Day: June 13, 2023

ABU DHABI, 13th June, 2023 (WAM) –In line with the directives of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and the follow-up of H.H. Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Chairman of the Executive Council, Modon Properties, which specialises in developing vibrant communities, unique hospitality and lifestyle experiences, and world-class sports facilities, has revealed the highly anticipated masterplan for Hudayriyat Island. Spanning more than 51 million square metres, equivalent to 53.8 percent of Abu Dhabi Island, the project is a key contributor to achieving Abu Dhabi’s strategic vision by driving the city’s urban expansion. The project will also enrich the diversity of Abu Dhabi’s urban offering and provide a highly desirable living environment for residents and visitors, by following an evolving global model of sustainable living. Al Hudayriyat Island is a pioneering project that is the first of its kind for the city in terms of size and area. The appeal of Hudayriyat Island lies in its distinctive natural environment and prime location. In addition to the unique future residential offerings Hudayriyat will offer elite sports facilities making it the destination of choice for those looking for unmatched sports and leisure experiences. Jassem Bu Ataba Al Zaabi, Chairman of the Department of Finance, Abu Dhabi and Chairman of Modon Properties, noted that the masterplan aligns with the directives of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and the follow-up of H.H. Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Chairman of the Executive Council, to cement Abu Dhabi’s position as a pioneer of forward-looking urban development. He added that Abu Dhabi is consolidating its global status as a leading place to live in and visit and as a world-class sports destination for citizens, residents, athletes and tourists. He said, “The Hudayriyat Island development project is a milestone in Abu Dhabi’s journey of innovation and progress, as it embodies the city’s futuristic vision for sustainable urban planning, building vibrant communities, and developing a diversified economy that boosts the emirate’s competitiveness in all fields.” The integrated development comprises high-end residential communities with panoramic 360-degree views of Abu Dhabi city and the waterfront, from its elevated positioning on and surrounding two hill communities, 45 and 50 m high respectively. The masterplan will add 53.5 kilometers of coastline to the city’s landscape, including 16 kilometers of beaches, consolidating Abu Dhabi’s position as a world-class lifestyle destination connecting tourism, leisure, sport, and urban access. Exciting destinations within the Al Hudayriyat Island project will also include Velodrome Abu Dhabi, Surf Abu Dhabi, a wide range of sport, commerce, and leisure amenities, the largest urban park in the Emirate, and a 220-kilometer-long network of cycle tracks. Hudayriyat Island is already home to Bab Al Nojoum glamping resort, Marsana Beach, OCR Park, Trail X, Bike Park, 321 Sports, and other offerings. Surf Abu Dhabi Set to open by the end of 2023, Surf Abu Dhabi will be the biggest and most advanced artificial wave facility in the world. Designed in partnership with Kelly Slater Wave Co., the landmark destination will offer a high-performance surfing experience, featuring the world’s longest ride, biggest barrel, and largest man-made wave pool. Underscoring Abu Dhabi’s sporting and leisure credentials, the exclusive surfing complex seeks to attract everyone from beginners to pro-surfers. Surf Abu Dhabi will provide an ideal location to host major international events and will play a major role in developing the surfing community locally, regionally, and globally. Velodrome Abu Dhabi Scheduled to launch in 2025, Velodrome Abu Dhabi will feature the first UCI Category 1 indoor cycling track in the region, suitable for international championships. In addition, there is a rooftop track, connected to the ground via a 600-meter cycling ramp winding around the outer walls, giving 360 degree views of Hudayriyat and Abu Dhabi Skyline. Hi-tech support facilities will cater to cyclists of all levels, whether professional, intermediate, or amateur and further cement Abu Dhabi’s position as the first Bike City in the region. Largest Urban Park Spanning more than 2.25 million square meters, the park included in the masterplan will be the largest urban park in the Emirate. Once completed, the nature-centric project will provide a space for individual adventures and outdoor encounters. The destination will feature a variety of areas, such as an elevated cycling track, an eco-tourism platform, and Mangrove Walk. It will also be home to an eco-farming space, food and beverage outlets, playgrounds, and events valley. Over the next 18 months, Modon Properties will be focusing on construction of enabling infrastructure for Phase 1 in line with the approved plan for the project.

Source: Emirates News Agency

ABU DHABI, 13th June, 2023 (WAM) –Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nations re-affirmed their full support for the United Arab Emirates’ hosting of COP28 this year and empathised the importance of the climate conference in tackling climate change, following an extraordinary ministerial meeting attended virtually on Monday, June 12, 2023. The meeting, called at the request of the UAE, was chaired by Salim bin Nasser Al Aufi, Minister of Energy and Minerals and Chairman of the National Committee for Climate Change in the Sultanate of Oman, and with the participation of Dr. Sultan bin Ahmed Al Jaber, UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and COP28 President-Designate, Suhail bin Mohammed Al Mazrouei, representing the UAE, Minister of Energy and Infrastructure, Shamma Al Mazrui, UAE Minster of Community Development and the first-ever COP28 Youth Climate Champion, Dr. Mohamed bin Mubarak Bin Daina, Minister of Oil and Environment, Special Envoy for Climate Affairs, Kingdom of Bahrain, H.R.H. Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman Al Saud, Minister of Energy for Saudi Arabia, Ahmed Mohammed Al Sada, Assistant Undersecretary in the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change for Qatar, Samirah Mohammad Abdullah Al Kandari, Acting Director General of Environmental Public Authority, Kuwait, and Jasem Mohamed AlBudaiwi, Secretary General of the GCC. They hailed the appointment of the leadership team for COP28, with Dr. Al Jaber being COP28 President-Designate, Shamma Al Mazrui, the COP28 Youth Climate Champion, and Razan Al Mubarak, the UN Climate Change High-Level Champion. The GCC countries thanked the United Arab Emirates for requesting this meeting and emphasised that they support the efforts of the COP28 UAE Presidency team, as their appointment confirms the UAE’s commitment to transformative development and moving global climate action from negotiations to finding and implementing logical and practical solutions, benefiting from this leadership team’s expertise in sustainable development and climate action. The GCC countries supported the team’s call for coordination, cooperation and joint action for the success of COP28, inviting all countries and relevant international organizations to actively participate in the conference. The GCC countries also acknowledged the outcomes of COP27 and congratulated the Arab Republic of Egypt on its successful organisation of the conference. As developing countries with unique regional conditions economically, socially and environmentally, the Member States affirmed the importance of observing the provisions and underlying principles of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement, especially the principles of equity and common but differentiated responsibilities. The nations stressed that implementation of the agreements should take into account the negative social and economic impacts resulting from response measures to climate change, especially those impacting developing countries, which are most vulnerable to such effects. The GCC nations stressed that COP28 will need to achieve ambitious and balanced negotiated results that focus on implementing the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and look forward to conducting the first Global Stocktake at COP28. During the meeting, the efforts of the GCC countries in combating climate change were highlighted, including measures, plans, and programs to ensure environmental, economic, and social sustainability in the region through the circular carbon economy approach, which is a closed loop system involving 4Rs: reduce, reuse, recycle, and remove. The GCC countries emphasised the need for COP28 UAE to achieve tangible progress on the Global Goal on Adaptation in the context of the Paris Agreement temperature goal, and the Mitigation Work Programme (MWP), provided that it includes all means to address greenhouse gas emissions, regardless of their sources or sectors, by using all technologies and sectors, including renewable energy sources and clean hydrocarbons, as well as activating means to support implementation in accordance with the principles and provisions of the Paris Agreement. This includes operationalising the Loss and Damage fund and its funding arrangements, the fulfillment of the pledge to provide $100 billion annually by developed countries to support developing countries, starting from 2020, and advancing towards establishing the new collective quantified goal on climate finance. The GCC countries affirm that achieving a logical, practical, gradual, and just transition in the energy sector is based on three pillars of equal importance: ensuring energy security, economic prosperity for all countries, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The GCC countries support universal access to affordable, reliable, up-to-date, and sustainable energy within a path to achieve sustainable development on a larger scale, through investment in all relevant technologies, including renewable energy, energy efficiency, the use of hydrogen as a fuel, carbon capture, storage and reuse, direct air carbon capture, and nature-based decarbonisation solutions. The countries also support other key areas to enhance adaptability to the effects of climate change, such as combating desertification, reducing sand and dust storms, enhancing food security, afforestation, improving land use and water management, and protecting biodiversity, ecosystems, and health. The GCC nations also welcome the Saudi Green Initiative and the Green Middle East Initiative and consider them effective models for confronting climate change. The GCC nations agreed to hold the next committee meeting to follow up on developments and preparations for COP28 on October 8, 2023, on the sidelines of the MENA Climate Week to be held in Riyadh from 9 to 12 October.

Source: Emirates News Agency

DUBAI, 13th June, 2023 (WAM) Suhail bin Mohammed Faraj Faris Al Mazrouei, Minister of Energy and Infrastructure, today revealed the details of the policy regulating the market of energy services providers in the UAE that was approved earlier by the Cabinet. Developed by the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure (MoEI), the policy provides guidelines for the contractual framework amongst energy stakeholders and the various contracting mechanisms to consolidate the mechanisms of doing business, financing, and partnerships between the public and private sectors. This will encourage energy service providers and private sector companies to invest in government projects, with the goal of reducing energy and water consumption, carbon footprint, and operational costs in buildings. Al Mazrouei said, “While drafting the policy, we were keen to integrate the objectives of the National Water and Energy Demand Management Programme 2050 a main enabler of achieving the UAE Energy Strategy 2050 and the UAE Water Security Strategy 2036. The policy has set objectives for the next five years, including reducing water use by 23 percent, cutting down operational costs by 20 percent in federal buildings, contributing to clean energy by 5 percent, promoting the sustainability of buildings by an approximate 5-10 percent, and raising awareness of energy and water conservation and the importance of behavioural change. On the long term, the policy is projected to decrease the demand of energy in the building sector by 51 percent by 2050, contributing to the UAE’s sustainable development.” The Minister added: “The new policy will contribute to the UAE’s GDP and help achieve financial returns that amount to AED21.5 billion by 2050, resulting from retrofitting federal buildings as part of the National Water and Energy Demand Management Program 2050, helping establish a local market of energy services and products, creating opportunities for the private sector to invest in energy efficiency systems and renewables projects, improving productivity, and lowering operational costs. As a result, the UAE’s global competitiveness will improve.” He noted that regulating the energy providers market is a major step towards developing the country’s energy infrastructure and enhancing environmental sustainability. It reflects the wise leadership’s keenness on ramping up investments in the energy sector, encouraging innovation, and developing modern technologies that will provide long-term economic and environmental benefits. He highlighted the policy’s prominent role in strengthening the UAE’s sustainability solutions to drive climate change mitigation efforts, as well as create better integration and collaboration between stakeholders and encouraging them to provide distinguished energy services and products at competitive prices, which will contribute to the greater good of the society.

Source: Emirates News Agency