The Sharjah Electricity, Water and Gas Authority (SEWA) has finalised a AED35 million project to extend natural gas services to residential districts in Dibba Al Hisn, marking a significant step in the emirate’s push for cleaner, more sustainable energy infrastructure. The Sharjah Electricity, Water and Gas Authority has wrapped up…
As Abu Dhabi marks Union Pledge Day, energy officials highlight the ongoing commitment to sustainable growth, technological innovation, and resilience, building on the UAE’s founding principles to meet future challenges. On Union Pledge Day, Abu Dhabi’s energy leaders framed the occasion as both a celebration of the UAE’s founding and…
Huawei’s new FusionSolar 9.0 platform aims to revolutionise utility-scale solar projects across the Middle East by integrating advanced grid-forming technology, digital management tools, and lifecycle performance enhancements to meet the region’s evolving energy demands. Huawei’s Digital Power division has rolled out its FusionSolar 9.0 Smart PV Solution in Dubai, leveraging…
The UAE has become the highest-ranked Arab nation in the 2026 Environmental Performance Index, reflecting significant investments and policy shifts towards sustainability, including waste management, biodiversity, and renewable energy expansion. The UAE has become the highest-ranked Arab nation in the 2026 Environmental Performance Index , and honestly, that really highlights…
Naseej advances its mission to create a sustainable textile sector in the UAE through 14 strategic collaborations spanning public and private sectors, aiming to develop a comprehensive circular economy model with pilot projects and policy support. Naseej’s drive to develop a circular textile economy in the UAE has now moved…
Positive Zero’s new loan facility marks the first of its kind in the Middle East, signalling increasing confidence in decentralised renewable projects across the GCC as part of the region’s energy transition. Positive Zero has successfully secured a $375 million loan facility, a move that will bolster decentralised energy infrastructure…
As UAE’s insurance industry adopts AI-driven ESG scores, companies face a new era of risk management where sustainability performance directly influences coverage and costs, aligning with national climate goals and transforming underwriting practices. For many years now, corporate insurance underwriting in the UAE has been built on tried-and-true pillars: balance…
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Abu Dhabi creates the most detailed oyster bed map to support marine conservation and climate goals
The Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi has completed an extensive survey mapping 334 oyster beds across the emirate’s waters, integrating traditional knowledge with advanced scientific techniques to bolster ecological and climate resilience efforts. The Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi has recently wrapped up a multi-year project to map out oyster beds across the emirate’s marine waters , and, according to them, it’s now the most detailed scientific record of this habitat’s distribution to date. The survey was initially designed in 2022 and then carried out between 2023 and the end of 2025. It brought together old knowledge and modern field…
Energy companies in the UAE are being advised to act quickly and document their R&D activities meticulously to capitalise on the country’s new tax incentives, as delays could cost millions. The regime, launching in 2026, offers up to 50% tax credits for qualifying innovative projects in the hydrocarbons sector, contingent on staffing and proper approval processes. Energy companies operating in the UAE are being encouraged to act quickly if they want to capture some value from the country’s new research and development tax credit, as advisers warn that delaying could leave them with millions of dirhams unclaimed. The regime, which…
Dubai’s water strategy accelerates with global partnerships and innovative desalination technologies
Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) is expanding its international ties and adopting cutting-edge, renewable-powered desalination methods as part of its long-term water resilience and climate goals, positioning the emirate as a global leader in sustainable water management. Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) is really stepping up its ties with the World Water Council as the emirate sharpens its long-term plans for water security, efficiency, and low-carbon desalination. Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, DEWA’s managing director and CEO, recently met with Loïc Fauchon, the president of the World Water Council, right in Dubai. They discussed what both sides describe as…
BEEAH and Etihad Water and Electricity have signed a joint agreement to expand sewage treatment capacity in Sharjah, signalling a shift towards integrated and sustainable water resource management in the UAE. BEEAH and Etihad Water and Electricity have recently come to an agreement to collaborate on expanding sewage treatment capacity in Sharjah, a move that highlights how wastewater is increasingly becoming a more strategic part of the UAE’s water system. The two organisations, through EtihadWE’s development and investment division, signed a Joint Development Agreement. This covers not just the operation of existing treatment assets but also plans to expand the…
UAE's RAINLAND project explores land modifications to stimulate rainfall in dry climates
The UAE’s latest scientific initiative, RAINLAND, investigates whether altering land cover and terrain could influence rainfall, marking a shift towards understanding land-atmosphere interactions for water security in dry regions. The UAE Research Program for Rain Enhancement Science has rolled out its sixth cycle project, called RAINLAND. This new initiative pushes beyond the usual focus on cloud microphysics and delves into how land itself might influence rainfall. Basically, it’s about exploring whether altering land cover and terrain could actually encourage rain under specific atmospheric conditions. The project, formally named “Rainfall Enhancement through Modification of Land Cover and Land Form,” was announced…
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The UAE has unveiled the Global Youth Envoys for Water initiative, aiming to empower young leaders from vulnerable regions to influence global water governance ahead of the 2026 UN Water Conference in Abu Dhabi. The UAE has introduced a new initiative aimed at involving younger voices in global water diplomacy,…
ENOC’s partnership with EVS aims to expand quick and specialised maintenance services for electric vehicles across key regions in the UAE, signalling a significant step towards integrated electric mobility support. ENOC has partnered up with EVS to expand access to quick maintenance services for electric vehicles right here in the…
The Dubai Future Foundation’s fifth edition of its foresight report emphasises actionable strategies and global collaborations to capitalise on technological and systemic opportunities shaping the future of the UAE and beyond. The Dubai Future Foundation has recently published the fifth edition of its flagship foresight report, broadening its focus on…
Masdar has reached financial close on a landmark $6.1 billion solar and battery storage project in Abu Dhabi, aiming to deliver around-the-clock renewable power and reinforce the UAE’s shift towards sustainable energy. Masdar has officially reached financial close on a massive $6.1 billion solar and battery storage project in Abu…
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A Dubai-based biotech firm is turning date palm residues into biofertilisers, boosting crop yields and soil health for thousands of small farmers, as part of a broader push towards a circular economy and climate resilience in the region. Dubai’s efforts to turn agricultural waste into a climate-smart business seem to be gaining real momentum, with a biotech start-up now transforming date palm residues into biofertilisers , a move that’s boosted crop yields, improved soils, and brought thousands of small farmers into a more circular production cycle. The company, called B-Vita, has been recognised as part of Dubai Future Solutions –…
Scientists in the UAE are exploring the possibility of using large-scale solar photovoltaic installations not only to produce energy but also to influence local atmospheric conditions and trigger rainfall, offering a novel approach to water scarcity in desert regions. Water is increasingly taking centre stage in the climate and technology debates, and the UAE is testing out an idea , honestly, it sounds more like science fiction than straight-up infrastructure , that involves using massive solar parks to help generate rain. The bigger picture here is rather stark, actually. According to the World Resources Institute, domestic water demand has skyrocketed…
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Chinese marques take roughly 17.5% of UAE new-car market as BYD and dealers scale showrooms and fleets
Industry estimates put Chinese-made brands at about 15-20% of new-car sales in H1 2025 as BYD and other Chinese manufacturers push EV line-ups, showrooms, fleet deals and after-sales support. The market gains reflect product and battery improvements and dealer investment, but sustained growth depends on faster expansion of charging and service networks. Chinese-made cars have moved from a marginal presence to a more solid footprint in the UAE’s new-car market. According to estimates cited by Al‑Futtaim Automotive, Chinese marques accounted for roughly 15–20% of first-half 2025 new-car sales — an average of about 17.5% — a shift industry executives say…
UAE becomes testbed for circular plastic pallets as logistics boom and Net Zero drive market to USD 174m
Astute Analytica forecasts the UAE plastic‑pallet market to rise from about USD 103.09m in 2024 to roughly USD 174.47m by 2033 (CAGR 6.25%), driven by the country’s logistics hubs, e‑commerce growth and Net Zero 2050 policies. Manufacturers and recyclers are ramping up recycled‑content and novel recycling technologies, but feedstock quality, sorting and capital intensity remain barriers to true circular scaling. Market research firm Astute Analytica, based in India, released figures earlier this year that place the United Arab Emirates’ plastic pallets market at about USD 103.09 million in 2024. The same projection, now summarized in GLOBAL RECYCLING magazine’s February 2025…
Dubai's RTA completes second-phase LED retrofit across metro, reports 16.7 million kilowatt-hours saved
The Roads and Transport Authority says it has replaced 12,768 conventional fixtures in phase two — bringing the total to 19,968 LED lamps on the Red and Green lines and associated facilities — and recorded roughly 16.7 million kilowatt-hours saved over two years (about AED 7.6m avoided costs and c.7,283 tonnes of CO2). The RTA plans a third phase and wider solar roll‑out, though some of the Authority’s published figures mix power and energy units and warrant closer technical scrutiny. Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has wrapped up the second phase of a major energy-saving lighting programme across its…
Farmers in Abu Dhabi’s Al Dhafra are using clear and black plastic covers to solarise and thermally sterilise soils during peak summer, reducing soil-borne pests without chemical fumigants and pointing to gains from sensors and biodegradable films. Farmers in Abu Dhabi’s Al Dhafra region are deliberately turning the UAE’s summer heat into a farm-management tool. In reports carried by Al Etihad, growers say they cover prepared beds with plastic sheeting to solarize soils and, inside protected houses, use black covers to thermally sterilise the ground. The aim, they say, is to cut soil-borne pests, weed seed banks, and pathogens ahead…
University of Sharjah and IBM unveil My FarmWell to steer irrigation decisions in water‑stressed MENA
Launched on 11 August 2025, My FarmWell is a bilingual mobile app built by the University of Sharjah with pro bono support from IBM’s Sustainability Accelerator, combining IBM’s Environmental Intelligence Suite, cloud hosting and a Welly chatbot to deliver location‑specific forecasts, well‑level monitoring, a water‑quality index, crop recommendations and market feeds. The partners say the tool can help farmers in the Near East and North Africa make daily irrigation and cropping decisions, but experts warn that sensors, connectivity, data governance and long‑term funding will determine whether it scales beyond pilots. Honestly, researchers in the United Arab Emirates have rolled out…
Gulf governments are shifting from hydrocarbon suppliers to capital exporters, using sovereign funds, trade pacts and legal reform to channel long‑dated investment into Asian infrastructure, tech and green projects. The move creates fresh co‑investment and diversification opportunities — but execution, governance and geopolitical risks will determine which strategies deliver returns. The Middle East is no longer just a supplier of hydrocarbons; it is positioning itself as a capital exporter and a strategic partner for Asia’s growth economies. Over the past decade Gulf states have moved beyond rhetoric to reshape trade architectures, legal frameworks and sovereign investment strategies in ways that…
Moro Hub awards Green Certificate to Imperium for hosting with projected 43,969 kgCO₂e saving
Moro Hub has presented a Green Certificate to Dubai‑based Imperium Software Technologies for hosting workloads on its solar‑powered Green Cloud, saying the arrangement will avoid roughly 43,969 kgCO₂e of emissions between 1 March 2022 and 31 May 2027. The award is pitched as part of the UAE’s Net Zero 2050 agenda, but the announcement cites a projected saving and does not disclose the methodology or any independent verification of the figure. Moro Hub, the cloud and data‑centre arm of Digital DEWA, has presented a Green Certificate to Dubai‑based Imperium Software Technologies in recognition of the firm’s decision to host sustainable…
Emerge and EDB sign exploratory MoU to pair developer pipeline with state-backed finance for UAE C&I solar
Emerge, the Masdar–EDF joint venture, has signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding with Emirates Development Bank to explore developing and financing distributed solar for commercial and industrial customers across the UAE. The deal seeks to combine Emerge’s turnkey delivery model with EDB’s capital — part of the bank’s drive to mobilise more than AED 60 billion for industrial growth — but any tangible impact will hinge on converting proposals into funded, executed projects and the terms of offered finance. Emerge, the joint venture between Abu Dhabi’s Masdar and France’s EDF Group, has signed a memorandum of understanding with Emirates Development…
Orral Nadjari resurfaces in Gulf with secretive premium battery venture after Britishvolt collapse
Orral Nadjari, the founder of collapsed battery start‑up Britishvolt, has reappeared in the Gulf with an unnamed company claiming a 40,000–50,000m² factory footprint and plans to develop IP and cells for premium EVs, robotics and eVTOLs. He frames the shift as a response to Gulf industrial policy and patient capital, but secrecy over backers and timetables — and the legacy of Britishvolt’s failure — leave key questions unresolved.Orral Nadjari, the entrepreneur best known for launching the ill‑fated British gigafactory project, has quietly resurfaced in the Gulf with a new, unnamed battery venture that he says is already building factory capacity…
Singaporean VFlowTech plots Gulf push after US$20.5m raise to sell vanadium flow batteries to AI and desalination projects
The Singapore startup has secured US$20.5m to scale its PowerCube VRFB systems and target heat‑tolerant, recyclable long‑duration storage for data centres, desalination and industrial sites in the Middle East, while exploring local vanadium recovery and regional manufacturing. Singaporean startup VFlowTech is making a deliberate push into the Gulf, pitching vanadium redox flow batteries as a climate-tech fit for the Middle East’s distinctive energy challenges. The company, led by CEO and co‑founder Avishek Kumar, says its PowerCube systems can deliver long‑duration, safe, recyclable storage at ambient temperatures that would stress typical lithium‑ion setups. Kumar, speaking with TahawulTech, says the move follows…

