Dubai residents must change their "mindset" and invest in the future of the emirate if clean energy targets are to be met, says an expert.
The city aims for seven per cent of its energy output to be derived from clean energy - renewable, zero-emission sources such as solar, wind and hydropower - by 2020.
It is part of the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy, which has set a goal for the emirate to produce 75 per cent of its energy through clean sources by 2050.
Dr Raed B'Kayrat, managing director of the Clean Energy Business Council, insists that many city residents must change short-termist attitudes towards life in the UAE if the lofty ambitions are to be reached.
Speaking at the annual congress of the Emirates Green Building Council, held at Pullman Dubai Creek City Centre hotel, Dr B'Kayrat called on the public to keep up with the progress being made in the commercial sector.
He said that many people are reluctant to invest in solar equipment, especially non-Emiratis living in the UAE, because it will take five to six years before they see a return on their investment.
“Many people have the mindset there is no point investing because they will only be here for two or three years, even though many expats end up staying a lot longer in the UAE than they had first planned,” he said.
The congress featured a host of environmental experts talking on the theme of how to help cities produce more net zero buildings, which means they do not use more renewable energy than is naturally created on site.
Dr B’Kayrat said that Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park is on target to produce 1,000 megawatts (MW) of electricity by 2020, enough to power 300,000 homes annually.
He said that companies operating in Dubai are well-equipped to meet clean energy targets, but more work needs to be done to help residential homes follow suit.
The answer, Dr B’Kayart suggested, might be provided by the banks of the UAE.
“Anybody with a salary of Dh10,000 can go to a bank and buy a used car that is four-years-old and the bank has no issue,” said the 49-year-old Jordanian.
“Why can’t the same logic apply to me going to the bank and getting a smaller loan to get a 5kw solar power system on my roof?
“I know this is new to banks but if they provided these facilities there would definitely be a huge increase in the amount of solar powered purchases from the residential sector.”
He even suggested that the installation of solar-powered systems would make properties more attractive to tenants, allowing landlords to increase the level of rent.
Saeed Al Abbar, chairperson of Emirates Green Building Council, agreed that the general public need to be included in the project.
“We need to make net zero available to everyone and not just a select few,” he said.
_____________
Read more:
UAE looks to make social housing projects more sustainable
Dubai on track to exceed 7% clean energy target by 2020, Dewa chief says
UAE needs at least 1GW of renewables projects a year, says Energy Minister
_____________
One of the biggest challenges the UAE faces is the retro-fitting of existing buildings, according to Ed Garrod from Elementa Consulting, who gave a presentation on the role of renewable energies in creating net zero buildings at the event.
“The issue with existing buildings is that a lot of the groundwork for energy efficiency has been done by others before you, but they may or not have got that right,’ he said.
“You find that a lot of existing buildings in this region are configured in ways that do not allow certain systems in the building. Some of the technologies we now use as standard when creating a net zero building can be harder to fit into those existing structures.”
The 40-year-old Englishman said that the UAE is widely regarded as one of the leading regions in the world when it comes to tackling climate change.
“I remember working on the creation of the Masdar Institute in Abu Dhabi, it is still talked about at conferences all over the globe as one of the first very first net zero carbon projects in the world,” he said.
“There is a much higher level of awareness that we need to tackle climate change in the UAE and it is becoming an international centre of excellence.”
Racecard
6.30pm: Mazrat Al Ruwayah Group Two (PA) US$55,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
7.05pm: Meydan Trophy (TB) $100,000 (Turf) 1,900m
7.40pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (D) 1,200m
8.15pm: Balanchine Group Two (TB) $250,000 (T) 1,800m
8.50pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 1,000m
9.25pm: Firebreak Stakes Group Three (TB) $200,000 (D) 1,600m
10pm: Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) 2,410m
The National selections: 6.30pm: RM Lam Tara, 7.05pm: Al Mukhtar Star, 7.40pm: Bochart, 8.15pm: Magic Lily, 8.50pm: Roulston Scar, 9.25pm: Quip, 10pm: Jalmoud
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
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Revibe%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202022%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Hamza%20Iraqui%20and%20Abdessamad%20Ben%20Zakour%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20UAE%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Refurbished%20electronics%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunds%20raised%20so%20far%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%2410m%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFlat6Labs%2C%20Resonance%20and%20various%20others%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 240hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 390Nm at 3,000rpm
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Price: from Dh122,745
On sale: now
Mountain%20Boy
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Zainab%20Shaheen%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Naser%20Al%20Messabi%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Feeding the thousands for iftar
Six industrial scale vats of 500litres each are used to cook the kanji or broth
Each vat contains kanji or porridge to feed 1,000 people
The rice porridge is poured into a 500ml plastic box
350 plastic tubs are placed in one container trolley
Each aluminium container trolley weighing 300kg is unloaded by a small crane fitted on a truck
States of Passion by Nihad Sirees,
Pushkin Press
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Banned items
Dubai Police has also issued a list of banned items at the ground on Sunday. These include:
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Political flags or banners
-
Bikes, skateboards or scooters
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.
The biog
Name: Fareed Lafta
Age: 40
From: Baghdad, Iraq
Mission: Promote world peace
Favourite poet: Al Mutanabbi
Role models: His parents
Founders: Ines Mena, Claudia Ribas, Simona Agolini, Nourhan Hassan and Therese Hundt
Date started: January 2017, app launched November 2017
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Private/Retail/Leisure
Number of Employees: 18 employees, including full-time and flexible workers
Funding stage and size: Seed round completed Q4 2019 - $1m raised
Funders: Oman Technology Fund, 500 Startups, Vision Ventures, Seedstars, Mindshift Capital, Delta Partners Ventures, with support from the OQAL Angel Investor Network and UAE Business Angels
Walls
Louis Tomlinson
3 out of 5 stars
(Syco Music/Arista Records)
Inside%20Out%202
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%C2%A0%3C%2Fstrong%3EKelsey%20Mann%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%C2%A0Amy%20Poehler%2C%20Maya%20Hawke%2C%20Ayo%20Edebiri%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E4.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Europe’s rearming plan
- Suspend strict budget rules to allow member countries to step up defence spending
- Create new "instrument" providing €150 billion of loans to member countries for defence investment
- Use the existing EU budget to direct more funds towards defence-related investment
- Engage the bloc's European Investment Bank to drop limits on lending to defence firms
- Create a savings and investments union to help companies access capital
Formula%204%20Italian%20Championship%202023%20calendar
%3Cp%3EApril%2021-23%3A%20Imola%3Cbr%3EMay%205-7%3A%20Misano%3Cbr%3EMay%2026-28%3A%20SPA-Francorchamps%3Cbr%3EJune%2023-25%3A%20Monza%3Cbr%3EJuly%2021-23%3A%20Paul%20Ricard%3Cbr%3ESept%2029-Oct%201%3A%20Mugello%3Cbr%3EOct%2013-15%3A%20Vallelunga%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, last 16, first leg
Liverpool v Bayern Munich, midnight (Wednesday), BeIN Sports
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
The Brutalist
Director: Brady Corbet
Stars: Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, Joe Alwyn
Rating: 3.5/5
Going grey? A stylist's advice
If you’re going to go grey, a great style, well-cared for hair (in a sleek, classy style, like a bob), and a young spirit and attitude go a long way, says Maria Dowling, founder of the Maria Dowling Salon in Dubai.
It’s easier to go grey from a lighter colour, so you may want to do that first. And this is the time to try a shorter style, she advises. Then a stylist can introduce highlights, start lightening up the roots, and let it fade out. Once it’s entirely grey, a purple shampoo will prevent yellowing.
“Get professional help – there’s no other way to go around it,” she says. “And don’t just let it grow out because that looks really bad. Put effort into it: properly condition, straighten, get regular trims, make sure it’s glossy.”
TICKETS
Tickets start at Dh100 for adults, while children can enter free on the opening day. For more information, visit www.mubadalawtc.com.
