Kate Dourian

1 week ago | economymiddleeast.com | Kate Dourian

Gulf Arab states, led by the UAE and Saudi Arabia, have witnessed a modest rise in electric vehicle (EV) adoption as they develop infrastructure to support a move away from internal combustion engines. Urbanization and economic growth have led to a rise in emissions from the transportation sector, making decarbonization an imperative in the drive to net zero carbon emissions.

1 month ago | economymiddleeast.com | Kate Dourian

Last month, a nationwide power outage in Sri Lanka caused by a monkey tripping an electricity transformer drew attention to the urgent need for resilient power grids as the global economy becomes more electrified and digitalized. Medical facilities and water purification plants in Sri Lanka had to rely on backup generators to maintain critical operations while traffic was gridlocked because traffic lights went dark.

2 months ago | economymiddleeast.com | Kate Dourian

The UAE has launched what it says is the world’s first and largest 24-hour power project, combining solar photovoltaic with battery storage to deliver 1 gigawatt of baseload electricity. The announcement was made by Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and chairman of clean energy giant Masdar on January 14 at Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week. He did not provide a cost estimate but independent calculations put the price tag at $6 billion.

Jan 14, 2025 | economymiddleeast.com | Kate Dourian

Geopolitical risk, uncertainty over the extent of oil demand growth, particularly in China, and a possible change in U.S. energy policy under incoming President Donald Trump’s administration are the main factors that the OPEC+ will have to contend with in 2025.

Dec 15, 2024 | economymiddleeast.com | Kate Dourian

The UAE was one of the first countries to submit an updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Paris Climate Agreement, setting a far higher carbon emissions reduction target than previously. This sends a strong signal that the oil-producing nation is serious about advancing the energy transition to attain its net zero target by mid-century.