Sustainability Altérra-backed climate fund raises $2.4bn By Pramod Kumar September 24, 2024, 5:44 AM Wam The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park in Dubai. Altérra aims to catalyse the investment of $250 billion of private capital by 2030 A climate-focused fund backed by Altérra – a $30 billion UAE-based climate investment company – has raised $2.4 billion, nearly half of its target, to support clean energy projects across emerging markets. Launched at Cop28 in Dubai last year, the catalytic transition fund includes a foundational $1 billion commitment from Altérra. NYSE-listed Brookfield Asset Management has pledged 10 percent of the fund’s target. New partners in the initiative include Canada’s Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, Singapore’s GIC, Temasek and Prudential, among others. Saudi capex expected to shift focus to renewables UAE climate fund aims to mobilise $250bn by 2030 Climate funding for health needs to scale up tenfold Initial investments from the fund are expected to begin later this year, with a traditional first close anticipated by early 2025. The fund is focused on deploying capital into clean energy and transition assets across emerging markets, including the Middle East, South and Central America, South and Southeast Asia and Eastern Europe. In February, Altérra’s CEO Majid Al Suwaidi said the fund aims to catalyse the investment of $250 billion of private capital by 2030. Nations face an annual $4.4 trillion investment gap by 2030 in meeting energy transition goals set by the UN, according to a report last year.
Mining Ma’aden signs $1bn contracts to develop industrial cities Saudi mineral giant Ma’aden has signed three contracts worth a combined $922 million with foreign companies to develop a third phosphate fertiliser project. The majority state-owned Saudi mining company announced the agreements in a note to the Saudi bourse on Thursday, coinciding with the final day of the Future Minerals Forum in Riyadh. Ma’aden is […] 11 hours ago
Tax $660m a year ‘sin tax’ target set by Kuwait Kuwait hopes to raise 200 million dinars ($660 million) a year through a “sin tax” on unhealthy products as part of tax reforms proposed by the International Monetary Fund, the country’s finance minister said on Wednesday. Noora Al-Fassam told the official Kuwaiti news agency that her ministry was working on a new law for a […] 11 hours ago
Transport Tenders issued for high speed Abu Dhabi-Dubai rail link Tenders have been issued for the design and construction of central components in a high-speed rail link between Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Etihad Rail, the national rail company of the UAE, has sent out tenders for designing and constructing civil works and station packages for the line connecting the two cities as part of the […] 12 hours ago
EXCLUSIVE Aviation Wizz Air increases flights from UAE to Israel after ceasefire The budget carrier Wizz Air is increasing the number of flights between Abu Dhabi and Tel Aviv after the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas. The airline had previously scaled back its Tel Aviv-Abu Dhabi service to four flights a week because of the conflict, down from its pre-crisis schedule of two flights a day. […] 13 hours ago