Opinion Infrastructure The Gulf must act now to protect against future floods Storm crates can offer fast, effective relief and are cost-efficient April 25, 2024
Opinion Sustainability The Gulf is all-in on AI, but it’s thirsty work for a desert region AI data centres in themselves can use vast amounts of scarce water for cooling April 15, 2024
Opinion Agriculture Lessons from China: how the UAE can conserve its soils While the challenge of soil regeneration is formidable, it is not insurmountable April 12, 2024
Sustainability Acwa Power to build $800m desalination plant in Senegal Acwa Power, Saudi Arabia’s operator of power generation and desalinated water production plants, will construct a SAR3 billion ($800 million) desalination plant in Dakar, Senegal. The company signed an agreement with Senegal’s ministry of water and sanitation and state-backed National Water Company, to build a 400,000 cubic metres per day desalination plant in Dakar. The […] March 29, 2024
Agriculture Hydroponics allows family to become first Saudi tomato exporter A family company has become the first exporter of tomatoes from Saudi Arabia, thanks to drip irrigation, which has made sending fruit and vegetables from the Gulf to lucrative European markets economically viable. Dava, a private company set up by the Batal family in 2017, began exporting various types of tomato and “snack peppers” – […] March 26, 2024
Opinion Agriculture The memory of water: Saudi Arabia’s troubled history Growing crops and preserving water is a balancing act for Saudi Arabia March 20, 2024
Sustainability Saudi company faces blowback over water use in Arizona The US state of Arizona has cancelled land lease deals with a subsidiary of the Saudi dairy company Almarai after complaints of groundwater being depleted in the arid region. The cancellation highlights tensions over corporations controlling foreign land for food security. In 2014 Almarai’s Fondomonte bought and leased thousands of acres in Arizona and California, […] March 12, 2024
Opinion Sustainability Desalination is the answer – but it must be green The path forward in addressing water scarcity and pollution demands pragmatic solutions March 8, 2024
Energy Abu Dhabi plans decade of solar power launches Abu Dhabi is to launch a new solar power project each year for a decade, starting in 2027, Bruce Smith, strategy and planning executive director at the Emirates Water and Electricity Company (EWEC), told AGBI. EWEC is also exploring the issuance of a green bond to finance this series of projects, he said. The company […] February 23, 2024
Renewable Energy Acwa Power plans a bold investment future in Africa Saudi Arabia-listed Acwa Power is targeting future investments in Africa as part of the clean energy company’s plan to triple in size by 2030. “Africa needs that energy transition. But there aren’t enough developers going there and asking questions,” said Raad Al-Saady, vice chairman and managing director of Acwa Power, during a panel discussion at […] December 6, 2023
Agriculture UAE companies to develop irrigation project in Morocco Dubai-based Metito Utilities and Tahliya Group, a UAE-based infrastructure company in Africa, have signed an agreement to develop an irrigation project using desalinated water in Morocco. The desalination projects will be powered by renewable energy, the companies said in a statement released during the Cop28 climate summit taking place in Dubai. No financial details on […] December 6, 2023
Sustainability UAE pledges $150m for Mena water security A $150 million commitment from the UAE at Cop28 to fund water security solutions in vulnerable countries is a step in the right direction but more must be done to address the issue, say experts. Speaking at a panel discussion at the climate change conference in Dubai, Ramadan Assi, executive adviser for strategic partnerships at […] December 5, 2023
EXCLUSIVE Sustainability Opec Fund piles up financing for wheat, wind and water The Opec Fund for International Development is on track to meet its pledges to increase grants and loans to climate-related projects, its Middle East and North Africa head has told AGBI. Musab Alomar, the fund’s director of public sector operations for Mena, said climate financing made up 33 percent of all Opec Fund approvals in […] November 30, 2023
Opinion Sustainability UAE focus on water is a timely statement of intent A paper on water scarcity is a significant effort to move the agenda forward November 29, 2023
Sustainability AI to help drive Middle East water reuse The International Water Management Institute is developing an AI platform to improve wastewater reuse in the Middle East and North Africa region, backed by a $1 million grant from Google. Water scarcity is a concern in the region. Almost three-quarters (73 percent) of the 1,000 UAE respondents to a recent survey listed access to clean […] November 27, 2023
Opinion Agriculture Careful what you wish for… AI and the future of agriculture AI may transform farming – and destroy livelihoods. We must manage the transition for rural societies November 8, 2023
Sustainability Droughts could cost Tunisia $1bn annually Water shortages in Tunisia could cost the North African country up to $1.3 billion annually by 2030, according to a report from the World Bank. For the sixth year in a row, below-average rainfall impacted the country’s agricultural production. The sector’s value fell 9 percent in real terms in the first half of this year […] November 7, 2023
Opinion Sustainability Lessons for Cop28 from Tunisia’s water crisis The Arab region is home to the majority of economies that will face absolute water scarcity by 2040 October 17, 2023
Opinion Renewable Energy The Gulf is on track to lead global climate tech We need to focus on mitigating the risks and adapting October 3, 2023
Water Alpha Dhabi takes over water specialist Metito Investment company Alpha Dhabi announced on Monday the acquisition of a majority stake in Metito Holdings, a company involved in the water and wastewater industry worldwide. Pending regulatory approvals, the deal marks Abu Dhabi-based Alpha Dhabi’s entry into the water and wastewater sector, with its CEO saying the need for sustainable water solutions “has never […] September 25, 2023
Opinion Sustainability Saudi Arabia’s new water organisation must define its terms There are decisive limits for the kingdom that need to be recognised September 13, 2023
Infrastructure Saudi water agency seeking global partnerships A Saudi government body set up this week to address global water challenges hopes to collaborate with other organisations across the world to meet its goals, the kingdom’s environment minister said on Friday. “The vision for this initiative is not just about creating a research and policy platform,” said Abdul Rahman Al Fadhli, Saudi Arabia’s […] September 8, 2023