12:47 am - October 17, 2026Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority has begun a four-week Dubai autonomous transit trial at Bluewaters, testing driverless electric pods on a dedicated guideway that could shape future clean mobility links across the emirate. Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) announced on 11 October the start of a four-week trial of…
Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority will host the emirate’s first Dubai electric vehicle exhibition and conference from 10 to 12 November, with more than 300 participants and 10,000 visitors expected at the trade centre. Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) announced on 4 October that it will organise the inaugural…
Holcim UAE and 44.01 have formally commissioned the UAE’s first industrial Fujairah carbon capture pilot, which stores cement plant CO2 in underground rock and gives heavy industry a working template for Net Zero 2050. Holcim UAE and carbon storage company 44.01 officially commissioned the UAE’s first live-condition carbon capture and…
The Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi has introduced mandatory emissions verification rules requiring high-emitting facilities to register, report and use accredited verifiers under a new digital tracking system. The Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD) has issued a resolution making emissions verification compulsory for facilities in the emirate’s highest-emitting sectors,…
UAE green sukuk issuance fell to zero in the first half of 2026, Moody’s said, down from 1.7 billion US dollars a year earlier, as GCC issuers pulled back and awaited a second-half recovery. UAE green sukuk issuance dropped to zero in the first half of 2026, according to a…
Emirates Water and Electricity Company projects Abu Dhabi carbon emissions falling by more than 45% by 2035, as solar capacity expands to over 35 gigawatts and battery storage reaches up to 15 gigawatts. Emirates Water and Electricity Company (EWEC) announced on 21 September a forecast cut in Abu Dhabi carbon…
Nasdaq-listed Beam Global has signed a memorandum of understanding with Masdar City Free Zone to bring off-grid EV charging and energy storage technology into the Masdar City ecosystem in Abu Dhabi. Beam Global (Nasdaq: BEEM) and its regional arm, Beam Middle East, have signed a memorandum of understanding with Masdar…
Top stories
Abu Dhabi solar capacity is set to expand by 3GW a year, the emirate’s energy chief says, as its clean energy share hits 47% and desalination shifts to reverse osmosis by 2035. Abu Dhabi’s Department of Energy has set out plans to add 3GW of solar capacity a year, backed by round-the-clock battery storage, as part of a decade-long shift that has already lifted the emirate’s clean energy share, including nuclear, from 1% to 47%. In a 17 September interview, department chairman Abdulla Humaid Al Jarwan said the emirate would keep expanding Abu Dhabi solar capacity while pushing almost all…
Emirates Biotech and United Arab Emirates University have opened a pilot plant near Al Ain that converts food waste to biogas and compost, testing whether packaging waste can be processed alongside it too. Emirates Biotech and United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) have launched a joint pilot project to convert food waste to biogas and compost at what they describe as the UAE’s first integrated organic-waste valorisation plant. Sited near UAEU’s Al Ain campus, the plant will process up to 40kg of organic waste a day. The partnership was launched at UAEU with value-chain stakeholders including the Emirates Environmental Group, Hotpack,…
Dubai Municipality has launched an Existing Buildings Greening Guide, giving owners, operators and investors a practical framework for green building retrofits that cut energy and water use and emissions. Dubai Municipality has launched an Existing Buildings Greening Guide across the emirate on 16 September, giving building owners, operators, consultants and investors a practical roadmap for green building retrofits that improve environmental and operational performance. The civic body said the guide supports its wider objectives for sustainable urban development and a better quality of life across Dubai. The guide sets out best practice for green building retrofits while balancing sustainability requirements…
The Mohamed bin Zayed Water Initiative has signed a two-year partnership with the World Economic Forum to accelerate UAE water innovation and connect solutions with the financing and markets needed to scale them. The Mohamed bin Zayed Water Initiative announced on 15 September that it has signed a partnership agreement with the World Economic Forum to speed the adoption and deployment of practical water solutions, extending the Abu Dhabi initiative’s reach into the global water innovation ecosystem. The agreement runs for two years, through September 2028, and centres on closing a persistent gap between promising water technologies and the financing,…
Khalifa University has launched a UNESCO Chair on Global Water Resilience, uniting research, policy and industry to strengthen UAE water security ahead of the UN Water Conference in Abu Dhabi this December. Khalifa University has established the UNESCO Chair on Global Water Resilience, Innovation and Sustainable Solutions, a UAE-anchored platform intended to connect scientific research with policy and industry on water treatment, desalination, wastewater reuse and governance. The university announced the Chair on 30 June, framing it as a direct contribution to UAE water security ahead of the 2026 UN Water Conference, which the UAE co-hosts with Senegal in Abu…
Energy Minister Suhail Al Mazrouei told WAM the UAE has lifted its combined nuclear and renewables target to 35% by 2030-2031, saying new plants and private competition will deliver it.
The Abu Dhabi Fund for Development wants to mobilise $2bn by 2030 through its Global Water Platform, half of it the Fund’s own money, to reach 10 million people with safe water. The Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD) has named the Abu Dhabi Global Water Platform as the main…
Hub71’s renewed Initiate programme draws over 5,500 applications, highlighting growing demand for structured early-stage startup support in Abu Dhabi, with new ventures like Prism56 exemplifying regional innovation and AI adoption. Hub71 is expanding its Initiate programme after attracting over 5,500 applications from founders in the very early stages of building…
Researchers at United Arab Emirates University have created a sustainable catalyst using desert sand, biochar from date pits, and nickel, offering a local solution for clean-energy technologies and resource efficiency. Researchers over at United Arab Emirates University have come up with a pretty interesting green catalyst. It’s made from desert…
Deep dive with
our insights
Startups in Abu Dhabi’s Hub71 ecosystem have raised more than $2.7bn since 2019, with its ClimateTech vertical part of a specialist strategy as the emirate works to diversify its economy. Startups based at Hub71, Abu Dhabi’s government-backed technology ecosystem, have raised more than $2.7bn (AED 9.9bn) since the platform opened in 2019, according to figures published on 8 June in the hub’s 2025 Impact Report. The same companies generated $1.5bn (AED 5.4bn) in revenue over the period. The totals mark a milestone in the emirate’s drive to build a diversified, innovation-led economy. The figures point to a startup base with…
Marafiq is set to build a new industrial desalination plant in Duqm, underscoring the growing importance of integrated water services for Oman’s emerging low-carbon heavy industry sector and supporting Meranti Green Steel’s ambitious project aiming for mid-2029 completion. Marafiq is gearing up to build a new industrial desalination plant in Duqm, which really highlights just how crucial water infrastructure has become for the region’s emerging low-carbon heavy industry sector. The Centralised Utilities Company for the Special Economic Zone at Duqm will handle the financing and development of this facility, and it’s meant to serve Meranti Green Steel’s upcoming iron project,…
All stories
A new forecast by DNV predicts the Middle East and North Africa will add hundreds of gigawatts of solar capacity by 2040, transforming regional energy systems with larger projects, integrated storage, and industrial growth. A significant new forecast paints a picture of a sweeping expansion of solar energy across the Middle East and North Africa, with ripple effects that could touch everything from energy systems and storage markets to regional industries. According to a report by DNV, the MENA region might add roughly 860 GW of new solar photovoltaic capacity by 2040. That’s a big transformation, one that would change…
Gheras Agricultural’s innovative desert farming project in Al Dhaid showcases cutting-edge renewable energy use and efficient resource management, aiming to transform Gulf agriculture and strengthen local food security. Gheras Agricultural Company is currently running a pilot project, a solar-powered, research-driven farming cluster located in Al Dhaid. The goal here is to show how desert farming could be scaled up, all while cutting down on resource use and fostering stronger links between universities and practical, hands-on training. The project, which covers a big area of about 32 hectares, includes greenhouses, open fields, a processing plant for honey-based therapeutic products, and educational…
Wärtsilä partners with Abu Dhabi Maritime Academy to boost sustainable, low-carbon maritime operations through digital tools, smart port solutions, and enhanced training, signalling a regional shift towards greener shipping in the Gulf. Wärtsilä and Abu Dhabi Maritime Academy (ADMA) have agreed to work together over the next five years, with the aim of speeding up the UAE’s shift toward more sustainable, lower-carbon maritime operations. The memorandum of understanding, announced in February 2026, outlines their collaboration on decarbonisation, digitalisation, smart port solutions, and improving maritime training, and it also leaves room for possible extensions or updates that could expand the partnership’s…
Kerno Enterprises partners with Intel to establish the UAE’s first local production facility for enterprise servers, aiming to boost regional self-sufficiency, accelerate AI adoption, and support national industrial ambitions. Kerno Enterprises has stepped up its technical and manufacturing cooperation with Intel, part of a broader initiative to help the United Arab Emirates shift from being just a big importer of advanced tech to becoming a domestic producer of enterprise compute infrastructure. This renewed partnership, announced around the GITEX GLOBAL 2025 event, pairs Kerno’s new factory located in Dubai Silicon Oasis with Intel’s server platforms, aiming to supply locally built systems…
The United Arab Emirates is undertaking a major overhaul of its electricity system, integrating digital twins, AI, and sensors to optimise grid decarbonisation and support a digital economy, with Dubai leading the way in smart metering and AI trustworthiness. The United Arab Emirates is really moving past just making small upgrades here and there , instead, they’re aiming for a big-picture overhaul of their entire electricity system. This involves integrating digital twins, artificial intelligence, and deploying large amounts of sensors to handle a grid that’s rapidly decarbonizing. Basically, the goal is to weave together planning, building, and operating the grid…
Ashok Leyland plans to relocate part of its electric bus manufacturing for Europe to its Ras Al Khaimah plant within a year, boosting regional production and supply chain efficiency amid growing EV adoption. Ashok Leyland is gearing up to relocate part of its electric bus production destined for Europe to its plant in Ras Al Khaimah, in the United Arab Emirates. The company’s leadership says this move is scheduled to happen within the next 12 months. As reported by The New Indian Express, MD and CEO Shenu Agarwal confirmed the plan, highlighting the UAE facility as a regional hub for…
Fertiglobe is set to launch a 1 million tonne per annum low-carbon ammonia plant in Ruwais by 2027, leveraging existing infrastructure to cut costs and accelerate decarbonisation in the Gulf region’s nitrogen industry. Fertiglobe is quickly moving to commercialize lower-carbon ammonia in Ruwais, as part of a bigger effort to help ADNOC lead its downstream shift into sustainable nitrogen products. According to their fourth-quarter 2025 results filing with Zawya, the company’s Project Harvest, which involves a 1 million tonne per annum (mtpa) facility at the TA’ZIZ Industrial Chemicals Zone, is scheduled to begin operations in 2027. Construction kicked off in…
The UAE is rapidly advancing its green hydrogen strategy, aiming to become a major exporter by 2031, leveraging its desert sun and strategic position to decarbonise industries and boost its economy amid global decarbonisation drives. The UAE is really ramping up its efforts to invest in green hydrogen, viewing it both as a tool to cut down carbon emissions from industry and as a promising new pillar to boost its export economy. With plenty of sunlight, increasing renewable energy capacity, and a string of high-profile partnerships, the country is trying to leverage its strengths, developed during the fossil-fuel era, into…
The UAE launches a pioneering AI pilot project to reduce energy consumption and enhance resilience in its expanding data centre network, signalling a shift towards smarter, greener infrastructure. The UAE has kicked off some testing of artificial intelligence, aiming to lower energy consumption and boost resilience across its growing data center network. This move seems to signal a kind of push to balance the rapid growth in AI with the country’s goals around climate and efficiency. So, recently, the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, along with Khazna Data Centers and logistics company Agility, revealed a pilot project during the World…
A consortium led by Saur and including Etihad WE and TAQA Solutions has signed an innovative long-term deal to upgrade Ras Al Khaimah’s sewage infrastructure, signalling a shift towards private sector involvement in Gulf water services. A group led by French water operator Saur, along with Etihad Water and Electricity (Etihad WE) and TAQA Solutions, has signed a long-term deal with the Ras Al Khaimah Wastewater Authority (RAKWA). This partnership marks the emirate’s first major public–private initiative for sewage infrastructure. The agreement, structured as a DFBOMT , which covers design, financing, building, ownership, operation, maintenance, and eventual handover , aims…
