2:41 am - October 19, 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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Once niche, urban farming is scaling fast—driven by hydroponics, AI, automation and a surge in M&A—yet market definitions, energy costs and data gaps mean investors and policymakers, especially in the UAE, must prioritise renewables, aggregation and transparent metrics to turn pilots into profitable, low‑carbon food systems. The global urban farming market has shifted from niche to mainstream in under ten years, pushed by urban growth, a demand for fresher food, and a rapid infusion of automation and funding. A DataM Intelligence market overview puts the broader “urban farming” sector at about US$172.6 billion in 2024, with a forecast close to…
July’s reported $783m in MENA venture funding looked dramatic, but two mega‑rounds — led by Ninja and XPANCEO — drove the spike, exposing concentration risk and leaving questions over whether early‑stage momentum and funding for women‑led startups will follow. July 2025 brought a striking rebound for the Middle East and North Africa’s startup scene, though the glow was perhaps a touch misleading. Market trackers logged about $783 million in venture capital across 57 deals, a jump of roughly 1,411% from June. The surge looked impressive on the surface, but it hinged on a handful of very large rounds, which makes…
Indian EV maker Omega Seiki Mobility will invest US$25m to open its first overseas assembly and distribution facility in Jebel Ali Free Zone, aiming to serve the Middle East and Africa from late 2025 while creating more than 100 jobs and testing Dubai’s role as a regional clean‑tech manufacturing and logistics hub. Omega Seiki Mobility (OSM), the Indian maker of electric two‑ and three‑wheelers, has opened its first international assembly facility in Jebel Ali Free Zone (JAFZA), announcing a US$25 million (about AED 92 million) phased investment over five years. The company says the roughly 42,000‑plus square‑foot site will assemble…
AESG has appointed Adrian Hudson as Senior Associate Director in its Environment division to expand biodiversity, ecology and nature‑based solutions across Gulf infrastructure projects, signalling a shift from compliance reporting to integrated, science‑led ecological services amid rapid regional development and climate pressures. Against a regional construction surge and growing climate pressures, AESG has decided to deepen its ecological expertise in the Middle East by bringing Adrian Hudson into its Environment team — a move the firm says will strengthen its ability to fold biodiversity and nature-based solutions into large infrastructure programmes. Honestly, the timing feels right, given the pace of…
New analysis from The Report Cube forecasts the MEA smart water management market at about US$2.1bn in 2024 and a c.10.6% CAGR to 2032, with demand driven by acute regional water stress and a shift from pilots to large-scale digitalisation of desalination, networks and utilities — but skills shortages, environmental constraints and policy choices could temper uptake. A fresh market brief from The Report Cube suggests the MEA smart water management market is headed for rapid expansion. It puts the market at about USD 2.1 billion in 2024 and pegs a compound annual growth rate of roughly 10.6% across 2025–2032.…
UAE‑ and India‑based Travanleo has unveiled Carbon Xpress, a fast‑track module on its Ecodrisil ESG Xpress platform that uses an AI co‑pilot to generate standards‑aligned, export‑ready Scope 1–3 figures for time‑sensitive bids, supplier assessments and climate‑linked financing — but buyers must still verify emission‑factor sources and Scope 3 coverage. Travanleo, the UAE- and India‑based tech firm behind the Ecodrisil ESG Xpress platform, has rolled out Carbon Xpress—a lean, fast‑track tool for corporate GHG reporting. Citing the original Zawya notice, the product is designed to let organisations capture, compute and deliver audit‑ready carbon numbers quickly, aimed at firms responding to RFPs,…
Despite world‑class research hubs and a surge in headline investments, the Gulf’s push to become a global innovation leader is held back by concentrated late‑stage capital, uneven IP and regulatory regimes, shortages of prototyping facilities and scarce specialised talent — reforms to early‑stage finance, cross‑border regulation and shared infrastructure are needed to convert momentum into durable, research‑intensive scale‑ups. As Gulf states push to diversify their economies, the signs of an innovation breakthrough are clearly visible: high‑profile research hubs, fast‑rising ecosystem rankings, and a surge of blockbuster private investments. Yet turning momentum into durable global leadership will demand sharper, more targeted…
The National Centre of Meteorology has expanded a sophisticated programme combining salt‑based flares, ground generators and experimental nanomaterials — and flown more than 170 missions this year — aiming to lift rainfall by an estimated 10–25% amid mounting water pressures. Those sudden, heavy downpours that drenched parts of the UAE this year didn’t happen by accident. A recent What’s On feature notes that the National Centre of Meteorology (NCM) has been running one of the world’s more sophisticated cloud‑seeding programs, deliberately targeting suitable clouds to coax extra rainfall in a country where every drop matters. You see, the idea isn’t…
Greene Concepts says it is exploring exportable, containerised bulk‑refill stations and tanker shipments from a deep artesian source in North Carolina as a stopgap for drought‑hit Middle East and North Africa countries, but experts warn logistical, environmental and governance limits to long‑distance bulk water deliveries.Greene Concepts, a small U.S. bottled-water company, says it is exploring an exportable “refill station” model to deliver bulk, naturally filtered water to drought‑hit countries across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). The idea, laid out in a company press release distributed via Access Newswire on 12 August 2025, frames the plan as both humanitarian…
As Saudi Arabia’s The Line struggles with ballooning costs, delays and scaled-back ambitions, Sharjah’s Khalid Bin Sultan City — a two-kilometre, walkable ‘oasis’ masterplanned by Zaha Hadid Architects and backed by BEEAH — is being presented as a lower-risk, climate-smart model. The proposal emphasises shaded public space, passive cooling and net-zero-ready infrastructure, but offers no firm start date, budget or procurement plan, leaving delivery and financing questions unresolved. Saudi Arabia’s grand vision of The Line—a 170‑kilometre, 500‑metre‑high “ribbon city” slicing through the desert—has become a cautionary tale about scale and cost. As NEOM’s flagship scheme wrestles with rising bills, leadership…
