Latest updates on Cop26
Ministers, business leaders and industry groups have congratulated the UAE for winning the bid to host Cop28.
The Emirates will host the 28th UN global climate talks in 2023. The decision was made by the body in Glasgow on Thursday night.
UAE leaders welcomed the decision and tweeted after the announcement that the UAE would put everything towards making Cop28 a success.
UAE cabinet ministers on Friday said hosting the big event is an opportunity for the UAE to demonstrate to the world the work it has done on climate action. Sustainability remains at the forefront of the UAE's economic development agenda.
Abdulrahman Al Owais, Minister of Health and Prevention, said "healthcare is intrinsically linked with pollution, and Cop28 is a platform to discuss all forms of pollution and its effect on health".
Suhail Al Mazrouei, Minister of Energy and Infrastructure, said the UAE has contributed to sustainable development.
He said the UAE is the first country in the region to produce zero-carbon nuclear power, introduce carbon capture technology, and operate the first solar-driven green hydrogen-producing facility.
The Emirates last month set out a strategic initiative to achieve net zero-carbon emissions by 2050.
"Globally, we have contributed nearly $17 billion in aid to support renewable projects in 50 countries. Cop28 in the UAE will help us to create stronger partnerships and build on these efforts - locally and internationally," said Mr Al Mazrouei.
Noura Al Kaabi, Minister of Culture and Youth, said: "Cop28 in the UAE will only serve to further fuel the next generation's passion and curiosity in taking action for a better planet and a better future."
Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy, said hosting such an important international environmental gathering will provide the UAE the opportunity to continue to lead by example.
Dr Abdulrahman Al Awar, Minister of Human Resources and Emiratisation, said hosting the event will help drive significant investment in a sustainable economy.
Hussain bin Ibrahim Al Hammadi, Minister of Education, said the event will encourage students to work towards UN sustainable development goals.
Among other ministers who congratulated the UAE were Dr Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi, Minister of State for Entrepreneurship and SMEs; Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of State for Foreign Trade; Sarah bint Yousif Al Amiri, Minister of State for Advanced Technology; Sarah bint Yousif Al Amiri, Minister of State for Advanced Technology; Omar bin Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy, and Teleworking Applications; and Ahmed Ali Al Sayegh, Minister of State.
Business leaders also hailed the UAE's winning bid, calling it "an important milestone in the country's global climate change leadership journey".
Awaidha Murshed Al Marar, chairman of the Abu Dhabi Department of Energy, said: "We congratulate our leadership and our people for being the first GCC state to preside over Cop28 in 2023."
Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi, chief executive of Masdar, said Cop28 selection was the culmination of a successful journey for the Emirates.
“The United Arab Emirates being selected as the host nation for COP28 in 2023 reflects the vision and foresight of our leadership in starting the UAE on the path to a sustainable future many years ago,” he said.
Abdulnasser Bin Kalban, chief executive of Emirates Global Aluminium, and Sheikha Shamma bint Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, founder and CEO of Alliances for Global Sustainability, congratulated the leadership.
Dr Shaikha Salem Al Dhaheri, secretary general of the Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi, and Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, chief executive of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority, said the victory is in line with the country’s goal to achieve climate neutrality by 2050.
Dr Abdulla Al Mandous, director of NCM, Mohamed Ibrahim Al Hammadi, managing director and CEO of the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation, Dr Nawal Al Hosany, the UAE’s permanent representative to the International Renewable Energy Agency, and Peng Xiao, Group CEO of G42, hailed the big achievement.
Key elements of the motion on the Emirates read that the UNFCCC “accepts with appreciation the offer of the government of the United Arab Emirates to host the 28th session of the Conference of the Parties, the 18th session of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the parties to the Kyoto Protocol and the fifth session of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the parties to the Paris Agreement from Monday, 6 November, to Friday, 17 November 2023".
Greta Thunberg at Cop26 - in pictures
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
What is graphene?
Graphene is extracted from graphite and is made up of pure carbon.
It is 200 times more resistant than steel and five times lighter than aluminum.
It conducts electricity better than any other material at room temperature.
It is thought that graphene could boost the useful life of batteries by 10 per cent.
Graphene can also detect cancer cells in the early stages of the disease.
The material was first discovered when Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov were 'playing' with graphite at the University of Manchester in 2004.
RedCrow Intelligence Company Profile
Started: 2016
Founders: Hussein Nasser Eddin, Laila Akel, Tayeb Akel
Based: Ramallah, Palestine
Sector: Technology, Security
# of staff: 13
Investment: $745,000
Investors: Palestine’s Ibtikar Fund, Abu Dhabi’s Gothams and angel investors
The%20specs
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The%20specs
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The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
21 Lessons for the 21st Century
Yuval Noah Harari, Jonathan Cape
Know before you go
- Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
- If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
- By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
- Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
- Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
The%20specs
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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.
Greatest Royal Rumble results
John Cena pinned Triple H in a singles match
Cedric Alexander retained the WWE Cruiserweight title against Kalisto
Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt win the Raw Tag Team titles against Cesaro and Sheamus
Jeff Hardy retained the United States title against Jinder Mahal
Bludgeon Brothers retain the SmackDown Tag Team titles against the Usos
Seth Rollins retains the Intercontinental title against The Miz, Finn Balor and Samoa Joe
AJ Styles remains WWE World Heavyweight champion after he and Shinsuke Nakamura are both counted out
The Undertaker beats Rusev in a casket match
Brock Lesnar retains the WWE Universal title against Roman Reigns in a steel cage match
Braun Strowman won the 50-man Royal Rumble by eliminating Big Cass last
Get Out
Director: Jordan Peele
Stars: Daniel Kaluuya, Allison Williams, Catherine Keener, Bradley Whitford
Four stars
Honeymoonish
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Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
The%20Roundup
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Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere
Director: Scott Cooper
Starring: Jeremy Allen White, Odessa Young, Jeremy Strong
Rating: 4/5
Wicked: For Good
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater
Rating: 4/5
Heather, the Totality
Matthew Weiner,
Canongate
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 247hp at 6,500rpm
Torque: 370Nm from 1,500-3,500rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 7.8L/100km
Price: from Dh94,900
On sale: now
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
hall of shame
SUNDERLAND 2002-03
No one has ended a Premier League season quite like Sunderland. They lost each of their final 15 games, taking no points after January. They ended up with 19 in total, sacking managers Peter Reid and Howard Wilkinson and losing 3-1 to Charlton when they scored three own goals in eight minutes.
SUNDERLAND 2005-06
Until Derby came along, Sunderland’s total of 15 points was the Premier League’s record low. They made it until May and their final home game before winning at the Stadium of Light while they lost a joint record 29 of their 38 league games.
HUDDERSFIELD 2018-19
Joined Derby as the only team to be relegated in March. No striker scored until January, while only two players got more assists than goalkeeper Jonas Lossl. The mid-season appointment Jan Siewert was to end his time as Huddersfield manager with a 5.3 per cent win rate.
ASTON VILLA 2015-16
Perhaps the most inexplicably bad season, considering they signed Idrissa Gueye and Adama Traore and still only got 17 points. Villa won their first league game, but none of the next 19. They ended an abominable campaign by taking one point from the last 39 available.
FULHAM 2018-19
Terrible in different ways. Fulham’s total of 26 points is not among the lowest ever but they contrived to get relegated after spending over £100 million (Dh457m) in the transfer market. Much of it went on defenders but they only kept two clean sheets in their first 33 games.
LA LIGA: Sporting Gijon, 13 points in 1997-98.
BUNDESLIGA: Tasmania Berlin, 10 points in 1965-66
Company%20profile
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What is dialysis?
Dialysis is a way of cleaning your blood when your kidneys fail and can no longer do the job.
It gets rid of your body's wastes, extra salt and water, and helps to control your blood pressure. The main cause of kidney failure is diabetes and hypertension.
There are two kinds of dialysis — haemodialysis and peritoneal.
In haemodialysis, blood is pumped out of your body to an artificial kidney machine that filter your blood and returns it to your body by tubes.
In peritoneal dialysis, the inside lining of your own belly acts as a natural filter. Wastes are taken out by means of a cleansing fluid which is washed in and out of your belly in cycles.
It isn’t an option for everyone but if eligible, can be done at home by the patient or caregiver. This, as opposed to home haemodialysis, is covered by insurance in the UAE.
