Total has been a leader in the most recent investment by energy majors in renewables, with the French firm participating in Abu Dhabi's Shams 1 solar plant. Christopher Pike / The National
Total has been a leader in the most recent investment by energy majors in renewables, with the French firm participating in Abu Dhabi's Shams 1 solar plant. Christopher Pike / The National
Total has been a leader in the most recent investment by energy majors in renewables, with the French firm participating in Abu Dhabi's Shams 1 solar plant. Christopher Pike / The National
Total has been a leader in the most recent investment by energy majors in renewables, with the French firm participating in Abu Dhabi's Shams 1 solar plant. Christopher Pike / The National

Sustainability will top the agenda next week, and with good reason


  • English
  • Arabic

Delegates from more than 170 countries will congregate in Abu Dhabi on Saturday as the Middle East’s largest sustainability conference gets underway. The 2018 session of the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW) will again accommodate crucial discussion on economic, social and environmental sustainability across the globe. Energy transformation will top this year’s agenda, with particular emphasis on urbanisation, mobility and digitisation.

Leaders of nations, business and science will be present at the event that last year welcomed 38,000 attendees and more than 800 companies, interacting in 101 official languages. The eighth session of the International Renewable Energy Agency assembly will begin on Saturday. The World Future Energy Summit will open on Monday. The International Water Summit starts on Tuesday. ADSW 2018 will have particular resonance as it falls on the 100-year anniversary of the birth of the UAE's founding father, Sheikh Zayed. It also marks a decade since the establishment of the Zayed Future Energy Prize, which has rewarded 57 global pioneers of sustainability thus far, including former US vice president Al Gore in 2015. Dedicated youth panels this year demonstrate clear long-term intent.

Efforts by some to lessen this country's record on climate change overlook the strides it has made. The UAE was the first country in the region to establish targets for renewable energy. Thereafter, the Vision 2021 plan has put environmental and infrastructure sustainability at the heart of the national agenda. The government has expressed a need to generate 27 per cent of the country's energy from clean sources and reduce oil consumption to 5 tonnes per capita by 2021. The Barakah nuclear power plant near Abu Dhabi – the UAE's first – should be fully operational in 2020, while the Shams-1 solar plant and the Sir Bani Yas wind farm –which boasts the world's largest wind turbine – are already active. Masdar, which will host the ADSW 2018, has made huge investments in offshore wind farms.

Nevertheless, there is still work to be done. Currently the UAE sits in 40th place in the Energy Trilemma Index, which ranks countries according to sustainable energy capacity. Given this country's swift growth, and the unrest that so often emerges from resource scarcity, the stakes could not be higher. The UAE should continue to put sustainability at the heart of its transition to a post-oil economy, for the sake of its citizens and the region. And the invaluable dialogue that will characterise next week's ADSW should go a long way towards ensuring its progressive trajectory is maintained.

PSA DUBAI WORLD SERIES FINALS LINE-UP

Men’s: 
Mohamed El Shorbagy (EGY)
Ali Farag (EGY)
Simon Rosner (GER)
Tarek Momen (EGY)
Miguel Angel Rodriguez (COL)
Gregory Gaultier (FRA)
Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY)
Nick Matthew (ENG)

Women's: 
Nour El Sherbini (EGY)
Raneem El Welily (EGY)
Nour El Tayeb (EGY)
Laura Massaro (ENG)
Joelle King (NZE)
Camille Serme (FRA)
Nouran Gohar (EGY)
Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG)

COMPANY%20PROFILE
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SERIE A FIXTURES

All times UAE ( 4 GMT)

Saturday
Roma v Udinese (5pm) 
SPAL v Napoli (8pm)
Juventus v Torino (10.45pm)

Sunday
Sampdoria v AC Milan (2.30pm)
Inter Milan v Genoa (5pm)
Crotone v Benevento (5pm)
Verona v Lazio (5pm)
Cagliari v Chievo (5pm)
Sassuolo v Bologna (8pm)
Fiorentina v Atalanta (10.45pm)

The Gandhi Murder
  • 71 - Years since the death of MK Gandhi, also christened India's Father of the Nation
  • 34 - Nationalities featured in the film The Gandhi Murder
  • 7 - million dollars, the film's budget 
Dubai World Cup Carnival card

6.30pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-2 Group 1 (PA) US$75,000 (Dirt) 1,900m

7.05pm: Al Rashidiya Group 2 (TB) $250,000 (Turf) 1,800m

7.40pm: Meydan Cup Listed Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) 2,810m

8.15pm: Handicap (TB) $175,000 (D) 1,600m

8.50pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 1,600m

9.25pm: Al Shindagha Sprint Group 3 (TB) $200,000 (D) 1,200m

10pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 2,000m

The National selections:

6.30pm - Ziyadd; 7.05pm - Barney Roy; 7.40pm - Dee Ex Bee; 8.15pm - Dubai Legacy; 8.50pm - Good Fortune; 9.25pm - Drafted; 10pm - Simsir

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Strait of Hormuz

Fujairah is a crucial hub for fuel storage and is just outside the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route linking Middle East oil producers to markets in Asia, Europe, North America and beyond.

The strait is 33 km wide at its narrowest point, but the shipping lane is just three km wide in either direction. Almost a fifth of oil consumed across the world passes through the strait.

Iran has repeatedly threatened to close the strait, a move that would risk inviting geopolitical and economic turmoil.

Last month, Iran issued a new warning that it would block the strait, if it was prevented from using the waterway following a US decision to end exemptions from sanctions for major Iranian oil importers.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs

AT4 Ultimate, as tested

Engine: 6.2-litre V8

Power: 420hp

Torque: 623Nm

Transmission: 10-speed automatic

Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)

On sale: Now

Bharat

Director: Ali Abbas Zafar

Starring: Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif, Sunil Grover

Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

While you're here
RIVER%20SPIRIT
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The specs

Engine: 5.2-litre V10

Power: 640hp at 8,000rpm

Torque: 565Nm at 6,500rpm

Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch auto

Price: From Dh1 million

On sale: Q3 or Q4 2022 

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Volvo ES90 Specs

Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)

Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp

Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm

On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region

Price: Exact regional pricing TBA

Jetour T1 specs

Engine: 2-litre turbocharged

Power: 254hp

Torque: 390Nm

Price: From Dh126,000

Available: Now

The Sky Is Pink

Director: Shonali Bose

Cast: Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Farhan Akhtar, Zaira Wasim, Rohit Saraf

Three stars

Scores

Bournemouth 0-4 Liverpool
Arsenal 1-0 Huddersfield Town
Burnley 1-0 Brighton
Manchester United 4-1 Fulham
West Ham 3-2 Crystal Palace

Saturday fixtures:
Chelsea v Manchester City, 9.30pm (UAE)
Leicester City v Tottenham Hotspur, 11.45pm (UAE)

Financial considerations before buying a property

Buyers should try to pay as much in cash as possible for a property, limiting the mortgage value to as little as they can afford. This means they not only pay less in interest but their monthly costs are also reduced. Ideally, the monthly mortgage payment should not exceed 20 per cent of the purchaser’s total household income, says Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching.

“If it’s a rental property, plan for the property to have periods when it does not have a tenant. Ensure you have enough cash set aside to pay the mortgage and other costs during these periods, ideally at least six months,” she says. 

Also, shop around for the best mortgage interest rate. Understand the terms and conditions, especially what happens after any introductory periods, Ms Glynn adds.

Using a good mortgage broker is worth the investment to obtain the best rate available for a buyer’s needs and circumstances. A good mortgage broker will help the buyer understand the terms and conditions of the mortgage and make the purchasing process efficient and easier. 

PROFILE OF HALAN

Started: November 2017

Founders: Mounir Nakhla, Ahmed Mohsen and Mohamed Aboulnaga

Based: Cairo, Egypt

Sector: transport and logistics

Size: 150 employees

Investment: approximately $8 million

Investors include: Singapore’s Battery Road Digital Holdings, Egypt’s Algebra Ventures, Uber co-founder and former CTO Oscar Salazar

All about the Sevens

Cape Town Sevens on Saturday and Sunday: Pools A – South Africa, Kenya, France, Russia; B – New Zealand, Australia, Spain, United States; C – England, Scotland, Argentina, Uganda; D – Fiji, Samoa, Canada, Wales

HSBC World Sevens Series standing after first leg in Dubai 1 South Africa; 2 New Zealand; 3 England; 4 Fiji; 5 Australia; 6 Samoa; 7 Kenya; 8 Scotland; 9 France; 10 Spain; 11 Argentina; 12 Canada; 13 Wales; 14 Uganda; 15 United States; 16 Russia

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
 
Started: 2021
 
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
 
Based: Tunisia 
 
Sector: Water technology 
 
Number of staff: 22 
 
Investment raised: $4 million