11:36 pm - October 18, 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…
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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…
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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,…
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PwC’s Value in Motion study models three trajectories for AI adoption and climate policy in the Middle East, forecasting an 8.3% productivity uplift and a possible GDP of US$4.68 trillion by 2035 under a trust-based transformation. Decarbonisation costs could shave about 5.2% and widen the gap to US$232 billion between best and worst outcomes, underscoring the role of governance, investment and human capital policy. PwC’s Value in Motion study, issued in July 2025, sketches a future for the Middle East in which AI-driven productivity gains and decisive climate action could lift the region’s GDP to about US$4.68 trillion by 2035…
EWEC has issued the RFP for the Al Nouf Independent Power Producer project, a 3.3 GW carbon-capture-ready gas-turbine site designed to include seawater cooling and desalination. Bidders are invited to integrate AI and digital-twin technologies to lift performance and resilience, within a private-public ownership framework backing the UAE’s decarbonisation and renewables integration, with commercial operations slated for 2029 and responses due in late 2025. Emirates Water and Electricity Company (EWEC) has released a formal Request for Proposals for the Al Nouf Independent Power Producer project, framing it as the UAE’s largest single-site carbon-capture-ready gas-turbine facility. The Al Nouf Complex, set…
Remote-sensing satellites MBZ-Sat and Etihad-Sat are expanding the UAE’s sovereign data ecosystem, enabling real-time decisions across farming, water management, urban planning and disaster response while boosting the UAE’s bid to become a global space hub. The United Arab Emirates is widening its lead in space‑enabled governance, using remote sensing to guide decisions across agriculture, water management, urban planning, climate resilience and disaster response. A government‑backed push over the past decade has yielded a fleet of high‑tech Earth‑observation satellites, led by MBZ‑Sat and Al‑Ittihad Sat, with fresh capabilities added by Etihad‑Sat to cover all‑weather imaging gaps. The broader aim, officials say,…
Power has become the defining currency of the AI infrastructure era, with Google’s demand-response expansion across its data centres, Equinix courting near-site nuclear capacity, and policy and supply-chain shifts reshaping where and when the next wave of AI facilities can break ground. Beneath the gloss of a rapid AI upcycle, there’s a tighter constraint at work that could reshape how quickly and where the data-center boom lands: power. As hyperscalers push toward gigawatt‑scale campuses, the grid itself is turning into a strategic bottleneck. Google has begun to scale demand response across its AI data centers, nudging machines to yield capacity…
DEWA’s chief executive and Microsoft UAE’s general manager met at DEWA’s headquarters on 17 August 2025 to deepen collaboration on AI, cloud computing, data analytics and cybersecurity, aiming to speed Dubai’s transition to a smarter, more sustainable energy and water system. DEWA and Microsoft UAE deepen collaboration during Aug 17 meeting at DEWA HQ DEWA’s chief executive met Microsoft UAE’s general manager at the utility’s headquarters on 17 August 2025 to deepen collaboration on digital transformation and innovation, underscoring how Dubai aims to accelerate its transition to a smarter, more sustainable energy and water system. The discussion centered on embracing…
Dubai hosts the 11th World Green Economy Summit, focusing on technology transfer, finance and inclusive action to speed the transition to a low-carbon economy. The 11th World Green Economy Summit is set to take place in the United Arab Emirates on October 1–2, 2025, at the Dubai World Trade Centre. Organised under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the event is being guided by the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy, Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), and the World Green Economy Organization (WGEO). The official theme is “Innovating for Impact: Accelerating the Future of the…
A UAE weekly round-up shows Dubai and Abu Dhabi expanding sustainable infrastructure, speeding digital government services, and pursuing cross-border growth—from district cooling and luxury real estate to regional data-centre investments and trade missions. The UAE’s latest weekly business round-up paints a portrait of sustained growth across infrastructure, real estate, logistics and digital services, anchored by Dubai’s and Abu Dhabi’s ongoing push to diversify and modernise their economies. The issue dated 18 August 2025 collates developments that show how public bodies and private investors are aligning on sustainability, efficiency and cross-border opportunity. Empower’s district cooling expansion in Dubai’s science precinct Empower…
Abu Dhabi’s air quality ranked among the world’s worst in August 2025, underscoring a regional surge in PM and dust pollution and prompting calls for data-driven, cross-border policy action.Abu Dhabi among the world’s most polluted cities in August 2025 Abu Dhabi’s appearance in August 2025, when the air quality index hovered around 135 (classified as Poor) and the city ranked among the top ten most polluted, highlights a widening regional challenge. This isn’t just a story about one city climbing the rankings, right? It sits within a broader pattern: a large share of today’s worst air quality is coming from…
Dubai’s Hassyan SWRO project, the world’s largest under the IWP model, is now around 78% complete with a 2027 finish targeted, underpinning a push to lift capacity to 735 MIGD by 2030 and power desalination with a clean-energy mix. Dubai’s push to strengthen water security while trimming energy use is playing out at the Hassyan complex, where the first phase of the 180 MIGD seawater desalination plant is taking shape under the Independent Water Producer (IWP) model. DEWA says the project is now about 78% complete and remains on track for a first-quarter 2027 finish, underscoring Dubai’s aim to lift…
Global nuclear output rose to a record in 2024, led by Asia and the Middle East as Western fleets age and policy headwinds bite; new-builds such as Barakah and Vogtle signal a shift in the energy balance. Global nuclear power output climbed to a new high in 2024, though the gains weren’t felt evenly across regions. Estimates differ slightly depending on the method used, but the core message is consistent: expansion was broad-based, with non-OECD countries doing most of the heavy lifting while the traditional Western leaders faced aging fleets, policy headwinds, and, in some cases, retirements. Global annual output…
