The Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (ADDED) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Broaden Energy, whereby Broaden Energy will establish the first hydrogen equipment manufacturing complex in Abu Dhabi.
The new manufacturing complex will see over AED 1 billion in investments, with the two parties reportedly set to cooperate closely to align the project with the strategic goals of the UAE National Hydrogen Strategy and the Net Zero 2050 Strategy.
The former aims to make the UAE a top ten producer of green hydrogen by 2031, with an output target of 1.4 million tonnes per year.
Further, under the MoU, the two parties will facilitate the exchange of knowledge and research, with a focus on renewable energies and green hydrogen technologies, it was shared.
Eng. Arafat Al Yafei, Executive Director of the Industrial Development Bureau (IDB), ADDED’s arm to develop and regulate the industrial sector, commented: “We are proud to support Broaden Energy on pioneering this initiative, which marks an important step toward achieving our goals for Abu Dhabi’s industrial future. The hydrogen complex is central to ADDED’s efforts in supporting the UAE’s Net Zero 2050 targets through innovative solutions. Abu Dhabi’s thriving industrial sector places sustainability at the forefront of its activities and continues to attract investments in targeted industries.”
Adnan Sokolija, CEO of Broaden Energy, said: “Establishing the first hydrogen equipment manufacturing complex in Abu Dhabi is a testament to our commitment to advancing renewable energy and supporting the UAE’s strategic vision. We are excited to collaborate with ADDED to bring this groundbreaking project to life and contribute to a sustainable future.”
Climatiq has announced it has formed an alliance with Epicor, an industry-specific enterprise software provider, to integrate advanced carbon intelligence and footprint calculations into Epicor’s Sustainability Management solutions.
Epicor will integrate Climatiq’s carbon calculation engine into its ERPs and business applications, which will enable customers to access precise, real-time carbon data, monitor emissions, and identify opportunities to lower their carbon footprint.
Epicor’s suite of solutions spans enterprise resource planning (ERP), supply chain management, and customer relationship management, all tailored to drive growth, efficiency, and digital transformation.
Kerrie Jordan, Group Vice President of Product Management at Epicor, commented: “Climate change concerns us all. We’re excited to work with Climatiq to assist our customers in reaching their sustainability goals, boosting profitability while reducing emissions. I’m incredibly proud of our team’s achievements in making this vision a reality.”
“Our collaboration with Epicor highlights our dedication to helping organizations integrate sustainability into their daily operations,” said Hessam Lavi, Co-founder and CEO at Climatiq.
“This alliance is a major step forward towards removing the barriers that have historically kept sustainability data separate from business processes. Now, Epicor users can seamlessly align their economic, service, and environmental objectives.”
Epicor plans to roll out these features in the coming month, with full implementation set for 2025.
Schneider Electric has announced Bader Al Mulla & Bros. Co. (Al Mulla Engineering) as a winner of the Schneider Electric Sustainability Impact Award.
Al Mulla Engineering, a member of Al Mulla Group and the largest Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing (MEP) construction services contractor, received the Schneider Electric Sustainability Impact Award for efforts made to support its customers in achieving their decarbonisation goals.
This included implementing “energy-efficient designs” to improve HVAC system efficiency without compromising building operations.
According to Schneider Electric, the deployed solutions reduced cooling water consumption by 7 per cent in 2022 compared to the baseline in 2019 and reduced energy consumption by 9 per cent in 2022 compared to the baseline in 2019.
Amel Chadli, Gulf Countries President, commented: “I congratulate Al Mulla Engineering for its outstanding efforts to empower its customers to reach their sustainability goals. Businesses need to look beyond their own operations and consider who they are indirectly responsible for across their value chain and, crucially, who they can assist along the way. Reaching net zero is a collective goal, and we need to work together to share the best sustainable practices and support customers to decarbonize.”
Eng. Anfal N. Al Mulla, Managing Director of Al Mulla Engineering, added: “We are delighted to have been recognized for the work we have done to minimize the environmental impact on the planet and supporting to improve the performance of the building by providing the technologies to address the environmental social goals of our customers. We are acutely aware that expectations on businesses like ours to demonstrate how we are decarbonizing our own operations and those of our customers, are only going to intensify as we draw closer to 2050. We wanted to get ahead and play our part in the journey to net zero and are proud to be recognized for this by receiving this award.”
Dubai Chambers recently hosted three legal workshops aimed at familiarising the local business community with key aspects of maritime law, data protection, and bounced cheques.
The legal workshops, attended by a total of 226 participants from the private sector, aimed to raise awareness of the latest legislative developments impacting different sectors.
The UAE Maritime Law workshop provided a comprehensive overview of Federal Decree-Law No. 43 of 2023 on Maritime Law, organised by Dubai Chambers in cooperation with Al Tamimi & Company.
The session explored the legal obligations surrounding various types of Bills of Lading (BoL), including electronic BoLs, changes relating to the limitation of liability and the settlement of maritime disputes.
Participants also discussed the different categories of marine insurance, legal issues relating to cargo insurance claims, and marine debris removal provisions.
Elsewhere, the ‘Data Protection Compliance in Recruitment and Recruitment Practices’ webinar, presented in collaboration with Galadari Advocates & Legal Consultants, examined the legal framework for complying with data protection regulations in the UAE.
The online session addressed the impact of data protection and privacy on companies’ handling of recruitment, employee record-keeping, and other human resources-related activities, as well as the transfer of employee data.
Meanwhile, the webinar on the implications of bounced cheques in cooperation with Clout Law Firm clarified the legal responsibilities arising from bounced cheques, in addition to the rights of beneficiaries and means of recourse available to resolve payment disputes.
The International Code Council (ICC) and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning (MoHUP) have begun a workshop series in Muscat to reshape Oman’s building codes, focused on safety standards, sustainability, and technology integration. This follows an agreement signed in February 2024 to enhance building safety and construction standards in Oman.
This three-day workshop aims to develop six comprehensive building codes tailored specifically to address the unique needs of Oman.
The first series of workshops brought together key stakeholders, including designated government officials, design professionals, and industry experts.
Over three days, the ICC and MoHUP focused on topics such as the project’s scope, findings from the ICC’s exploratory trip, research, local construction practices, and regulatory systems.
These sessions reportedly identified key gaps and concluded with strategic recommendations for Oman building code enhancements.
It was shared that the process built on the ICC’s 2021 International Codes (I-Codes) as a foundation.
However, active involvement from local stakeholders was underlined as key to the success of their adaptation in Oman.
It was noted that through this series of comprehensive workshops, Oman is customising the I-Codes to suit its unique needs.
Dr. Hanan Al Jabri, H.E Advisor for Urban Planning at MoHUP, commented: “This workshop is a crucial step towards achieving the goals of the development of the Oman building codes. The insights and expertise provided by ICC are invaluable as we strive to elevate the standards of safety, sustainability, and innovation in our construction industry.”
Hamid Naderi, Senior Vice President of Product Development at ICC, added: “Our objective is to develop building codes that address the unique needs of Oman while setting new standards for safety and resilience in the region. The active engagement and feedback from Omani stakeholders during this workshop are vital to our success.”
Emirates NBD has been awarded the Energy and Environmental Design LEED certification for twelve of its branches by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), it has announced.
LEED is the most widely used sustainable buildings rating system in the world.
Seven Emirates NBD branches in the UAE located at Yas Mall, Al Reem Mall, Al Barsha Branch, Mirdif City Centre, Sharjah City Centre and Deira City Centre, have been certified LEED Platinum, while Al Zahia Mall branch has been certified LEED Gold.
Meanwhile, in Saudi Arabia, Emirates NBD became the first bank to achieve LEED Platinum certification for its KAFD branch.
This is in addition to the recent six branches in Saudi Arabia awarded LEED gold certificates, which included the branches in Jeddah Trio Branch, Al Shefa Branch, Qourtobah Branch and Anas Bin Malik Branches in Riyadh in addition to Jubail Branch and Qassim Buraida Branch.
Eman Abdulrazzaq, Group Chief Operating Officer at Emirates NBD, commented: “We are delighted to achieve LEED Platinum and Gold ratings across Fourteen of our UAE and Saudi Arabia bringing our total LEED certified branches to 27. This reflects our commitment to achieving the highest standard of green building performance and reducing operational emissions as part of our broader ESG Strategy.
Vijay Bains, Chief Sustainability Officer and Group Head of ESG at Emirates NBD, added: “This accomplishment positions Emirates NBD as the leading bank in MENA region with the highest number of LEED branches certified. This achievement is a testament to our adherence to our sustainability goals and demonstrates how Emirates NBD leads by example when it comes to sustainability and embraces innovation in our operations.”
Oil 2024, the latest edition of the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) annual medium-term market report, forecasts that global oil demand will peak by 2029 and begin to contract the following year.
Indeed, the report forecasts that demand will plateau at 105.6 mb/d by 2029, with total supply capacity rising to nearly 114 million barrels a day by 2030.
This puts the total supply capacity at 8 million barrels per day above the projected global demand.
It outlines that despite a slowdown in growth, without stronger policy measures, global oil demand is still forecast to be 3.2 million barrels per day higher in 2030 than in 2023.
Growth will be dominated by Asian economies, it says, alongside an increased use of jet fuel and feedstocks from the petrochemical sector.
The report notes that producers outside of OPEC+ are leading the expansion of global production capacity to meet this anticipated demand, accounting for three-quarters of the expected increase to 2030.
The Oil 2024 report also notes that Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Iraq lead a 1.4 mb/d rise in OPEC+ oil capacity as African and Asian members post declines.
Further, it highlights that both the UAE and Iraq are raising crude oil capacity while Saudi Arabia is poised for a significant increase in NGL and condensates supply.
Read the full report here.
Hilton, the UN Environment Programme for West Asia, and Winnow joined forces this year for the Green Ramadan Campaign to cut food waste. This collaboration built on the 2023 campaign, which resulted in a 60 per cent reduction in food waste across three hotels.
This year, the programme was scaled across 32 hotels in seven countries, serving 239,000 guests during iftars and suhoors.
Participating hotels across Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Turkey, and Malaysia underwent “extensive” sustainability training, with a focus on:
- Local sourcing,
- Sustainable gastronomy,
- Forensic waste management with Winnow’s AI and
- Diversion by donation and composting.
During the Green Ramadan Campaign, a number of interventions were implemented in the hotels. This included employing emotive guest messaging, serving smaller portions, providing live cooking stations, concentrating on reduced food displays, and switching to à la carte menus.
As a result of these strategies, the partners shared that food waste was reduced by a further 21 per cent over the 61 per cent of Green Ramadan 2023.
According to Winnow, this is the equivalent of avoiding more than 1.7 tonnes of food waste, enough to provide 4,300 meals.
Overall, this resulted in 7.4 tonnes of CO2 emissions prevented.
Analysis showed that the most frequently wasted items included bread and pastry, vegetables, and meats.
