits.
But there are many types of energy projects that could benefit from this model; small-to-mid-sized community projects that focus on new-build power generation sites, such as solar photovoltaic PV parks, are a worthy example. A recent successful case study that shows the power of crowdinvesting is Olam Cocoa – a leading originator of cocoa beans in Ghana. Through "ecoligo", an impact investment provider and leader in revolutionising the energy landscape in emerging markets, the firm was able to generate $400,000 in just 25 hours. The funds will be used to develop a 1.5 megawatt peak solar plant that will support in the cultivation of cocoa beans.
Another critical aspect of crowdinvesting is that it is important that success is shared. The European Commission, for example, has long identified the potential of crowdfunding to support the growth of SMEs, naming it as an important financing tool in a 2015 paper. One of the clear benefits is that it can reduce the administrative burden placed on SMEs. While crowdinvesting allows individuals and communities alike to play a greater role in ensuring their own futures, this would not be possible without the involvement of dedicated partners, whose ultimate objective goes far beyond developing infrastructure and generating energy; but rather, extends to meaningful development in the communities in which they operate.
Fotowatio Renewable Ventures, part of Abdul Latif Jameel Energy, is one such example. FRV is dedicated to identifying and investing in operators that have built software products that can enhance the way that renewable generation and storage assets perform. As a form of alternative financing, crowdinvesting also promotes innovation, research and development at a grassroots level, supporting businesses and ideas that would ordinarily struggle to raise funding from traditional financial market sources. This can have a profound effect on societal and economic development.
Ultimately, crowdinvesting is a relatively new financing mechanism that places the responsibility of driving the energy transition with local communities. This empowers individuals and communities alike to play an active role in ensuring a sustainable future for generations to come. The channel has the potential to be a key driver of inclusion and innovation in the field of clean energy, and these values are at the very heart of the world’s energy transition. It is apt that the means of financing such projects should also reflect the world that we are trying to create through clean energy projects.
If you go
The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly direct to Nairobi, with fares starting from Dh1,695. The resort can be reached from Nairobi via a 35-minute flight from Wilson Airport or Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, or by road, which takes at least three hours.
The rooms
Rooms at Fairmont Mount Kenya range from Dh1,870 per night for a deluxe room to Dh11,000 per night for the William Holden Cottage.
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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United States
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China
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UAE
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Japan
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5
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Norway
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Canada
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Singapore
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Australia
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Saudi Arabia
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South Korea
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WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Power: 110 horsepower
Torque: 147Nm
Price: From Dh59,700
On sale: now
Sleep Well Beast
The National
4AD
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Qyubic
Started: October 2023
Founder: Namrata Raina
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Current number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Initial investment: Undisclosed
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
57%20Seconds
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Fight card
Preliminaries:
Nouredine Samir (UAE) v Sheroz Kholmirzav (UZB); Lucas Porst (SWE) v Ellis Barboza (GBR); Mouhmad Amine Alharar (MAR) v Mohammed Mardi (UAE); Ibrahim Bilal (UAE) v Spyro Besiri (GRE); Aslamjan Ortikov (UZB) v Joshua Ridgwell (GBR)
Main card:
Carlos Prates (BRA) v Dmitry Valent (BLR); Bobirjon Tagiev (UZB) v Valentin Thibaut (FRA); Arthur Meyer (FRA) v Hicham Moujtahid (BEL); Ines Es Salehy (BEL) v Myriame Djedidi (FRA); Craig Coakley (IRE) v Deniz Demirkapu (TUR); Artem Avanesov (ARM) v Badreddine Attif (MAR); Abdulvosid Buranov (RUS) v Akram Hamidi (FRA)
Title card:
Intercontinental Lightweight: Ilyass Habibali (UAE) v Angel Marquez (ESP)
Intercontinental Middleweight: Amine El Moatassime (UAE) v Francesco Iadanza (ITA)
Asian Featherweight: Zakaria El Jamari (UAE) v Phillip Delarmino (PHI)
Mina Cup winners
Under 12 – Minerva Academy
Under 14 – Unam Pumas
Under 16 – Fursan Hispania
Under 18 – Madenat
Fines for littering
In Dubai:
Dh200 for littering or spitting in the Dubai Metro
Dh500 for throwing cigarette butts or chewing gum on the floor, or littering from a vehicle.
Dh1,000 for littering on a beach, spitting in public places, throwing a cigarette butt from a vehicle
In Sharjah and other emirates
Dh500 for littering - including cigarette butts and chewing gum - in public places and beaches in Sharjah
Dh2,000 for littering in Sharjah deserts
Dh500 for littering from a vehicle in Ras Al Khaimah
Dh1,000 for littering from a car in Abu Dhabi
Dh1,000 to Dh100,000 for dumping waste in residential or public areas in Al Ain
Dh10,000 for littering at Ajman's beaches
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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
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Reputation
Taylor Swift
(Big Machine Records)
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
Match info
Manchester United 4
(Pogba 5', 33', Rashford 45', Lukaku 72')
Bournemouth 1
(Ake 45 2')
Red card: Eric Bailly (Manchester United)
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
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
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
WHEN TO GO:
September to November or March to May; this is when visitors are most likely to see what they’ve come for.
WHERE TO STAY:
Meghauli Serai, A Taj Safari - Chitwan National Park resort (tajhotels.com) is a one-hour drive from Bharatpur Airport with stays costing from Dh1,396 per night, including taxes and breakfast. Return airport transfers cost from Dh661.
HOW TO GET THERE:
Etihad Airways regularly flies from Abu Dhabi to Kathmandu from around Dh1,500 per person return, including taxes. Buddha Air (buddhaair.com) and Yeti Airlines (yetiairlines.com) fly from Kathmandu to Bharatpur several times a day from about Dh660 return and the flight takes just 20 minutes. Driving is possible but the roads are hilly which means it will take you five or six hours to travel 148 kilometres.
Company%20profile
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Results
6.30pm: Baniyas (PA) Group 2 Dh195,000 1,400m | Winner: ES Ajeeb, Sam Hitchcock (jockey), Ibrahim Aseel (trainer)
7.05pm: Maiden (TB) Dh165,000 1,400m | Winner: Al Shamkhah, Royston Ffrench, Sandeep Jadhav
7.40pm: Handicap (TB) Dh190,000 1,200m | Winner: Lavaspin, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar
8.15pm: Maiden (TB) Dh165,000 1,200m | Winner: Kawasir, Dane O’Neill, Musabah Al Muhairi
8.50pm: Rated Conditions (TB) Dh240,000 1,600m | Winner: Cosmo Charlie, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson
9.20pm: Handicap (TB) Dh165,000 1,400m | Winner: Bochart, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar
10pm: Handicap (TB) Dh175,000 2,000m | Winner: Quartier Francais, Fernando Jara, Ali Rashid Al Raihe
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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