Day: September 7, 2021

DUBAI, On the International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies, held under the theme “Healthy Air, Healthy Planet”, the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MoCCAE) launched the UAE greenhouse gas (GHG) and air pollutant inventory monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) system project.

As the UAE advances in addressing climate change and reducing air pollutant emissions while progressively ramping up climate ambition, the successful implementation of relevant policies calls for the establishment of a robust national MRV system. Covering key indicators related to GHG emissions, the comprehensive and effective system will support the tracking and achievement of domestic emissions targets, in addition to providing crucial information for the country to meet its reporting obligations under the Enhanced Transparency Framework of the Paris Agreement.

Building on the UAE’s endeavours to develop national air pollutant emission inventories, the project will enable the ministry to produce the Roadmap for a Comprehensive National Climate and Air Quality MRV System that engages relevant federal and local government stakeholders to facilitate a dialogue on the MRV system’s institutional set-up and data management procedures, and the roles of participating entities. It will involve a detailed assessment of current emissions data-related processes as well as relevant legal and institutional frameworks. It will also include an international benchmarking study to identify best practices that could apply to the country, a gap analysis, defining the ideal parameters of the MRV system and producing an action plan and roadmap for the future.

The sustainable system will bring together all pertinent data on one platform to produce transparent outputs. The well-functioning, accurate, and reliable system will guarantee quality through the planning, preparation, and management of inventory activities.

The main objective of the MRV system will be to ensure that the National Air Emissions Inventory remains a relevant tool for the public and private sector to monitor progress against GHG mitigation targets and to reduce air pollution.

At the launch event, organised in collaboration with the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), Aisha Al Abdooli, Acting Assistant Under-Secretary of the Green Development and Climate Change Sector at MoCCAE, said, “There are domestic imperatives to develop a robust MRV system, including the streamlining of efforts across GHG and air pollution, and the tracking of initiatives’ impact in terms of emission reductions, leading to healthy air that is key for a healthy planet.”

Addressing the stakeholders, she added, “Stakeholder discussions and inputs will be critical to arrive at an understanding of the current status of MRV and the best way forward for the UAE on this vital topic. We very much appreciate your engagement with the project and the valuable contributions you will make to its success.”

In 2015, 195 parties came together under the Paris Agreement to set the world on a course towards sustainable development to limit global warming to 2 C or preferably 1.5 C above pre-industrial levels. The agreement requests each country to outline and communicate its climate actions and highlight any requirements for international assistance in the format of a Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC). In December 2020, the UAE submitted its second NDC as one of only 11 parties. In the document, the nation has committed to reducing its GHG emissions by 23.5 percent compared to business as usual for the year 2030. To track progress towards this target, the country periodically updates its GHG emissions inventory, accounting for emission sources and sinks.

Improving air quality is a priority for the UAE. It is an integral part of the UAE Green Agenda 2015 -2030 and one of the key performance indicators of the National Agenda of the UAE Vision 2021. In July 2017, MoCCAE initiated a project to develop the first national-level inventory for air pollutant emissions in the UAE. Launched in 2019, the inventory has played a key role in the preparation of the National Air Quality Strategy by identifying key pollutants and major polluting sectors and has enabled federal and local government entities to make informed decisions in terms of air quality.

Source: Emirates News Agency

DUBAI, The UAE Rugby Federation has unveiled its new brand identity and logo, which were designed to align with and advance the federation’s ambitions in the next period.

The new identity and logo were announced during a ceremony hosted on Monday in Dubai, in the presence of Qais Al Dhalai, Chairman of Asia Rugby, Chairman of the Arab Rugby Federation, and Vice President of the UAE Rugby Federation; Faisal Al Zarooni, Vice President of the UAE Rugby Federation, Mohamed Sultan Al Zaabi, Secretary-General of the UAE Rugby Federation; Apollo Perelini, UAE rugby team coach, and others.

Coinciding with the UAE’s Golden Jubilee, the launch of the new identity supports the UAE’s efforts to achieve further local and global successes in this competitive sport, building on the contributions of its exceptional athletes.

Al Dhalai said that this step reflects the UAE Rugby Federation’s keenness to stay ahead of sports trends and part of the efforts to support Asia Rugby in developing this sport.

For his part, Al Zarooni expressed his appreciation of Sheikh Mohammed bin Maktoum bin Juma Al Maktoum, President of the UAE Rugby Federation, for his support of rugby and its athletes, noting that the new identity is an effort to promote rugby as an important sport among the many Olympic sports.

Describing the new identity as an embodiment of the sport’s future in the UAE, Al Zaabi explained that the new logo represents the UAE’s authentic identity with a minimalist design, and showcases their endeavours to create a transitional shift in the world of rugby.

Speaking of the UAE team’s planned events, he said that they will be competing in the Asia Rugby U18 Girls Sevens Championship against four other teams, after which they will head to Qatar to compete in the Asia Rugby Championship Division III West.

Source: Emirates News Agency

DUBAI, The Dubai Sports Council has announced the completion of the evaluation of Dubai clubs and football companies for the “Dubai Sports Excellence Model Awards” in collaboration with an internationally renowned specialist to ensure transparency.

The council had received more than 100 nomination files for the fifth edition of Dubai Sports Excellence Model Awards, which takes into consideration the performance of athletes, clubs and football companies during the 2018-2019 and 2019-2020 seasons, and the highest-rated nominees from among them will be honoured at a glittering ceremony on 14th October.

Organised under the slogan “Unlimited Ambitions”, the award will honour five winners in the Individual Excellence Category and four in the Institutional Excellence Category this year.

The five awards in the Individual Excellence Category are Best Football Player, Best Player Male/Female in Individual Sports, Best Player/Female in Team Sports, Best Male/Female Player in the People of Determination Category – Individual Sports, Best Male/Female Player in the People of Determination Category – Team Sports.

In the Institutional Excellence Category, the winners will be announced in four different categories: Best Football Company, Best Sports Games Sector/Company, Best Games Sector/Football Company in Corporate Efficiency, and Best Initiative – Pandemic Related.

Alongside these categories, the Dubai Sports Excellence Model also honours “Sports Pioneers” of Dubai. These are individuals who have played a leading role in the sports sector of Dubai and strengthened its foundations.

The awards also come under the framework of the Dubai Sports Council’s efforts to develop the administrative and technical levels of Dubai clubs and football companies who operate under the umbrella of the council and to encourage them to embrace innovation and creativity.

All aspects of sports – administrative and service – and performance of clubs and sports companies have been taken into consideration in designing the Dubai Sports Excellence Model, with the primary focus being on innovation, commitment to sportsmanship and contribution to the community.

The model has been adopted as the basis for evaluating sports clubs and companies registered in the emirate and takes into account the differences in the work at clubs, sports companies and cultural clubs to ensure fairness in evaluation.

Over the past eight years, the model has served its purpose, lifted not just the standards of athletes, but also inspired administrative staff at the sports clubs and football companies.

Source: Emirates News Agency

DUBAI, From its strategic location at global crossroads and strong financial reserves and sovereign wealth funds to investment in major development and infrastructure projects, the UAE has been able to create a modern, dynamic and diverse economy in only 50 years.

It is, though, the desire to keep pushing forward, to keep extending the nation’s horizons, that has ensured the UAE remains a global beacon for talent, innovation and endeavour, and a model environment for investment and entrepreneurship.

The UAE, for instance, ranked first regionally and 9th globally in the Global Competitiveness Report 2021 issued by the Global Competitiveness Centre, and ranked first globally in 22 indicators. In a staggeringly short time, it has managed to redefine the limits of the possible.

The priority for the next 50 years is to continue accelerating economic development and unlocking opportunity, especially by encouraging small and medium-sized enterprises and instilling a culture of entrepreneurship throughout the country.

Global magnet for capital and talent One of the key pillars of the UAE’s ambitions is to attract FDI in key sectors, particularly those associated with the knowledge economy and advanced technologies. Artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, Blockchain, innovative medical technologies, high-speed transportation, augmented virtual reality, robotics, self-driving cars and renewable energy are all fields in which the UAE wants to excel in the immediate term.

Despite the UN’s figures that global foreign direct investment flows decreased by 42 percent in 2020 over COVID-19, the UAE has seen 44 percent growth in inward FDI flows in 2020, compared to 2019, to reach AED73 billion. The UAE ranked first in the Arab world and 15th globally in terms of its ability to attract foreign direct investment, according to the results of the Global Foreign Direct Investment Report for the year 2021 issued by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development.

It attracted FDI of US$19.9 billion in 2020, a growth of 11.24 percent over 2019, despite the pandemic.

The UAE also ranked first in the West Asia region, receiving 54.4 percent of the total FDI inflows, amounting to US$36.5 billion, and first in the MENA region, receiving 40.2 percent of the total FDI inflows, amounting to US$49.4 billion.

The forecast is healthy, with the flexibility and attractiveness of the UAE’s business environment, and the constant update of provisions and procedures to meet global standards, keeping the capital inflows coming.

Another sign of the positive investment climate is the UAE’s GDP, which totaled US$421 billion in 2020, despite the global pandemic. Per capita GDP rose to US$43,100, exceeding that of countries such as the UK, Spain, New Zealand and France.

Solid economy despite adversities The UAE’s ability to recover from the pandemic owes much to the prompt, nationwide action taken in March 2020, and the efficacy of sanitation, lockdown and social distancing measures deployed in the weeks and months that followed. In economic terms, the Central Bank’s comprehensive support was equally crucial, contributing some AED100 billion and a range of support packages to the economy. As a result, the UAE ranked first in the Arab world and second globally in the ‘Resilience to Epidemics 2021’ index, issued by the Consumer Choice Centre to rate nations’ response to the onset of COVID-19.

The UAE Central Bank now estimates that positive growth rates for the national economy will be restored by the end of 2021, with estimates of up to 2.5 percent growth in real GDP, and 3.6 percent growth in real non-oil GDP. In 2022, this will reach 3.5 percent growth in real GDP, and 3.9 percent growth in real non-oil GDP.

The government is working with all stakeholders to double the national economy over the next 10 years to reach AED3 trillion by 2031.

An ideal industrial base The UAE has undergone continuous transformation to create the ideal platform for economic success in a rapidly evolving world. In recent years, this has included investment in its digital infrastructure, which ranks first in the Arab world, and legislative changes to create the most competitive regulatory and procedural umbrella.

The UAE has also become a global and regional headquarters for more than a quarter of the world’s 500 largest companies. It remains a primary investment destination for foreign capital, where the country’s major projects in tourism, industry, transport and renewable energy projects are principal targets. Today, the UAE is one of the most advanced countries in the world in creating a regulatory environment that protects the investor and supports commercial activity, providing a flexible and competitive legislative and procedural umbrella that helps stimulate foreign investment and ensures business stability.

Free zones contribute greatly to this environment, and the UAE is home to more than 28 business and logistical zones with global competitive capabilities.

The total trade of goods for free zones rose to AED658.9 billion in 2019, an 11 percent increase on the previous year. The value of imports from free zones amounted to AED340.6 billion in 2019 while free zone exports rose to AED41.1 billion and re-exports totalled AED277.1 billion.

The UAE is, in many ways, a nation built on trade, and its logistics infrastructure directly connects it to more than 250 cities around the world. Its shipping lanes offer routes to more than 400 cities, and its land, sea and air transport system is the most efficient and the most geographically broad in the region.

It boasts 10 commercial airports, 27 airline licenses, 105 shipping companies, 12 sea and commercial ports, and about 310 marine berths, besides the oil ports, with a handling capacity of more than 17 million tonnes annually, and with a tonnage amounting to 80 million tonnes of cargo.

In conjunction, the UAE’s industrial sector enjoys an exceptional support system, helped by economic stability, its strategic location and strong and continuous government investment. The country is also rich in traditional and renewable sources of energy, such as minerals, gas and raw materials important for the nation’s industries.

The UAE is also deeply invested in the energy sources of the future, with renewable energy a top priority. There are many pioneering efforts to adopt the latest innovations that confront the impact of climate change and mitigate global warming. The Emirates Energy Strategy 2050 targets a mix of renewable and clean energy sources to ensure a balance between economic needs and environmental goals. The country will invest AED600 billion until 2050 to ensure that the demand for energy and sustainable growth in the country’s economy is met.

Projects of the 50 As the UAE opens the chapter on the next 50 years, ‘Projects of the 50’ sets in motion key initiatives that will determine the nation’s economic success, with a particular focus on developing a knowledge economy, fostering innovation, establishing stronger bilateral relations with international partners and continuously upgrading the legal frameworks to attract investment, ideas, entrepreneurs and highly skilled professionals from around the world.

All these factors are highlighted by ‘Projects of the 50’, a comprehensive economic and developmental programme to showcase the capabilities and international standards available in the UAE to investors, entrepreneurs and talents of different nationalities and in various economic sectors.

Taken together, the UAE remains a base from which people everywhere can achieve their ambitions.

Source: Emirates News Agency

DUBAI, The Gulf Petrochemicals and Chemicals Association (GPCA), the voice of the chemical industry in the Arabian Gulf, announced the dates of its 11th Agri-Nutrients Conference, which will take place virtually on 15th and 16th September, 2021, under the theme, “Forging new avenues for a food secure future.”

The conference will feature a line-up of leading speakers, including experts from the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations (UN), the International Fertiliser Association, and key agri-nutrient producers in the Gulf Cooperation (GCC), including SABIC in Saudi Arabia, QAFCO in Qatar, GPIC in Bahrain, and many more.

Abdulrahman Al Suwaidi, CEO of QAFCO, Chairman of the GPCA Agri-nutrients Committee and Member of the GPCA Board, will deliver the conference’s opening speech on 15th September, and an FAO representative will deliver the first keynote address on how to “strengthen the foundations of the global food security agenda in the wake of the pandemic.”

Dr. Abdulrahman Jawahery, President of the GPIC and Treasurer of the GPCA Board, will also be joined by Esin Mete, Founder of MT Agri-Consulting, during a fireside chat, the newest feature of this year’s conference.

Samir Al Abdrabbuh, EVP of Agri-Nutrients at SABIC and Vice-Chairman of the GPCA Agri-nutrients Committee, will welcome attendees at the conference on 16th September, followed by Patrick Heffer, Deputy Director-General of the International Fertiliser Association, who will lead the keynote session, entitled, “How will advanced farming techniques help strengthen the GCC’s self-sufficiency agenda.”

The conference will be held more than a year after the start of the coronavirus pandemic, which threatens one in every nine persons in the world due to chronic undernourishment, highlighting the importance of achieving global food security and the role of agri-nutrients in supporting food production during the pandemic.

The Arabian Gulf remains an important international hub for the production and export of agri-nutrients, with the regional industry estimated to support the food supply of five percent of the world’s population or 350 million people. This figure also reflects the significance of agri-nutrients to society, especially as the world’s population is estimated to reach nine billion by 2050.

According to the Global Food Security Index, GCC states are ranked 31st globally in terms of the affordability, availability, quality and safety of food, but the region still relies on some 85 percent of food imports.

Building a robust and resilient ecosystem for the production of food and securing the region’s self-sufficiency will require GCC countries to transform their strategies, increase domestic production, diversify their import sourcing partners, strengthen their supply chains and adopt more cutting-edge technologies.

The conference will enable delegates to learn from the entire food production value chain, including technology providers, producers and academia, about the latest market innovations, the challenges facing regional producers and how they can be overcome, as well as ways of collaborating with technology and research partners to develop more sustainable and efficient agri-nutrient solutions.

Source: Emirates News Agency