**Summary and Key Points: Energy Transition Strategies in the Middle East**

1.

**Regional Context and Traditional Energy Sector**
   - The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is highly dependent on fossil fuels (oil and gas) for both economic stability and energy supply.

- The region faces immense climate vulnerability, with projections of up to 5°C warming by the century’s end and 90% of urban areas at risk due to coastal flooding and sea-level rise.

**Drivers for Energy Transition**
   - Global demand for alternative, renewable energy is intensifying due to climate change, ESG pressures, and the finite nature of fossil fuel reserves.

- International events (such as Europe’s energy crisis) present new opportunities for Middle Eastern gas exports (e.g., Israel exporting via Egypt), influencing national energy strategies and foreign policy.

- The Abraham Accords have facilitated energy cooperation between Israel, UAE, and Bahrain among others.

**Solar Energy Investment and National Strategies**
   - The MENA region has the technical potential to generate over 60% of its electricity from renewables by 2030.

- **UAE**: A regional leader in green innovation, the UAE hosts major solar projects (Masdar City, Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park) and promotes a national vision to become a global clean energy hub.

Generous government incentives encourage investment and technological development.

- **Egypt**: Significant investments in wind and solar (notably in the Sinai and Red Sea coast), coupled with government incentives, are aimed at lowering GHG emissions and diversifying energy sources.

- Other Gulf States: Saudi Arabia and Bahrain are exploring both solar and nuclear energy as part of their diversification strategies; joint initiatives, such as a regional nuclear centre, are under discussion.

**Government Incentives and Policy Frameworks**
   - Governments are providing financial incentives, policy support, and development zones to attract investment in renewables.

- Recent UN climate conferences hosted in the region signal an increased commitment, with resolutions to "transition away" from coal, oil, and gas.

- The growing attention to the ‘blue economy’ (marine resources) and climate technologies shows broadening strategic interests.

**Economic and Environmental Implications**
   - Investment in sustainable energy is seen as vital for long-term energy security and economic modernization.

- Reducing fossil fuel reliance supports local and global climate goals (mitigating emissions and pollution) and helps safeguard at-risk communities from climate threats.

- Renewables and new technologies create jobs, foster innovation, and drive regional cooperation, but fossil fuels remain economically significant for now.

**In conclusion:**
Despite ongoing reliance on oil and gas, the Middle East is rapidly scaling up investments in solar and other renewables, driven by environmental challenges, economic diversification goals, and global energy trends.

Key national projects and incentives illustrate a pragmatic pivot towards sustainability, though the scale and pace of transition vary across the region.

Here are summarized nuggets of information extracted from the provided text (approx.

2,500 characters):

- The Middle East, while historically reliant on oil wealth, is facing a period of transition influenced by both regional politics and global energy trends.

Internal and external factors, such as fluctuating relationships with Western powers and shifting global alliances (e.g., Saudi Arabia considering BRICS due to strains with the US), are impacting its energy strategy and economic landscape.

- Israel is positioning itself as a leader in renewable energy and climate action in the region.

Israeli leadership underscores the urgency of green energy as energy prices rise worldwide and climate change becomes more pressing.

Israel collaborates with both Arab neighbors and Western partners to advance renewable projects.

- National projects aiming to diversify energy sources are being launched throughout the region.

Countries such as Israel, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia have outlined large-scale initiatives, especially in solar energy, to shift away from fossil fuels.

For example, the UAE’s Masdar City is a significant solar-powered development aimed at sustainability, while Saudi Arabia’s NEOM project and the Sakaka PV Solar Plant are key solar ventures.

Israel has expanded its solar capacity and aims for 30% renewable electricity by 2030.

- The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) notes growing investment in bioenergy within the Middle East, though advances in this sector are still limited compared to the region’s potential and the needs of a comprehensive energy transition.

Partnerships and technology exchanges with countries outside the region, such as Russia, are also being considered for renewables and bioenergy.

- Water scarcity, exacerbated by climate change and disputes over transboundary resources (e.g., tensions between Iraq and Iran over rivers), is a parallel challenge influencing both energy strategy and agricultural policy.

Solutions for energy transition, therefore, increasingly include considerations for water conservation and resource efficiency.

- Governments are offering incentives such as renewable energy targets, tax breaks, and support for public-private partnerships to encourage both local and foreign investment in clean energy infrastructure.

These policies are designed to spur economic growth, reduce long-term fossil fuel dependency, and meet international climate commitments.

- The local economic impact of solar investments and energy diversification includes job creation, attraction of new industries, and potential stabilization against oil market volatility.

Strategically, energy transition supports the region’s desire for economic independence and resilience amidst global uncertainties.

- While progress is uneven and some countries remain heavily reliant on fossil fuels, the momentum for renewables in the Middle East is growing—stimulated by global pressures, climate necessity, and national ambitions for economic diversification and technological leadership.

Here’s a summary, in “nuggets,” of key points on the Middle East’s energy transition, drawing out major themes and examples from your text:

**1.

Climate Vulnerability & Urgency**
- The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is one of the world’s regions most vulnerable to climate change: intense rising temperatures, increased humidity, frequent extreme heatwaves, droughts, and sea level rise threaten over 400 million people.

- Cities like Mecca may be unlivable by century’s end, and daily life is already changing drastically.

- Water scarcity is intensifying, with mounting pressure on aquifers in states like Jordan and the Gulf.

Oil Dependency & Political Realities**
- The region’s ruling elites have relied on oil for regime stability and economic strength, and are hesitant to relinquish the associated power.

- However, international and domestic pressures are pushing for change, with a growing acknowledgement that energy transition is necessary for survival.

National Strategies & Targets**
- *Saudi Arabia:* Intends to boost renewables from 0.3% to 50% of its electricity mix by 2030.

While details are developing, the commitment signals a move away from total oil dependence.

- *UAE:* Is a recognized regional leader.

It aims for 50% of electricity from renewable and nuclear by 2050.

The UAE hosts flagship solar initiatives like the **Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park** (currently the world’s largest independent power producer solar site) and is developing the **Al Dhafra Solar PV Plant** (expected to be the world’s largest, with 2 GW capacity).

- *Egypt:* Heavily invested in renewables, particularly hydro, wind, and solar.

Solar projects are underway to gradually replace fossil-based generation.

Regional & International Cooperation**
- Middle Eastern countries are slowly forming closer partnerships—including traditionally tense actors—on climate and water issues, aided by new technologies particularly in irrigation and energy.

- At climate forums (like COP27/COP28 and regional climate weeks), leaders and experts stress that regional climate impacts are immediate and solutions require urgent, coordinated action.

- Financing remains a challenge.

Wealthy nations pledged $40B/year by 2025, but actual support for regional projects is inconsistent.

Solar Energy: National Projects & Capacity**
- The UAE and Saudi Arabia lead in mega-scale solar initiatives, with significant capacity increases planned or under construction.

- Projects like the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park (UAE) and Al Dhafra Plant indicate a transition from pilot to fully commercial deployments.

Government Incentives & Ambitions**
- Large-scale solar parks have been built with government tendering, favorable PPAs, land grants, and policies to attract foreign investment.

- Governments are launching public-private partnerships and offering incentives to speed adoption of renewables (e.g., priority grid access, low tariffs).

Impact: Economy & Climate Goals**
- Energy transition is reshaping local economies, diversifying them away from hydrocarbons, and providing new employment opportunities in technology and green infrastructure.

- Success in these projects will be essential to meet regional climate pledges and ensure long-term livability for local populations.

- The transition is still in early stages, and political and social readiness varies, but the move towards renewables—especially solar—is rapidly gaining ground.

This summary integrates your academic focus by highlighting both the political dimensions and on-the-ground projects driving energy transition in the Middle East, emphasizing solar’s growing role.

Global trends, climate change concerns, and volatility in oil markets have accelerated efforts to invest in renewable energy, notably solar and wind power.

**Summary and Key Points: Energy Transition Strategies in the Middle East**

1.

Title:

Content: Energy is changing Israel’s foreign policy - opinion

The Abraham Accords between Israel and several Arab states, including the oil-rich countries, further illustrate Israel’s energy centric-foreign policy.

Israel's Energy Minister Karin Elharrar is seen signing a climate cooperation deal with Jordan in Dubai, on November 22, 2021.
(photo credit: Courtesy)

For centuries, energy concerns have influenced defense, economics, and the environment. Starting with the British Empire’s decision to found coaling stations to support the imperial navy to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, energy has impacted security decisions at every level.

Future energy sources are destined to be just as transformative and disruptive to the international system. This ongoing transformation is showcased in no better example than Israel’s sensitive energy-centric diplomacy.

Its energy-focused foreign and security policy comes in the wake of the Russian ruble climbing to a seven-year high, owing to high oil prices triggered by sanctions against Russia and the post-COVID global recovery. With Europe reeling due to dependence on Russian gas, Israel has stepped in and is in talks to fill this vacuum with its own gas exports by exporting gas to Europe via Egypt.

However, Israel’s diplomacy and the future of energy politics are not just about changing logistics or suppliers. Dr. Alexander V. Mirtchev, in his groundbreaking The Prologue: The Alternative Energy Megatrend in the Age of Great Power Competition, elucidates on the changing landscape of energy politics. The book provides an excellent model for Israeli diplomacy.

Mirtchev, a vice-chair at the Atlantic Council, a leading Washington think tank, and a founding member of the Council to the Kissinger Institute on China and the US at the Woodrow Wilson International Center, argues that the vigorous pursuit of innovation and an expeditious entry into the realm of the unknown is becoming a key ingredient in the competition between global powers, resulting in energy rebalancing between actors.

The Leviathan gas platform, 10km. offshore Israel (credit: ALBATROSS)

Mirtchev is not alone in this assessment. Former secretary of state and national security adviser Henry Kissinger concurs, stating “Mirtchev’s sweeping exploration of the changing energy landscape looks far into the future and outlines issues that will occupy scholars and policymakers for decades to come.”

Former director of the FBI William Sessions believes the megatrend described by Mirtchev has succeeded in breaking through the complexities of the current alternative energy development strategies. World Bank vice president for sustainable development Rachel Kyte notes, “The alternative energy megatrend as described in Alexander Mirtchev’s book, occupies a large and growing role in the World Bank’s energy portfolio and policy advice.”

It is worth analyzing what this forward-looking trajectory, a megatrend, means for Israel’s changing foreign policy considering the Abraham Accords, the Iranian threat, and its wish to export gas to Europe.

Israel’s foreign policy through the lens of energy

Mirtchev posits that security considerations are driving Israel’s energy strategies. The use of solar-based battery chargers and new approaches to providing energy to military bases are obvious examples. Counterintuitively, Mirtchev also explains how Israel’s booming natural gas industry interplays with technological and regional dynamics: “Combined with the increased use of domestic natural gas, Israel can utilize alternative energy as a balancing factor in its relations with its energy-rich neighbors. These considerations are already leading to advances in alternative energy [...].”

Energy has also recently played a critical role in Turkish-Israeli relations. While some experts speculate on Turkey’s latest charm offensive, hoping to repair long-strained Turkish-Israeli relations, energy is obviously paramount. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated as much in February, “We can use Israeli natural gas in our country and beyond using it, we can also engage in a joint effort on its passage to Europe.”

It is these same energy concerns that drive Israel’s engagement with various Mediterranean states. Israel’s energy alliance with Greece, Cyprus, Egypt and Italy aims to transport Israeli gas to Europe via the Euro-Asia interconnector, which was announced in April, to boost alternatives after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. With these states also announcing the EastMed subsea pipeline to supplement delivery capabilities, it is unsurprising that Turkey is both rhetorically retaliating against Europe and seeking ties with Israel.

The perennial Iranian nuclear issue is another excellent example of this. While seeking nuclear weapons and funding terrorism are political projects, energy is also at their apex. Oil revenues enable their activities, and Iran is now attempting to leverage the Ukrainian crisis to do so.

Last week, Iran announced they are going to increase cooperation with Russia by swapping energy supplies and setting up a logistics hub with a Russian accord. The simple aim is to help both parties bypass sanctions and provide plausible deniability to politically uncommitted buyers. If the international community wants to pressure Iran and Russia successfully, it must find a way to hamper their energy industries and simultaneously pressure both parties.

The Abraham Accords between Israel and several Arab states, including the oil-rich United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, further illustrate Israel’s energy centric-foreign policy. A taste of the future alternative energy paradigm surfaced last November with the signing of a water-for-energy deal between Israel and Jordan. Months later, a UAE-Egyptian consortium announced intentions to buy South African renewables firm Lekela, giving Abu Dhabi’s Masdar, owned by UAE’s sovereign investment company Mubadala, a presence in southern Africa.

Israel’s recent energy-centric diplomacy showcases what Mirtchev argues: “the alternative energy megatrend [...] has already begun to shape the way production choices are made and energy is distributed.”

As alternative energy and technologies advance, this megatrend will create opportunities for relations between states and upset existing power balances. Israel’s foreign policy transformation already acts as a testimony to this major development.

The writer is a Middle East expert, the managing editor at the Jerusalem Institute for Strategic Studies and a Ph.D. candidate at Bar-Ilan University. He is formerly the Middle East correspondent for The Jerusalem Post.

**Regional Context and Traditional Energy Sector**
   - The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is highly dependent on fossil fuels (oil and gas) for both economic stability and energy supply.

Title:

Content: Fossil fuels, which have powered the industrial growth and development of civilisations for centuries, are facing a looming deadline of depletion. Moreover, they have caused severe environmental and social problems, such as climate change, conflicts, and pollution. The need for alternative and sustainable energy sources is clear and urgent. However, the transition to a post-fossil fuel era is not easy or straightforward. It requires innovation, investment, cooperation, and vision.

This article explores the challenges and opportunities of global energy transformation, focusing on the dual nature of fossil fuels, the countdown to their exhaustion, and the promise of renewable energy sources. It also highlights the progress and potential of some countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, which is one of the most dependent regions on fossil fuels in the world.

Fossil Fuels: A Double-Edged Sword

Fossil fuels, comprising oil, coal, and natural gas, are ancient energy sources that have been central to the development of various industries and sectors. They have enhanced transportation, manufacturing, agriculture, and electricity generation. They have catalysed global trade, commerce, and innovation, elevating the quality of life for millions.

However, this ascent has been coupled with profound challenges. Fossil fuels have been a source of geopolitical strife, epitomised by wars and conflicts over their control and distribution. They have also exacerbated environmental issues, such as greenhouse gas emissions, global warming, and climate change. Incidents like oil spills, gas leaks, and fracking have inflicted severe damage on ecosystems and public health.

The Countdown to Depletion

The finite and non-renewable nature of fossil fuels leaves humanity facing a daunting deadline. Predicting the exact exhaustion of these resources is a complex endeavour, influenced by reserves, consumption rates, technological advancements, and price fluctuations. Nonetheless, projections based on current data paint a concerning picture.

According to Octopus Energy, the year 2060 may mark the twilight of fossil fuels, based on current consumption and reserve estimates. In 2020, global oil production reached 91.7 million barrels per day (b/d), with key players like the United States, Saudi Arabia, and Russia at the forefront. Simultaneously, natural gas production stood at 3.94 trillion cubic meters (bcm). Although the Covid-19 pandemic temporarily curtailed production, a resurgence is anticipated. In contrast, natural gas consumption steadily rises by over 3% each year.

Should additional oil reserves remain elusive, known deposits could be depleted by 2052. The stark reality is that demand for oil has surged, nearly doubling the average annual rate observed over the preceding decade in 2018.

Toward a Sustainable Energy Paradigm

The global imperative for alternative energy sources is clear. Sustainable options, even if not entirely devoid of environmental impact, have become a linchpin of energy discussions. The quest for sustainability is no longer optional; it is fundamental to securing a prosperous future.

Embracing alternative and sustainable energy solutions is our paramount responsibility. The adverse consequences of persisting with fossil fuels are increasingly undeniable. Furthermore, incidents such as oil spills, gas leaks, and fracking have grievously scarred ecosystems and human health.

The geopolitical maelstrom surrounding fossil fuels is a testament to their strategic importance. By reducing our dependence on these finite resources, we can contribute to global stability and peace.

The Promise of Sustainable Energy

Investing in sustainable energy is not merely an ecological commitment; it is a strategic move to safeguard long-term energy security. Renewable sources like solar and wind power do not suffer the same spectre of depletion as fossil fuels, offering a reliable and sustainable energy future. Moreover, technology’s relentless march is enhancing the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of these alternatives, ensuring a seamless transition.

In this era of unprecedented global challenges, the unsustainable trajectory of fossil fuels is no longer tenable. Transitioning to renewable and sustainable energy sources is both a moral imperative and an economic necessity. As we confront the relentless march of climate change, endeavouring to secure long-term energy stability and foster global peace, embracing this transformation is our only viable path toward a sustainable and prosperous future. It is a journey we must embark upon with unwavering determination and foresight.

The MENA Region: The abundance of wisdom

The MENA region stands as an interesting case study for global energy transformation. The region is one of the most dependent regions on fossil fuels in the world. According to the World Bank, the region accounted for 36% of the global oil production and 20% of the global gas production in 2018. However, the region also faces many challenges and risks related to its reliance on fossil fuels, such as price volatility, environmental degradation, social unrest, and geopolitical conflicts.

Therefore, some countries in the region have started to prepare for the transition to a post-fossil fuel era by diversifying their economies, investing in renewable energy sources, and promoting innovation and sustainability. According to a report by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the MENA region has a huge potential for renewable energy development, especially solar and wind power. The report estimates that the region could generate more than 60% of its total electricity from renewable sources by 2030.

Some of the countries that have made significant progress in this field are:

• UAE: The UAE has been a leader in innovation and sustainability in the region, with a vision of becoming a global hub for green economy and clean energy. The UAE has set a target of increasing its share of clean energy to 50% by 2050. The UAE has invested in various renewable energy projects, such as the Shams 1 solar thermal plant, which is one of the largest of its kind in the world, and the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, which is planned to be the largest single-site solar park in the world by 2030. The UAE is also home to Masdar City, which is a planned city that aims to be one of the most sustainable cities in the world. Also, UAE is one of the 10 largest oil producing countries with a proven reserves, according to BP statistical reviews, of 100 billion barrels.

• Morocco: Morocco has been a pioneer in renewable energy development in the region, with a target of achieving 52% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030. Morocco has invested heavily in solar power projects, such as the Noor Ouarzazate complex, which is the largest concentrated solar power plant in the world. Morocco also has a strong wind power sector, with a capacity of over 1.2 gigawatts (GW) as of 2019.

• Egypt: Egypt has also been pursuing an ambitious renewable energy strategy, with a goal of reaching 42% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2035. Egypt has a large potential for solar and wind power, especially in the Sinai Peninsula and the Red Sea coast. Egypt has launched several large-scale projects, such as the Benban Solar Park, which is expected to be the largest solar photovoltaic (PV) plant in the world when completed, and the Zafarana Wind Farm, which is one of the largest wind farms in Africa.

These are some examples of countries in the MENA region that are prepared for after fossil fuels era. However, there are still many challenges and barriers that need to be overcome, such as policy and regulatory frameworks, financing and investment mechanisms, public awareness and participation, and regional cooperation and integration.

The world is at a crossroads in its energy choices. Fossil fuels have been instrumental in driving industrial growth and development, but they have also caused severe environmental problems. Their finite nature also poses a threat to long-term energy security. The need for alternative and sustainable energy sources is clear and urgent.

Renewable energy sources offer a promising solution to this challenge. They are abundant, reliable, and sustainable. They can reduce greenhouse gas emissions, mitigate climate change impacts, and foster global peace. They can also create new opportunities for economic growth, innovation, and social welfare.

— Dr Abdullah Belhaif Al Nuaimi is a former UAE minister of Infrastructure Development and for Climate Change and Environment

- The region faces immense climate vulnerability, with projections of up to 5°C warming by the century’s end and 90% of urban areas at risk due to coastal flooding and sea-level rise.

Title:

Content: Climate change could devastate Mideast, scientists warn

Climate change could devastate Middle East, East Mediterranean, scientists warn

The region could see an overall warming of up to 5 degrees Celsius or more by the end of the century

Climate change could have a devastating effect on the lives of millions in the East Mediterranean and Middle East, where temperatures are rising nearly twice as fast as the global average, an international team of scientists warned.

The region could see an overall warming of up to 5 degrees Celsius or more by the end of the century on a business-as-usual scenario, a report prepared by the Cyprus Institute said.

That temperature spike was almost twice that anticipated in other areas of the planet, and faster than any other inhabited parts of the world, it said.

The report, prepared under the auspices of the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry and the Climate and Atmosphere Research Center of The Cyprus Institute, will be submitted at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27) taking place in Egypt in November.

Read | How climate change is transforming the Pacific Crest trail

A combination of reduced rainfall and weather warming will contribute to severe droughts, compromising water and food security, with many countries unprepared for rising sea levels, one expert said.

"This (scenario) would imply severe challenges for coastal infrastructure and agriculture, and can lead to the salinisation of costal aquifers, including the densely populated and cultivated Nile Delta," said Dr. George Zittis of the Cyprus Institute, an author of the report.

Meeting the main targets of the Paris Agreement, a global pact of countries to cut emissions, could stabilise the annual temperature increase to about 2 degrees Celsius.

Scientists recommend rapid implementation of decarbonisation actions with a particular emphasis on the energy and transportation sectors.

"Since many of the regional outcomes of climate change are transboundary, stronger collaboration among the countries is indispensable to cope with the expected adverse impacts," said Jos Lelieveld, director of the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, institute professor at the Cyprus Institute, and coordinator of the assessment.

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Title:

Content:

‘Blue Economy’ focus on sustainable marine development comes to Middle East

An ocean-based economy could be the answer to climate change, food insecurity, energy issues, and cooperation among the countries of the region.

EU Environment, Oceans and Fisheries Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevicius gives a news conference on sustainable blue economy in Brussels, Belgium May 17, 2021
(photo credit: VIA REUTERS)

As the world rapidly changes and new needs and issues continue to appear on the global agenda, the “blue economy,” defined by the World Bank as the “sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth, improved livelihoods, and jobs while preserving the health of ocean ecosystem,” is seen by many as a great solution to many of the mankind’s current problems.

For more stories from The Media Line go to themedialine.org

The Commonwealth of Nations considers the blue economy as “an emerging concept which encourages better stewardship of our ocean or ‘blue’ resources.”

The blue economy approach is also penetrating the Middle East.

Israel last month inaugurated the National Center for Innovation and Blue Economy in Haifa, aiming to promote technological innovation and entrepreneurship related to the maritime space.

This includes projects in fields such as aquaculture, shipping, marine tourism, and marine nature conservation, the Environmental Protection Ministry and the Haifa Municipality said in a joint statement.

Port of Haifa. (credit: Prof. Noa Shenkar)

'Blue is the next green'

Mohammed Baharoon, director general at b’huth – The Dubai Public Policy Research Centre, told The Media Line that the United Arab Emirates and Oman are also working hard on exploring these areas. He said the investments are not very significant till now, but he added that it is an area of growth.

The blue economy is of great importance for the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, he explained, as they “are based in the Arabian Peninsula which is surrounded by four seas.

“Their economic ties with countries in the Indo-Pacific Region are huge,” he added.

Blue is the next green, continued Baharoon, and “the blue economy complements all their efforts toward carbon neutrality, energy transition, and economic diversity.”

Lior Hanuka is the CEO of HiCenter, which operates the National Center for Blue Economy in Haifa. He told The Media Line that investment in projects related to the blue economy in Israel is also low, “but we are going to change this number to hundreds of millions of dollars, maybe billions of dollars, because we do think that the blue economy is going to bring to the table a lot of opportunities to innovate.”

Israeli innovation can move from the land to the sea, he added, saying we are talking about artificial intelligence, machine learning, cybersecurity, and all the agricultural technologies, Hanuka added.

Gregor Paterson-Jones, managing partner at PJ & Company, a blue and green finance consultancy, said, “The blue economy conceptualization and financing mechanism, as well as sustainability standards, are now where green finance was 10 years ago.”

There are a number of highly relevant blue economy sectors that have a huge impact on sustainable development in the region, he noted in an interview with The Media Line.

There are several large tourism developments and existing assets that rely on the health of the ocean for their survival, Paterson-Jones said. Also, maritime trade and logistics are important assets for the region that could benefit from investment in blue economy-based projects.

He pointed out that blue economy developments could make the difference between recent fossil fuel discoveries’ exploitation being beneficial or deleterious to the energy mix in the region. He also cited renewable energy and waste treatment as areas that could benefit.

Greater fisheries and aquaculture opportunities

The new approach could be an asset in the provision of water in water-stressed areas of the world, and could create greater fisheries and aquaculture opportunities in the region, Paterson-Jones said.

Hanuka added, “The beautiful thing about the blue economy is that once you bring the innovation, or build the project, it contributes to all the countries around you, and maybe beyond.”

He added that the Israeli National Center for Innovation and Blue Economy has already been in touch with contacts in Jordan, Egypt, and Morocco, “and they’re looking for our innovation.”

Regional cooperation is a must for the success of the blue economy in addressing key issues such as global warming, he said. “Some of the challenges belong to the whole region, so some of the solutions have to be regional and not only in one country,” Hanuka said.

Baharoon stressed that in additionI to important issues that the blue economy can address such as climate change, food security, energy transition, and economic cooperation, an ocean-based economy means connectivity, which could greatly enhance the Middle Eastern countries’ ties with East Asian countries.

“Blue waters projects will help create new corridors for moving food, energy, and data, and marine urbanization will create people traffic between these two regions, which will require cooperation on new types of governance structures,” he said.

**Drivers for Energy Transition**
   - Global demand for alternative, renewable energy is intensifying due to climate change, ESG pressures, and the finite nature of fossil fuel reserves.

- International events (such as Europe’s energy crisis) present new opportunities for Middle Eastern gas exports (e.g., Israel exporting via Egypt), influencing national energy strategies and foreign policy.

- The Abraham Accords have facilitated energy cooperation between Israel, UAE, and Bahrain among others.

Title:

Content: Analyzing The Impact On -And What's Next For- The Middle East After The UAE's Momentous Staging Of COP28 The United Nations climate conference in Dubai made history last month, uniting nearly 200 nations to adopt a resolution to "transition away" from coal, oil and gas in this decade.

By Megha Merani

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

You're reading Entrepreneur Middle East, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media.

The 28th edition of the Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28) may have wrapped up- but the spotlight still remains fixed on the Middle East, with the UAE at the center, as it emerges as a potential key influencer in the global climate agenda. This focus comes amidst expectations from industry leaders that the summit's resolutions will spark a new wave of innovation and strategic rethinking across the region.

The United Nations (UN) climate conference in Dubai made history last month, uniting nearly 200 nations to adopt a resolution to "transition away" from coal, oil and gas in this decade. The landmark decision on fossil fuels -a first of its kind in the conference's three-decades- was won after intense debate and considerable resistance from leading energy producers.

Fossil fuels, which are responsible for the majority of global warming emissions, still account for more than 80% of the world's energy consumption, even amid a steady rise in renewable energy capacity. COP28 President Dr. Sultan Al Jaber said the deal "delivered a paradigm shift that has the potential to redefine our economies," but stressed the importance of action over rhetoric, signaling a turning point in international energy policies. "We are what we do, not what we say," he said. "We must take the steps necessary to turn this agreement into tangible action."

Salaal Hassan, founder and CEO of Ahya, an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered solution for businesses to measure and reduce emissions, said heightened awareness of climate challenges spurred by COP28 opens key opportunities for both policymakers and the private sector. "The private sector must move beyond an outlook of seeing climate change as corporate social responsibility (CSR), and instead adapt from purely capitalist models to green social capital-based enterprises," he said. To make the shift, he recommends the adoption of "double materiality", a concept that focuses on reinvesting profits into climate protection and accurately assessing climate risk.

Salaal Hassan, founder and CEO, Ahya. Source: Ahya

As for the road ahead, Hassan predicts the COP28 dialogue will be a major catalyst for climatetech innovation in the region, especially for software startups focused on database management, reporting, and reduction processes for climate initiatives. "Such solutions already exist in the US and European Union, but they are not transferable to the UAE due to cost, support, localization, and compliance aspects," he noted. As the region -which has been historically reliant on fossil fuels- pivots towards a sustainable future, Hassan also sees potential for Direct Air Capture (DAC) technology for greenhouse gas mitigation. However, he also pointed out that its capital-intensive nature poses limitations in emerging markets.

Meanwhile, Shukri Eid, General Manager for the Gulf, Levant, and Pakistan at American multinational IBM, said the urgency to measure carbon footprints, as well as the increasing demand for comprehensive data, including environmental, social, and governance (ESG) reporting, have exerted immense pressure on organizations. "To start, organizations need to establish baselines and develop data-driven strategies- deciding what data to collect, where to store it, and how to manage it for audits, performance assessment, and driving improvements," Eid said. Unfortunately, existing data is often "fragmented, incomplete, or outdated," Eid noted.

Shukri Eid, General Manager, IBM-Gulf, Levant, and Pakistan. Source: IBM

But he noted that technologies infused with AI "hold the most promise for climate action," citing IBM's collaboration with the US' National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) on a foundation model for weather and climate. Trained on geospatial information, the model offers a novel approach to tackle climate change. "Unlike traditional AI models, geospatial foundation models can be fine-tuned for diverse applications, from flood detection to fire scars, driving impactful solutions across climate-related challenges," Eid explained.

Closer to home, IBM -which was an Associate Pathway Partner for the COP28 conference in Dubai – has also partnered with Mohamed Bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence to map the urban heat islands in the UAE. The research involves a fine-tuned version of IBM and NASA's geospatial foundation model to understand Abu Dhabi's urban environment and the formation of urban heat islands influenced by local landscapes. At the same time, IBM's Sustainability Accelerator is fostering innovation in water management at the University of Sharjah, which is developing a model and application to monitor and forecast water access in the Middle East and North Africa.

The financial sector is also adapting to take the lead in environmental initiatives. Dr. Saeeda Jaffar, Senior Vice President and Group Country Manager for the GCC at global digital payments leader Visa, said that finance and payment players "bear a significant responsibility" in driving adaptation, and that they are essential to bridging the gap between consumers and businesses in instilling sustainable practices. "The imperative for banks extends beyond merely reducing the reliance on cash payments and paper," she said. "It encompasses providing crucial capital to sustainable businesses, and creating an environment that fosters their growth. Any technology or innovation that inspires individuals and businesses to awareness and climate action holds great promise."

Dr. Saeeda Jaffar, Senior Vice President and Group Country Manager GCC, Visa. Source: Visa

Dr. Jaffar cited Visa's collaboration with sustainability-as-a-service startup Ecolytiq to launch an "Eco Benefits" bundle, in partnership with Mashreq Bank in the UAE and Qatar Islamic Bank in Qatar, as a prime example. The solution leverages payments data to allow consumers to track their carbon footprint per transaction, enabling them to understand the impact their spending behavior is having on the environment, and offers guidance on how to offset their carbon impact.

In the UAE, the carbon emissions insights are available to nearly one million Mashreq personal banking customers. "Rather than just offering products and services, we aim to craft experiences that truly benefit our customers," Faisal Al Shimmari, Head of ESG and Corporate Strategy at Mashreq Bank, said. "These products are designed to promote climate-positive behaviors, while delivering tangible impact for Mashreq customers."

Meanwhile, Mashreq is also actively ramping up its efforts to provide sustainable financing with a goal to reach US$30 billion by 2030, making it among the top facilitators of the UAE Banks Federation's (UBF) pledge at COP28 to mobilize $272 billion in sustainable finance by the end of the decade. The bank has already facilitated more than 30 deals in sustainable financing since 2021, including structuring and underwriting the recently closed Bapco Energies' $2.5 billion dual tranche Islamic and conventional term facility, the largest sustainability-linked loan in the region so far. Other projects that have received financing include adaptation-related projects such as water projects in Egypt, the UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.

Related: A Silicon Valley for Climate Tech? It Could Well Be the UAE

Having noted important gaps in climate finance for decarbonization in the UAE, Al Shimmari called it "a matter of national priority". This is why Mashreq is set to launch a UAE ESG Ecosystem Government Accelerator, an initiative uniting public institutions and financial private sector organizations to expedite the UAE's green transition.

Meanwhile, as 2024 now gets underway, Al Shimmari noted that UAE climate startups will need to confront regulatory uncertainties and funding challenges, yet promising avenues for innovation and growth await. "Startups should focus on increasing their technology readiness level through university collaborations and market-funded programs, and work on addressing climate risk stress testing, including data availability and governance challenges," he advised, noting a bright outlook especially for agri- and water-tech sectors.

However, Ahya's Hassan highlighted that the scarcity of capital for climatetech is a major obstacle to progress. "The biggest challenge is that of investors not having the risk appetite or a specialized thesis, due to the need to dive deep into the macroeconomics and regulations, which are distinguishably different from other sectors, as well as the need to see climatetech returns on a mid to long term horizon," Hassan said. "Here, very few investors have a focus on climatetech. And enterprises, whilst having sustainability departments, do not have specialists running them and have a general view of sustainability as an operational expense or CSR function. This can only change through confidence building, and simplifying the macro regulatory context."

Echoing Hassan's view, Victor Sunyer, Partner at Dubai-based investment firm Nuwa Capital, said that venture capitalists, in line with market conditions, "will continue to exhibit increased selectivity and caution." This cautious approach comes just as UAE-based data platform Magnitt noted a significant global investment growth in climatetech. The sector saw $82 billion in investments in 2022, up 20% from the previous year.

Victor Sunyer, Partner, Nuwa Capital. Source: Nuwa Capital

In the more nascent Middle East, North Africa, and Turkey (MENAT) market, climatetech startups attracted $651 million across 148 ventures between 2018 and 2022. However, Nuwa Capital envisions climatetech as "a fundamental area for growth and investment in the region" over the next few years, Sunyer said, motivated by the urgency to mitigate climate change impact. "Consumer sensitivity towards responsible behavior adds momentum to this trend," he said. "We are pursuing investment opportunities in the climate action space, spanning both early and growth stages."

Sunyer also said that the region is seeing "the beginnings of a solid climatetech ecosystem", also pointing to accelerator programs sponsored by major energy companies directing their focus to energy efficiency and transition. ADNOC, for example, launched a $1 million decarbonization technology challenge last year. Sunyer also noted "heightened enthusiasm" for water management and efficiency post-COP28, as well as technologies focused around low-carbon foods and locally grown produce, and on reducing building energy consumption. "Given the relevance of the construction sector and the climatic conditions, implementing energy-conserving measures for buildings is crucial for enhancing overall energy efficiency," Sunyer said. "Anticipated strides by policymakers in this regard underscore the potential impact."

With buildings accounting for nearly 40% of global carbon emissions, Maged Marie, CEO at Egypt-based real estate firm Magnom Properties, emphasized the role of the built environment in global energy transition discussions at COP28. The summit focused on practical solutions to decarbonize the buildings sector, Marie said, describing it as a move to "course-correct."

Maged Marie, CEO, Magnom Properties. Source: Magnom Properties

At the summit, the governments of France and Morocco, alongside the UN Environment Program (UNEP), launched the Buildings Breakthrough, setting a goal for near-zero emissions and climateresilient buildings by 2030– an initiative Marie lauded as one of the "most important sector-specific outcomes" at the conference in Dubai. "While the speed and scale of urbanization globally has brought manifold challenges to the climate crisis, the buildings sector is also uniquely positioned to be part of the solutions as we move forward on the path of net zero," Marie said. "At Magnom Properties, for instance, we are tapping into the long-term potential of clean hydrogen to power 75% of the total energy demands of the Forbes International Tower in Cairo, Egypt, designed to be one of the most sustainable buildings globally."

The Forbes International Tower, a commercial project planned to be constructed in locations including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt, will also use solar power, while also incorporating water recycling and smart technologies for efficient use. The tower is set to reduce its carbon footprint by 58%, equivalent to 60 million kilograms of carbon dioxide emissions, and it is also targeting Platinum LEED certification.

Commenting on the industry as a whole, Louise Collins, Head of Engineering and Energy for the MEA, and Head of Project and Development Services for the UAE, at real estate services firm JLL, said that sustainability is "high on the agenda" for both local and global businesses operating in the real estate sector. More time, resources, and money are being spent on sustainability, she said, which is expected to continue in the years ahead. According to JLL, 59% of the top 100 office occupiers in Dubai have carbon commitments.

Louise Collins, Head of Engineering and Energy for the MEA, and Head of Project and Development Services for the UAE, JLL. Source: JLL

Collins said that much of the demand for low-carbon space is coming from international occupiers. But the Emirate faces a unique set of challenges in meeting this demand, she said, including extreme climate conditions, rapid urban development, and high-energy demand buildings. That said, the market also presents unique opportunities. "As Dubai continues to develop rapidly, local government officials and developers benefit from implementing stringent buildings codes and construction practices to ensure buildings are sustainable at the onset– a much easier route than having to go through expensive and complex retrofits," Collins explained. "Building owners can also capitalize on abundant solar energy potential and leverage smart city technologies."

A spokesperson from NWTN, a UAE-based electric car manufacturer and green energy provider, forecasted transformative shifts in the regional energy landscape, including an uptick in investments in renewables like solar and wind power, that would potentially lead to the emergence of new renewable tech companies. "Given the UAE's abundant solar resources, innovations in solar energy, such as more efficient photovoltaic cells or concentrated solar power systems, are particularly promising," the spokesperson said. "Wind energy, especially offshore wind turbines, could also see significant advancements."

Other promising technologies include green hydrogen produced using renewable energy sources. "It can be used in various sectors, including transportation, industry, and power generation, making it a versatile option for decarbonization," the spokesperson said. These, along with advanced energy storage systems including batteries and other novel storage technologies, along with smart grid technology, are essential for managing the intermittent nature of renewable energy sources.

Peter May, Vice President of Operations at Dubai-based proptech startup Silkhaus, underscored the shared collective accountability for climate action. "Climate action is everyone's responsibility across sectors, and not just that of cleantech businesses," he said. But startups face challenges, he added, in "avoiding the lure of greenwashing," and resisting the misconception that purchasing carbon credits is a primary solution. Advocating for a more comprehensive approach, May said companies need to focus on education, optimization, and direct impact reduction.

Peter May, VP of Operations, Silkhaus. Source: Silkhaus

But despite hurdles in the shift to green, May is upbeat about COP28's long-term effect on Middle East economies. Ultimately, the unprecedented agreement is encouraging as it aligns with the region's ambitions to diversify away from oil-dependence, he said. After all, expanding into non-oil sectors -while fostering sustainable practices- is a win-win scenario.

Related: What Are The Climate Solutions That We're Leaving On The Table? Ask Women Entrepreneurs.

Megha Merani

Independent Journalist

Megha Merani is an independent journalist based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Her stories have made headlines across a number of publications including Reuters, Associated Press, Entrepreneur Middle EastBloomberg Middle East, Arabian Gulf Business Insight, Arabian Business, and former local daily 7DAYS.

Megha also produces editorial for government platforms including the World Government Summit and World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting of the Global Future Councils. She has been a grant winner of the Thomson Reuters Foundation and The Global Initiative Against Organized Crime funded by the government of Norway to report on the online trade in illegal wildlife.

Megha is also an Associate Fellow (AFHEA) at Murdoch University in Dubai and leads its Digital Newsroom course unit. In addition, Megha serves as a United Nations Women mentor to support equal opportunities for women entrepreneurs, and supports various other programs including TIE Women, 60 Day Startups, and the Watt Inc. Business Incubator.

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**Solar Energy Investment and National Strategies**
   - The MENA region has the technical potential to generate over 60% of its electricity from renewables by 2030.

- **UAE**: A regional leader in green innovation, the UAE hosts major solar projects (Masdar City, Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park) and promotes a national vision to become a global clean energy hub.

Generous government incentives encourage investment and technological development.

- **Egypt**: Significant investments in wind and solar (notably in the Sinai and Red Sea coast), coupled with government incentives, are aimed at lowering GHG emissions and diversifying energy sources.

- Other Gulf States: Saudi Arabia and Bahrain are exploring both solar and nuclear energy as part of their diversification strategies; joint initiatives, such as a regional nuclear centre, are under discussion.

**Government Incentives and Policy Frameworks**
   - Governments are providing financial incentives, policy support, and development zones to attract investment in renewables.

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Content: Monday, 27 June, 2022, 1:59 AM
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Greener cities are critical to regional sustainability

Published : Monday, 27 June, 2022 at 12:00 AM  Count : 73
SARA AL-MULLA

From megacities to metropolises, cities of all kinds are experiencing an unprecedented spectrum of threats associated with climate change, necessitating a serious debate on the importance of transitioning toward greener cities in order to remain sustainable and resilient.

Currently, those living in urban areas make up just over half the global population. But this figure is projected to increase exponentially to a whopping 68 percent by mid-century, according to the UN. The modern urban landscape poses complex challenges for cities, as they are vulnerable to climate-induced hazards that threaten their economies and infrastructures and the well-being of their residents.

An influential 2018 report titled "The Future We Don't Want" - published by C40 Cities, the Global Covenant of Mayors, Acclimatise and the Urban Climate Change Research Network - revealed the manifold threats that cities are facing and will continue to face in greater intensity as a result of climate change. The report stated that 70 percent of cities are already feeling the wrath of climate change in the form of heat waves, rising sea levels, wildfires, storms and droughts. The fact that 90 percent of urban areas are coastal also poses a significant vulnerability to flooding due to rising sea levels and mass destruction from tsunamis.

By 2050, more than 45 percent of the global urban population is projected to live in cities with extreme summer temperatures of at least 35 degrees Celsius, leaving residents susceptible to dehydration, heatstroke, sleep loss, stress, cardiovascular disease and even death.

Many cities are currently counteracting these challenges, such as the case with Seoul, which implements a number of successful interventions when temperatures reach 33 C for two consecutive days. They include advisories to residents with practical advice and guidance to employers about allowing their outdoor workers to take breaks. The city has also installed shaded cooling centers in public locations, planted 16 million trees and expanded its green space by 3.5 million sq m.

The urgency of addressing climate change in the Middle East and North Africa has never been more critical, with UN experts projecting an urbanization rate of 59 percent by 2030. The region is already fraught with high temperatures, droughts, limited rainfall and scarce agricultural lands, and it is considered among the most water-stressed regions in the world. Climate-induced water scarcity alone is projected to cost MENA countries as much as 6 percent of their gross domestic product by 2050, according to the World Bank.

All of these challenges have important policy implications for city governments on how to balance economic growth while reducing environmental impacts and maximizing population well-being. The International Finance Corporation estimates the climate-centered investment opportunity for the MENA region to be $1.7 trillion.

Many cities have already implemented a vast range of interventions to bolster their resilience and successfully transition into greener cities. Chief among these actions is establishing a dedicated agency to plan, coordinate and manage climate-related strategies across the country. Regular extensive assessments of vulnerabilities and climate-related risks will inform decision-makers on the urgent and critical interventions needed.

Cities should also upgrade their infrastructure to ensure resilience in the face of extreme climate events, such as the flooding of drainage systems. Shifting to climate-smart infrastructure is an important step toward reducing greenhouse gas emissions and conserving resources. For example, a number of cities are currently relying on renewable energy and solar energy to power large buildings.

Meanwhile, the government of Dubai has issued regulations for "green buildings" that elaborate on a number of climate-friendly solutions, including creating vegetated rooftops, reducing hazardous waste, limiting pollution and improving energy and water efficiency. Many cities are also experimenting with vertical forests, whereby a variety of plant species are grown on buildings, such as the ones in Milan, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and Utrecht.

Investing in climate-efficient public transportation and promoting the uptake of hybrid or electric vehicles will offer cleaner alternatives to fuel-reliant vehicles that amplify air pollution. To illustrate, the city of Santiago in Chile invested in electric-powered public buses, which do not generate emissions and cost a remarkable 70 percent less to operate than diesel-fueled buses. In tandem, guidance should be issued to enterprises on how to decarbonize their operations and shift toward electrification and digital solutions.

Launching mass greening and reforestation projects across cities can yield a number of benefits, such as cooling them during summer months and improving biodiversity. This can be done by planting trees to line streets and boulevards and creating gardens, grassy areas, public parks, flowery meadows, miniature urban forests and allotments. For instance, many cities offer allotments for urban farming and recreational gardening projects managed by residents, with an abundance of evidence pointing to improved physical and mental well-being, in addition to the growth of local, seasonal and organic produce.

Additionally, many countries, such as the UAE and Singapore, are capitalizing on vertical farming projects to maximize agricultural yield while relying on climate-friendly solutions to efficiently utilize water and energy.

City governments should also be creative with their public education campaigns to nudge the desired behavioral changes by residents, focusing on recycling, metered consumption and the reduction of wastage. Furthermore, MENA countries should invest in cutting-edge research and innovations related to climate change, which will empower cities to navigate an uncertain future and adjust their climate action plans accordingly.

When imagining the cities of tomorrow, a rather ambitious idea should be explored to include sustainability. By transforming its cities into greener cities, the MENA region can navigate the coming decades with enhanced resilience and competitiveness.
Source: ARAB NEWS

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- Recent UN climate conferences hosted in the region signal an increased commitment, with resolutions to "transition away" from coal, oil, and gas.

- The growing attention to the ‘blue economy’ (marine resources) and climate technologies shows broadening strategic interests.

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Content: In recent weeks, attacks on ships in the Red Sea have significantly raised shipping costs and caused delays for traded goods, such as hospital supplies and clothes. Though the global energy supply remains uninterrupted, the threat of a broader conflict erupting in the region raises the risk of disruptive attacks on energy and transport infrastructure, whether through Iranian-led naval action or Iranian proxies and allies. With steady oil and gas supply at risk, North American producers must be prepared to bolster global energy security.

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Red Sea attacks continue to threaten shipping

In November 2023, Houthi rebels began attacking commercial shipping in the Red Sea and some surrounding waters. The Houthis, a Fiver Shiite political faction and the de facto government of western Yemen, are a US designated terrorist group and closely aligned with Iran. They are targeting commercial vessels as a way to oppose Israel’s war against Hamas. In response, the United States in December helped launch a multinational naval coalition to safeguard navigation in the Red Sea, and it has since struck Houthi military targets several times. However, this has not yet stopped Houthi attacks.

The Red Sea conflict has forced some ships to reroute around the Cape of Good Hope. This has disrupted trade of consumer goods as well as oil and gas by raising freight rates and reducing the number of ships available for commerce. Despite the disruptions, key oil prices such as the Brent benchmark have not spiked. Natural gas prices remain relatively low, as overall demand for natural gas is still being mitigated by full European gas stocks and the apparent slowdown of the Chinese economy.

However, if the disruption in the Red Sea continues unabated, it will further drive up global costs for oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG). Freight rates for oil and petroleum product tankers continue to climb—in some cases by nearly 500 percent since November. Additionally, transport times and costs have gone up for oil and LNG shipments from the Middle East to Europe and Asia.

The near future remains uncertain. A wider conflict capable of physically interrupting some oil or gas seems increasingly likely. On the Lebanon-Israel border, ongoing conflict between Hezbollah and Israel could dramatically escalate. Recent press reports have suggested that the window for de-escalation between the two sides is narrowing, and any conflict that draws in Iran could begin physically interrupting energy supplies. In this scenario, countries would be forced to seek out supplies that are shipped via reliable routes, including from North America, and that are not directly affected by the conflict in the Middle East.

Iran’s actions will be key to the energy outlook

How Iran would respond to all-out conflict between Hezbollah and Israel remains an open question, but could prove to be crucial for energy markets.

Given Iran’s past actions in the Gulf, more frequent harassment of Western-linked tankers is a plausible outcome. This strategy may have already started. In January, Iranian forces seized a Greek tanker off the coast of Oman, though they claim the seizure was reprisal for US sanctions against Iranian oil. As another sign of Iran’s possible intent to escalate, its Revolutionary Guard announced in December the establishment of a new, volunteer naval force intended to carry out “deep sea missions.” Iran is also preparing to deploy a drone carrier converted from a commercial vessel that could be used against shipping.

Escalating the conflict could have serious consequences for Iran. Interrupting a significant portion of energy flows from the Gulf would strain Iran’s relations with Qatar, a close partner, and with which Iran shares a massive natural gas field. It would also risk bringing Saudi Arabia into direct conflict again with the Houthis. Finally, Iran may be reluctant to expose its economy and energy exports to further damage, given how battered it is after years of US-led sanctions and egregious mismanagement.

Broader conflict would severely impact energy

Should Iran or its proxies decide on escalating, however, this would present a worsening scenario for the global energy market. There are two likely courses of action: Iran could continue to use its navy to attack or seize commercial ships; and Iran-aligned militias could attack energy infrastructure in a major Gulf producer, such as Saudi Arabia. Iran and its proxies have previously resorted to both tactics. During the Iran-Iraq War of the 1980s, the Iranian armed forces sank and seized tankers leaving Iraqi ports. In 2019, Iranian-led Houthi forces used drones and missiles to damage an oil processing plant in Abqaiq, Saudi Arabia. In 2021, Houthi rebels carried out a similar attack against a Saudi oil terminal in Jazan. The Houthis also attacked energy facilities in the United Arab Emirates with drones.

The exact nature of any oil and gas flow cutoff would depend on many variables and is beyond the scope of this analysis. But either scenario would have a swift impact globally and on major economies such as China, Japan, South Korea, and India, which all significantly rely on crude oil, refined products, and LNG from the Gulf states. Altogether, around 25 percent of crude cargoes and 20 percent of LNG cargoes pass through the Strait of Hormuz.

Any large disruption to Gulf state energy supplies would leave North America as one of the few reliable, significant sources of global energy supply. The United States alone exported 91 million tons of LNG in 2023, ahead of Australia and Qatar, which both exported about 80 million tons. By one estimate, up to 40 percent of US LNG exports are destination-flexible, which suggests that they could be more easily redirected to buyers in case of a Middle East supply disruption.

Reliable producers must bolster global energy security An escalation of conflict in the Middle East, particularly between Hezbollah and Israel and related actors, remains possible. Such a war would increase uncertainty surrounding supply of oil and gas from the region, particularly if Iran decides to influence the conflict by pressuring regional energy exports. Though a major interruption in energy flows is far from likely, it remains a possibility. Its global impact would be swift, severe, and potentially long-lasting, setting off a scramble for energy supplies, with buyers increasingly turning to reliable producers, such as the United States, Canada, and Mexico to meet supply gaps.

Julia Nesheiwat is a member of the Atlantic Council board of directors, a distinguished fellow with the Atlantic Council’s Global Energy Center, the vice president of TC Energy, and a former US Homeland Security Advisor.

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Learn more about the Global Energy Center

The Global Energy Center develops and promotes pragmatic and nonpartisan policy solutions designed to advance global energy security, enhance economic opportunity, and accelerate pathways to net-zero emissions.

Related Experts: Julia Nesheiwat

Image: Maritime trade routes are being affected by attacks in the Red Sea.

**Economic and Environmental Implications**
   - Investment in sustainable energy is seen as vital for long-term energy security and economic modernization.

- Reducing fossil fuel reliance supports local and global climate goals (mitigating emissions and pollution) and helps safeguard at-risk communities from climate threats.

- Renewables and new technologies create jobs, foster innovation, and drive regional cooperation, but fossil fuels remain economically significant for now.

**In conclusion:**
Despite ongoing reliance on oil and gas, the Middle East is rapidly scaling up investments in solar and other renewables, driven by environmental challenges, economic diversification goals, and global energy trends.

Key national projects and incentives illustrate a pragmatic pivot towards sustainability, though the scale and pace of transition vary across the region.

Title:

Content: Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) issues have become increasingly prominent on the global stage as organisations recognise the need to integrate sustainability into their operations.

As the Middle East moves towards a low carbon future, sustainability has become a top priority for organisations and governments across the region.

Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashid, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai announced while launching the National Hydrogen Strategy that the UAE is to invest up to AED 200 billion ($54.5 billion) in renewable energy.

The launch of a AED 4 billion renewable energy plant in Dubai,  and the world’s largest waste-to-energy plant are proof of sustainability climbing the agenda.

With COP 28 being held in the UAE this year, there is a renewed sense of urgency on climate change action, and the net-zero carbon target is being prioritised through policies and actions.

After all, sustainability will boost the UAE’s economic competitiveness, drive innovative policy and improve investment opportunities.

The region has seen notable sustainability innovations, including Saudi Arabia’s rapid transition to a circular carbon economy, Bahrain’s state oil company refinancing a $2.2 billion sustainability-linked corporate finance facility, and Oman’s exploration of green hydrogen as a clean energy source.

However, the Middle East faces its own unique challenges in implementing ESG practices, especially around accurate sustainability reporting and implementing early regulations to fill in previous gaps.

Other challenges that hinder the progress of the region’s ESG agenda include the talent gap, how corporates in the region address the need to implement ESG practices, as well as data availability.

Regulatory frameworks

While standardised frameworks and reporting guidelines begin to form, the lack of clear regulations can hinder consistent measurement and disclosure of ESG performance.

Global frameworks have now become more widely adopted in the region such as the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB), and the newly published International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB).

The gap in standardisation previously posed challenges for investors and stakeholders who relied on transparent and comparable ESG data for decision-making, however, we are starting to see drastic changes in this area.

Data availability

Many companies in the Middle East still face challenges in collecting, managing, and reporting ESG data, which can hinder their ability to effectively assess and manage their sustainability performance.

Data is the first step to measure any status, but also measure progress. Improving data collection mechanisms and investing in robust reporting systems will be instrumental in addressing this challenge.

ESG talent gap

Organisations need individuals with specialised knowledge and expertise in ESG practices to drive sustainable strategies effectively. Alongside this specialised knowledge, the industry also needs innovators, risk takers, agitators for change, mentors, and communicators in the field. There is however, a shortage of skilled professionals in the region with a deep understanding of ESG principles to drive innovative solutions.

Bridging this gap requires investment in education and training programmes to build a skilled workforce capable of integrating ESG considerations into business practices. Universities and training institutions are therefore increasingly offering courses and programmes on sustainability and ESG and businesses are partnering with academic institutions to develop tailored training initiatives and internships, nurturing a pipeline of talent equipped with the required knowledge and skills.

These efforts will cultivate a sustainable workforce capable of implementing and driving ESG practices in the Middle East.

Implementation by region’s corporates

Despite the challenges, corporations in the Middle East are embracing ESG practices, recognising the importance of sustainability and responsible business conduct. We see this through accelerated electrification and the increase of decarbonizing energy supply.

The GCC’s oil-producing nations have made efforts to diversify energy sources, transitioning towards net-zero carbon fuels for transportation. Investments in renewable energy, such as solar and wind, aim to mitigate environmental impacts and promote a low-carbon economic future transforming the economic system and supply chain.

Additionally, social considerations are gaining prominence. Companies are addressing social issues through initiatives that promote diversity, inclusion, and employee welfare.

Governance practices are also being strengthened to ensure transparency, accountability, regulatory reforms and ethical conduct.

While obstacles in integrating ESG practices persist in the Middle East, corporates in the region are proactively embracing sustainability and responsible business practices.

That the Middle East is emerging as a leader in ESG adoption is apparent through their fullfillment of the UN SDG goals which has driven positive environmental, social, and governance outcomes for businesses and society as a whole.

Here are summarized nuggets of information extracted from the provided text (approx.

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Director of the Institute of China and Modern Asia of the Russian Academy of Sciences Kirill Babaev on Russia ’ s turn to the East in the context of Western attempts to erect an iron curtain
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One of the symbols of 2022 was the slogan about “Russia ’ s turn to the East ”, the reorientation of our country ’ s foreign policy and foreign economic activity from Europe to Asia.
Has Russia, in such a short period of time, really managed to turn its foreign policy and trade priorities from the Western direction, where the United States and its allies have erected a new iron curtain for us, to the south and east, to our Asian partners?
On the one hand, the trade figures speak quite confidently about the successes.
China, which has been at the top of the list of Russia ’ s main trading partners for several years, is steadily increasing the pace of economic cooperation: last year the trade turnover between our countries reached a record figure of $190 billion in the history of bilateral relations.
It is very likely that this figure may exceed $250 billion this year.
Economic cooperation with China today is based on complementary industries: Russia sends energy to its eastern partner, receiving in return the products of those sectors from which Western suppliers have left.
In 2022, 44% of all new cars bought by Russians, flaunts the Chinese brand.
MTS analysts estimated that in the second quarter of 2022, more than 70% of smartphones sold were Chinese brands.
Impressive growth is shown by the figures of trade turnover with other Asian countries.
According to the results of the year, the volume of trade between the Russian Federation and India increased 2.4 times, primarily due to the growth of exports of fuel and energy goods and products of the chemical industry.
The trade turnover of Uzbekistan and Russia in 2022 increased by a quarter.
Nevertheless, the rapid development of trade relations with the southern and eastern neighbors already rests on logistics problems.
The railway tracks are close to full capacity, and existing pipelines are also unable to meet the demand of Asian economies.
The commissioning last year of two new border crossings in the Far East (the Nizhneleninskoye – Tongjiang railway bridge and the Blagoveshchensk – Heihe road bridge) is an important, but insufficient step.
Given that in 2023, after the removal of the kovid restrictions, the Chinese economy is likely to return to high growth rates, the commissioning of new logistics facilities in the East becomes the number one task for Russian exports.
Of particular importance here will be the prospect of the early launch of the construction of the Power of Siberia – 2 gas pipeline, capable of completing the task of transferring the Russian energy export infrastructure from the West to the East by the end of the decade.
Political relations with Asian countries are also developing quite successfully.
During 2022, the heads of Russia and China communicated seven times.
The leaders have good personal relations that in the conditions of a significant strengthening of the domestic political positions of Chinese President Xi Jinping following the results of the XX Congress of the CPC will inevitably play into Russia ’ s hands.
Despite the US attempts to isolate Russia on the world stage, it was the leaders of the Asian states that last year did everything so that Russia could consider them friendly, not submitting (sometimes very demonstratively, like Turkey and Saudi Arabia) to pressure from the West.
This year, the development of relations not only with these countries, but also with Vietnam, Myanmar, Thailand, Indonesia, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar will play a significant role in strengthening the position of the Russian Federation as one of the leaders of the “global majority ”, opposing the US dictates in world politics.
It will be extremely important to further strengthen such international associations as the SCO and BRICS.
The year 2022 gave them a chance to turn from the tools of “club diplomacy ” into full-fledged international organizations, but this path has yet to be completed.
The international situation is developing for this very well: the victory in the elections in Brazil of Lula da Silva, considered one of the “fathers ” of BRICS, and the chairmanship of South Africa in the unification this year, will give a new impetus to solving the strategic tasks of BRICS, including the expansion of the association at the expense of the BRICS + format and the possible creation of a financial union with the transition to the reserve currencies of the participating countries.
If these and other agreements are reached, Russia will implement them: next year it will be our turn to chair the BRICS.
And yet, despite the obvious foreign policy successes and good prospects for further “reversal ” of Russia, the main work will be not on international platforms, but inside the country.
Our state needs in a short time to make a turn to the East in the system of science and education.
Only a very small number of students in Russia study Oriental languages.
School programs in history, foreign literature, social studies give only a grain of knowledge about the East, focusing mainly on Europe.
The same can be said about universities: the history, economy, culture of Western civilization are still studied by an order of magnitude more students than the economy of China, the culture of India, Islamic finance or the sanctions experience in the recent history of Iran.
We see that both government and business urgently need knowledge of Russia ’ s Asian partners and skills to interact with them.
This task should be solved not only through the launch of programs of additional postgraduate education, but also with the help of scientific institutions and analytical centers designed to provide the government, regional authorities, corporations and banks with relevant information about the economy, business, legislation and social processes in Asian countries.
In this sense, the launch at the end of 2022 on the initiative of the Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation Valery Falkov of the reform of domestic oriental studies is a very necessary undertaking.
Only the combination of an active foreign policy in the eastern direction with the construction of a new system of obtaining knowledge about the countries of Asia and Africa can this year make Russia ’ s “pivot to the East ” one of the most successful strategic projects in the history of our country.
Director of the Institute of China and Modern Asia of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Director of the Center for International Projects of the Financial University, Doctor of Philology
The position of the editorial board may not coincide with the opinion of the author
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- The Middle East, while historically reliant on oil wealth, is facing a period of transition influenced by both regional politics and global energy trends.

Title:

Content: He who comes to us with the ceiling will perish under the ceiling.
Dmitry Novikov
Deputy Head of the Department of International Relations of the Faculty of World Economy and World Politics of the National Research University Higher School of Economics, Leading Researcher of the Institute of China and Asian Countries of the Russian Academy of Sciences
Shamil Enikeev
Professor, Department of International Relations, Faculty of World Economy and World Politics, National Research University Higher School of Economics
25 January 2023, 22: 42
An attempt to change the rules of pricing in the energy market may lead to a reformat of the entire world energy order, but not to the one expected by the initiators of these changes.
Egor Aleev / TASS
Buyers cartel
The outgoing year gave rise to a global reformat in many areas: from the model of functioning of the corporate sector to the transformation of existing international relations.
The energy sector, traditionally sensitive to political changes, has not escaped this.
The processes launched there are capable of radically transforming the entire world energy order within the next 2-3 years.
The key question for Russia is what role it will play in the near future.
The introduction by Western countries of price ceilings in relation to Russian oil and oil products is an unprecedented event both for the market and for modern sanctions practices.
Recall that on December 2, 2022, the member states of the European Union agreed on a price ceiling for Russian oil, previously initiated by the G7, and in the future, the G7 also plans to apply price limits for diesel and kerosene of Russian origin in addition to the embargo on Russian oil products, introduced on February 5, 2023.
Up to this point, the sanctions on energy were either targeted restrictions to weaken the production capabilities of individual companies or industries (for example, restrictions on the transfer of drilling technologies, targeted financial sanctions, etc.), or an embargo on supplies from certain countries.
The latter instrument was de facto the traditional way of “dumping the price ” and reducing the revenues of the sanctioned state.
The imposition of the embargo by Western countries did not completely displace the oil-producing country from the world market, but contributed to the increase in transaction and logistics costs, and also forced the companies of the countries under sanctions to resort to discounting.
In this regard, we can say that in the coming 2023, the G7 countries and the European Union will make not only new attempts to bring down the price of Russian oil through a decrease in the level of the “ceiling ”, but also test the strength of the strategy of a long-term instrument for regulating energy prices by the Western“ cartel of buyers ”.
The tasks of imposing economic restrictions on Russia and redistributing the global energy market in this case are intertwined and to some extent follow from each other.
The examples of Iran and Venezuela have shown that in an open market it is difficult to inflict critical damage on the energy industry and the budget of individual states with the help of an embargo alone.
Other countries sometimes do not join the sanctions or buy oil at a discount on more complex schemes.
However, it should be noted that the establishment of price ceilings by a group of large consumers, especially in relation to oil, can weaken the negotiating position of Russian companies and exert some pressure on the price offered to end consumers.
The main effect of such a policy may be that countries and buying companies can refer to these limits as the optimal benchmark for determining the discount (“we do not want to quarrel with the West, and the price is fair enough ”).
In this regard, an important question is how buyers will behave in the event that the ceiling set by the G7 countries radically diverges from market prices for Russian oil (now this discrepancy is admittedly small).
“Price discipline ” in this case will directly depend on how much the threat and inevitability of Western secondary sanctions will outweigh Russia ’ s declared threats to stop oil trade with countries that support the price ceiling.
In the short term, a key problem for Russia is the increase in prices for the transportation of energy resources by tankers, due to the refusal of a number of major players to provide logistics and insurance services to Russian oil companies.
At the same time, Russia is forced to trade Urals oil at higher or lower discounts.
But at the same time, oil of the Russian brand ESPO, transported to the port of Kozmino via the Eastern Siberia-Pacific Ocean (ESPO) oil pipeline, for direct deliveries by tankers to the Chinese market, is traded at a level exceeding the price ceiling.
Thus, while the key factors influencing the Russian oil pricing are the refusal of Europe from sea supplies from Russia and the increase in the cost of freight due to the forced export reorientation of domestic oilmen from the European direction to Asia.
In these conditions, for Russia, the task is to reformat the logistics chains and increase its own shipping capabilities.
In the event of increased confrontation between Russia and the United States, the question is whether Western countries will be ready to start fighting Russian oil flows to Asian consumers.
It is unlikely that the G7 countries are ready to worsen relations with a number of Asian states, going to increase rates by stopping individual tankers in order to determine the origin of oil, or imposing extraterritorial sanctions on elements of logistics infrastructure.
But, apparently, behind the imposition of an embargo and price ceilings on Russian energy resources looms an even larger goal.
Energy is becoming a key factor in both economic and geopolitical competitiveness.
In these circumstances, the energy order that emerged in the 1970s, in which the instruments of pricing and foreign policy influence were largely in the hands of manufacturers, simply ceased to satisfy the G7 countries.
The attempt to regulate the price of Russian oil is an important precedent that can change the rules of the game and the balance of power in the global energy market that developed in previous decades.
In the event that the G7 receives a mechanism of more or less effective non-market influence on energy prices, it can theoretically extend this tool to other goods and countries.
And this, in turn, can radically change the balance of power in the energy sector in favor of the emerging “cartel of buyers ”.
In this sense, the imposition of price ceilings and energy embargoes should be interpreted in the general context of the struggle for a future world order.
From Berlin to Beijing
This fact is one of the factors of a sharply negative attitude to the policy pursued by the “Group of Seven ” by Saudi Arabia and other OPEC countries.
They quite rightly see the measures imposed against Russia as a precedent that undermines their own ability to regulate the market.
These circumstances allow us to consider Saudi Arabia and OPEC principal allies of Russia, if not in terms of direct struggle with Western restrictions, then in a fight for favorable rules of the game in the energy sphere.
The game started by the G7 to reformat pricing and logistics chains for energy carriers carries certain risks for the initiators of this process themselves.
A failed experiment with price ceilings could lead to further problems in defining the new rules of the game in energy markets, and in a sense, the loss of the exclusive role of G7 countries in determining the global rules of the game in general.
The most difficult energy situation for European countries can develop in the gas market.
Europe without cataclysms passes this winter not only because of the warm weather, but largely because of the possibility to fill the vaults with Russian gas in 2022 until its significant reduction.
In addition, last year, a decline in consumption in China due to restrictions related to COVID-19 and a higher premium for gas in Europe allowed European buyers to increase LNG imports.
In the winter of 2023-2024.
The European Union may face a significant shortage of gas due to the reduction of Russian supplies and the potential growth of competition with Asian consumers for LNG volumes.
At the same time, the new approaches of the EU in regulating the gas market can further aggravate the situation.
On the one hand, the price ceiling for natural gas introduced by the EU since February this year provides for its “automatic ” cancellation in the event of a threat to stable supplies and limits its application only to spot deliveries sold at the TTF gas hub in the Netherlands.
On the other hand, the European gas price ceiling could scare LNG producers away.
Moreover, LNG supplies will go to Asian consumers if prices there are higher than in the EU.
Difficulties in Europe may also arise with the supply of petroleum products.
At the same time, the expansion of price regulation and embargo from the “usual ” for sanctions of oil to less flexible in terms of logistics and storage of oil products makes this policy even less predictable in terms of consequences.
Europe can partially compensate for the outgoing volumes of Russian diesel primarily due to alternative supplies from India, which has increased oil refining, significantly increasing the import of Russian oil.
Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and the UAE can come to the rescue.
However, a key role in providing diesel to European consumers can play China and Turkey, and here without Russian supplies will not do.
The Celestial Empire can do this by processing the same Russian oil, and the Turkish side - exporting diesel from its refineries to Europe and at the same time buying Russian oil products for its own domestic market.
In this scenario, Europeans will be forced to overpay for oil products from alternative suppliers, and Russian companies can go for some reduction in their own refining.
The withdrawal of Russian oil products, in turn, can lead to further destabilization of the market and higher prices.
Riding changes
In general, Russian companies in the current conditions can suffer financial losses and at the same time engage in the reformat of export routes, their logistics capabilities, focusing on the development of their own technologies, especially in the field of large-capacity liquefaction of gas and the construction of tankers for the transportation of LNG to Asia.
Having withstood external pressure, Russia will be able to count on participating in the construction of a new energy order, more complementary to Russian interests.
However, to survive is only half the battle.
Simply “sit out ” waiting for economic needs to outweigh political calculations today, apparently, will not work.
The struggle for energy is firmly growing into a common struggle for the future international order, and this will be a key factor in the unpredictability of energy markets for at least the next 3-5 years.
Their situation is becoming an integral part of the transformation of the world order.
In this sense, the declared accession of Saudi Arabia to the BRICS best characterizes the multidimensionality of the situation.
Understanding the processes of global restructuring that have begun, Riyadh is looking for new non-Western platforms to protect and promote its own interests.
As noted above, for Russia, the collapse of the existing market-regulated energy order (which ensured the stability of oil prices and conditions for global growth) carries both threats and opportunities.
The energy pivot to the East, and the prospect of further growth in Russian energy supplies to India and China, gives Russia the opportunity to ride the changes and try to form a more profitable energy order for itself.
At the same time, we can talk about the joint formation of a new energy alliance by producers and consumers of hydrocarbon resources, dissatisfied with the energy policy of the G7.
In this regard, Russia will have to reformat not only the supply of its energy resources to foreign markets, but also, together with the countries of the “global south ”, begin to promote energy and“ green ” rules, norms and standards, creating and using appropriate platforms and institutions, especially within the framework of the SCO and BRICS.
In the current foreign policy situation, Russia, apparently, will also be forced and interested to go to the formation of new mechanisms of exchange trade in energy resources, including the launch of alternative payment and pricing systems, outside the framework of Argus and Platts agencies and traditional exchange markers (benchmarks).

Internal and external factors, such as fluctuating relationships with Western powers and shifting global alliances (e.g., Saudi Arabia considering BRICS due to strains with the US), are impacting its energy strategy and economic landscape.

Title:

Content: South Africa withdraws from International Criminal Court ahead of BRICS summit
Experts regard this move as a demonstration of an anti-Western position.
Reuters
The ruling party in South Africa, the African National Congress (ANC), has decided to withdraw the country from the International Criminal Court (ICC).
This was announced on April 25 by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa at a press conference following talks in Pretoria with his Finnish counterpart Sauli Niinistö, reports Al Jazeera.
"Yes, the ruling party <... > has decided that South Africa's withdrawal from the ICC is prudent," Ramaphosa said of the outcome of the discussion over the weekend.
According to him, this decision was made because of the unfair attitude of the ICC to some countries.
The official representative of the President of South Africa explained to TASS that in order to withdraw from the ICC, the corresponding decision will have to be approved by the parliament of the country (the ANC has a majority in both chambers - the national assembly and the national council of provinces).
South Africa ratified the ICC ’ s founding document, the Rome Statute, as early as 2000.
South Africa has already tried to withdraw from the ICC because of the situation with the arrest warrant for former Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, accused of genocide during the Darfur conflict.
In 2015, he came to Johannesburg for the African Union summit, after which the ICC demanded that South Africa detain and extradite the Sudanese leader.
The local court banned al-Bashir from leaving the country for the duration of the case, but this did not prevent him from returning home the next day.
In 2016, former South African Foreign Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane signed an application to withdraw from the ICC, but then the process was blocked by the High Court, indicating the need for a parliamentary decision.
Preparations for the Summit
On August 15, 2023, the next summit of the BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) will start in Durban, South Africa.
States parties to the Rome Statute are obliged to comply with ICC decisions, although there are no sanctions for non-compliance.
The discussion in South Africa about the country ’ s participation in the ICC really goes on for a long time, says the editor-in-chief of the magazine “Russia in global politics ” Fyodor Lukyanov.
At the same time, the decision of the ruling party cannot yet be considered adopted at the state level, he recalls.
The decision of the ruling APK in South Africa to withdraw from the ICC was quite expected, said Rakhimbek Bobokhonov, a senior researcher at the Center for Civilizational and Regional Studies at the Institute for African Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
African countries are pursuing a policy of neutrality with regard to decisions taken by the West.
According to the expert, this step on the part of South Africa is rather demonstrative in nature as an open statement of anti-Western position.
Despite the outcome of the vote in parliament, one statement of intention to withdraw from the ICC has already created a resonance in world politics.
South Africa thus showed its commitment to BRICS as an organization in which its interests will be taken into account, concludes Bobokhonov.
Expansion of the organization
At the same time, the BRICS group may expand in the near future - according to Bloomberg, 19 countries have expressed a desire to join it.
It is known that 13 countries did it officially, another six – informally, said the Sherpa of South Africa in BRICS Anil Suklal.
Their possible forms of participation will be discussed at the meeting of BRICS foreign ministers on June 2-3, he explained.
“We receive applications every day for entry, ” Suklal said.
In February, he said that Saudi Arabia and Iran had formally applied for membership, and Argentina, the United Arab Emirates, Algeria, Egypt, Indonesia and Bahrain had expressed interest.
Until now, the association has expanded since its creation in 2006 only once - in 2010 at the expense of South Africa, turning from BRIC to BRICS.
As reported by Bloomberg, in 2023 the BRICS countries provide a greater contribution to global economic growth than the G7 countries – 32.1% against 29.9%.
The main financial instrument of the BRICS was the New Development Bank (NDB), which intends to bring the total package of approved loans for projects to $60 billion by 2026.
In the period from 2022 to 2026, the bank will allocate $30 billion for various projects, with 30% of the total volume of loans allocated in local currencies.
The most significant project within the BRICS at the moment really became the NDB, which creates a real alternative to the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, says program director of the Valdai International Discussion Club Timofey Bordachev.
In itself, the discussion about the expansion of the BRICS is quite a serious initiative in the current world situation and, according to the expert, such a scenario should not be ruled out.
Largely due to the “blocking ” of normal interaction in the G20, now a number of states are looking for alternative formats of interaction in the international arena, Bordachev notes.
In his opinion, in the near future "Saudi Arabia may become much closer to the BRICS", but so far it is impossible to talk about it with certainty.
Given the economic weight of the United States and its allies, the issue now is solely to prevent their sole leadership in the political arena, and the BRICS still does not claim to replace any international organizations, Bordachev concludes.
Iran is constantly looking for additional ways to circumvent sanctions and membership in the BRICS opens up a wide range of opportunities, says Andrei Zeltyn, senior lecturer at the HSE School of Oriental Studies.
He notes that the possible entry of Saudi Arabia into the BRICS is due to its difficulties in relations with the United States.
The political elites of the Middle East feel the political and economic distance of the United States, which is the guarantor of stability in the field of security.
The US withdrawal from the region poses new challenges for the political elites of Saudi Arabia, which in recent years was considered the main partner of Washington in the Middle East.
In the same context, it is worth considering the rapprochement of Saudi Arabia with Iran through the mediation of China, the expert concludes.

- Israel is positioning itself as a leader in renewable energy and climate action in the region.

Title:

Content: Israel ’ s president says he can save the planet from climate crisis
The global climate crisis means disaster for the Middle East, but like all crises, it also presents opportunities.
In Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, COP27 begins.
Many world leaders, including President Yitzhak Herzog, will come to the Middle East to find solutions to the climate emergency that has developed in the world.
“Israel ’ s ninth president, Shimon Peres, spoke of his vision for a New Middle East; I call it the Renewable Middle East.
The Renewable Middle East is a growing alliance to find common solutions to perhaps the biggest threat to our region: the climate crisis.
This is a vision of a sustainable regional ecosystem.
A region that is not only “new ” in the sense of distinction, but is also supported by its own positive momentum, ” Herzog wrote in an article published in The Times of Israel.
“Today I am arriving at COP27 in Egypt, the first Arab country to make peace with Israel.
Following the historic Israeli-Egyptian peace treaty of 1979, Israel made peace with Jordan and, most recently, normalized relations with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco and the Sudan.
The Abraham Accords could not be adopted quickly enough, pushing the Middle East into the rapid rethinking it needs to meet the challenges of tomorrow.
I fervently hope that other countries in our region will join this green regrouping, including our Palestinian neighbors, and one day Syria and Lebanon, ” he added.
“Let no one doubt that if the world does not reach the 1.5 ° C goal, the Middle East will suffer disproportionately.
A hot, dry region will become hotter and drier.
Rising sea levels will threaten coastal populations.
And it is precisely because we all face the same challenges that we must join forces to find common solutions.
Our lives depend on it, ” added the Duke.
In a historic shift, Israel is integrating into the Middle East as its neighbors recognize that the future of dynamic engagement with a Jewish and democratic state, based on a shared commitment to the future of our children, is the key to a brighter future.
“The renewable Middle East can be truly transformative in clean energy as a source of solar energy for Europe, Asia and Africa.
Where others might see the vast expanses of the desert from the Maghreb to the Persian Gulf, I see an opportunity to produce clean energy and use Israel ’ s position at the crossroads of three great continents to export it to the world.
I first spoke in favor of a renewable Middle East in a speech on February 23, on the eve of the war in Ukraine.
The continued rise in energy prices around the world only underscores the need for reliable sources of green energy, ” he said.
As Israel and its neighbors begin to cooperate on joint projects that will help Europe, Asia and Africa solve their own problems in food security, water management, etc., this momentum of partnership will become self-sustaining, Herzog said.
He adds that “it will be a renewable world. ”
“It is for this reason that I established the Israel Climate Forum under the auspices of the Office of the President of Israel to keep the environment at the forefront of Israel ’ s national priorities and bring together some of the most influential people in the country to brainstorm and implement creative solutions to surpass themselves despite Israel ’ s small size. ”
“A renewed Middle East will be ahead for the same reason that Israel has always won despite adversity, or perhaps because of it: because there is no other choice, and the climate crisis is indeed a matter of life and death.
In our increasingly turbulent world, the Renewable Middle East is a beam of sustainably powered light.
Skeptics may call it a pipe dream, but this pipeline will carry green energy that will help free the world from dependence on fossil fuels, while creating sustainable partnerships to lead our region into a new, cleaner era. ”
If world leaders at COP27 are serious about limiting global temperature rises, then building and joining Middle East partnerships is a smart, green investment, he said.
The Duke called on all COP27 delegates to explore the hidden possibilities of Israel ’ s full integration in the Middle East, seek greater partnership in the region, and join and invest in this infrastructure of sustainable peace.
He added that the Renewable Middle East, which is being built now, will pay dividends for many decades to come not only to the peoples of the region, but also to the whole world.
Earlier, Cursor wrote that the name of the part of the world that heats up twice as fast as others.
In recent decades, scientists have been actively monitoring the rate of heating of the Earth and trying to contain global warming by all available means.
Cursor also reported that global warming would lead to supershowers on Earth.
Read the latest news from Israel and the world on the Kursor channel in Telegram.
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Israeli leadership underscores the urgency of green energy as energy prices rise worldwide and climate change becomes more pressing.

Israel collaborates with both Arab neighbors and Western partners to advance renewable projects.

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Content: economy society politics news companies events sport
America ’ s friendship in the Middle East is dying a natural death – Foreign Policy
CentralAsia (CA) - About 50 years ago, the United States overturned Egypt.
It was a big victory in zero-sum diplomacy during the Cold War, when the two superpowers were gathering regional clients.
The Egyptians joined a club that included the Saudis, Jordanians, Israelis and small Gulf states that sought protection after the British abandoned their positions east of the Suez Canal in 1971.
In subsequent decades, as the United States became more directly involved in the Middle East, these countries formed the core of a group of U.S.-friendly states that made it easier for Washington to achieve its goals in the region, including protecting the free flow of oil from the region, helping to ensure Israel ’ s security, countering terrorists and preventing the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, as well as a number of other overly ambitious measures, such as the invasion of Iraq.
According to Eni Enrico Mattei Senior Fellow for Middle East and Africa Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, Stephen A. Cook, he has been thinking about these relations ever since articles began to appear detailing the crises in Washington ’ s relations with its partners in the Middle East, especially Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
“There ’ s something in it, of course.
Neither the Saudis nor the Emiratis responded to the Biden administration ’ s requests to increase oil production, as world prices jumped after Russia ’ s invasion of Ukraine.
Shortly after Russian troops moved west, the Emirati government refrained from a UN Security Council resolution condemning the Russian invasion.
And while U.S. President Joe Biden has sought to unite the world against Russia, neither Saudi Arabia nor the United Arab Emirates supports sanctions against Russia, its OPEC + partner.
In mid-March, the Emirates hosted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Dubai.
It is difficult to imagine what message the Crown Prince of the Emirates Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan sent after the visit of the man responsible for mass crimes against humanity, but it clearly reflected the split in relations with the United States, ” the expert believes.
The problems in the United States ’ relationship with the Saudis have grown slowly, but a combination of regional, global, and political factors has clashed over the past eight months, contributing to the public deterioration of relations.
When was the last time a Middle Eastern leader refused to speak on the phone with the president of the United States?
Now there are fresh examples of the two.
However, this is not just a personal insult.
The Saudis and Emiratis no longer seem to believe U.S. claims that Washington is committed to their security.
Returning to the Trump administration when the Iranians attacked Saudi oil facilities in Abqaiq and Khurais, Saudi Arabia, in September 2019, the US president decided — with the support of the foreign policy community — not to respond to the attacks.
This has upended four-decade U.S. policy of protecting the Persian Gulf oil fields from threats both inside and outside the region.
More recently, there has been a disorderly U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan and the Biden administration ’ s determination to strike a new nuclear deal with Iran.
The Gulf states are actually backing the agreement, but they fear the administration will start negotiating a deal that would give Tehran billions of dollars that could be used to further destabilize the region.
This, combined with Washington ’ s reluctance to declare the Yemeni Houthis a terrorist group while U.S. officials contemplate removing the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) from terrorist status, is the most telling indicator of the United States ’ empty commitment to their security for the Saudis and Emiratis.
But it ’ s not just the Saudis and the Emiratis.
Although Israel has been calmer in its criticism of the United States under Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, it and Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid have made it clear that the Israelis will not be bound by any new nuclear deal with Iran.
They also lobbied the administration to re-list the Houthis and share the concerns of the Emirates and Saudi Arabia regarding the IRGC.
For their part, the Egyptians in the latter acquired modern Russian weapons and continue to hedge against China, refusing to make a choice between Washington and Beijing.
At the recent, first-ever summit in the Negev, attended by the foreign ministers of Israel, Egypt, Bahrain, the Emirates and Morocco and the US Secretary of State, there were smiles, but there was also the reality that after years of US officials working to build a regional consensus (the one that now exists does not include the United States).
Taken together, these questions make people in Washington wonder whether the United States partners in the Middle East are indeed partners.
At the same time, officials in Middle Eastern capitals are asking the same question about the United States, a situation exacerbated by the Ring Road ’ s “chatter ” about“ leaving ” or “turning ” the region.
The troubles of all sides, of course, can be understood, but to raise your hands and declare that the American partners suck, does not give any understanding of why this drift is happening and what can be done about it.
It ’ s tempting to blame the various individuals currently involved, but this process of alienation actually goes on long enough to cover the tenure of three US presidents (13 years or more).
This is because these relationships are anachronisms, open, developed and built for a long time past.
President Franklin D. Roosevelt and King Abdulaziz, commonly known as Ibn Saud, established U.S.-Saudi relations 77 years ago.
It has been a long time since former Egyptian President Anwar Sadat told former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger that Egypt could become a bulwark against the Soviet Union.
Washington ’ s relationship with the UAE developed throughout the 1990s, when the United States ’ presence in the Persian Gulf took on a form of permanence.
These ties have become closer with the global war on terror, but now Americans are coming to terms with the consequences of securitization of their foreign policy over the past two decades and want change.
More broadly, the core interests that drove the United States in the Middle East — the free flow of oil and assistance in Israel ’ s security — no longer seem so urgent.
Yes, Russia ’ s invasion of Ukraine has highlighted the importance of Middle East oil at the moment, and the energy transition will never be as smooth as some imagined.
But as the process of adapting oil alternatives begins to gain momentum (the US intelligence community estimates it will begin after 2030), the region ’ s oil fields will be less important to the US.
American policymakers have already made it clear that they no longer want to defend or sacrifice Middle Eastern energy security.
One of the least controversial things former US President Donald Trump did in office was that he did not respond to the attack on Saudi Arabia in 2019.
Israel is a fully industrialized country with a GDP at the level of US allies in Europe and a proven record of self-defense.
It is also slowly integrating into its area.
Israelis have excellent relations with former antagonists Greece and Cyprus, and the Turkish government is looking for a new relationship with Jerusalem.
Of course, along with Jordan and Egypt, it has new partners in the Arab world — Bahrain, the UAE and Morocco.
It seems that the United States and its friends in the region have come to a point where their interests no longer coincide.
Officials in Washington and in all Middle Eastern capitals could restructure relations that are becoming obsolete on the basis of a new set of goals, but those that the United States may have in mind — countering China and Russia or perhaps integrating Iran into the region to stabilize it — are no longer takers.
“In the breach, you have strange events like the United States ’ Middle Eastern partners passively supporting Russia and deepening their ties with China.
Perhaps a more accurate term for these events would be “pathological symptoms ” marking the death of the American order built after World War II and uncertainty about what will happen next.
Follow the events in Telegram channel @ centralasiamedia.

- National projects aiming to diversify energy sources are being launched throughout the region.

Countries such as Israel, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia have outlined large-scale initiatives, especially in solar energy, to shift away from fossil fuels.

For example, the UAE’s Masdar City is a significant solar-powered development aimed at sustainability, while Saudi Arabia’s NEOM project and the Sakaka PV Solar Plant are key solar ventures.

Israel has expanded its solar capacity and aims for 30% renewable electricity by 2030.

- The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) notes growing investment in bioenergy within the Middle East, though advances in this sector are still limited compared to the region’s potential and the needs of a comprehensive energy transition.

Title:

Content: Russian Federation
Moscow
+ 24 °
Society25 July 2024 7: 15
Green energy: how can Russia build relations with developing countries?
Experts of the Presidential Academy studied the world experience
Photo by Shutterstock.
Bioenergy is one of the main directions of bioeconomy development.
This kind of science looks at ways to reduce dependence on oil and other fossil fuels, but it also involves competition for land and other resources that threaten food security, biodiversity and the balance of greenhouse gas emissions.
Irina Popova and Alexander Ignatov from the Institute for Applied Economic Research of the Presidential Academy studied the experience of the main energy partners of the G20 – the International Energy Agency (IEA) and the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).
Zero emissions by 2050
IEA and IRENA will place considerable emphasis on the development of bioenergy.
They see it as an important substitute for fossil fuels.
Accordingly, in all their calculations and forecasts, both organizations proceed from the fact that bioenergy production should increase by several times in order to achieve the goals of the Paris climate agreement of 2015.
IEA and IRENA focus on the technological and bioresource aspects of the bioeconomy, with far less focus on sustainability and equity.
“The IEA explains the importance of expanding bioenergy production in the following way: it is made from an organic material known as biomass, which contains carbon absorbed by plants in the process of photosynthesis; when this biomass is used to produce energy, carbon is released during combustion and returned to the atmosphere, ” the experts of the Presidential Academy note. Virtually zero emissions.
It is thus the world ’ s largest source of renewable energy, the IEA points out: bioenergy accounts for 55% of renewable energy and over 6% of the world ’ s energy supply. ”
Although this approach to the assessment of biomass as sustainable and carbon neutral is adopted in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), it is not shared by all experts.
A number of activists and practitioners believe that burning biomass produces as much carbon dioxide as burning coal.
This problem is related to the incorrect accounting methodology.
The IEA ’ s “Net Zero Emissions by 2050 ” (NZE) scenario envisions a rapid expansion of bioenergy use with the aim of displacing fossil fuels by 2030.
The agency advocates for additional efforts by national governments to accelerate the adoption of modern bioenergy.
To implement the NZE scenario, the IEA notes, bioenergy use should increase by 8% per year between 2022 and 2030.
At the same time, its production should not entail negative social and environmental consequences.
SCALE GROWTH
Bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS), which reduces emissions by capturing and storing bioenergy emissions that are already carbon neutral, also plays an important role.
In 2022, BECCS captured and stored 1.5 million tons of CO2, and in 2030 this figure could increase to about 190 million tons, which will compensate for emissions in those industrial sectors where they will be most difficult to control.
IRENA noted that in recent years, bioenergy has become more and more widely used, but this is still not enough to meet the needs of the energy transition.
According to the organization, more active and concerted efforts are needed, especially in shipping, aviation and various industrial sectors for which bioenergy can be a key solution.
The dramatic increase in biofuel production, the agency points out, requires careful planning, taking full account of the sustainability of biomass supplies.
About $3.4 trillion will be required in the medium term for the development of biofuels (mainly promising biofuels) and hydrogen industries, IRENA believes.
Also, according to the calculations and forecasts of the agency, bioenergy will continue to be crucial for medium- and high-temperature processes.
Bioenergy will be obtained from biomass residues, industrial waste and raw materials for petrochemicals.
To realize the potential of biomass, industry needs to scale up the use and collection of its residues, as well as develop efficient supply chains.
The largest number of jobs in renewable energy will come from bioenergy - 9.1 million jobs by 2030 and 11.3 million by 2050.
As part of its G20 Presidency, India has proposed the creation of a Global Biofuels Alliance, aimed at integrating the efforts of G20 member states to expand and create new markets for sustainable biofuels.
DISBALANCE RISKS
The IEA recommendations for the Global Alliance include three areas of action:
- identify and assist the development of markets with high biofuel production potential;
- accelerate technological development for the commercialization of innovative biofuels;
- Seek consensus on performance-based assessments and systems for sustainable development.
“It is clear that India, Brazil and Indonesia need the technologies that the US, Canada, Germany and the EU have, as well as investments.
Obviously, the alliance will develop during the Brazilian G20 Presidency in 2023-2024, ” Irina Popova and Alexander Ignatov note.
Unbalanced development of bioenergy, noted in the IEA and IRENA, can lead to negative consequences.
Among the main risks, both organizations mention threats to food security; increased carbon emissions or reduced biodiversity in the event of significant changes in the order and technology of land use; problems of achieving economic competitiveness and providing high-quality and affordable energy services within the framework of developed bioenergy.
IRENA concluded that despite the strong factors contributing to the spread of bioenergy, there are numerous obstacles to its further development around the world.
They depend on specific renewable energy markets and technologies.
The barriers mentioned also include the high cost of many options for bioenergy technologies and the lack of access to appropriate financing.
There are also institutional barriers, including the lack of specific regulations, as well as cultural and information barriers.
In particular, the introduction of biofuels is strongly influenced by global trends in oil prices.
ACCOUNTING THE NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES
In one of its reports, IRENA lists possible measures to support the introduction of technological innovations: grants, preferential tariffs and certification schemes, the corresponding comfortable legislation and regulatory framework in this area, and the verified state policy.
For example, the availability of district heating systems is a powerful contributor to bioenergy heating in urban areas.
Other public policy measures include raising public awareness, including among consumers and potential investors, of the benefits of bioenergy; creating non-discriminatory rules of the game by eliminating fossil fuel subsidies; and introducing regulated carbon prices or other taxes, fees and duties to price the environmental impacts of fossil fuel energy.
In the same report, IRENA makes recommendations directly to the G20.
The most significant of these are the incorporation of circular economy and bioeconomy objectives into national planning systems and public policies; the adoption of specific strategies for the bioenergy industry; the development of financing instruments; and the promotion of international technology transfer and knowledge-sharing.
Experts of the Presidential Academy made a package of recommendations to the federal government.
The study notes that it is advisable for the G20 to support IRENA ’ s bioenergy initiatives.
It is also necessary to insist on the need to take into account the possible negative consequences of the development of bioenergy when comparing it with hydrocarbons and other sources.
It is useful to stimulate cooperation on bioenergy issues with developing countries, including within the framework of the expanded BRICS.
Finally, it is necessary to study the potential of Russia in terms of bioenergy production, as well as the prospects for mutually beneficial partnerships in this area.
More research on the most relevant topics in the telegram channel of the Presidential Academy @ ranepa _ science

Partnerships and technology exchanges with countries outside the region, such as Russia, are also being considered for renewables and bioenergy.

- Water scarcity, exacerbated by climate change and disputes over transboundary resources (e.g., tensions between Iraq and Iran over rivers), is a parallel challenge influencing both energy strategy and agricultural policy.

Title:

Content: Baghdad said it intends to file a lawsuit against Tehran in the International Court of Justice, accusing it of misuse of transboundary rivers affecting the flow of the Tigris and Euphrates.
Despite the fact that the Tigris and Euphrates do not flow through Iranian territory, Iraq believes that Tehran limits the discharge of their tributaries on its soil.
One such transboundary river is the Lesser Zab, where Iran completed the construction of a hydroelectric power plant near the city of Serdesht in 2017, and two more dams are planned to be built upstream.
Iraq ’ s water minister, Mahdi Rashid al-Hamdani, said the lawsuit could guarantee Baghdad a “fair sharing of water resources, ” which Tehran allegedly uses“ solely for its own benefit, endangering the Iraqi agricultural sector, and in some cases disrupting the supply of drinking water to the population. ”
In addition, the Iranian authorities are also accused of “deliberately trying to change the natural channels in order to leave most of the runoff on their territory. ”
Iraq
Ivan Shilov © IA REGNUM
The intrigue here is that even if the International Court of Justice decides in favor of Iraq, it is unlikely to affect the solution of the problem of the fullness of the Tigris and Euphrates.
Because there is also Turkey, through the territory of which these transboundary rivers flow.
It is Ankara that controls their flow through dams, hydropower plants and other infrastructure facilities built on its territory.
In this regard, an attempt was made to resolve the disputes of the three states, Iraq, Turkey and Iran, by proposing a framework convention in the UN format.
However, Ankara did not agree to sign the document.
Because, according to experts, using the factor of shallowing of the Tigris and Euphrates, it began to play the “water card ” in its regional policy.
However, at the same time, Turkey states that “transboundary water issues should be resolved without interference of third parties, only between coastal states ”.
However, it is not possible to reach any mutually acceptable agreement due to the turbulent events taking place in this part of the Middle East.
Ankara
Burgert Behr
But that's not even the point.
Last week, Iraqi authorities warned that the level of the country's two largest rivers continues to decline and, if current trends continue, they could dry out completely by 2040.
Currently, almost all Middle Eastern countries are facing increasing water shortages caused by climate change and years of drought in the region.
According to the Western edition of The Strategist, in the period since 1998, 10 of the 17 countries in the world that faced the worst droughts in the last 900 years were located in the Middle East.
Between 2003 and 2010, a number of lands in Turkey, Syria, Iraq and Iran, located along the Tigris and Euphrates river basins, found a reduction in the total supply of fresh water of 144 cubic kilometers, with 60% of the losses due to pumping water from underground tanks.
In this regard, experts predict the emergence in the region of new acute conflicts related to the battles for access to fresh water against the background of a sharp decrease in rainfall, surface and groundwater reserves, as well as the intensification of the process of desertification of territories.
The Tigris River flows through Baghdad
Defense.gov
The prolonged drought that has affected much of the region since 2006, destroying the agriculture of a number of countries, the displacement of large numbers of rural residents to cities and the resulting social upheaval may in some cases lead to civil war.
That is why water security in the transboundary river system of the Tigris and Euphrates appears to be the most acute and explosive.
According to the US intelligence community, “after 2022, the use of water as a weapon in the Middle East will become more likely amid poverty, social tensions, environmental degradation, poor governance and weak political institutions, which could lead to the collapse of some states. ”
Although drought has been common in the Middle East since biblical times, in recent decades the situation is approaching catastrophic.
Forecasts for the future in the region remain bleak.
Euphrates River
Muntadher askary
If only because the constant armed conflicts are destroying the already weak infrastructure of water supply, and the water itself is turning into a weapon.
Recall how ISIS (an organization whose activities are banned in Russia) tried to block the Euphrates in order to starve its opponents in Iraq.
Or how Turkey stopped the work of a water station in northern Syria, which supplies water to the Kurds.
A report from Sana ’ a University estimated that 70% of conflicts in rural Yemen before the civil war began as water disputes.
Part of the solution to the problem in the Middle East must be related to water conservation in agriculture.
But in countries where governments are unable to manage water resources, traditional farming is declining and life is becoming unbearable, further exacerbating regional tensions.
In addition, the water problem in the Middle East is rapidly internationalizing, becoming a serious factor in international politics in the region and an object of disagreement in Arab relations with neighbors and among themselves.
Meanwhile, the Tigris and Euphrates continue to grind and dry up.
And after them, Iraq itself dries up, which was once called “Um el-Rafidiin ” –“ the country of two rivers ”.
And the scenario of an imminent catastrophe is perceived there with apocalyptic pessimism, because on the day when the rivers “leave ”, Iraq will also“ leave ”.
And he's not the only one.

Solutions for energy transition, therefore, increasingly include considerations for water conservation and resource efficiency.

- Governments are offering incentives such as renewable energy targets, tax breaks, and support for public-private partnerships to encourage both local and foreign investment in clean energy infrastructure.

These policies are designed to spur economic growth, reduce long-term fossil fuel dependency, and meet international climate commitments.

- The local economic impact of solar investments and energy diversification includes job creation, attraction of new industries, and potential stabilization against oil market volatility.

Title:

Content: Israel ’ s president says he can save the planet from climate crisis
The global climate crisis means disaster for the Middle East, but like all crises, it also presents opportunities.
In Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, COP27 begins.
Many world leaders, including President Yitzhak Herzog, will come to the Middle East to find solutions to the climate emergency that has developed in the world.
“Israel ’ s ninth president, Shimon Peres, spoke of his vision for a New Middle East; I call it the Renewable Middle East.
The Renewable Middle East is a growing alliance to find common solutions to perhaps the biggest threat to our region: the climate crisis.
This is a vision of a sustainable regional ecosystem.
A region that is not only “new ” in the sense of distinction, but is also supported by its own positive momentum, ” Herzog wrote in an article published in The Times of Israel.
“Today I am arriving at COP27 in Egypt, the first Arab country to make peace with Israel.
Following the historic Israeli-Egyptian peace treaty of 1979, Israel made peace with Jordan and, most recently, normalized relations with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco and the Sudan.
The Abraham Accords could not be adopted quickly enough, pushing the Middle East into the rapid rethinking it needs to meet the challenges of tomorrow.
I fervently hope that other countries in our region will join this green regrouping, including our Palestinian neighbors, and one day Syria and Lebanon, ” he added.
“Let no one doubt that if the world does not reach the 1.5 ° C goal, the Middle East will suffer disproportionately.
A hot, dry region will become hotter and drier.
Rising sea levels will threaten coastal populations.
And it is precisely because we all face the same challenges that we must join forces to find common solutions.
Our lives depend on it, ” added the Duke.
In a historic shift, Israel is integrating into the Middle East as its neighbors recognize that the future of dynamic engagement with a Jewish and democratic state, based on a shared commitment to the future of our children, is the key to a brighter future.
“The renewable Middle East can be truly transformative in clean energy as a source of solar energy for Europe, Asia and Africa.
Where others might see the vast expanses of the desert from the Maghreb to the Persian Gulf, I see an opportunity to produce clean energy and use Israel ’ s position at the crossroads of three great continents to export it to the world.
I first spoke in favor of a renewable Middle East in a speech on February 23, on the eve of the war in Ukraine.
The continued rise in energy prices around the world only underscores the need for reliable sources of green energy, ” he said.
As Israel and its neighbors begin to cooperate on joint projects that will help Europe, Asia and Africa solve their own problems in food security, water management, etc., this momentum of partnership will become self-sustaining, Herzog said.
He adds that “it will be a renewable world. ”
“It is for this reason that I established the Israel Climate Forum under the auspices of the Office of the President of Israel to keep the environment at the forefront of Israel ’ s national priorities and bring together some of the most influential people in the country to brainstorm and implement creative solutions to surpass themselves despite Israel ’ s small size. ”
“A renewed Middle East will be ahead for the same reason that Israel has always won despite adversity, or perhaps because of it: because there is no other choice, and the climate crisis is indeed a matter of life and death.
In our increasingly turbulent world, the Renewable Middle East is a beam of sustainably powered light.
Skeptics may call it a pipe dream, but this pipeline will carry green energy that will help free the world from dependence on fossil fuels, while creating sustainable partnerships to lead our region into a new, cleaner era. ”
If world leaders at COP27 are serious about limiting global temperature rises, then building and joining Middle East partnerships is a smart, green investment, he said.
The Duke called on all COP27 delegates to explore the hidden possibilities of Israel ’ s full integration in the Middle East, seek greater partnership in the region, and join and invest in this infrastructure of sustainable peace.
He added that the Renewable Middle East, which is being built now, will pay dividends for many decades to come not only to the peoples of the region, but also to the whole world.
Earlier, Cursor wrote that the name of the part of the world that heats up twice as fast as others.
In recent decades, scientists have been actively monitoring the rate of heating of the Earth and trying to contain global warming by all available means.
Cursor also reported that global warming would lead to supershowers on Earth.
Read the latest news from Israel and the world on the Kursor channel in Telegram.
Author of the material:
TAGS:

Strategically, energy transition supports the region’s desire for economic independence and resilience amidst global uncertainties.

- While progress is uneven and some countries remain heavily reliant on fossil fuels, the momentum for renewables in the Middle East is growing—stimulated by global pressures, climate necessity, and national ambitions for economic diversification and technological leadership.

Title:

Content: Israel ’ s president says he can save the planet from climate crisis
The global climate crisis means disaster for the Middle East, but like all crises, it also presents opportunities.
In Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, COP27 begins.
Many world leaders, including President Yitzhak Herzog, will come to the Middle East to find solutions to the climate emergency that has developed in the world.
“Israel ’ s ninth president, Shimon Peres, spoke of his vision for a New Middle East; I call it the Renewable Middle East.
The Renewable Middle East is a growing alliance to find common solutions to perhaps the biggest threat to our region: the climate crisis.
This is a vision of a sustainable regional ecosystem.
A region that is not only “new ” in the sense of distinction, but is also supported by its own positive momentum, ” Herzog wrote in an article published in The Times of Israel.
“Today I am arriving at COP27 in Egypt, the first Arab country to make peace with Israel.
Following the historic Israeli-Egyptian peace treaty of 1979, Israel made peace with Jordan and, most recently, normalized relations with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco and the Sudan.
The Abraham Accords could not be adopted quickly enough, pushing the Middle East into the rapid rethinking it needs to meet the challenges of tomorrow.
I fervently hope that other countries in our region will join this green regrouping, including our Palestinian neighbors, and one day Syria and Lebanon, ” he added.
“Let no one doubt that if the world does not reach the 1.5 ° C goal, the Middle East will suffer disproportionately.
A hot, dry region will become hotter and drier.
Rising sea levels will threaten coastal populations.
And it is precisely because we all face the same challenges that we must join forces to find common solutions.
Our lives depend on it, ” added the Duke.
In a historic shift, Israel is integrating into the Middle East as its neighbors recognize that the future of dynamic engagement with a Jewish and democratic state, based on a shared commitment to the future of our children, is the key to a brighter future.
“The renewable Middle East can be truly transformative in clean energy as a source of solar energy for Europe, Asia and Africa.
Where others might see the vast expanses of the desert from the Maghreb to the Persian Gulf, I see an opportunity to produce clean energy and use Israel ’ s position at the crossroads of three great continents to export it to the world.
I first spoke in favor of a renewable Middle East in a speech on February 23, on the eve of the war in Ukraine.
The continued rise in energy prices around the world only underscores the need for reliable sources of green energy, ” he said.
As Israel and its neighbors begin to cooperate on joint projects that will help Europe, Asia and Africa solve their own problems in food security, water management, etc., this momentum of partnership will become self-sustaining, Herzog said.
He adds that “it will be a renewable world. ”
“It is for this reason that I established the Israel Climate Forum under the auspices of the Office of the President of Israel to keep the environment at the forefront of Israel ’ s national priorities and bring together some of the most influential people in the country to brainstorm and implement creative solutions to surpass themselves despite Israel ’ s small size. ”
“A renewed Middle East will be ahead for the same reason that Israel has always won despite adversity, or perhaps because of it: because there is no other choice, and the climate crisis is indeed a matter of life and death.
In our increasingly turbulent world, the Renewable Middle East is a beam of sustainably powered light.
Skeptics may call it a pipe dream, but this pipeline will carry green energy that will help free the world from dependence on fossil fuels, while creating sustainable partnerships to lead our region into a new, cleaner era. ”
If world leaders at COP27 are serious about limiting global temperature rises, then building and joining Middle East partnerships is a smart, green investment, he said.
The Duke called on all COP27 delegates to explore the hidden possibilities of Israel ’ s full integration in the Middle East, seek greater partnership in the region, and join and invest in this infrastructure of sustainable peace.
He added that the Renewable Middle East, which is being built now, will pay dividends for many decades to come not only to the peoples of the region, but also to the whole world.
Earlier, Cursor wrote that the name of the part of the world that heats up twice as fast as others.
In recent decades, scientists have been actively monitoring the rate of heating of the Earth and trying to contain global warming by all available means.
Cursor also reported that global warming would lead to supershowers on Earth.
Read the latest news from Israel and the world on the Kursor channel in Telegram.
Author of the material:
TAGS:

Here’s a summary, in “nuggets,” of key points on the Middle East’s energy transition, drawing out major themes and examples from your text:

**1.

Title:

Content: The Middle East is on the cusp of an energy revolution.
In the midst of unprecedented climate change
The next morning – follow up:
The world is currently facing extreme weather extremes, from flash floods to heavy rainfall to record-high temperatures and wildfires, all pointing to a single source: climate change driven by carbon emissions in the air.
The Middle East is particularly affected by this situation as it produces and consumes a very large amount of carbon-emitting fossil fuels that in turn lead to climate change.
A UN report by a UN scientific panel described climate change as unprecedented, saying it was definitely people who were responsible for climate change.
He called for drastic cuts in emissions in order to keep global temperature below the limits set out in the 2015 Paris climate agreement.
According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), “The scope of recent changes in aspects of the climate system as a whole and the current state of many aspects of the climate system are unprecedented for centuries or several millennia. ”
"Based on the available evidence, they have high confidence that atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations were higher in 2019 than at any point in at least two million years, and that since 1970, global surface temperature has risen faster than any other 50 years in at least the last two millennia."
234 experts from 66 countries wrote the report, the most comprehensive since 2013.
Many of the effects of climate change can no longer be avoided today.
John Alterman, vice president of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, director of the Middle East Program and director of the Brzezinski Chair for Global and Strategic Security, says no region in the world is more immersed in the consequences of global climate change than the Middle East.
The region accounts for 30% of global oil production and oil revenues are the locomotive of government revenues in the region, either because countries produce oil or because countries produce a workforce working in oil-exporting countries and send money home.
Because of oil revenues, Middle Eastern governments can and do employ large numbers of their own population.
As the world moves away from oil as a source of energy, the economies of the Middle East will change profoundly.
John Alterman adds in a report published by the Center for Strategic and International Studies that at the same time the Middle East is vulnerable to the consequences of climate change.
The region is already extremely water-poor, with the Middle East having 9 of the 10 most water-poor countries.
Drought pushes farmers away from their land and the region ’ s many coastal cities are threatened by sea-level rise, and rising summer temperatures increasingly combine with humidity to endanger human survival.
The Middle East is thus rooted on both sides of the issue of climate change.
As global consumption patterns change, the Middle East will change profoundly.
With climate change, the Middle East will also change profoundly.
He adds that developing countries' energy consumption rises sharply as incomes increase and are likely to rely on existing equipment and technology for longer.
While the rich can spend thousands on green products, for much of the world ’ s population oil and gas will remain affordable fuel.
But Middle Eastern governments may not be willing to cut their oil production.
A sustained drop in global consumption, however small, would put pressure on Gulf states to increase output in a bid to drive higher-cost producers out of the market and ensure they are not left with less valuable barrels in the ground when consumption falls further.
Governments across the Middle East have been preparing for a post-oil world for years but are still far from their goals, says John Alterman.
In the Gulf countries, years will be needed to move from the reality of high-productivity, low-wage workers supporting the efforts of low-productivity, high-wage workers.
The energy transition will be important for more than just the Middle East.
Energy security is the driver of much of China ’ s recent investment in the region.
If China decides that its energy security derives from mines in Africa and not from wells in the Middle East, we should expect a shift in Chinese interest and capital.
If there is a more permanent role for oil and gas in the global energy picture, there could be more competition between the United States and China for regional influence.
Finally, Western countries could move away from hydrocarbons for environmental reasons while China and the developing world remain devoted to them for economic reasons.
This could almost be reflected in America abandoning its future role in the Middle East, with China capturing much of this inaction.
Related Articles

Climate Vulnerability & Urgency**
- The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is one of the world’s regions most vulnerable to climate change: intense rising temperatures, increased humidity, frequent extreme heatwaves, droughts, and sea level rise threaten over 400 million people.

Title:

Content: Israelis, Palestinians and Arabs “coming together ” to tackle climate change | Politics and economics | In-depth analysis with a broader perspective than DW | DW | 24.03.2023
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Israelis, Palestinians and Arabs ‘ coming together ’ to tackle climate change
The United States has launched a new initiative that brings together Israel and Arab countries to address climate change in the region, but the initiative faces the challenges of building trust between the parties as well as finding sources of funding for joint projects.
Agriculture could be a common area for addressing climate change among Middle Eastern countries
The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is one of the most vulnerable regions to the effects of climate change. The region ’ s countries have been hit hard by rising temperatures, water scarcity and desertification, with more serious consequences ahead.
Organisers of a regional conference on agriculture, water and food security said the issue of tackling the effects of climate change was pushing for more cooperation.
The conference, which brought together experts from Israel, the Palestinian territories and Arab and Muslim countries, aims to develop practical programs to address regional challenges.
William Wechsler, director of the N7 initiative, which organized the conference last week in Abu Dhabi, said that “a lot can be achieved in the region through collaboration. ”
The initiative promotes cooperation between Israel, Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Bahrain, Sudan and the UAE within the framework of the Abraham Accords.
In this context, Wechsler said there are many areas for joint cooperation such as water, lowering food prices and providing security for the people of the region, adding that agriculture is an ideal basis for cooperation in the field of climate change.
Not only is agriculture the only area where progress can be made quickly, but it can also affect the people of the Middle East and North Africa, he said, warning that “if we miss the opportunity to address climate change right now, the window of opportunity will eventually close. ”
While there are challenges to strengthening cooperation between governments and the private sector, Wechsler believes that people who are actively engaged in tackling climate change and its implications are eager to collaborate.
In an interview with DW, he said that "scientists and engineers are considered scientific figures who are interested in ultimately solving problems regardless of affiliations."
Many people think the Middle East is far from the threat of climate change, but here ’ s the truth.
Financing joint ventures
Fawzi Bakkawi, director of Morocco ’ s National Institute of Agricultural Research, believes that his country could benefit from Israel in this area, adding: “There is Israeli experience in particular in the efficient use of water in irrigation systems and the development of more flexible and appropriate agricultural crops. ”
According to a report issued by the World Bank last year, Morocco is among the countries suffering from high water stress, with Morocco ’ s water resources among the weakest in the world, while this affects the agricultural sector, especially as the phenomenon of climate change worsens.
“Israel has made significant progress in biotechnology or genomics and all of these areas can be beneficial to Morocco as well, ” he said.
However, funds for joint Moroccan-Israeli projects or to promote academic exchange remain limited.
Bakawi said he applied to the Merck Foundation, which funds projects between Israel and U.S.-based Arab signatories to the Abraham Accords, for a grant.
Morocco and other countries could benefit from technological advances in irrigation in Israel
Yousef Wahbi, a researcher at the National Meteorological Center in Abu Dhabi, said during a podcast organized by the Middle East Institute that “most research departments in the region have limited avenues for funding research conducted by foreign organizations. ”
At the climate summit in Glasgow in 2021, rich countries pledged $40 billion a year by 2025, while the issues of financing joint projects between countries to combat climate change are more complex.
He explained that most forms of financing come in the form of loans to implement mitigation projects with climate change, such as reducing the use of fossil fuels by relying on solar and wind energy, which is profitable for the lending countries.
But Wehbi said funding for climate change adaptation projects was low, as "sources of funding are difficult to find and these projects are less attractive to funding countries than projects that generate profits for lending countries."
He called for enhanced cooperation in scientific research aimed at addressing climate change globally "for the exchange of ideas between the scientific community globally".
Egypt is seeking to address wheat shortages and inflation by growing crops that need less water.
Confronting climate change to reduce conflicts
Jamal al-Saghir, former World Bank director, said that cooperation between countries is the best solution, adding that "regional cooperation is in the interest of all and carries with it more benefits than national or bilateral projects."
In an interview with DW, Sagheer, who is also an expert on agriculture and climate change and a professor at Canada ’ s McGill University, said most countries in the Middle East “are not doing enough so far in the face of climate change despite the acceleration of this phenomenon. ”
A new climate study shows that the Middle East is warming twice as fast as the global average, with potentially devastating effects on its people and economies.
As a result, more than 400 million people in the region are at risk of extreme heatwaves, prolonged droughts and rising sea levels, the study said.
However, Sagheer believes that the region can overcome these issues through technology and believes that Israel and the Gulf states can take the lead, adding that “Israel is a leader in desalination and irrigation and the countries of the region will benefit greatly. ”
He pointed out that the UAE has invested heavily in the field of renewable energy, stressing that "joint cooperation will lead to the introduction of new ideas in the field of research and development, which can be implemented later in other countries."
He asked: “What are these countries waiting for?
We have to start now. ”
According to the study, the temperature in the Middle East is increasing at an average of 0.45 ° C per decade.
Building Confidence
Tarek Abu Hamad, executive director of the Wadi Araba Institute for Environmental Studies in Israel, believes cooperation among other scientists across the region to tackle climate change could pave the way for “confidence-building efforts. ”
"We live in a small region that is a hotspot when it comes to climate change, so we have no other choice but to cooperate with each other to deal with these challenges," he said.
Alex Pletsas, one of the researchers involved in the N7 initiative, noted that the conference is hopeful: “The great thing I saw in Abu Dhabi was sitting with an Arab diplomat from a Gulf country in a traditional Arab dress and an Israeli businesswoman late at night.
to see how to improve the lives of the people of the region. "
Jennifer Hollis / m.
p.

- Cities like Mecca may be unlivable by century’s end, and daily life is already changing drastically.

Title:

Content: The Guardian: The Middle East is facing a ‘ resurrection ’
And Mecca may not be livable by the end of the century.
Friday 29 October 2021 05: 27 pm / Jerusalem time + 2GMT
London / Sama /
Titled “Resurrection Soon: A Reluctant Middle East Forced to Awareness of the Climate Crisis, ” The Guardian ’ s diplomatic editor Patrick Wintour said that Hurricane Shaheen hit Oman some time ago, the first tropical cyclone to reach this point west into the Gulf.
In Basra, southern Iraq, power has been cut off frequently as a result of this summer ’ s temperature of 50 degrees Celsius, forcing residents to move in their cars to get cold.
Kuwait broke the record for the hottest day of 2016 of 53.6 degrees Celsius, and this summer temperatures were very high, with floods in Jeddah and more recently in Mecca at a time when temperatures in Saudi Arabia have increased by 2 percent and the maximum temperature of 2.5 percent since the 1980s.
Qatar is the world ’ s highest emitting country and the world ’ s largest producer of liquefied gas (LNG), and public spaces are equipped with air conditioners.
In Tehran, pollution annually kills 4,000 people a year, and in Khuzestan province, citizens have blocked streets and burned tires due to drought as a result of mismanagement, U.S. sanctions and a deadly atmosphere.
In the United Arab Emirates, the climate crisis is estimated to cost $6 billion a year, the highest in terms of health costs.
The salinity of the Gulf increased with the proliferation of desalination plants by 20%, which affected marine life and biodiversity.
Conditions are expected to worsen at a time of rising temperatures, humidity and sea levels.
Warming rates in the Middle East are twice as high as in the world.
By the end of the century, if the dangerous predictions are correct, Mecca may not be fit for life, making the Hajj season dangerous if not catastrophic.
Large swaths of the Middle East have come to resemble the Afar region of Ethiopia, a vast area without human settlement that pushes towards the Red Sea.
The glittering cities of the Gulf may face the dilemma of rising water levels themselves.
We do not speak of the day of judgment, but of the day of judgment.
Jim Crane, an energy researcher at Rice University in Houston, said: “This is really a difficult topic because the interests of the ruling elites are at odds with the interests of the citizens.
The ruling elite depends on oil resources for the survival of their regimes.
They want to keep the oil trade in order to keep them in power.
Their system is based on oil leasing, but the population ’ s ultimate interests lie in a sustainable climate. ”
Zeina Khalil Haj, founder of Greenpeace in the Middle East, believes that the region is suffering from double pressure: “With increasing demands for energy change, a region that relies on fossil energy, oil and carbon for its economic survival, but cannot continue this dependency.
There will be no oil market but with climate change, they are required to increase efforts to survive.
The extreme climate is changing people ’ s lives on a daily basis and there is no choice but to go green. ”
The West ’ s persistent appetite for fossil energy has led the region to build car-based cities, shiny skyscrapers filled with air conditioners and shopping malls.
It must look for ways to avoid self-destruction, and it must be, according to Thomas Friedman, the Prometheus moment for the Middle East and the search for creative and creative ways.
In fact, the region has been reminded for a decade that it has to make the transition from oil.
Although the moment when oil demand will reach its highest point remains controversial, and depends on a number of assumptions about regulation, technology and customer behavior, the point I mentioned is 2040, after which demand will decline.
But the International Energy Organization ’ s “Net Zero ” report sees the peak as 2050 and by comparison suggests a reduction in oil demand from 88 million barrels per day in 2020 to 72 million barrels per day by 2030, and 24 million barrels per day in 2050, a 75% decline between 2020-2050.
The report argues that the Gulf has three factors underpinning the transformation: capital, sun, and vast, empty spaces.
Until recently, the Gulf states, including Iran, did not feel the desire to shift away from fossil energy to this extent.
When asked, Saudi Oil Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman said it was “a sequel to La La Land, ” meaning that the report and its writers do not know what is happening.
"If I wanted to worry about the IEA's expectations, I would be on Prozac all the time," he said.
Qatar ’ s Energy Minister Saad al-Kaabi said reducing oil and gas production levels would affect the supply process and laughed at “the enthusiasm surrounding the transition. ”
The Organization of Petroleum Producing and Exporting Countries (OPEC) forecasts that the process of oil demand will increase significantly through 2045 and the share of oil in global energy demand will fall from 30% to 28%, which is not a green revolution.
Gulf states still rely on gas and oil exports, accounting for 70 percent of goods exported from Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Oman.
Oil resources account for more than 70% of the total resources of Kuwait, Qatar, Oman and Bahrain.
In Vision 2030, published by Prince Mohammed bin Salman in 2016, he promised to turn the country into an important industrial hub.
World Bank figures show that Saudi Arabia relies on 75% of its oil resources for its budget.
Aramco, which is making its mark on global carbon emissions, is not diversifying at the same pace as Shell or BP.
Instead, it announced it would increase crude oil production capacity from 12 million barrels per day to 13 million barrels per day by 2027.
Haj believes that the shift away from oil may require a psychological shift from the consumer mentality, “The Gulf has not yet reached this kind of discussion.
If you see the way of life in the UAE and Qatar, it is based on inexhaustible consumption, and I fear we are still a long way from that in terms of politics and readiness. ”
Iran is the largest country in the world in terms of carbon emissions by population, followed by the UAE in second place and Saudi Arabia in 13th place.
Of course, Gulf rulers at events such as the Glasgow climate conference can defend themselves by saying that their region is not the primary source of carbon emissions, and historically, collectively, accounts for 4.7% less than carbon emissions and pollution from the United States, Europe and China.
The Middle East exports oil, but pollution is the responsibility of those who import it.
But the region ’ s leaders have come to grips with the problem not because of Western pressure but in response to citizens ’ demands, the goose has realized that the eggs, the oil, are no longer golden but brown.
The UAE is the first country to say it has moved to ratify the Paris Treaty and is the least dependent Gulf state on oil for its government resources.
Last week, she announced the “Net Zero by 2050 Initiative ” with an initial investment budget of $163 billion and appointed the Minister of Climate Change and Environment, Maryam Al Muhairi.
The announcement came after the government ordered awareness sessions in all its ministries since June for 80 days.
It was the first country in the Gulf to adopt a net zero domestic consumption policy.
The plan is still in its infancy and some of its features are unclear, but the direction is clear.
It promised to rely on renewable and nuclear energy by 50% to generate electricity by 2050.
Abu Dhabi ’ s national oil company said it would get 100 percent of its electricity from the nuclear reactor and solar power.
The Mohammed bin Maktoum Solar Park will be the largest in the world with a capacity of 5,000 megawatts.
Gulf states are competing with each other, with news reports that Qatar has appointed a climate minister, Bahrain aiming for net zero carbon by 2050 and Kuwait announcing a plan to reduce carbon emissions.
Saudi Arabia does not like to be late.
It announced that it would increase the proportion of renewable energy from 0.3% to 50% by 2030.
The plan is to plant 10 million trees in the coming decades.
Over the weekend, the kingdom organized a summit of the Green Middle East Initiative, attended by John Kerry and Britain ’ s Prince Charles.
It promised to reach net zero carbon emissions in its territory by 2060.
The main reason the Gulf states have been slow to shift away from oil and its commodities is that they have made them rich and helped them anesthetize their citizens.
Their loyalty was bought through a series of subsidies for water, electricity, fuel and tax breaks.
These dynamics were different from Iraq, Lebanon and to a lesser extent Iran, but the situation is changing with the emergence of local environmental groups.

- Water scarcity is intensifying, with mounting pressure on aquifers in states like Jordan and the Gulf.

Title:

Content: The Middle East is waking up to massive destruction caused by climate change.
The Middle East is waking up to massive destruction caused by climate change.
The countries of the Middle East and Africa are paying the largest tax on climate change, although they have not contributed much to the acceleration of the occurrence of climate coups that threaten to cause mass destruction to societies, economies and agricultural infrastructure, so they began to move to impose at the next climate conference the fulfillment of their financial pledges to reduce the risks caused by climate change.
CAIRO – Temperatures in the Middle East have risen much faster than the global average over the past three decades.
Precipitation has also decreased, and experts predict that the world will experience droughts with greater frequency and severity.
The Middle East is one of the most vulnerable regions of the world to the effects of climate change, and the effects are already emerging.
In Iraq, intense and frequent sandstorms have choked cities this year, shutting down trade and leaving thousands in hospitals.
Soil salinity in Egypt ’ s Nile Delta is destroying important agricultural land.
In Afghanistan, drought has helped fuel the migration of young people from their villages in search of jobs.
Temperatures in some parts of the region in recent weeks have exceeded 50 degrees Celsius.
This year ’ s annual UN climate change conference, known as COP27, will be held in Egypt in November and will highlight the region.
Governments across the Middle East are waking up to the dangers of climate change, especially the damage it is already inflicting on their economies.
Lama El Hitto, an environmental climate change consultant who has worked with the World Bank and specialises in the Middle East and North Africa, said: “We are seeing the impacts right in front of us.
These effects are not something that will affect us in 9 or 10 years.
More and more countries are beginning to realize that action is necessary. ”
Karim El Guindi: Changes increase social tensions and affect security
Egypt, Morocco and other countries in the region are ramping up clean energy initiatives, but their top priority at COP27 is pressing for more international funding to help them deal with the risks they already face from climate change.
One of the reasons for the Middle East ’ s weakness is the lack of margin to mitigate the blow to millions of people as temperatures accelerate, as the region already records high temperatures and has limited water resources even under normal conditions.
In a report released this year, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) noted that Middle Eastern governments have limited capacity to adapt.
Economies and infrastructure are weak, and regulations often remain unenforced.
Poverty is widespread, making job creation a priority at the expense of climate protection.
As in Egypt, autocratic governments restrict civil society, hampering an important tool in engaging the public on environmental and climate issues.
At the same time, developed countries are pressuring the Middle East and elsewhere to make emission reductions, even as they themselves renege on their promises.
As the region warms and dries up, the United Nations has warned that crop production in the Middle East could fall by 30 percent by 2025.
The region is expected to lose between 6 and 14 percent of its GDP by 2050 due to water scarcity, according to a World Bank report which confirmed that rainfall in Egypt has fallen by 22 percent over the past 30 years.
Droughts are expected to become more frequent and severe.
The eastern Mediterranean recently experienced its worst drought in 900 years, according to NASA.
This is a major blow to countries such as Syria and Lebanon, where agriculture depends on rainfall.
Water demand in Jordan and the Gulf states is putting pressure on aquifers.
In Iraq, increased drought has caused an increase in sand storms.
At the same time, rising water and air temperatures are increasing the frequency of extreme and often devastating weather events, such as the deadly floods that frequently hit Sudan and Afghanistan.
Climate damage can have serious social consequences.
Karim El Guindi, associate fellow of the Environment and Society Program at the UK ’ s Royal Institute of International Affairs, Chatham House, said many of those who have lost the livelihoods they once earned in agriculture or tourism will move to cities in search of jobs.
Al-Jundi, also a non-resident researcher at the Middle East Institute, believes that this is likely to lead to increased urban unemployment, burdening social services, and could increase social tensions and affect security.
But adapting infrastructure and economies to cope with the damage will be very expensive and will require the equivalent of 3.3 percent of the region ’ s GDP each year over the next 10 years, the International Monetary Fund estimates.
Spending must go to everything from creating more efficient water use systems and new farming methods to building coastal protection, strengthening social safety nets, and improving awareness campaigns.
Therefore, one of the top priorities for the Middle East and other developing countries at this year ’ s COP27 is to press the United States, Europe and wealthier nations to keep their promises to provide them with billions in climate finance.
The developed countries have not yet fulfilled those promises.
Most of the money it has provided has gone to help poor countries pay for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in order to “mitigate, ” in UN terminology, rather than“ adapt. ”
For this year ’ s COP27, the main theme repeated by UN officials, Egyptian hosts and climate activists is the implementation of commitments.
The gathering aims to push countries to clarify how to achieve promised emission reduction targets and reach deeper cuts, with experts saying the targets will lead to catastrophic levels of warming if they remain the same.
The Middle East is one of the most vulnerable regions of the world to the effects of climate change, and the effects are already beginning to appear.
Developing countries also want wealthier nations to show how they will deliver on their promises from the recent COPE conference to provide $500 billion in climate finance over the next five years and ensure that at least half of that funding is dedicated to adaptation rather than mitigation.
However, global events threaten to undermine the momentum from COP26.
In terms of cutting emissions, the sharp rise in global energy prices and the war in Ukraine have prompted some European countries to return to using coal for power generation despite insisting it is only a temporary step.
The Middle East also has many countries whose economies depend on fossil fuel resources, such as Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states, and even Egypt with their increasing production of natural gas.
Continued inflation and the prospect of a recession could make major countries more reluctant to make climate finance commitments.
With international officials often focusing on cutting emissions, it must be remembered that countries in Africa, the Middle East and elsewhere in the developing world have not contributed significantly to climate change, yet bear the brunt of its effects.
“We need to talk about funding to adapt to a problem they didn ’ t cause. ”
arabic

Title:

Content: New technologies to achieve sustainability goals and address climate change
Science and Technology
Huawei
Copy Link https: / / en.rt.com / u0x4
Existing renewable energy initiatives in the Middle East are strengthening their role in supporting international efforts to address climate change.
In particular, the region is one of the largest contributors to the oil and gas sector globally, and at the same time is the cradle of a number of major and ambitious initiatives and projects aimed at enhancing the reliance on clean energy.
In the UAE, the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park is the world ’ s largest IPP solar site, and the Al Dhafra Solar PV Plant is being built as the world ’ s largest solar power plant with a capacity of 2 GW.
Masdar City is the most sustainable urban community in the world.
ADFD is committed to funding innovative projects to accelerate access to sustainable energy as part of a joint initiative with the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).
In Saudi Arabia, Neom recently launched The Line, the world ’ s first car-free, carbon-free city with 100% renewable energy.
King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) leads green energy projects designed to manage the recycling of grey water for reuse for plant irrigation and other purposes, and also has large area photovoltaic panels that produce clean electricity.
In Egypt, hydropower is the second source of energy after thermal, wind and solar, and the country has developed a number of future projects that seek to exploit solar energy and replace non-renewable energy.
Other green projects in Egypt include the cities of Jebel Galala and El Alamein.
The Bahrain World Trade Centre is one of the world ’ s leading examples of sustainable architecture, taking the lead in being the first skyscraper in the world to introduce wind turbines to provide total energy consumption.
Morocco, famous for its huge and world-leading solar arrays, has made a big name for itself as a leader in the fight against climate change, renewable energy makes up nearly two-fifths of the country ’ s electricity, and the country implements some of the world ’ s largest clean energy projects.
Since 2012, Jordan has turned to solar power to generate electricity and government policies have pushed citizens and investors to turn to renewable energy to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, by offering financial facilities to investors and reducing the electricity bill.
Sustainability initiatives in the Arab countries contribute effectively to building a diversified digital economy that achieves the national visions of these countries, and the green economy initiative launched by the UAE, and the Saudi Green Initiative is a good example of this.
Today, the ICT sector is increasingly playing a role in achieving sustainability through new technologies such as 5G, cloud computing and artificial intelligence that will play a key role in implementing clean energy initiatives as they enhance productivity, improve efficiency, reduce costs and waste, evaluate business systems, analyze waste, track problems and develop solutions.
The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) says ICT will contribute to achieving the UN ’ s Sustainable Development Goals and improving the quality of life.
According to the United Nations, ICT can be relied upon in two ways: reliance on clean information and communication technology, and clean energy generation based on information and communication technology.
In the first scenario, ICT solutions that contribute to environmental safety and carbon reduction are designed.
In the second scenario, ICT solutions such as those in grids, buildings, smart logistics and industrial processes help promote sustainability and energy efficiency.
The sustainability efforts of tech companies have been recognized globally, Huawei is an example of companies that have adjusted their business in line with sustainability goals, and recently received an award from the International Mobile Phone Association for their contributions to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals through mobile devices.
The company aims to rely on innovative technologies to drive clean development across various sectors and industries, and in 2021 it used more than 300 million kWh of electricity produced from renewable sources, an increase of 42.3% compared to 2020.
Huawei ’ s digital power solutions have generated 482.9 billion kilowatt-hours of clean energy and reduced electricity consumption by 14.2 billion kilowatt-hours, equivalent to 230 million tons of carbon emissions.
In parallel with efforts to promote a sustainable approach to technology, the ICT industry must not lose sight of the issue of enhanced security.
Technology providers should focus on protecting user privacy when working to provide modern, seamless technology and communications.
Certainly, we will not be able to grow the business and ensure its sustainability if we do not provide safe and reliable technologies to protect cybersecurity, which is a shared responsibility of all stakeholders involved in sustainability.
The current digital divide could isolate millions of people around the world from contributing to the development of a clean economy.
Tech companies can contribute to making technology accessible to all thanks to their technical capabilities and resources.
Through initiatives such as TECH4ALL, Huawei has relied on digital technologies to implement programs aimed at enhancing the leadership capabilities of more than 110,000 people in 2021.
The digital divide in global talent could undermine sustainability efforts, so greater emphasis should be placed on redressing it and priority should be given to strengthening collaboration between tech companies, academia and government institutions in order to bridge the digital skills gap.
By investing in programs to prepare local technical cadres, hone skills and enhance practical experience, more bridges of cooperation between the public and private sectors can be built to prepare the future generation of sustainability leaders with the help of technology.
Huawei has established 163 ICT academies in the Middle East.
More than 3,500 students participated in the Seeds for the Global Future program, while more than 37,000 students received Huawei certifications.
The company has also provided training to more than 120,000 ICT talents in the region who are expected to contribute to the advancement of sustainability in the countries of the region by making the most of technology.
In light of the increasing challenges of reducing carbon emissions facing various countries around the world, we all have a responsibility to strengthen cooperation and work together to build a sustainable and prosperous future for future generations.
By: Ammar Taba, Huawei Vice President for Public Relations and Media in the Middle East
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Oil Dependency & Political Realities**
- The region’s ruling elites have relied on oil for regime stability and economic strength, and are hesitant to relinquish the associated power.

- However, international and domestic pressures are pushing for change, with a growing acknowledgement that energy transition is necessary for survival.

Title:

Content: Tuesday 21st May 2024 Abu Dhabi UAE
Prayer times
News Highlights
Today 's Issue
Today 's Issue
ECONOMY
Ahmed bin Saeed opens Middle East Oil and Gas Conference in Dubai
Ahmed bin Saeed opens Middle East Oil and Gas Conference in Dubai
May 21, 2024 17: 26
Dubai (Union)
His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy, Chairman of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Chairman of Dubai Airports, Chairman and CEO of Emirates and Group, inaugurated the 31st annual Middle East Oil and Gas Conference, hosted by ENOC and organized by S & P Global Commodity Insights at the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) from May 20 to 22. The evolution of basic energy markets within a sustainable landscape. ”
The opening ceremony was attended by HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Vice Chairman of the Supreme Council of Energy and Chairman of ENOC Group, and members of the Group ’ s Board of Directors, HE Saif Humaid Al Falasi, CEO of ENOC Group, members of the Group ’ s management team, and a number of leading innovators and decision-makers in the oil and gas sector in the region and globally.
The conference highlights the importance of balancing conventional and renewable energy, enhancing global oil and gas flows, energy security and geopolitical turbulence. The 2024 edition of the Middle East Oil and Gas Conference will also feature three training sessions hosted by industry experts, providing access to knowledge and tools to support progress in the challenging energy sector.
HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer said: “I am delighted to welcome you to the 31st edition of the Middle East Oil and Gas Conference here in the vibrant city of Dubai, and we are always delighted to host so many friends from the international community here in the region.
As we meet today, the global energy sector stands at a crossroads, the absolute necessity of a transition to a sustainable future, yet the key energy markets that have powered our economies for decades remain critical to our daily lives.
The theme of this year ’ s conference, “Evolution of Core Energy Markets in a Sustainable Landscape, ” indicates that we are ready to face the challenges of the new era of the energy sector.
He added: “The conference will address three main themes that revolve around the region ’ s oil and gas markets: geopolitics and market volatility, the expansion of renewable energy sources and the evolution of the energy mix, and leading the energy transition through innovation and sustainability.
His Excellency concluded: “I wish you a pleasant stay, and I am confident that you will find time to visit and enjoy Dubai ’ s landmarks during your time here.
The city of Dubai itself is a shining example of what can be achieved through the practical application of a forward-looking vision, which is the subject of an important debate about the future of energy. ” Saif Humaid Al Falasi, CEO of ENOC Group and Co-Chair of the Middle East Oil and Gas Conference 2024, said: “The Middle East Oil and Gas Conference is a leading global platform hosted by ENOC Group for industry experts to engage in in-depth discussions on key trends. issues and solutions.
With the energy sector undergoing rapid dynamic transformations, the conference continues to be a catalyst for dialogue, innovation and progress, and we look forward to engaging in important discussions and conversations that will enhance opportunities for collaboration and achieve meaningful results as we move forward in shaping the future of energy. ”
Over the course of its three days, the event will showcase two main tracks with a focus on refining, low-carbon projects and new energy sources. The conference will also discuss topics including sustainability of the energy future in aviation and maritime, refineries and supply chain improvements, investments in the chemical industry, studying how gas interacts with hydrogen, carbon intensity used in commodity trading, circular carbon economy, and a paradigm shift in the use of hydrogen and its derivatives in the region.
The conference also aims to provide effective insights into the development of a sustainable energy future in ever-changing environments.
The Middle East Oil and Gas Conference attracts more than 400 participants from the Middle East, Asia, Africa, Europe and the Americas, including leading traders, oil and gas companies, national oil companies, refineries, digital consultants and technologists, as well as banks, financial markets, law firms, regulators, renewable energy operators, and oil and gas supply and service companies.
All rights reserved to Union News Center 2024 ©

National Strategies & Targets**
- *Saudi Arabia:* Intends to boost renewables from 0.3% to 50% of its electricity mix by 2030.

While details are developing, the commitment signals a move away from total oil dependence.

- *UAE:* Is a recognized regional leader.

Title:

Content: Monday 26th September 2022 Abu Dhabi UAE
Prayer times
Today 's Issue
Today 's Issue
United Arab Emirates
TRENDS Conference: Middle East Security and Climate Change Challenges
TRENDS Conference: Middle East Security and Climate Change Challenges
September 26, 2022 02: 56
Abu Dhabi (Union)
With the participation of Al-Ittihad newspaper and in cooperation with the Atlantic Council, TRENDS Research and Consulting Center is organizing its second annual conference, entitled “Sustainable Security in the Middle East: Challenges and Prospects of Climate Change ”, at the Council ’ s headquarters in Washington, DC, with the participation of four ministers and about 30 speakers from important political figures and experts from different countries of the world.
The conference aims to highlight climate change as a global crisis that requires new approaches and joint steps to address the consequences, while at the same time providing innovative solutions in all sectors in which climate diplomacy plays a pivotal role for a better future for the Middle East and the whole world.
This year ’ s conference will discuss climate action in the region, explore environmental challenges and opportunities, and showcase ambitious solutions.
The two-day sessions will also provide unique perspectives focusing on climate resilience, the transition to a low-emission economy, and collaboration to solve pressing challenges.
The conference aims to draw insights from experts and practitioners from within and outside the region to formulate recommendations for policymakers.
Keyword
Keynote addresses will be delivered by H.E. Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Cabinet Member and Minister of Tolerance; Sheikha Shamma bint Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, Chief Executive Officer of the UAE Independent Climate Action Accelerators Project; H.E. Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology; UAE Special Envoy for Climate Change; H.E. Maryam Al Muhairi, Minister of Climate Change and David Livingstone, Senior Advisor to the US Presidential Special Envoy.
Dr. Mohammed Abdullah Al-Ali, CEO of TRENDS Research and Consulting Center, said that the second annual TRENDS conference, which coincides with the Center ’ s celebrations of its eighth anniversary, with its participation of experts and thinkers, will certainly be an important opportunity to present ideas and perceptions that help support regional and international efforts to address the threat of global warming. In order to overcome them and achieve the desired goals, especially in the field of achieving sustainable environmental security, in the Middle East region.
Dr. Al-Ali stressed that TRENDS aims to organize its second annual conference “Sustainable Security in the Middle East: Challenges and Prospects of Climate Change ”, in cooperation with the Atlantic Council, to be a bridge of knowledge and academic communication linking the most important think tanks and studies at the regional and international levels. About 30 speakers were important political figures and experts from around the world.
Regional focus
Hamad Al Kaabi, Editor-in-Chief of the Union, stressed that the media is a key partner in raising awareness of the importance of addressing climate change, which is no longer a future threat but a daily challenge facing all the world ’ s population and all countries.
Al-Kaabi, who will present a paper at the conference on “The role of media in supporting green security initiatives, ” said that the region is now the focus of the world ’ s attention as it hosts Cop27 events in the Egyptian city of Sharm el-Sheikh from November 8 to 18, and the United Arab Emirates hosts Cop28 events in the city of « Expo Dubai » in November 2023.
It has become clear that climate change has become a file that requires regional cooperation, as well as concerted global efforts to curb climate change, protect sustainable development plans, and maintain the development and prosperity paths in the Middle East.
The conference will begin with an opening speech by H.E. Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Cabinet Member and Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence, while the keynote speech will be delivered by David Livingstone, Senior Advisor to the US Presidential Special Envoy for Climate Affairs.
Security and Climate Change
The first day will also feature a welcome speech by Dr. Mohammed Abdullah Al-Ali, CEO of TRENDS Center, and Mr. Jonathan Panikov, Director of the Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative, Middle East Programs, Atlantic Council.
The first session of the conference will discuss the topic of national security, climate change and the Middle East: current challenges and future prospects, highlighting the perspective of climate change and national security in the region and their implications for the Middle East and the stability of the region, environmental changes and the effects of global warming on public health, the link between extreme natural phenomena and increased migration flows, and climate change as a geopolitical challenge: adaptation and resilient development.
The session will be moderated by Reina Nainan, Senior Non-Resident Researcher at the Adrian Arsht-Rockefeller Foundation Resilience Center, Atlantic Council, and the co-founder ’ s CEO, News3 Dow.
Scarcity of resources
The second session will address the impacts of resource scarcity and population growth in the Middle East.
The effects of the war in Ukraine are discussed in the Middle East's main agricultural imports, such as wheat.
As well as the challenges facing the region in terms of high demand for food and water, especially in light of the expected increase in the region ’ s population, future prospects and implications of population growth and drought on the infrastructure of food and water systems, the strategic importance of water and the growing concept of cross-border water conflict in the Middle East and North Africa, the impact of climate change on supply chains, regional food security strategies and the effects of the war in Ukraine.
The session will be moderated by Dr. Christian Alexander, Head of Strategic Studies at Trends.
Clean energy
The third session of the first day of the conference will begin in the afternoon US time with a keynote address by H.E. Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and UAE Special Envoy for Climate Change.
The session will then address energy industries, infrastructure and politics in the Middle East: opportunities and challenges of the transition to clean energy, and will discuss the transition to an energy system in which environmentally friendly technologies and the potential of sustainable clean energy sources play an increasingly important role.
In addition to the role of industrial partnerships in the transition to safe and low-carbon energy systems, the transformations of key high-energy industries in pursuit of sustainability objectives, the impact of increased regional gas supplies to Europe (in light of the Russian invasion of Ukraine) on the rapid transition to wind, solar and hydrogen, the challenges of energy transition in the Middle East and North Africa, and the impact of renewable energy generation on urban infrastructure, transportation systems and electricity grids.
The session will be moderated by Dan Murphy, CNBC's Middle East anchor and correspondent.
Climate Diplomacy
The second day of the second annual TRENDS conference in Washington will begin with an opening speech by Her Excellency Maryam Bint Mohammed Al Muhairi, UAE Minister of Climate Change and Environment, followed by the fourth session of the conference entitled between COP27 and COP28: Middle East Diplomatic Efforts to Address Climate Change.
The session will address the role of climate summits in facilitating the transition to a low-carbon economy and highlight the importance of geopolitical factors related to climate diplomacy, as well as new visions for building a sustainable environmental framework, assessing the commitments and commitments made at COP26, and climate diplomacy as a growing foreign policy challenge.
The title is divided into two themes: COP27 and COP28, which will be attended by Sheikha Shamma bint Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, CEO of the UAE ’ s Independent Climate Action Accelerators Project.
It highlights the UAE ’ s hosting of this conference.
The session will be moderated by Awad Al Braiki, Head of Trends Global.
Green security initiatives
The fifth session of the conference is entitled “Multilateral Green Security Initiatives: The Beginning of a Green New Era Towards Collective Environmental Security in the Middle East ”.
It will discuss the importance of regional and collaborative efforts in operationalizing the Middle East ’ s green security initiatives, as well as ways to mitigate the challenges of environmental insecurity, and ways to enhance regional security and key infrastructure systems that accommodate different climatic conditions, through environmental measures and collective green initiatives.
The use of multilateral green security initiatives to improve the capacity of MENA countries to be global leaders in a resilient and inclusive post-carbon economy, the economic aspects of sustainable environmental security and the investments needed to achieve environmental security, and the role of the media in supporting Middle East green security initiatives.
The session will be moderated by Mohamed Al Mulla, Founder and Director of Diwan Al Mulla Network in the State of Kuwait.
The conference will conclude with recommendations and closing remarks, delivered by Somaya Hadrami, Vice President of Trends Global, and Mr. William Wechsler, Senior Director of the Rafik Hariri Center and Middle East Programs, Atlantic Council.
* Trends Research and Consulting Center is an independent research institution, established in 2014 in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, and is interested in looking to the future through many specialized research programs.
Trends has been able to build a strong network of relationships and partnerships with various international research centers and international governmental and non-governmental organizations and bodies, and benefit from international research and academic expertise to enhance its scientific and research role at the regional and global levels, by organizing scientific events that enrich the exchange of research experiences and expertise, and the production of various publications in various fields of human knowledge. *
All rights reserved to Al Ittihad Newspaper 2022 ©

It aims for 50% of electricity from renewable and nuclear by 2050.

The UAE hosts flagship solar initiatives like the **Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park** (currently the world’s largest independent power producer solar site) and is developing the **Al Dhafra Solar PV Plant** (expected to be the world’s largest, with 2 GW capacity).

- *Egypt:* Heavily invested in renewables, particularly hydro, wind, and solar.

Solar projects are underway to gradually replace fossil-based generation.

Title:

Content: Tuesday 21st May 2024 Abu Dhabi UAE
Prayer times
News Highlights
Today 's Issue
Today 's Issue
ECONOMY
Ahmed bin Saeed opens Middle East Oil and Gas Conference in Dubai
Ahmed bin Saeed opens Middle East Oil and Gas Conference in Dubai
May 21, 2024 17: 26
Dubai (Union)
His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy, Chairman of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Chairman of Dubai Airports, Chairman and CEO of Emirates and Group, inaugurated the 31st annual Middle East Oil and Gas Conference, hosted by ENOC and organized by S & P Global Commodity Insights at the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) from May 20 to 22. The evolution of basic energy markets within a sustainable landscape. ”
The opening ceremony was attended by HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Vice Chairman of the Supreme Council of Energy and Chairman of ENOC Group, and members of the Group ’ s Board of Directors, HE Saif Humaid Al Falasi, CEO of ENOC Group, members of the Group ’ s management team, and a number of leading innovators and decision-makers in the oil and gas sector in the region and globally.
The conference highlights the importance of balancing conventional and renewable energy, enhancing global oil and gas flows, energy security and geopolitical turbulence. The 2024 edition of the Middle East Oil and Gas Conference will also feature three training sessions hosted by industry experts, providing access to knowledge and tools to support progress in the challenging energy sector.
HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer said: “I am delighted to welcome you to the 31st edition of the Middle East Oil and Gas Conference here in the vibrant city of Dubai, and we are always delighted to host so many friends from the international community here in the region.
As we meet today, the global energy sector stands at a crossroads, the absolute necessity of a transition to a sustainable future, yet the key energy markets that have powered our economies for decades remain critical to our daily lives.
The theme of this year ’ s conference, “Evolution of Core Energy Markets in a Sustainable Landscape, ” indicates that we are ready to face the challenges of the new era of the energy sector.
He added: “The conference will address three main themes that revolve around the region ’ s oil and gas markets: geopolitics and market volatility, the expansion of renewable energy sources and the evolution of the energy mix, and leading the energy transition through innovation and sustainability.
His Excellency concluded: “I wish you a pleasant stay, and I am confident that you will find time to visit and enjoy Dubai ’ s landmarks during your time here.
The city of Dubai itself is a shining example of what can be achieved through the practical application of a forward-looking vision, which is the subject of an important debate about the future of energy. ” Saif Humaid Al Falasi, CEO of ENOC Group and Co-Chair of the Middle East Oil and Gas Conference 2024, said: “The Middle East Oil and Gas Conference is a leading global platform hosted by ENOC Group for industry experts to engage in in-depth discussions on key trends. issues and solutions.
With the energy sector undergoing rapid dynamic transformations, the conference continues to be a catalyst for dialogue, innovation and progress, and we look forward to engaging in important discussions and conversations that will enhance opportunities for collaboration and achieve meaningful results as we move forward in shaping the future of energy. ”
Over the course of its three days, the event will showcase two main tracks with a focus on refining, low-carbon projects and new energy sources. The conference will also discuss topics including sustainability of the energy future in aviation and maritime, refineries and supply chain improvements, investments in the chemical industry, studying how gas interacts with hydrogen, carbon intensity used in commodity trading, circular carbon economy, and a paradigm shift in the use of hydrogen and its derivatives in the region.
The conference also aims to provide effective insights into the development of a sustainable energy future in ever-changing environments.
The Middle East Oil and Gas Conference attracts more than 400 participants from the Middle East, Asia, Africa, Europe and the Americas, including leading traders, oil and gas companies, national oil companies, refineries, digital consultants and technologists, as well as banks, financial markets, law firms, regulators, renewable energy operators, and oil and gas supply and service companies.
All rights reserved to Union News Center 2024 ©

Regional & International Cooperation**
- Middle Eastern countries are slowly forming closer partnerships—including traditionally tense actors—on climate and water issues, aided by new technologies particularly in irrigation and energy.

- At climate forums (like COP27/COP28 and regional climate weeks), leaders and experts stress that regional climate impacts are immediate and solutions require urgent, coordinated action.

- Financing remains a challenge.

Wealthy nations pledged $40B/year by 2025, but actual support for regional projects is inconsistent.

Title:

Content: Tuesday 21st May 2024 Abu Dhabi UAE
Prayer times
News Highlights
Today 's Issue
Today 's Issue
ECONOMY
Ahmed bin Saeed opens Middle East Oil and Gas Conference in Dubai
Ahmed bin Saeed opens Middle East Oil and Gas Conference in Dubai
May 21, 2024 17: 26
Dubai (Union)
His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy, Chairman of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Chairman of Dubai Airports, Chairman and CEO of Emirates and Group, inaugurated the 31st annual Middle East Oil and Gas Conference, hosted by ENOC and organized by S & P Global Commodity Insights at the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) from May 20 to 22. The evolution of basic energy markets within a sustainable landscape. ”
The opening ceremony was attended by HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Vice Chairman of the Supreme Council of Energy and Chairman of ENOC Group, and members of the Group ’ s Board of Directors, HE Saif Humaid Al Falasi, CEO of ENOC Group, members of the Group ’ s management team, and a number of leading innovators and decision-makers in the oil and gas sector in the region and globally.
The conference highlights the importance of balancing conventional and renewable energy, enhancing global oil and gas flows, energy security and geopolitical turbulence. The 2024 edition of the Middle East Oil and Gas Conference will also feature three training sessions hosted by industry experts, providing access to knowledge and tools to support progress in the challenging energy sector.
HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer said: “I am delighted to welcome you to the 31st edition of the Middle East Oil and Gas Conference here in the vibrant city of Dubai, and we are always delighted to host so many friends from the international community here in the region.
As we meet today, the global energy sector stands at a crossroads, the absolute necessity of a transition to a sustainable future, yet the key energy markets that have powered our economies for decades remain critical to our daily lives.
The theme of this year ’ s conference, “Evolution of Core Energy Markets in a Sustainable Landscape, ” indicates that we are ready to face the challenges of the new era of the energy sector.
He added: “The conference will address three main themes that revolve around the region ’ s oil and gas markets: geopolitics and market volatility, the expansion of renewable energy sources and the evolution of the energy mix, and leading the energy transition through innovation and sustainability.
His Excellency concluded: “I wish you a pleasant stay, and I am confident that you will find time to visit and enjoy Dubai ’ s landmarks during your time here.
The city of Dubai itself is a shining example of what can be achieved through the practical application of a forward-looking vision, which is the subject of an important debate about the future of energy. ” Saif Humaid Al Falasi, CEO of ENOC Group and Co-Chair of the Middle East Oil and Gas Conference 2024, said: “The Middle East Oil and Gas Conference is a leading global platform hosted by ENOC Group for industry experts to engage in in-depth discussions on key trends. issues and solutions.
With the energy sector undergoing rapid dynamic transformations, the conference continues to be a catalyst for dialogue, innovation and progress, and we look forward to engaging in important discussions and conversations that will enhance opportunities for collaboration and achieve meaningful results as we move forward in shaping the future of energy. ”
Over the course of its three days, the event will showcase two main tracks with a focus on refining, low-carbon projects and new energy sources. The conference will also discuss topics including sustainability of the energy future in aviation and maritime, refineries and supply chain improvements, investments in the chemical industry, studying how gas interacts with hydrogen, carbon intensity used in commodity trading, circular carbon economy, and a paradigm shift in the use of hydrogen and its derivatives in the region.
The conference also aims to provide effective insights into the development of a sustainable energy future in ever-changing environments.
The Middle East Oil and Gas Conference attracts more than 400 participants from the Middle East, Asia, Africa, Europe and the Americas, including leading traders, oil and gas companies, national oil companies, refineries, digital consultants and technologists, as well as banks, financial markets, law firms, regulators, renewable energy operators, and oil and gas supply and service companies.
All rights reserved to Union News Center 2024 ©

Solar Energy: National Projects & Capacity**
- The UAE and Saudi Arabia lead in mega-scale solar initiatives, with significant capacity increases planned or under construction.

- Projects like the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park (UAE) and Al Dhafra Plant indicate a transition from pilot to fully commercial deployments.

Title:

Content: Tuesday 21st May 2024 Abu Dhabi UAE
Prayer times
News Highlights
Today 's Issue
Today 's Issue
ECONOMY
Ahmed bin Saeed opens Middle East Oil and Gas Conference in Dubai
Ahmed bin Saeed opens Middle East Oil and Gas Conference in Dubai
May 21, 2024 17: 26
Dubai (Union)
His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy, Chairman of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Chairman of Dubai Airports, Chairman and CEO of Emirates and Group, inaugurated the 31st annual Middle East Oil and Gas Conference, hosted by ENOC and organized by S & P Global Commodity Insights at the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) from May 20 to 22. The evolution of basic energy markets within a sustainable landscape. ”
The opening ceremony was attended by HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Vice Chairman of the Supreme Council of Energy and Chairman of ENOC Group, and members of the Group ’ s Board of Directors, HE Saif Humaid Al Falasi, CEO of ENOC Group, members of the Group ’ s management team, and a number of leading innovators and decision-makers in the oil and gas sector in the region and globally.
The conference highlights the importance of balancing conventional and renewable energy, enhancing global oil and gas flows, energy security and geopolitical turbulence. The 2024 edition of the Middle East Oil and Gas Conference will also feature three training sessions hosted by industry experts, providing access to knowledge and tools to support progress in the challenging energy sector.
HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer said: “I am delighted to welcome you to the 31st edition of the Middle East Oil and Gas Conference here in the vibrant city of Dubai, and we are always delighted to host so many friends from the international community here in the region.
As we meet today, the global energy sector stands at a crossroads, the absolute necessity of a transition to a sustainable future, yet the key energy markets that have powered our economies for decades remain critical to our daily lives.
The theme of this year ’ s conference, “Evolution of Core Energy Markets in a Sustainable Landscape, ” indicates that we are ready to face the challenges of the new era of the energy sector.
He added: “The conference will address three main themes that revolve around the region ’ s oil and gas markets: geopolitics and market volatility, the expansion of renewable energy sources and the evolution of the energy mix, and leading the energy transition through innovation and sustainability.
His Excellency concluded: “I wish you a pleasant stay, and I am confident that you will find time to visit and enjoy Dubai ’ s landmarks during your time here.
The city of Dubai itself is a shining example of what can be achieved through the practical application of a forward-looking vision, which is the subject of an important debate about the future of energy. ” Saif Humaid Al Falasi, CEO of ENOC Group and Co-Chair of the Middle East Oil and Gas Conference 2024, said: “The Middle East Oil and Gas Conference is a leading global platform hosted by ENOC Group for industry experts to engage in in-depth discussions on key trends. issues and solutions.
With the energy sector undergoing rapid dynamic transformations, the conference continues to be a catalyst for dialogue, innovation and progress, and we look forward to engaging in important discussions and conversations that will enhance opportunities for collaboration and achieve meaningful results as we move forward in shaping the future of energy. ”
Over the course of its three days, the event will showcase two main tracks with a focus on refining, low-carbon projects and new energy sources. The conference will also discuss topics including sustainability of the energy future in aviation and maritime, refineries and supply chain improvements, investments in the chemical industry, studying how gas interacts with hydrogen, carbon intensity used in commodity trading, circular carbon economy, and a paradigm shift in the use of hydrogen and its derivatives in the region.
The conference also aims to provide effective insights into the development of a sustainable energy future in ever-changing environments.
The Middle East Oil and Gas Conference attracts more than 400 participants from the Middle East, Asia, Africa, Europe and the Americas, including leading traders, oil and gas companies, national oil companies, refineries, digital consultants and technologists, as well as banks, financial markets, law firms, regulators, renewable energy operators, and oil and gas supply and service companies.
All rights reserved to Union News Center 2024 ©

Government Incentives & Ambitions**
- Large-scale solar parks have been built with government tendering, favorable PPAs, land grants, and policies to attract foreign investment.

- Governments are launching public-private partnerships and offering incentives to speed adoption of renewables (e.g., priority grid access, low tariffs).

Impact: Economy & Climate Goals**
- Energy transition is reshaping local economies, diversifying them away from hydrocarbons, and providing new employment opportunities in technology and green infrastructure.

- Success in these projects will be essential to meet regional climate pledges and ensure long-term livability for local populations.

- The transition is still in early stages, and political and social readiness varies, but the move towards renewables—especially solar—is rapidly gaining ground.

Title:

Content: The Middle East is on the cusp of an energy revolution.
In the midst of unprecedented climate change
The next morning – follow up:
The world is currently facing extreme weather extremes, from flash floods to heavy rainfall to record-high temperatures and wildfires, all pointing to a single source: climate change driven by carbon emissions in the air.
The Middle East is particularly affected by this situation as it produces and consumes a very large amount of carbon-emitting fossil fuels that in turn lead to climate change.
A UN report by a UN scientific panel described climate change as unprecedented, saying it was definitely people who were responsible for climate change.
He called for drastic cuts in emissions in order to keep global temperature below the limits set out in the 2015 Paris climate agreement.
According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), “The scope of recent changes in aspects of the climate system as a whole and the current state of many aspects of the climate system are unprecedented for centuries or several millennia. ”
"Based on the available evidence, they have high confidence that atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations were higher in 2019 than at any point in at least two million years, and that since 1970, global surface temperature has risen faster than any other 50 years in at least the last two millennia."
234 experts from 66 countries wrote the report, the most comprehensive since 2013.
Many of the effects of climate change can no longer be avoided today.
John Alterman, vice president of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, director of the Middle East Program and director of the Brzezinski Chair for Global and Strategic Security, says no region in the world is more immersed in the consequences of global climate change than the Middle East.
The region accounts for 30% of global oil production and oil revenues are the locomotive of government revenues in the region, either because countries produce oil or because countries produce a workforce working in oil-exporting countries and send money home.
Because of oil revenues, Middle Eastern governments can and do employ large numbers of their own population.
As the world moves away from oil as a source of energy, the economies of the Middle East will change profoundly.
John Alterman adds in a report published by the Center for Strategic and International Studies that at the same time the Middle East is vulnerable to the consequences of climate change.
The region is already extremely water-poor, with the Middle East having 9 of the 10 most water-poor countries.
Drought pushes farmers away from their land and the region ’ s many coastal cities are threatened by sea-level rise, and rising summer temperatures increasingly combine with humidity to endanger human survival.
The Middle East is thus rooted on both sides of the issue of climate change.
As global consumption patterns change, the Middle East will change profoundly.
With climate change, the Middle East will also change profoundly.
He adds that developing countries' energy consumption rises sharply as incomes increase and are likely to rely on existing equipment and technology for longer.
While the rich can spend thousands on green products, for much of the world ’ s population oil and gas will remain affordable fuel.
But Middle Eastern governments may not be willing to cut their oil production.
A sustained drop in global consumption, however small, would put pressure on Gulf states to increase output in a bid to drive higher-cost producers out of the market and ensure they are not left with less valuable barrels in the ground when consumption falls further.
Governments across the Middle East have been preparing for a post-oil world for years but are still far from their goals, says John Alterman.
In the Gulf countries, years will be needed to move from the reality of high-productivity, low-wage workers supporting the efforts of low-productivity, high-wage workers.
The energy transition will be important for more than just the Middle East.
Energy security is the driver of much of China ’ s recent investment in the region.
If China decides that its energy security derives from mines in Africa and not from wells in the Middle East, we should expect a shift in Chinese interest and capital.
If there is a more permanent role for oil and gas in the global energy picture, there could be more competition between the United States and China for regional influence.
Finally, Western countries could move away from hydrocarbons for environmental reasons while China and the developing world remain devoted to them for economic reasons.
This could almost be reflected in America abandoning its future role in the Middle East, with China capturing much of this inaction.
Related Articles

This summary integrates your academic focus by highlighting both the political dimensions and on-the-ground projects driving energy transition in the Middle East, emphasizing solar’s growing role.

Title:

Content: The Middle East is on the cusp of an energy revolution.
In the midst of unprecedented climate change
The next morning – follow up:
The world is currently facing extreme weather extremes, from flash floods to heavy rainfall to record-high temperatures and wildfires, all pointing to a single source: climate change driven by carbon emissions in the air.
The Middle East is particularly affected by this situation as it produces and consumes a very large amount of carbon-emitting fossil fuels that in turn lead to climate change.
A UN report by a UN scientific panel described climate change as unprecedented, saying it was definitely people who were responsible for climate change.
He called for drastic cuts in emissions in order to keep global temperature below the limits set out in the 2015 Paris climate agreement.
According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), “The scope of recent changes in aspects of the climate system as a whole and the current state of many aspects of the climate system are unprecedented for centuries or several millennia. ”
"Based on the available evidence, they have high confidence that atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations were higher in 2019 than at any point in at least two million years, and that since 1970, global surface temperature has risen faster than any other 50 years in at least the last two millennia."
234 experts from 66 countries wrote the report, the most comprehensive since 2013.
Many of the effects of climate change can no longer be avoided today.
John Alterman, vice president of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, director of the Middle East Program and director of the Brzezinski Chair for Global and Strategic Security, says no region in the world is more immersed in the consequences of global climate change than the Middle East.
The region accounts for 30% of global oil production and oil revenues are the locomotive of government revenues in the region, either because countries produce oil or because countries produce a workforce working in oil-exporting countries and send money home.
Because of oil revenues, Middle Eastern governments can and do employ large numbers of their own population.
As the world moves away from oil as a source of energy, the economies of the Middle East will change profoundly.
John Alterman adds in a report published by the Center for Strategic and International Studies that at the same time the Middle East is vulnerable to the consequences of climate change.
The region is already extremely water-poor, with the Middle East having 9 of the 10 most water-poor countries.
Drought pushes farmers away from their land and the region ’ s many coastal cities are threatened by sea-level rise, and rising summer temperatures increasingly combine with humidity to endanger human survival.
The Middle East is thus rooted on both sides of the issue of climate change.
As global consumption patterns change, the Middle East will change profoundly.
With climate change, the Middle East will also change profoundly.
He adds that developing countries' energy consumption rises sharply as incomes increase and are likely to rely on existing equipment and technology for longer.
While the rich can spend thousands on green products, for much of the world ’ s population oil and gas will remain affordable fuel.
But Middle Eastern governments may not be willing to cut their oil production.
A sustained drop in global consumption, however small, would put pressure on Gulf states to increase output in a bid to drive higher-cost producers out of the market and ensure they are not left with less valuable barrels in the ground when consumption falls further.
Governments across the Middle East have been preparing for a post-oil world for years but are still far from their goals, says John Alterman.
In the Gulf countries, years will be needed to move from the reality of high-productivity, low-wage workers supporting the efforts of low-productivity, high-wage workers.
The energy transition will be important for more than just the Middle East.
Energy security is the driver of much of China ’ s recent investment in the region.
If China decides that its energy security derives from mines in Africa and not from wells in the Middle East, we should expect a shift in Chinese interest and capital.
If there is a more permanent role for oil and gas in the global energy picture, there could be more competition between the United States and China for regional influence.
Finally, Western countries could move away from hydrocarbons for environmental reasons while China and the developing world remain devoted to them for economic reasons.
This could almost be reflected in America abandoning its future role in the Middle East, with China capturing much of this inaction.
Related Articles

Global trends, climate change concerns, and volatility in oil markets have accelerated efforts to invest in renewable energy, notably solar and wind power.

Title:

Content: Contribution ｜ Explore Hong Kong ’ s role and opportunities in the development of renewable energy in the Middle East
Author: 01 More Voices
Published: Updated:
In recent years, Hong Kong has actively promoted the development of renewable energy and launched a number of related products in the financial market.
In addition, more and more Hong Kong enterprises have also started to participate in the development of this industry, especially in the financial market, and launched a number of financial products to support the development of renewable energy.
At the same time, many countries in the Middle East, such as the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Turkey, are also actively engaged in various large-scale projects to promote the development of renewable energy, and expect to see a different energy mix and economic development model in 2030 or 2050.
For Hong Kong, China and other countries, the development opportunities of the Middle East market cannot be ignored, and Hong Kong ’ s participation in this area cannot be underestimated.
Submitted by: Kwong Cheuk-wui
Recently, I had the opportunity to participate in several seminars on economic and energy development in the Middle East, and have in-depth exchanges with government representatives in charge of foreign affairs and trade from various Middle Eastern countries and Azerbaijan.
These exchange experiences provide the author with a wealth of insight.
After many in-depth talks, to understand the interest and momentum of the development of renewable energy in many countries in the Middle East, the author synthesized the information from various parties and came to the following insights: The reason why the major oil producers in the Middle East are actively developing renewable energy is to achieve economic diversification and get rid of dependence on oil and related industries.
They hope to turn the country ’ s surplus renewable energy into new, dependable foreign revenues (i.e., revenues generated from natural resource exports; “Rents ”) through innovative technologies.
For other non-oil producing countries, they want to achieve economic sustainability through the development of renewable energy, reduce dependence on traditional fossil fuels or electricity imports, and convert renewable energy into new external rental income to boost the country ’ s economic development.
From this, it can be seen that the Middle East countries are very concerned about the development of renewable energy, but also hope to complete the energy transformation as soon as possible, and look forward to renewable energy can produce more and greater economic benefits, create new dependent income, promote economic diversification and modernization, but also benefit thousands of people.
As a result, many countries in the Middle East have invested heavily in and promoted energy transformation and clean energy development.
Although many countries have made extraordinary achievements in driving renewable energy development, they also face many challenges.
Jordan, for example, has a wealth of renewable energy resources, including solar, wind, geothermal and bioenergy, as well as state-of-the-art renewable energy laws, regulatory mechanisms and development frameworks.
Earlier this year, Jordan successfully achieved its national roadmap, originally set for 2030, with renewable energy accounting for 31% of total energy.
The Jordanian government also plans to increase this target to 50%, and is committed to building the country into a regional renewable energy development center and exporting environmentally friendly power to neighboring countries to increase the country ’ s foreign revenue.
However, like other Middle Eastern countries, Jordan faces a host of challenges.
These challenges include lagging energy infrastructure, imperfect grid planning, an over-concentration of resources on solar and wind with less focus on geothermal energy, and a lack of energy storage systems and foreign investment.
In addition, there is the debt problem of the national power company.
These difficulties not only affect Jordan ’ s progress in developing renewable energy, but also act as a barrier to modernizing and diversifying the country ’ s economy.
Some Jordanian officials and scholars are concerned about whether the development of renewable energy is progressing as expected.
They are concerned that if the development of renewable energy and its core economic development model are not carried out smoothly, or if the newly set targets are not successfully achieved, the country ’ s economic sustainability will be adversely affected.
At the same time, it can undermine the credibility and governance of the government.
In particular, those political forces that have been opposed to the use of renewable energy to promote economic development and diversification may take the opportunity to launch opposition actions, further endangering the political stability and regional security of the country and the Middle East as a whole.
It is worth noting that these challenges are not only in Jordan, but also in Middle Eastern countries such as Morocco and Egypt.
Other countries such as the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Saudi Arabia and Qatar have also made great efforts to develop solar and wind power in recent years, but in addition to the above concerns and challenges, there are also concerns that the development of renewable energy will have some impact on the high dependence of these countries ’ economies on oil and gas markets, which may affect existing incomes and lead to economic and social instability.
Other factors include the huge demand for capital, the need for foreign technology and talents, the need for talent training, economic feasibility, etc. These are also issues of concern to the officials of these Middle Eastern countries.
These challenges are in fact a valuable development opportunity for Hong Kong.
The key is to make good use of our strengths, especially in the Belt and Road Initiative, to work with the Middle East countries to promote renewable energy and green economy development.
This not only helps these countries diversify their economies, but also creates development opportunities for Hong Kong businesses and governments, and indirectly promotes the development of other industries.
I suggest that Hong Kong can establish cooperation platforms and channels of communication with transnational organizations in the Middle East and North Africa, such as the Arab Parliamentary Union, the Gulf Cooperation Council, the Turkic Parliament and the Arab Maghreb Union.
Such a platform could be used to explore free trade agreements and to help Middle Eastern countries provide services such as finance, advisory, legal, education or training, and energy infrastructure.
This will not only help Hong Kong consolidate its leading position in the professional services sector and the financial sector, but will also directly or indirectly create many development opportunities, especially in Islamic finance.
Finally, Hong Kong can consider providing financial support to the Middle East countries by assisting in the issuance of Islamic financial bonds to promote the development of renewable energy, and can also take the opportunity to develop Islamic finance in Hong Kong as a new financial center outside the Islamic world.
Of course, Hong Kong should not only cooperate with major countries such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates or the above-mentioned multinational organizations and platforms, but also consider other regions with development potential and worthy of investment, such as Turkey, Azerbaijan, Morocco, etc.
This diverse collaboration will help Hong Kong expand its international presence and contribute to global sustainability in the renewable energy sector.
The author, Mr Kwong Cheuk-rui, is the Executive Director of the Hong Kong Group of Ideas, a Master of Arts from the Australian National University, and has worked at the Australian Institute of International Affairs.
The article is only the opinion of the author and does not represent the position of Hong Kong 01.
Please email us at 01view @ hk01.com.
Please attach the author ’ s real name and contact details.
If not applicable, without prior notice.