Britain is expected to beat Spain in the race to build batteries for Jaguar Land Rover in a deal that has been described as the “most significant for decades”.
The owner of the car maker, Tata, is reportedly poised to finalise the deal to build a multibillion-pound factory in Somerset, with its chairman scheduled to meet British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak next week.
Tata was believed to be considering another site in Spain, which is a member of the European Union, unlike Britain, with both governments dangling hefty subsidies in a bid to secure a deal.
But the Indian conglomerate is thought to have come down in favour of the UK, a decision said to have been swayed by financial support reportedly amounting to £500 million ($617 million) that was on the table.
Up to 9,000 jobs would be created at the site in Bridgewater, Somerset and it comes after Jaguar announced it would invest £15 billion ($18 billion) to make electric cars in the UK.
David Bailey, an expert on the UK’s car industry from the University of Birmingham, compared the deal to that which brought Nissan to Britain in the 1980s, which came after years of seemingly terminal decline.
“If this deal goes ahead, it will be one of the most significant investments in the UK automotive industry in decades,” Prof Bailey told The National.
“It will create thousands of jobs in battery assembly and in the supply chain but also it’s critical because it anchors Jaguar Land Rover car production in the UK.
“My real fear was that if the investment in battery manufacture had gone to the EU, that car assembly would have followed it."
The proposed deal comes after a series of setbacks for the car battery industry in the UK.
Stellantis, one of the world's largest car makers, warned it would be unable to keep its commitment to make electric cars in the UK and could have to close factories without changes to the Brexit deal.
A start-up called Britishvolt, which had promised to build a massive battery factory in the north-east of England, went out of business this year.
Prof Bailey said the country is faring “badly” when it comes to encouraging the manufacture of car batteries although the deal means the UK is now beginning to play catch up with the US and Europe.
Be deal in Somerset, the only battery plant project underway in the UK was the Envision plant near Sunderland.
“Yet there are 35-40 gigafactories being built or planned in the EU, so the UK is well behind.
“Also massive investment in the US on the back of Biden’s Inflation reduction act. That’s been a huge game changer for getting investment in the US. Also, there’s huge investment in China.
“The UK has been standing on the sidelines watching and I think finally, with two investments planned, it’s starting to move.”
He called for “substantial” financial support and a reduction in energy costs if Britain is to catch up, as well as a re-examination of post-Brexit trade rules to make trade with the EU easier.
Just exactly how much the UK government is subsidising the factory is unclear but the deal is tied to providing financial support to Tata to de-carbonise it steel making plant in south Wales.
According to the BBC, along with additional energy discounts, it will bring the total incentive package £800 million to Tata close to ($990 million).
That compares to the US Inflation Reduction Act which paves the way for offering £299 billion ($370billion) in subsidies to companies to locate production and supply chains to America.
Brief scores:
Day 1
Toss: India, chose to bat
India (1st innings): 215-2 (89 ov)
Agarwal 76, Pujara 68 not out; Cummins 2-40
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Abu Dhabi GP weekend schedule
Friday
First practice, 1pm
Second practice, 5pm
Saturday
Final practice, 2pm
Qualifying, 5pm
Sunday
Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (55 laps), 5.10pm
The Vile
Starring: Bdoor Mohammad, Jasem Alkharraz, Iman Tarik, Sarah Taibah
Director: Majid Al Ansari
Rating: 4/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Biography
Favourite book: Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
Holiday choice: Anything Disney-related
Proudest achievement: Receiving a presidential award for foreign services.
Family: Wife and three children.
Like motto: You always get what you ask for, the universe listens.
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
Where to donate in the UAE
The Emirates Charity Portal
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
Al Noor Special Needs Centre
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
Emirates Airline Foundation
Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.
Emirates Red Crescent
On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.
Gulf for Good
Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.
Noor Dubai Foundation
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
More from Aya Iskandarani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
More coverage from the Future Forum
Wicked: For Good
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater
Rating: 4/5
THE BIO
Age: 33
Favourite quote: “If you’re going through hell, keep going” Winston Churchill
Favourite breed of dog: All of them. I can’t possibly pick a favourite.
Favourite place in the UAE: The Stray Dogs Centre in Umm Al Quwain. It sounds predictable, but it honestly is my favourite place to spend time. Surrounded by hundreds of dogs that love you - what could possibly be better than that?
Favourite colour: All the colours that dogs come in
More on Quran memorisation:
Read more from Aya Iskandarani
Donating your hair
• Your hair should be least 30 cms long, as some of the hair is lost during manufacturing of the wigs.
• Clean, dry hair in good condition (no split ends) from any gender, and of any natural colour, is required.
• Straight, wavy, curly, permed or chemically straightened is permitted.
• Dyed hair must be of a natural colour
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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United States
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2.
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China
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3.
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UAE
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4.
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Japan
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5
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Norway
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6.
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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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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.
