ABU DHABI // A centre in Masdar is seeking to assess renewable energy available in the UAE and help the country achieve its full potential in sustainable living.
The Research Centre for Renewable Energy Mapping and Assessment was opened three years ago to measure solar radiation on the ground and collect accurate data.
Dr Hosni Ghedira, director of the centre, said that when the Government set its target of 7 per cent for renewables’ share of energy use, the first step was to measure the amount of sun and wind that could be harnessed.
“We’ve been developing this expertise for the past three years and the centre is now becoming a global leader in renewable energy assessment in desert and arid environments,” Dr Ghedira said.
Two years before that, a consultant had been brought in to conduct an initial assessment of solar radiation levels.
“But we found out that the number was overestimated because [the instruments] were not adapted to the climate,” Dr Ghedira said.
“So they underestimated the dust – we have a very dusty environment here unlike Europe or the US – and these dusty conditions affect solar resources and the performance of the panels.”
Solar panels in the region must be cleaned more often than in other countries.
“So we proposed to the Government to build up capacity here and create this research centre that focuses more on solar resource assessment in dusty and desert environments,” Dr Ghedira said.
“Our strength is that we understand our climate, so we recalibrated different algorithms and models that are used by the scientific community to measure solar radiation, and we adapted them to the climate here. We also added the dust component and the hot environment.”
Seventeen scientists work on solar technology, atmospheric science, remote sensing and earth observation, which includes finding out how this data can be used to recalibrate and assess solar equipment.
“We proposed new models and now we’re extending our scope to the whole region,” Dr Ghedira said.
“We’re working with Saudi Arabia, too, and 60 per cent of our staff is there now.”
The findings are vital for investors in solar energy.
“We assess the real outcome in terms of power performance, how many kilowatts an hour you can produce, and without those maps and the initial assessment of solar radiation that you have in the ground, you can’t have an accurate assessment of solar potential or projection in terms of investments,” Dr Ghedira said.
Because of frequent dust storms in the UAE, solar radiation can lose up to 80 per cent of its potential.
“We’re integrating this information in our simulation under different climate conditions and we’re using this to forecast,” Dr Ghedira said.
“The industry is demanding how we can estimate what will be the projection tomorrow so we have a team of forecasters who work on meteorological data, forecasting dust-cloud movement, how it affects solar performance and to estimate the power output.”
This can also help to select technology that is least affected by high temperature and dust.
“This region is becoming the centre of renewable energy implementation,” he added. “In the UAE, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, especially, we look at areas with less exposure to dust, closer to the grid connection and we produce that information for investors.”
Saima Munawwar, a Phd graduate in solar energy, is one of seven students working at the centre.
“I saw that was where the future was and so far, we can see at least in this part of the region that people are more and more interested in renewable energy and they’re investing as well,” Ms Munawwar said.
“My main field is solar resource investment. I work with ground measurements for solar radiation and I analyse the data so we’re finding out the potential of the resource in the region.
“What keeps you going is that, in the end, you’ll have decent results that you can publish.”
cmalek@thenational.ae
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
Europe wide
Some of French groups are threatening Friday to continue their journey to Brussels, the capital of Belgium and the European Union, and to meet up with drivers from other countries on Monday.
Belgian authorities joined French police in banning the threatened blockade. A similar lorry cavalcade was planned for Friday in Vienna but cancelled after authorities prohibited it.
The specs: 2018 Nissan Altima
Price, base / as tested: Dh78,000 / Dh97,650
Engine: 2.5-litre in-line four-cylinder
Power: 182hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 244Nm @ 4,000rpm
Transmission: Continuously variable tranmission
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The Vile
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Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
yallacompare profile
Date of launch: 2014
Founder: Jon Richards, founder and chief executive; Samer Chebab, co-founder and chief operating officer, and Jonathan Rawlings, co-founder and chief financial officer
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Sector: Financial services
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Investors: 2014: $500,000 in a seed round led by Mulverhill Associates; 2015: $3m in Series A funding led by STC Ventures (managed by Iris Capital), Wamda and Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority; 2019: $8m in Series B funding with the same investors as Series A along with Precinct Partners, Saned and Argo Ventures (the VC arm of multinational insurer Argo Group)
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