Dubai Integrated Economic Zones Authority (DIEZ), through its economic zones, achieved exceptional sustainability results in 2022, highlighting its commitment to sustainability and its efforts to reduce carbon emissions through responsible practices that meet the ISO 50001 international standards for optimal and sustainable use of energy and the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards. This comes in line with the directives of the wise leadership to promote sustainable development, invest in renewable energy infrastructure, and raise energy efficiency under the guidance of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, and the UAE’s declaration of 2023 as the Year of Sustainability.

DIEZ’s commitment to sustainability resulted in a series of achievements, including a 24% reduction in carbon emissions and a 46% improvement in the performance of the smart waste management system compared to 2021. These results are attributed to the implementation of responsible environmental initiatives and practices, as well as leveraging the latest sustainable and smart technologies. This contributed significantly to reducing electrical energy consumption and supported the effective management of cooling, irrigation, and waste recycling systems.

The innovative initiatives launched by DIEZ in 2022 included the implementation of integrated building management systems to monitor and control various building systems and integrate them into single databases based on artificial intelligence solutions. DIEZ also adopted an effective demand flow control system for cooling services and utilised the green gas cooling system (407 R/410) to reduce energy consumption and environmental impact. Additionally, it replaced traditional lighting in offices and buildings and halogen lamps used in street lighting with energy-saving LED lamps, adopting smart waste management to help reduce transportation, operating costs, and carbon footprint, in addition to increasing the number of waste recycling centers to 50. DIEZ also used greywater to reduce the temperature of cooling towers and a smart irrigation system to reduce water consumption by 60% compared to traditional methods.

Eng. Muammar Al Katheeri, Chief Officer Engineering & Smart City at Dubai Integrated Economic Zone (DIEZ), said: “DIEZ has achieved remarkable progress and has demonstrated a strong commitment to meeting sustainability standards, in line with the directives of our wise leadership to build a sustainable future. This reflects our dedication to promoting a culture of corporate sustainability. These record results further align with our ongoing efforts to contribute to Dubai’s economic growth by elevating the Emirate’s competitiveness and enhancing its economic ecosystem and position to continue attracting foreign direct investment, businesses, and investors.”

“This year, we will continue to pursue the objectives as part of the UAE’s Year of Sustainability, as announced by His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE. We will continue to maintain an enabling business environment, protect natural resources, and strive to achieve the highest levels of operational efficiency to shape a better and more prosperous future,” he added.

These exceptional results align with DIEZ’s commitment to realising the objectives of the UAE Net Zero 2050 strategic initiative, which seeks to reduce emissions and achieve climate neutrality by 2050, thus contributing to positioning the UAE as an ideal destination to live, work, and thrive in vibrant and prosperous communities.

Aquaterra Energy, a leader in global offshore engineering solutions, today announces a multi-million-pound contract with a major Abu Dhabi based operator, working in partnership with TPMC, to provide offshore riser equipment and services for the decommissioning of eight wells, in 80m water depth offshore Abu Dhabi by 2028.

 Aquaterra Energy secured the tender through its leading offshore engineering expertise, regional knowledge, and status as a fully independent riser connector OEM. The offshore specialists will provide a completion and workover riser system complete with AQC-CW connectors, as well as an additional subsea riser system, tieback engineering and rig modifications. Throughout the contract Aquaterra will deliver a complete end-to-end managed service, providing engineering services, expertise and personnel.

The completion and workover riser system, complete with AQC-CW connectors, is certified to BS EN ISO 13628-7 2006 and can operate in water depths of up to 1,500m. The system has been designed to withstand repeat make and breaks, whilst offering a gas tight metal-to-metal seal.

Aquaterra Energy will work closely alongside in-country partners to manufacture and transport the project equipment. This will provide thousands of hours of local employment for the region, as well as opportunities for upskilling and knowledge sharing. Local in-country inspectors will be deployed to ensure the high quality of work throughout the project. By working with local partners, Aquaterra will ensure significant carbon savings through minimising transportation and travel costs.

 James Larnder, Managing Director, Aquaterra Energy comments: ‘We are delighted to have secured this work in the Middle East and to expand on our decommissioning and riser expertise. This is an important region for us as a business and we’ve seen significant growth here over the last few years. We plan to continue this momentum and are on course to increase both our presence and revenue in the region by the end of the year. This project represents a step forward in this journey as we spearhead our global expansion.”

Andrew McDowell, Operations Director at Aquaterra Energy said: “Winning this tender further demonstrates our team’s global riser system expertise, understanding of operational requirements in the Middle East, and the significant advantages of our independent connector OEM status. We’re looking forward to utilising our experience and working closely alongside engineers in the UAE, sharing our knowledge, and building on existing local capabilities to deliver a top-class end-to-end service.”

Aquaterra Energy has identified the Middle East as a key geography to support its global growth plan. This contract marks another significant step forward in the region for the business, building on its regional footprint, having delivered intelligent engineering solutions to over 35 projects in the Middle East to date.

In partnership with the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, the fifth edition of the InnoXera Global EdTech Summit, focusing on the future of education and training technologies, was held at the King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with the organisation and main sponsorship by Classera, the largest education technology company in the region and emerging markets globally, and under the strategic sponsorship of the Arab Bureau of Education for the Gulf States along with elite international companies such as Microsoft, HP and Zoom. The theme of the summit was in line with the path of digital transformation, especially in education, one of the most important sectors in the Kingdom, aligning with Vision 2030.

The Summit had been inaugurated by a speech of His Excellency the Deputy Minister of Communications and Information Technology, Eng. Haitham Al-Ohali, who focused on the ministry’s support for Artificial Intelligence technologies in all sectors, most importantly in the education sector. This year, the Summit also focused on artificial intelligence practices and its role in improving learning and raising the efficiency of education and training processes. Discussing also the latest educational technologies and innovations and their future.

Engineer Mohammad Al-Madani, CEO of Classera, said, “Today, there is no disagreement on the importance of integrating technology into education and training, but everyone is asking what are the best technologies, what is the latest technology in the field, and what are the priorities and best international practices. This Summit, InnoXera, comes to answer all of that and more, and we hope that InnoXera will be a platform that will inspire everyone who is passionate about education and training technologies to explore all new innovations.”

The first day of the annual summit, focused on smart learning in educational institutions, while the second day focused on the future of training and development for governments and corporations. Both days focused on highlighting the latest technologies and innovations in smart learning in the spectrum of the Summit’s theme of the year, ‘Learning  in the AI Era’. The Summit included a side exhibition in which major international, regional and local companies participated to showcase their innovations in the EdTech industry. At the conclusion of the Summit, the sponsors and participants were honored.  The Summit witnessed the signing of a number of important agreements in the education and training sectors with several companies and institutional entities interested in the smart education and training sector, practices related to its development and joint solutions that support it.

It is worth noting that the InnoXera Summit started from Saudi Arabia five years ago and is now present in three other countries, Egypt, Jordan and Pakistan, to become the largest Summit in the field of education and training technologies in the region. This is a testimonial of the leadership of Saudi Arabia as it sees this vision for itself in all technical fields, including educational technologies.

Emirates Float Glass (EFG), a renowned global leader in the float glass industry and a wholly owned subsidiary of Dubai Investments, has become the first float glass manufacturer to be ICV (In- Country Value Program) certified in the UAE. With a state-of-the-art facility, EFG has become a dominant player in the region for float glass in architecture and automotive applications. 

The certification evaluates a company’s performance in various areas, including localisation, supplier development, technology transfer, and human capital development, among others. This significant milestone reinforces EFG’s commitment to sustainable development, reiterating its position as an industry pioneer. 

EFG attained an additional score due to its initiative to participate in the MoIAT assessment, which is a combination of end-to-end factory tour and group discussions with different stakeholders broadly covering strategy and governance, process and operations, innovation and R&D, customer and market, and IT management and governance. The assessment also included outlining a roadmap to seamlessly implement the automation of production, planning and scheduling and implementation of digital capabilities.  

By successfully meeting the rigorous ICV certification standards, EFG has demonstrated its dedication to nurturing the UAE’s economy, supporting local industries, and creating sustainable employment opportunities, further solidifying the company’s reputation as a leading contributor to the country’s economic diversification and vision for the future.  

Saleem Raza, General Manager, Emirates Float Glass, commented: “As the first float glass manufacturer in the UAE to achieve the ICV certification, Emirates Float Glass proudly leads the industry in driving economic growth and fostering local talent. Our Group Company, Dubai Investments’ support has been instrumental in meeting the stringent requirements and fulfilling the requirements towards this certification. This historic milestone demonstrates our unwavering commitment to the UAE’s vision of sustainable development and propels us towards our goal of attaining the golden listing, further elevating our position among industry leaders.” 

EFG is working closely with the Information Technology Telecommunications and Infrastructure (ITTI) and enabled a comprehensive framework to measure the digital maturity and sustainability and is focussed on formulating a roadmap for industrial transformation that includes monitoring factors like productivity, reducing downtime, enhancing data security, increasing competitiveness in the global marketplace and improving customer service. 

Through the ICV certification, Emirates Float Glass is focussed on enhancing resilience to consistently support the UAE’s self-sufficiency goals, increase the competitiveness of locally manufactured glass products and contribute towards boosting the UAE’s in-country value.    

The company will continue to focus on building strong relationships with local suppliers, investing in cutting-edge technologies, and developing a highly skilled local workforce. These efforts align with the UAE’s goals of knowledge-based industry growth and the creation of a sustainable and diversified economy. 

Emirates Float Glass, the only manufacturer in UAE producing low emissivity glass (double silver) by state-of-the-art magnetron sputter coater, has consistently been recognised for its exceptional quality standards, state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities, and commitment to environmental sustainability. With a production capacity of 600 tons of glass per day, the company has become a trusted partner for locally manufactured glass solutions globally. 

The Ministry of Climate Change and Environment has begun implementing a 2023 national survey plan, specifically designed to quantify animals and their associated products in commercial animal farms. The primary aim of this initiative is to compile an accurate and comprehensive database on the nation’s livestock, a critical step towards the sustainable enhancement of the country’s food security system.

The survey was launched in cooperation with the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre, the Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority, the Dubai Municipality, and with the participation of other municipalities in the UAE and local statistics centres. The implementation of the survey plan began in various targeted large, medium, and small commercial farms in all the emirates at the beginning of June and will continue until 31st July 2023 with a team composed of all relevant entities of each emirate.

The team’s efforts are focused on developing policies to preserve the livestock sector and organise its sustainable commercial exploitation and transformation to enhance its contribution to narrowing the food gap, securing supply chains, and boosting the national economy, eventually leading to a sustainable food security system. This is achieved by developing and implementing an integrated management strategy to protect and grow livestock wealth, increasing biosecurity levels, and developing and implementing animal disease and epidemic prevention programs and monitoring them. The team also supports inspection and surveillance mechanisms and standards in local farms and across border points and develops and enhances information exchange mechanisms at regional and global levels.

His Excellency Engineer Mohammed Mousa Alameeri, Assistant Undersecretary for the Food Diversity Sector at the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, stressed the importance of the national survey plan to count the number of animals and their products in commercial animal production farms, given the interest and care that livestock wealth in the country enjoys, as it represents an essential element for both food security and the national economy.

HE Mohammed Mousa Alameeri said: “Within the framework of the Year of Sustainability, and in preparation for the UAE’s hosting of the Conference of the Parties (COP28) this year, the national survey plan aims to contribute to the development of a sustainable, data-driven food security system through providing accurate and comprehensive data about the animal wealth in commercial, small, and medium farms at the national level. Additionally, it involves determining the quantities and values of production from these farms to know their contribution percentage to enhance food security and the level of advancement in food security indicators.”

HE Alameeri added: “The survey process also aims to identify the challenges facing this sector and address them in coordination with the relevant authorities, which contributes to enhancing local investments, identifying future trends, and formulating and directing upcoming policies and strategies to develop and sustain animal production and enhance food security.”

Moreover, the national survey plan for counting animals and their products contributes to developing biosecurity policies through regular supervision of these farms and ensuring they implement the highest levels of biosecurity, in addition to creating a national database that provides mortality rates and productivity percentages during the production period and identifying production requirements and its financial costs, such as feeds, vaccinations, veterinary products, tools, and equipment. Plus, mapping the distribution of commercial, small, and medium farms across the country and their locations using a Geographic Information System (GIS), identifying the types of energy used in farms, and determining the types of renewable energy and their contribution to the green economy.

The survey is conducted by conducting field visits to the targeted farms for all commercial animal farms in the country by the local teams formed, and this is coordinated in advance by the team supervisor in the emirate with the farm management regarding the specific appointment for each farm, to ensure the availability of technical staff to provide the necessary data. Teams also adhere to biosecurity standards and comply with preventive measures in farm management for visitors.

The Assistant Undersecretary for the Food Diversity Sector at the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment called on farm administrations and workers to cooperate with field survey teams and provide accurate information and data, which will contribute to the formation of an accurate national statistical database at the national level that serves all levels and sectors as well as consumers.