Abu Dhabi / WAM The eighth session of the General Assembly of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), kicked off in Abu Dhabi with more than 150 countries in attendance. Over two days, the participants will discuss global renewable energy action and take concrete steps to accelerate global energy transition. In his opening remarks, Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, ...

Abu Dhabi / WAM The cost of generating power from onshore wind has fallen by around a quarter since 2010, with solar PV, electricity costs falling by 73% in that time, according to new cost analysis from the IRENA. The report also highlights that solar PV costs are expected to halve by 2020. The best onshore wind and solar PV ...

Dubai / Emirates Business The varied initiatives launched by Dubai Land Department (DLD) share several common factors, including promoting a culture of creativity and innovation among all parties involved in the real estate sector. This objective is evident in the many innovative applications designed to serve DLD’s customers, ensure their comfort and prevent wasting their time, and showcase DLD’s commitment ...

DUBAI / WAM Digital consumption in the Middle East and North Africa region is growing at one of the fastest paces in the world, driven by a large population, fast-improving mobile connectivity and a flood of new streaming platforms in the market, according to an EY report commissioned by the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC). The report was published ahead ...

Abu Dhabi / Emirates Business The UAE Research Program for Rain Enhancement Science will hold an award ceremony on the sidelines of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW) to announce its Third Cycle awardees. The Program will also host its Second International Forum on Rain Enhancement Science that provides a platform for the exchange of ideas related to the development of ...

Dubai / Emirates Business The Federal Tax Authority (FTA), has clarified the import procedures for non-registered businesses, adopting the e-Dirham system for payments and e-Guarantee to provide guarantees, in order to ease processes for non-registered importers. Non-registered businesses wishing to import, are required to follow standard customs procedures and pay VAT in one of the following methods: By completing a ...

ABU DHABI / WAM The Zayed Volunteers Humanitarian Hospital opened in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, as part of a programme by the Zayed Giving Initiative to treat children and elderly Rohingya refugees. The United Arab Emirates is the first Arab country to set up a field hospital to serve Rohingya refugees under the supervision of a UAE-Bangladesh volunteer medical team. This ...

Bloomberg Next year, General Motors Co. will no longer need an engineer in the front seat babysitting the robot brain that controls its self-driving Chevrolet Bolt. The steering wheel and pedals will be gone, giving total control to the machine. When GM starts testing its autonomous electric sedan in San Francisco ride-sharing fleets, it’ll likely be the first production-ready car ...

Bloomberg Nvidia Corp., trying to spread its industry-leading graphics chip technology into new areas, said Uber Technologies Inc. and Volkswagen AG will use its artificial intelligence expertise to help bring self-driving cars to the roads. Uber, the largest ride-hailing company, will use Nvidia processors and software for its forthcoming fleet of self-driving vehicles, the chipmaker’s Chief Executive Officer Jen-Hsun Huang ...

Bloomberg Fitbit Inc. is considering developing a wearable device for children, according to people familiar with the matter, as the company struggles to revive demand for its fitness products by pushing into new hardware categories. The product was focussed around health, a sector Fitbit has been increasingly focussed on, according to one of the people. The line of gadgets for ...