I was impressed by Dubai’s housing which is an embodiment of the possibility of using available resources to adapt to climate change. Most houses are fitted with AC systems and at the Expo 2020, sheds are installed outside the houses to make it possible for COP28 participants to operate from outside during day time hours.
The United Arab Emirates (read Dubai) has mastered the art of planting drought resistant plants as part of their efforts to green the environment. The plants are watered on a daily basis using drip irrigation.
Dubai city was established on a desert but that has barred them from moving forward economically and socially.
The government is also reported to engage in desalination in order to have water for commercial and domestic use.
Dubai depends of sustainable forms of energy such as solar and wind. However, the city is also served by three solar reactors which supply energy to the national grid.
The shams 1 solar project located in Abu Dhabi and concentrated solar power project in Dubai are some of the well known projects which light and power the city. There is also the Mohamed bin Rashid Al Maktoum solar in Dubai as well.
Hydrogen gas is also mined in Masdar City in UAE. This is another possibility which can power the nation.
Oil & Gas in UAE
United Arab Emirates (UAE) produces 3.2 million barrels of oil every single day. The country has a goal of increasing the production to 5 million barrels of oil every day by 2030.
UAE has the 7th largest proven reserves of natural gas globally with 215 trillion cubic feet of the said gas.
REAL ESTATE
Dubai is experiencing a real estate boom. Emaar which is the most visible real estate company in Dubai has a net asset value of USD$37.6 billion. That is a whooping a lot of money to say the least. The company’s buildings which are labelled “Emaar” can be seen cropping all over the city.
Emaar was founded by Mohamed Alabbar and it has real estate properties in India, Egypt, Pakistan, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, USA, Lebanon and Turkey.
Other large real estate companies in Dubai are as listed below:
- Danube properties
- Damac Properties
- Ellington Properties
- Nakheel
- Azizi Developments
- Meraas
- Sobha Group
- Nshama
- Al Futtaim Group
Emaar Properties is responsible for some of the most iconic properties in Dubai such as the Dubai Mall and Burja Khalifa among others. Dubai Mall is one of the top 10 largest malls in the world. The mall has some 12 million square feet of space. There are 1,200 shops resident in the mall which includes an ice link, the largest candy shop in the world, a 5 star luxury hotel, 120 restaurants and cafes, and Dubai Mall is home to one of the largest aquariums in the world.
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