• Dubai records $3.51 billion in weeklong real estate deals

    Dubai, UAE -- The real estate and properties transactions valued at 12.9 billion ($3.51 billion) in total during the week ending 15 December 2023. The sum of transactions was 3,888. A total 304 plots were sold for AED 3.53 billion, 2,744 apartments and villas were sold for AED 7.15 billion....
  • UAE GDP set to double in 2024 from oil and non-oil boost: report

    Dubai, UAE - The UAE’s GDP is expected to double in 2024 to 4.8%, up from 2.4% year-on-year in 2023, according to the latest Economic Insight report commissioned by ICAEW and compiled by Oxford Economics. While near-term growth may face constraints due to OPEC+ production quotas, the UAE's higher reference...
  • GCC media outlets think outside the box to stay afloat

    Reeling from a calamitous drop in advertisement revenues and public trust, news media organizations are reworking strategies to create "niche" content.
  • Digitalization has high environmental costs, says UNCTAD meet

    DUBAI, UAE - With global attention on the COP28 climate summit, UNCTAD’s eWeek 2023 highlighted digitalization’s potential to accelerate climate action and its environmental costs. Data-driven technologies like the Internet of Things, robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) can enhance climate change monitoring, optimize energy use and production processes, and promote...
  • Global trade likely to decline in 2023 due to changing trade patterns, geopolitics

    DUBAI, UAE - The outlook for 2024 remains “highly uncertain and generally pessimistic,” UNCTAD says in the Global Trade Update, citing factors like ongoing geopolitical tensions, escalating debt and widespread economic fragility. Other elements weighing on trade include lower demand in developed countries, less trade in East Asia, an uptick...
  • COP28 goes into overtime as negotiators wrestle over fossil fuel

    COP28 has debated a historic first-ever global "phase-out" from oil, gas and coal, the main culprits in a planetary crisis of warming. A draft put forward on Monday by COP28 president Sultan Al Jaber fell well short, instead presenting reductions in fossil fuels as one of several options.
  • Protecting nature may avert $2.7trn global economic losses: World Bank

    Dubai, UAE-- Protecting nature could avert global economic losses by 2030 of US$2.7 trillion per year, or 2.3 percent annually, according to Valerie Hickey, Global Director for Environment, Natural Resources and Blue Economy at the World Bank. Speaking to media at COP28, she said that low-income countries could lose around...
  • PM issues law forming Dubai Investment Fund to oversee government investments

    DUBAI, UAE – Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum has issued Law No. (25) of 2023 establishing the Dubai Investment Fund as an independent public entity operating on a commercial basis. The law also endows the Fund with the financial and administrative...
  • UN climate talks home in on fossil fuel deal

    Negotiators have failed to produce a new draft agreement since the last text was released on Friday. The document includes four different paths out of fossil fuels, but it also has a fifth option: leaving the issue out of the final deal.
  • Protestors demand end of fossil fuels, Gaza war at COP28

    The demonstrators chanted "Climate justice!" and "Ceasefire now!" as they held pro-environment banners painted in the colors of the Palestinian flag in their hands. Mexican activist Isavela Lopez said, "It's the same fight, it's the same thing -- it's colonialism, it's genocide,"as she described the links between climate injustice and...
  • OPEC chief says ‘single solution’ non existent for energy transition

    Dubai, UAE - The OPEC oil cartel said Saturday there was no "single solution" to the energy transition as pressure grows to agree a phase-out of fossil fuels at the COP28 climate talks. "There is no single solution or path to achieve a sustainable energy future," said a speech by OPEC secretary...
  • China pushes for ‘acceptable’ to all deal on fossil fuel at COP28

    Despite efforts by the OPEC oil cartel to block any text targeting fossil fuels at COP28, Chinese envoy Xie Zhenhua told reporters that "some progress" has been made on the issue. "If we do not resolve this issue, I don't see much chance in having a successful COP28," he said.
  • OPEC implores members to oppose any COP28 deal targeting fossil fuels

    Dubai, UAE--The head of OPEC has urged members of the oil cartel to reject any deal at UN climate talks in Dubai that "targets" fossil fuels instead of emissions, according to a letter seen Friday by AFP. In the letter sent Wednesday, OPEC Secretary General Haitham Al Ghais said he...
  • Fossil fuels usage must end by 2040 to restrict warming to 1.5C

    In a note to the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and UN Climate Change body, shared with AFP, climate scientists from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) and Exeter University said there was very little room for anything but a total phase-out of fossil fuels.
  • Dubai faces warehouse shortage, says new report

    DUBAI, UAE — The supply of under construction warehouse stock in Dubai’s industrial market stands at 1.56 million square feet according to Knight Frank's latest report: Dubai & Abu Dhabi Industrial Markets Review, Q3, 2023. According to Knight Frank, demand is outstripping supply and occupiers are faced with the prospect of...
  • COP28 president Sultan Jaber pushes for rapid fossil fuels draft deal

    Climate campaigners have viewed Jaber with deep suspicion due to his position as the head of UAE national oil firm ADNOC, but he has sought to assure sceptics by stating that a phase down of fossil fuels was "inevitable".
  • Azerbaijan clears key hurdle to host UN climate summit in 2024

    Dubai, UAE -- Petro-state Azerbaijan has cleared a key hurdle to host next year's UN climate summit despite the controversy over COP28 taking place in the oil-rich United Arab Emirates. Armenia said Thursday it was dropping its rival bid for COP29 as it tries to normalize relations with its neighbor after...
  • Dubai Municipality, DEWA ink pact to generate electricity from landfill biogas

    DUBAI, UAE -  Dubai Municipality and Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) have signed an agreement on the sides of the UN Climate Conference (COP 28) to cooperate in a project to generate electricity from biogases extracted from the landfill in Muhaisnah 5. The signing supports Dubai’s leading sustainability practices...
  • 99 percent of world live in areas with air pollution levels above WHO guideline limits

    DUBAI, UAE - According to World Health Organization data, 99 percent of the world’s population lives in places where air pollution levels exceed WHO guideline limits. Exposure to air pollution increases the risk of respiratory diseases, stroke, heart attacks, diabetes and links to dementia. Children are also highly susceptible to...
  • COP28 chief urges nations to reach climate compromise

    Setting the ambitious goal of having a deal in place by Tuesday, the last day of the conference, Sultan Al Jaber exhorted the nearly 200 nations represented at COP28 to work with a "spirit of compromise", step out of their "comfort zones and find common ground to deliver a high...
  • Egypt to sign agreement on curbing methane emissions

    Abu Dhabi, UAE--Egyptian Petroleum Minister Tarek el Molla announced an agreement on laying down a detailed road map for cutting methane emissions of the petroleum and gas sector in Egypt via the offered technical support. According to the Middle East News Agency (MENA), the agreement is scheduled to be signed...
  • Got to have faith: religion finds its moment at COP28

    Organizers say the Faith pavilion is supporting progress toward an ambitious pact to limit global warming, that also ensures financial aid for the world's poorest on the frontlines of climate change. Faith leaders are offering moral and pastoral services to diplomats working around the clock on the agreement, and for...
  • Crypto markets witness dynamic asset allocation amid volatility, says study

    DUBAI, UAE – Institutional traders (INS) in the crypto markets maintain a conservative approach, with 50 percent of their portfolio in stablecoins and another 50 percent strategically invested in Bitcoin and Ether, according to a recent study conducted by Bybit Blog. “This risk-averse strategy is particularly notable in bear markets,...
  • Mashreq commits $30bn to UAE banking sector’s sustainable finance by 2030 pledge

    DUBAI, UAE -Mashreq bank has been announced as one of the top contributors to the UAE Banks Federation’s (UBF) pledge, to mobilize US$272 billion (AED 1 trillion) in sustainable finance by 2030 at COP 28. The event was hosted by the Central bank of the UAE in Global Climate Action...
  • Global Fund to allot 70% of its funding to countries hit by climate change

    Dubai, UAE--The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (Global Fund) announced at COP28 that more than 70% of its funding, equivalent to more than $9 billion, will be spent over the next three years in favour of the countries most affected by climate change, with the aim of...
  • ‘Unintended consequences’: friction at COP28 over green trade

    Inside the negotiating rooms and on the sidelines of the COP28 climate talks, simmering tensions over wealthy countries' "green trade" policies have been bubbling to the surface, with developing nations fearful they will be penalized. A particularly sore point has been the European Union's new carbon border tax, which sets...
  • Saudi Arabia spurns fossil fuel phaseout push at COP28

    A tentative "phasedown/out" was included in a first draft of an agreement on climate action that delegates are haggling over during talks that are scheduled to finish on December 12. But Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman told Bloomberg that Saudi Arabia, the world's biggest oil exporter, would not agree.
  • We respect climate science, says COP28 head

    DUBAI, UAE - The Emirati president of the UN's COP28 talks said on Monday he respects climate science, after a leaked video showed him declaring that no science says phasing out fossil fuel will achieve climate goals. Sultan Al Jaber also repeated his past statements that a phase out of fossil...
  • Saudi energy minister calls Western climate pledges ‘small change’

    "Unlike the small change offered for loss and damage from our partners in developed countries, the Kingdom through its South-South cooperation announced in the Saudi Africa Summit in Riyadh last month the allocation of up to $50 billion," Prince Abdulaziz said in a video message to the Saudi Green Initiative...
  • $272 billion sustainable finance pledge by UAE financial sector at COP28

    Abu Dhabi, UAE -- The financial sector of the United Arab Emirates commits to mobilizing more than AED 1 trillion ($272 billion) in sustainable finance by 2030, the UAE Banks Federation announced at an event on Monday. Coinciding with the UAE’s hosting of COP28, the Central Bank of the United...
  • ENEC, Kazatomprom ink pact

    The move will ensure a secure supply of nuclear fuel.
  • Ready to work with developing nations for green future: China

    Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang said his country has promoted the targets for carbon peak and carbon neutrality, adding that while fulfilling its international obligations, China has made efforts to help other developing countries cope with climate change. He made the comments while addressing the G77 on the sidelines of...
  • UAE president and UN chief discuss ‘collective action’ to address climate challenges

    Dubai, UAE-- UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed and UN Secretary General António Guterres discussed the importance of the conference in enhancing international collective action to address climate challenges in a manner that serves humanity and future generations. The meeting between the two took place at the ongoing UN Climate...
  • No science that oil phase-out will fix climate: COP28 chief

    Sultan Al Jaber -- who also heads state oil giant ADNOC -- made the comments during a testy exchange with former Irish leader Mary Robinson during an online forum. The 50-year-old, who is also the United Arab Emirates' climate envoy, added that removing fossil fuels would take the world "back...
  • MENA region can create 10m jobs by 2050 via climate action, says ILO

    DUBAI, UAE - International Labor Organization (ILO) Deputy Regional Director for the Arab States Peter Rademaker has confirmed that the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region could create 10 million new jobs and accelerate GDP to 7.2 percent by 2050 via taking a serious approach to climate action. In...
  • 50 oil and gas companies pledge to cut operational emission in COP28 meet

    DUBAI, UAE - Fifty oil and gas companies representing 40 percent of global production pledged to decarbonize their operations by 2050 at the UN's COP28 climate talks in Dubai on Saturday. Saudi giant Aramco and ADNOC of the UAE were among 29 national companies to sign a non-binding agreement that also...
  • US pledges $3bn to a global climate fund at COP28 meet

    Developing countries least responsible for climate change are seeking support from richer polluting nations to adapt to the increasingly ferocious and expensive consequences of extreme weather, and for their transitions to cleaner energy sources. The failure of wealthy nations to fulfill financial pledges to help developing nations cope with climate...
  • UAE President attends Group of 77 and China meeting at COP28

    DUBAI, UAE – At the UN Climate Change Conference (COP28) here, UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan attended part of the Group of 77 and China meeting. The President extended a warm welcome to the leaders present, underscoring the significance of collaboration among developing nations to enhance common...
  • Over 20 nations call for tripling of nuclear energy

    The other countries that signed up to the declaration include Britain, Bulgaria, Canada, the Czech Republic, Finland,  France, Hungary, South Korea,  Moldova, Mongolia, Morocco, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania,  Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden,  Ukraine and the United Arab Emirates.
  • US readying to impose visa ban on violent Israeli settlers: Blinken

    US Secretary of State Antony Blinken informed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu when they met Thursday in Jerusalem that Washington was readying the sanctions, the source said on the condition of anonymity.
  • 134 nations to put food, agriculture in national climate plans

    "This declaration is the moment when food truly comes of age in the climate process, sending a powerful signal to the nations of the world that we can only keep the 1.5 degree goal in sight if we act fast," said the group's CEO Ani Dasgupta.
  • Dubai COP28: Record attendance marks largest ever UN climate summit

    Among the host country's guests are Bill Gates and Antoine Arnault, the son of LVMH boss Bernard Arnault, the second richest man in the world after Elon Musk, according to Forbes magazine.
  • UAE President announces $30bn Global Climate Fund at COP28 meet

    In a groundbreaking announcement at the World Climate Action Summit during the UN Climate Change Conference (COP28), UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan unveiled a $30 billion fund dedicated to global climate solutions. He said UAE has plans to invest $130 billion over the next seven years to...
  • COP28 puts spotlight on state oil giants

    Western energy firms are the usual suspects when it comes to criticism about the sector's role in climate change, but a less visible lineup of powerful state companies dominates the industry. They will all share the limelight at the UN climate talks that opened Thursday in Dubai, as COP28 president...
  • COP28’s Green Zone: A central hub for climate-related activities

    Dubai, UAE - The Green Zone at the COP28, overseen and managed by the conference presidency team, serves as a central hub for climate-related activities, enriching the experience for visitors to the world's premier climate event hosted by the UAE. It facilitates constructive dialogues on climate action, welcoming participants from...
  • Indian spiritual leader Sadhguru to kick off COP28 faith pavilion

    Dubai, UAE – Indian spiritual leader Sadhguru will address the first-ever Faith Pavilion at COP28 on Friday December 1, kicking off a programme of over 70 sessions on interfaith cooperation on climate action. Head of the Isha Foundation and founder of the Save Soil movement will present his vision on...
  • MoHRE asks over 12,000 private firms to meet Emiratization targets

    DUBAI, UAE – The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratization (MoHRE) has notified over 12,000 private companies with 20-49 workers that Cabinet Resolution No. (33/5W) of 2023 regarding the expansion of Emiratization targets will be in effect starting January 2024. Companies with 20-49 workers will be required to hire one...
  • Debt Settlement Fund waives default loans worth over US$107m in UAE

    DUBAI, UAE - The Citizens Debts Settlement Fund announced the exemption of 1,244 citizens from their debts with a total value of US$107 million (AED394,586,000), in cooperation with 18 banks and financial institutions in the country. The initiative follows the directives of President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and...
  • Time to transform climate commitments into action

    "At COP28, governments need to focus on two timeframes: an immediate surge in climate action and a springboard for the next crucial two years and beyond. In Dubai, governments must determine which bolder actions are necessary and how to implement them. COP28 must be more than a photo opportunity," he...
  • UAE presents its maritime contributions at IMO meet in UK

    DUBAI, UAE - Presenting its category B candidacy in the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Council at the organization’s focus group in London, the UAE delegation has displayed the country’s contributions to the sector that have influenced the industry globally. Boasting a rich maritime history and a coastline of 1650 kilometers,...