When President Sheikh Mohamed spoke at the Cop27 climate summit in Egypt yesterday, the UAE's resolve was made clear: to accelerate the path of progress in key environmental sectors, and to stay in pursuit of carbon neutrality by 2050.
"Since we have only one planet, it is important to unify our efforts to tackle this challenge through climate work," Sheikh Mohamed said, emphasising the urgency with which countries must act. The UAE's efforts to develop renewable and clean energy to stimulate sustainable economic growth were spelt out. Importantly, Sheikh Mohamed drew attention to the effect that climate change is beginning to have on the world's security and stability.
Reports of food shortages, hunger, increasing droughts and militant groups taking advantage and unleashing terror in already-vulnerable regions are not in short supply. These issues contribute to instability in too many parts of the world, threatening lives and eating into resources.
The UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres was unflinching in his assessment of the climate reality. "We are in the fight of our lives," he said. "And we are losing".
By virtue of geography, Sheikh Mohamed said in his remarks, "the UAE's oil and gas are among the least carbon-intensive in the world. We will continue to reduce emissions in this vital sector".
In a world still grappling with the aftershocks of Covid-19, upheavals in the global economy and the war in Ukraine, these disparate yet intertwined factors pose a great threat to the world and make the challenge of tackling climate change even more arduous. The solutions, in short, are not easy to achieve. Climate finance, for instance, has been dominating talks since even before the summit in Egypt. And the question of climate reparations, or "loss and damage", as Mr Guterres said, "can no longer be swept under the rug".
On the positive side, regional leadership in climate has begun to emerge and many heads of state at the summit have pledged increased commitments to climate action as well as plans to reduce more carbon emissions. The UAE and Egypt entered into an agreement to build one of the world's largest wind farms, a 10-gigawatt onshore wind project in Egypt.
This year, the summit is especially focused on four areas of the climate crisis: mitigation, adaptation, finance and collaboration. None of these present a quick fix, especially as global budgets are still tight. But collaboration is a start and Sheikh Mohamed emphasised the UAE's complete willingness to co-operate with the international community.
In the national statements delivered by several of the heads of state in attendance, similar declarations were heard and they corresponded with the need of the hour – what Mr Guterres referred to at the opening of the summit as "the climate solidarity pact".
Across the world, adhering to the spirit of the Paris Agreement is going to remain a monumental task. There is, however, little other choice. As Mr Guterres said in his impassioned speech, only a narrow shaft of light remains.
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THE BIO
Occupation: Specialised chief medical laboratory technologist
Age: 78
Favourite destination: Always Al Ain “Dar Al Zain”
Hobbies: his work - “ the thing which I am most passionate for and which occupied all my time in the morning and evening from 1963 to 2019”
Other hobbies: football
Favorite football club: Al Ain Sports Club
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Squid Game season two
Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk
Stars: Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun
Rating: 4.5/5
Ticket prices
- Golden circle - Dh995
- Floor Standing - Dh495
- Lower Bowl Platinum - Dh95
- Lower Bowl premium - Dh795
- Lower Bowl Plus - Dh695
- Lower Bowl Standard- Dh595
- Upper Bowl Premium - Dh395
- Upper Bowl standard - Dh295
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If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
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Farasan Boat: 128km Away from Anchorage
Director: Mowaffaq Alobaid
Stars: Abdulaziz Almadhi, Mohammed Al Akkasi, Ali Al Suhaibani
Rating: 4/5
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
Know your camel milk:
Flavour: Similar to goat’s milk, although less pungent. Vaguely sweet with a subtle, salty aftertaste.
Texture: Smooth and creamy, with a slightly thinner consistency than cow’s milk.
Use it: In your morning coffee, to add flavour to homemade ice cream and milk-heavy desserts, smoothies, spiced camel-milk hot chocolate.
Goes well with: chocolate and caramel, saffron, cardamom and cloves. Also works well with honey and dates.
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Company%20Profile
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Getting there
The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly to Johannesburg or Cape Town daily. Flights cost from about Dh3,325, with a flying time of 8hours and 15 minutes. From there, fly South African Airlines or Air Namibia to Namibia’s Windhoek Hosea Kutako International Airport, for about Dh850. Flying time is 2 hours.
The stay
Wilderness Little Kulala offers stays from £460 (Dh2,135) per person, per night. It is one of seven Wilderness Safari lodges in Namibia; www.wilderness-safaris.com.
Skeleton Coast Safaris’ four-day adventure involves joining a very small group in a private plane, flying to some of the remotest areas in the world, with each night spent at a different camp. It costs from US$8,335.30 (Dh30,611); www.skeletoncoastsafaris.com
You Were Never Really Here
Director: Lynne Ramsay
Starring: Joaquim Phoenix, Ekaterina Samsonov
Four stars
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
A timeline of the Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language
- 2018: Formal work begins
- November 2021: First 17 volumes launched
- November 2022: Additional 19 volumes released
- October 2023: Another 31 volumes released
- November 2024: All 127 volumes completed
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
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More coverage from the Future Forum
The specs
Engine: 1.6-litre 4-cyl turbo and dual electric motors
Power: 300hp at 6,000rpm
Torque: 520Nm at 1,500-3,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.0L/100km
Price: from Dh199,900
On sale: now
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The specs
Engine: 2-litre or 3-litre 4Motion all-wheel-drive Power: 250Nm (2-litre); 340 (3-litre) Torque: 450Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting price: From Dh212,000 On sale: Now
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
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