Hydrogen-powered transport will be the focus of research at an innovation centre run by the UAE and UK at District 2020, the legacy project of Expo 2020 Dubai.
Grant Shapps, UK Secretary of State for Transport, said decarbonisation in aviation and shipping was the biggest challenge facing nations seeking to reduce carbon emissions.
Speaking at a future travel forum at the UK pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai, Mr Shapps urged nations to embrace the “mobility revolution”.
“The biggest challenge is decarbonising international transport,” he said.
If we can decarbonise aviation, the rest of transport is relatively straightforward
Grant Shapps,
UK Secretary of State for Transport
"One of our priorities will be to promote different forms of hydrogen-powered transport in Dubai to become a focus of collaboration between the two countries.
“It is one thing to do it domestically, but rising maritime and aviation emissions are a global problem and need a global solution.
“Forward-thinking nations should lead the way. That is why we are supporting a target of zero shipping emission by 2050.
“Transport is on the edge of huge change, a revolution is coming.
“It won’t be triggered by a single innovation, but something more complex and a whole range of technologies using electricity, hydrogen and big data to operate the way we travel.
“We must break a 200-year-old link between the rise in travel and the rise of carbon emissions, that will be our big challenge.”
The UK will open an innovation centre in District 2020, the current Expo site, in 2022, Mr Shapps said.
The centre will be run in collaboration between the two countries, he said.
The forum questioned how to provide futuristic and sustainable transport around the globe.
The event explored social, environmental and economic issues that accompany a need to travel cleanly and efficiently to reduce global carbon emissions.
His speech was followed by panel discussions from industry leaders and academics on the future of travel.
Hydrogen and electric-power critical for sustainable travel
Mr Shapps said hydrogen and electric-powered travel, with a wider adoption of sustainable aviation fuel, were critical to make air travel economically and socially viable in future.
“If we can decarbonise aviation, the rest of transport is relatively straightforward,” he said.
“Long-term targets need to be balanced with short-term goals like expanding the roll-out of sustainable aviation fuels.
“We want to boost that acceleration towards cleaner fuels, and we are working with the UAE to bring that initiative alive.
“We are investing heavily in the UK’s first hydrogen transport hub in the north-east of England.
“Tenders have been announced by BP, Adnoc and Masdar to work together across both countries to develop hydrogen hubs to boost jobs further.
“There are unique challenges ahead, so we must be willing to share ideas, resources, risks and rewards.
“That is the sort of alliance the UK already has with the UAE, with bilateral trade worth more than £30 billion in 2020.
“That will increase, with £10bn of investment from the UAE into the UK’s fastest growing industries, infrastructure and clean energy.”
Sales of new vehicles powered by diesel and petrol are set to be discontinued in the UK by 2030.
Hydrogen-powered car at the Expo 2020 Slovakia Pavilion - in pictures
On the sidelines of Cop26 climate change talks in Glasgow, Scotland, where nations made pledges to reduce carbon emissions, 38 countries and six major vehicle manufacturers signed up to work towards selling only zero-emission vehicles by 2040 or earlier.
“This new revolution will be mobility-plus,” said Mr Shapps.
“Self-driving vehicles will transform lives in isolated communities, particular for the disabled and elderly.
“Drones will distribute goods safely and cleanly, and we have already experimented with this on the Isle of Wight, with drones delivering medicine during the pandemic.
“Another area will be the development of electric vehicles that can recharge on the run or while parked up wirelessly, rather than having to plug them in overnight.”
Vidaamuyarchi
Director: Magizh Thirumeni
Stars: Ajith Kumar, Arjun Sarja, Trisha Krishnan, Regina Cassandra
Rating: 4/5
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE and Russia in numbers
UAE-Russia ties stretch back 48 years
Trade between the UAE and Russia reached Dh12.5 bn in 2018
More than 3,000 Russian companies are registered in the UAE
Around 40,000 Russians live in the UAE
The number of Russian tourists travelling to the UAE will increase to 12 percent to reach 1.6 million in 2023
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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Nabil%20Ayouch%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Nisrin%20Erradi%2C%20Joud%20Chamihy%2C%20Jalila%20Talemsi%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E4%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League final:
Who: Real Madrid v Liverpool
Where: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine
When: Saturday, May 26, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match on BeIN Sports
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
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.
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%3Cp%3E1.%20Labour%20productivity%20is%20lower%20than%20the%20average%20of%20the%20developed%20economies%2C%20particularly%20in%20the%20non-tradable%20industries.%3Cbr%3E2.%20The%20low%20level%20of%20basic%20skills%20among%20workers%20and%20the%20high%20level%20of%20inequality%20between%20those%20with%20various%20skills.%3Cbr%3E3.%20Low%20employment%20rates%2C%20particularly%20among%20Arab%20women%20and%20Ultra-Othodox%20Jewish%20men.%3Cbr%3E4.%20A%20lack%20of%20basic%20knowledge%20required%20for%20integration%20into%20the%20labour%20force%2C%20due%20to%20the%20lack%20of%20core%20curriculum%20studies%20in%20schools%20for%20Ultra-Othodox%20Jews.%3Cbr%3E5.%20A%20need%20to%20upgrade%20and%20expand%20physical%20infrastructure%2C%20particularly%20mass%20transit%20infrastructure.%3Cbr%3E6.%20The%20poverty%20rate%20at%20more%20than%20double%20the%20OECD%20average.%3Cbr%3E7.%20Population%20growth%20of%20about%202%20per%20cent%20per%20year%2C%20compared%20to%200.6%20per%20cent%20OECD%20average%20posing%20challenge%20for%20fiscal%20policy%20and%20underpinning%20pressure%20on%20education%2C%20health%20care%2C%20welfare%20housing%20and%20physical%20infrastructure%2C%20which%20will%20increase%20in%20the%20coming%20years.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
The specs
Engine: 1.6-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 217hp at 5,750rpm
Torque: 300Nm at 1,900rpm
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Price: from Dh130,000
On sale: now
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
The figures behind the event
1) More than 300 in-house cleaning crew
2) 165 staff assigned to sanitise public areas throughout the show
3) 1,000 social distancing stickers
4) 809 hand sanitiser dispensers placed throughout the venue
The finalists
Player of the Century, 2001-2020: Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus), Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Mohamed Salah (Liverpool), Ronaldinho
Coach of the Century, 2001-2020: Pep Guardiola (Manchester City), Jose Mourinho (Tottenham Hotspur), Zinedine Zidane (Real Madrid), Sir Alex Ferguson
Club of the Century, 2001-2020: Al Ahly (Egypt), Bayern Munich (Germany), Barcelona (Spain), Real Madrid (Spain)
Player of the Year: Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
Club of the Year: Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Real Madrid
Coach of the Year: Gian Piero Gasperini (Atalanta), Hans-Dieter Flick (Bayern Munich), Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool)
Agent of the Century, 2001-2020: Giovanni Branchini, Jorge Mendes, Mino Raiola
Game Changer
Director: Shankar
Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram
Rating: 2/5
TECH%20SPECS%3A%20APPLE%20WATCH%20SERIES%209
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Joker: Folie a Deux
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson
Director: Todd Phillips
Rating: 2/5
Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels?
The number of asylum applications in the UK has reached a new record high, driven by those illegally entering the country in small boats crossing the English Channel.
A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current records began in 2001.
Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation while their claim is assessed.
The Home Office provides the accommodation, meaning asylum seekers cannot choose where they live.
When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to hotels or large sites like former military bases.
