AGP Executive Report

Electric Mobility: The UAE ranks first in the GCC and 22nd globally for electric mobility readiness, scoring 53 in Arthur D. Little’s GEMRIX 2026, with EVs at about 9% of new sales in 2025 and charging points nearing 2,800. Climate & Energy: IRENA says renewable growth must accelerate to meet 2030 goals, with global renewables hitting 5.15 TW by end-2025 but needing average additions of 1,200 GW from 2026-2030. Ocean Economy: A First Abu Dhabi Bank report values the ocean economy at $2.6tn and calls for more “bankable” blue-finance projects to protect marine life. Green Governance: Environment Agency–Abu Dhabi moves to verify greenhouse gas emissions across the emirate, strengthening climate accountability. Sustainability Leadership: Newcastle University appoints Anant Ambani as Professor of Practice in Sustainability, sparking debate over qualifications. UAE Cyber & AI Resilience: The UAE shares cyber and responsible AI governance experience at UNGA81, while a Dataiku survey finds 81% of CIOs lack full oversight of AI agents built outside approved systems. Local Action: Sharjah’s Meliha Dairy Farm highlights circular economy practices, including composting organic waste, during a New Zealand ambassador visit.

Clean Energy Update: Masdar says clean power generation rose 38% in 2025, reaching 40.2 TWh and avoiding 19.5 million tonnes of CO₂e as its portfolio expanded toward 100 GW by 2030. Water Security: The UAE warns a $141bn-a-year water financing gap could derail AI, the energy transition, food security and fast-growing cities, with data centres especially dependent on reliable cooling water. UAE Startup Ecosystem: MBRIF and the Dubai Future District Fund will link innovators to fund managers via two-way referrals, aiming to unlock institutional capital for high-growth UAE startups. Road Safety: UAE motorcycle crashes climbed sharply, hitting 1,224 in 2025, with speeding and unsafe overtaking flagged as key causes. Air Quality Watch: Dubai was reported among the world’s more polluted cities in a separate AQI update, underscoring ongoing regional air-quality pressure. Regional Climate & Nature: Conservationists in the UK are criticising Newcastle University’s appointment of Anant Ambani as a sustainability professor over his controversial mega-zoo, raising fresh questions about biodiversity and animal welfare. UAE Trade & Logistics: Dubai Customs extended suspended customs duties by an extra 60 days for eligible re-export, temporary entry and transit imports to ease burdens and keep supply chains moving.

Wildfire tech from the UAE: Space 42’s Mira Aerospace launched a solar-powered wildfire-monitoring mission in Spain, sending live high-resolution images from a high-altitude platform over the Canary Islands to help detect and track fires. Nuclear security: The UAE ranked 4th globally for protecting nuclear facilities against sabotage, with strong gains in security and control measures. Climate push at UNGA: UN chief António Guterres urged countries to break fossil-fuel dependency and scale renewables ahead of COP31, warning that doubling down on oil and gas locks in long-term vulnerability. Renewables gap: A new report says global renewable additions must more than double to hit 11.2 TW by 2030, with the UAE Consensus calling for tripling renewables from 2022 levels. Water crisis spotlight: EDF, IUCN and IWMI launched a call for action on groundwater resilience as aquifers decline threatens food and ecosystems. UAE fintech/SMEs: Pemo received in-principle approval from the UAE Central Bank to expand regulated services for small and medium businesses. Digital resilience investment: Microsoft plans over $10bn in cloud and AI infrastructure across the UAE and region by 2030, including connectivity upgrades.

Ocean Finance & Blue Economy: First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB) and the World Economic Forum roundtable outcomes were published in “The Ocean Economy: Becoming the World’s Fifth-Largest Economy,” calling for stronger financing structures and about $175bn a year to protect life below water under SDG 14. Nature Tech & Land Restoration: Nabat, building the “Operating System for Nature,” was named an UpLink Venture winner for the World Economic Forum’s Scaling Land Restoration Challenge, aiming to commercialize restoration with measurable recovery outcomes. Sustainable Beekeeping & Food Security: Global Food Week 2026 in Abu Dhabi will host the Abu Dhabi Honey Symposium on sustainable beekeeping in arid environments, linking climate adaptation with regional knowledge-sharing. UAE Energy Event: ADIPEC 2026 returns to Abu Dhabi (Nov 2–5) under President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed’s patronage, focusing on resilient, intelligent energy systems amid rising demand and AI-driven growth. Water Investment Gap: Namibia urged urgent action to close Africa’s water investment gap, saying the continent needs an extra $30bn annually to meet water and sanitation needs by 2030. UAE Aviation & Mobility: Ras Al Khaimah signed off on a regulatory sandbox to test flying cars with Aridge under the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority. Urban Waterfront Planning: X Architects unveiled “Zayed Waterfront,” a 2.3m sq m masterplan for Mina Zayed to reshape Abu Dhabi’s historic port into a cruise, business and resort waterfront gateway. Health & Environment Tech: ToolKitX promoted cloud HSE software that centralizes incident management, audits, risk assessments and corrective actions for field and office teams.

Fossil Fuel Pushback: UN chief António Guterres urged every government to adopt national plans to phase out fossil fuels with clear timelines and support for workers and communities, warning climate shocks and energy insecurity are rising. UAE Labour Justice: Abu Dhabi’s Labour Court and MOHRE recovered Dh7.8m for 948 workers across three collective cases in under three months, with full and partial payments agreed. Climate Governance in Sharjah: Sharjah Police earned ISO 26000 for social responsibility, tying community protection, labour practices and environmental protection into policing. UAE Digital Economy: The UAE topped the Arab Digital Economy Index 2026 as Seamless Middle East opened in Dubai, highlighting fintech, identity and logistics. Cooling & Heat Resilience: Gree’s Dong Mingzhu received the inaugural “Cool Leaders” individual award from UNEP’s Cool Coalition, with the UAE also recognised as a country leader. Maritime Risk & Compliance: UAE-linked reporting highlights rising war-risk premiums and the need for better routing, insurance and documentation practices as conflicts disrupt shipping. Water Finance Push: Global leaders backed plans to launch a Global Blended De-Risking Facility ahead of the 2026 UN Water Conference to turn water priorities into bankable projects.

Climate & Heat Resilience: Gree’s chair Dong Mingzhu received the inaugural “Cool Leaders” award from UNEP’s Cool Coalition, spotlighting sustainable cooling and extreme-heat resilience. Nuclear & Energy Security: UAE’s Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation delegation joined “Roadmaps to New Nuclear 2026” in Paris, stressing regulatory readiness, supply chains, skilled workforce and secure fuel access for advanced nuclear. Water Innovation: Khalifa University registered 1,398 students from 56 countries for the Khalifa University–UNESCO Global Water Hackathon 2026, feeding solutions ahead of the 2026 UN Water Conference in Abu Dhabi. Clean Mobility in Masdar City: Beam Middle East and Masdar City Free Zone will explore off-grid EV charging, solar e-bikes and smart-energy tech to cut emissions and boost energy resilience. Marine Pollution: Emirates Shipping Line will stop accepting plastic waste cargoes from Oct 1, citing protection of marine ecosystems and biodiversity. Renewables Pace: IRENA reports renewables hit 5.15 TW in 2025, but 2030 goals require faster acceleration and stronger energy-efficiency progress. UAE Tech for Sustainability: Dior opened a 7,200 sq m regional distribution centre at Dubai South with LEED Gold and lower-impact logistics, including reduced single-use plastic and more sea freight. Cyber & Sovereignty: UAE-linked climate monitoring and AI governance calls grew as UAE partners expand locally hosted security and AI capabilities.

Climate & Energy Policy: Abu Dhabi’s Environment Agency set up a framework to verify greenhouse-gas emissions across the emirate, while the UAE also strengthened climate cooperation with the Global Green Growth Institute through 2029. Waste & Circular Economy: Emirates Biotech and UAE University launched the UAE’s first integrated organic-waste valorization pilot plant in Al Ain, turning mixed food waste (including compostable packaging) into biogas and compost. Water & Food Security: The UAE is pushing water-focused action ahead of the 2026 UN Water Conference, with events and partnerships aimed at tackling the $6.7tn investment gap for water. Biodiversity Watch: Rare Arabian Tahr was spotted in Oman’s Dhofar, a reminder of how fragile endemic wildlife habitats remain across the region. Mobility & Air Quality: A regulator move to cap EV charging costs (reported from Kenya) highlights the wider push to make e-mobility cheaper during fuel-price pressure. AI & Environment: A new UAE push calls for international safeguards on frontier AI, as leaders warn fast-moving systems could outpace risk controls. Tourism & Nature Pressure: Maldives plans for a $20bn UAE-backed waterfront and marina project underscore the need for careful coastal planning as sea-level risks grow.

Humanitarian Aid: The UAE delivered $10m of critical relief to earthquake-hit Colombia, sending food, hygiene kits and cleaning supplies to communities still recovering after the 7.4 quake. Tourism & Nature: Sri Lanka’s Tourism Promotion Bureau unveiled an ATM growth push to reach 3 million international visitors in 12 months, with UAE and GCC air links and a year-round mix including wildlife and wellness. Climate Governance: Environment Agency–Abu Dhabi (EAD) extended its green growth and Source-to-Sea climate cooperation with the Global Green Growth Institute through 2029, backing carbon management, adaptation and circular economy work. Sustainable Living in Dubai: H&H and Global Partners launched “Eden House The Park” on the Dubai Water Canal, a nature-led, car-free residential community built around a park-led masterplan. Clean Mobility & Safety: Honda became the first firm to earn a five-star rating on the FIA Road Safety Index, highlighting safer mobility efforts. Green Tech & Water: Abu Dhabi’s Stopover programme topped 310,000 visitors and expanded to Al Ain, adding more low-friction travel stays. Aquaculture Innovation: Land-based aquaculture startup ARK raised about $8.5m, planning pilot projects in the UAE to scale modular closed systems.

Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi & GGGI: EAD signed an amendment with the Global Green Growth Institute to extend green growth cooperation to 2029, focusing on carbon management, climate adaptation, sustainable finance and circular economy support for Abu Dhabi’s climate goals. Food waste to energy: Emirates Biotech and UAE University launched a pilot plant in Al Ain to turn food waste and compostable packaging into biogas and compost, aiming to divert waste from landfills and assess environmental and economic benefits. Water security push: The UAE and Senegal will co-host the 2026 UN Water Conference in Abu Dhabi (Dec 8–10), targeting a $6.7tn water infrastructure financing gap and universal access to safe water and sanitation. Circular economy in the region: UAE-linked research and tech coverage highlights smart, arid-environment greenhouse systems spreading to Arab markets, including UAE trials for water-efficient crop growth. Sustainability in action: Dubai’s DEWA sustainability awareness activities at schools and other GCC circularity efforts underline growing momentum for practical climate and waste solutions.

UAE Smart Conservation: Dubai’s Dub Dev Technology unveiled the “Mghzlan Smart Feeder,” an AI-powered wildlife feeding system that processes 15 million images a year, identifies species and counts with 80–97% confidence, and automatically adjusts feed using solar-powered cameras and remote monitoring. Tourism & Sustainability: The UAE Tourism Council said tourism added Dh251.3bn to the economy in 2025, and it’s pushing a National Ecotourism Policy aimed at balancing returns with ecosystem protection. Nature-Led Growth in RAK: Ras Al Khaimah is betting on nature-led tourism and short breaks, expanding infrastructure and partnering with Emirates to boost connectivity and visitor numbers. Regional Climate Stress: Iraq’s Green Iraqi Observatory warns climate change and desertification could bring up to 300 sand and dust storm days annually in the next decade, with impacts already spreading to the UAE and neighbours. Security Disruptions: US embassies across the Middle East, including the UAE, issued alerts after Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, warning of possible flight cancellations and airspace closures.

Sustainable Housing in Zanzibar: Sheikh Hamdan announced the second Rashid Villages project in Zanzibar, expanding the humanitarian model with integrated, sustainable homes plus education, healthcare and job opportunities, backed by environmentally sustainable infrastructure and renewable energy. Clean Mobility & Energy: Beam Global and Masdar City Free Zone signed an MoU to bring smart-energy and clean-mobility solutions into Masdar City, including off-grid EV charging and solar-integrated systems. Circular Economy Push: A GCC-wide waste-to-wealth push is accelerating, with recycling and waste-to-energy projects aimed at cutting landfill dependence and turning waste into materials and energy. Cybersecurity for a Safer Digital UAE: Ajman Digital Department, Ajman Municipality and Planning Department and CPX signed a tripartite MoU to strengthen cybersecurity readiness, prevention and response, plus awareness programmes. Future of Roads: Dubai Police adopted a 2040 traffic vision putting AI and road safety at the centre of upcoming projects aligned with the Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan. UAE Tourism Rebound: Dubai reported 869,000 international overnight visitors in August and 6.97 million Jan–Aug, with hotel occupancy rising as travel confidence returns. Advanced Air Mobility Sandbox: ARIDGE and Ras Al Khaimah agreed to set up an advanced air mobility regulatory sandbox and plan an inter-emirate flying-car demonstration route between Abu Dhabi and Ras Al Khaimah.

UAE Health Tech: Abu Dhabi’s Department of Health is rolling out an AI-powered Patient Safety System that shifts hospitals from reacting to incidents to predicting and preventing risks, connecting all hospitals plus long-term care, dialysis and fertility centres. Cyber Skills Pipeline: The UAE Cyber Security Council and the Higher Education Ministry launched CYBRANI, a practical training initiative linking universities with real industry cybersecurity challenges. Aviation Training: flydubai partnered with Egnatia Aviation and Skyborne Airline Academy to expand its Ab Initio Pilot Training Programme, building a sustainable pipeline for its growing fleet. Sustainable Energy & Water Expo: WETEX 2026 returns as a major energy, water and sustainability platform in Dubai from Oct 20–22, spotlighting decarbonisation, green mobility, hydrogen and smart-city tech. Food Security & Local Growth: Registration opened for Global Food Week 2026 and the Global Food Security Summit in Abu Dhabi (Oct 6–8), with a new “Shop at the Show” consumer platform and a focus on resilient food systems. Tourism Push: Sharjah wrapped up its Arabian Travel Market 2026 push with a “Visit Sharjah” pavilion, new visitor guides and partnerships aimed at sustainable destination growth. Environment & Nature Tourism: Ras Al Khaimah is upgrading Jebel Jais with plans for an 80km multi-day loop, a multi-section via ferrata and a rehabilitated “Hidden Oasis” trail.

Hydrogen Deal Update: OMV says it will press ahead with its Austrian green hydrogen project alone after Masdar withdrew, with the 140MW electrolysis plant still aiming for 2027 output of up to 23,000 tonnes. UAE Climate & Food Security: Abu Dhabi opened Global Food Week 2026 visitor registration (Oct 6–8) alongside the Global Food Security Summit, with a new “Shop at the Show” feature. Heat Relief for Workers: SmartLife Foundation’s Cool Bus Shelter initiative helped more than 500 blue-collar workers during peak summer heat in Dubai, timed to the midday break. Urban Wellbeing: Abu Dhabi launched Phase 2 of its Liveability Strategy, shifting from building amenities to measuring operational quality and social impact. Sustainable Mobility Tech: Ras Al Khaimah signed an advanced air mobility cooperation deal with Aridge to develop more efficient and “sustainable” transport solutions. Aviation AI Governance: UAE aviation officials highlighted AI’s role in regulation, airspace management and passenger services during a China air transport conference. Energy Security Pressure: Reports say Europe’s crude supply outlook is worsening as conflicts disrupt routes tied to the Red Sea and Hormuz. Cyber & Critical Infrastructure: Australia warned data centres are becoming war targets, citing damage to UAE and Bahrain sites from regional strikes. Tourism Push: ATM 2026 spotlighted short-haul escapes and year-round destinations, reinforcing Dubai’s tourism rebound momentum.

UAE Water Diplomacy: The UAE told the UN Human Rights Council it’s pushing international cooperation on clean water and sanitation ahead of the 2026 UN Water Conference in Abu Dhabi, aiming to accelerate SDG 6 with investment, tech and youth/private-sector participation. Water & Energy Week Agenda: Abu Dhabi set out plans for its Water and Energy Week, with summits on legislation, financing and technology to boost water-sector resilience and practical solutions. AI Sovereign Cloud Security: Core42 and Abu Dhabi’s Technology Innovation Institute will co-develop security tech for sovereign cloud and AI, focusing on encrypted AI inferencing, key management and trusted computing. Sustainable Labs: Rasid (ADQCC) earned My Green Lab Gold Certification for wastewater monitoring and environmental surveillance, highlighting lower energy/water use and reduced lab emissions. Organic Waste to Value: UAEU and Emirates Biotech launched an organic-waste valorization pilot plant to turn waste into compost/biogas pathways. Education for Coding & AI: iCodejr launched Bloqi, a bilingual UAE school platform teaching coding, AI and robotics for ages 4–18. Desert Heat & Nature: A viral report highlights an Emirati rescue of an injured gazelle in 48°C heat, then returning it to where it was found. Regional Energy Stress: Reuters reports South Asia’s heavy reliance on Gulf supplies is worsening as the Iran war chokes routes, raising pressure on oil and LNG access.

Nuclear Safety & Climate Monitoring: The UAE’s Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation (FANR) won the IAEA Innovation Award for its AI-driven Intelligent Operational Nuclear Safety system, which tracks sea levels, temperatures, air quality, vegetation health and seismic activity around Barakah to strengthen resilience to climate-related risks. Water & Wastewater Infrastructure: Metito Utilities secured the operation and maintenance contract for Dubai South’s sewage treatment plant, boosting reliability for a 10,000 m³/day facility using membrane bioreactor technology. Cybersecurity & AI: The UAE Cyber Security Council and Open Innovation AI launched a specialised AI model to support tasks like vulnerability analysis, secure code review, incident investigation and cyber-defence reasoning. Energy & Water Policy: Abu Dhabi’s Department of Energy announced the inaugural Abu Dhabi Water & Power Week (Special Water Edition) for 8–10 December 2026, focused on water resilience, financing and technology. Tourism Sustainability: Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre introduced nominal sightseeing fees (free for prayers), aiming to manage visitor growth while keeping worship access open. Cooling & Heat Resilience: The Global Cooling Pledge unveiled new measures in Singapore, including a Nature for Cooling challenge and a Cool Leaders award to accelerate heat resilience.

Waste & Recycling Push: Cartoon Network MENA and Dubai Media City launched “Climate Champions” with character-themed recycling bins to make sorting easier and boost e-waste and non-traditional recycling across the media district. Water Security Agenda: Abu Dhabi announced its inaugural Water & Power Week (Dec 8–10) to tackle water resilience, financing and efficiency tech, alongside a UN Water Conference 2026. Food Waste to Energy: Emirates Biotech and UAEU are running a UAE first pilot plant to turn mixed food waste and compostable packaging into biogas and compost, targeting landfill diversion. Healthier Tourism Menus: Abu Dhabi’s Department of Culture and Tourism teamed up with Healthy Living to push evidence-informed healthier options across hotels and restaurants. UAE Retail Green Finance: The UAE’s retail T-Sukuk returns with a Dh1,000 minimum, letting individuals access government debt via a Shariah-compliant five-year issuance. Cyber + Sustainability Angle: Paramount unveiled SoCMate, an AI security investigation assistant for faster threat response—aimed at reducing time spent on investigations.