Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed

UAE Might Just Give COP28 the Breakthrough It Needs

The criticism of Sultan al Jaber’s appointment as COP28 president might be well-meaning but the rush to judgement reflects an incomplete understanding of both the host country and the individual.

The 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference of Parties or COP28 will be hosted by UAE towards the end of 2023.

The announcement from Abu Dhabi that Dr. Sultan al Jaber, CEO of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) has been designated president of COP28 has drawn a barrage of criticism from well-intentioned climate change activists. Reports have made headlines in international media and even in The Wire.

Some of it is predictable and it expresses concern on two key aspects – that there is a conflict of interest because he is the head of a national oil company and that as a CEO, he will be pushing a corporate, fossil fuels driven agenda.

The criticism might be well-meaning but the rush to judgement reflects an incomplete understanding of both the host country and the individual who has been chosen to head COP28.

Despite being the world’s eighth largest producer of oil, UAE has shown an early and unusually ambitious commitment to reducing its reliance on fossil fuels. The direction was laid down by the country’s President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed when he challenged organisations like ADNOC to get prepared for an era where the country would have sold its last barrel of oil.

Also read: ‘Deeply Problematic to Say the Least’: CEO of UAE-Owned Oil Company to Be COP28 President

The Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation was set up and in 2009, it awarded a US $ 25 billion contract to South Korea for building a massive nuclear power plant with four units of 1345 megawatts each. Three of the four units are already operational, making UAE the only country in the entire Middle East and North Africa region to be producing clean nuclear energy.

The same thought process was reflected in setting up Masdar or the Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company, in 2006 with the ambition of becoming a global leader in renewable energy and sustainable urban development. Masdar City, built just outside Abu Dhabi, had the stated intent of becoming the first net zero urban settlement a decade before the term ‘net zero’ had entered our lexicon.

An image of Masdar city from the official website. Photo: https://masdarcity.ae/en/discover/about-us

Sultan al Jaber was CEO of Masdar from 2006 to 2016 and continues to be its Chairman.

Under his stewardship, Masdar has become one of the largest global players in the renewable energy space. It has already invested in 20 gigawatt in solar and wind energy projects across 40 countries and has set itself the target of 100 GW by 2030. It is also investing in cutting edge technology to build solar-powered water desalination and waste to energy plants.

Since 2008, Masdar has also hosted the annual Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW), an event that attracts heads of state and government, policy makers, global business leaders and a host of technology pioneers and NGOs from 150 countries. It is one of the largest platforms of its kind for sharing technology and best practices, showcasing innovation and developing strategies for a net zero future.

ADSW also creates outreach programs like the Women in Sustainability, Environment and Renewable Energy (WiSER) platform with the objective of inspiring women to take up the challenge of sustainable development. Women-led NGOs from both developed and developing countries participate actively in these deliberations. And there is a parallel programme to encourage youth engagement.

More recently, ADNOC along with sovereign fund Mubadala and power generation company Taqa have taken a stake in Masdar and outlined their aim to become one of the top five players globally in the green hydrogen spectrum as a fuel for the future. The newly established green hydrogen unit of Masdar plans to produce one million tonnes of green hydrogen and derivatives by 2030, catering both to domestic demand and the export market.

Also read: COP27: Basic Countries Call Out Rich Nations for ‘Backtracking on Finance, Mitigation Commitments’

As CEO of Masdar, al Jaber also played a vital role in executing the vision of the country’s leadership to encourage the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) to set up its headquarters in Masdar City, Abu Dhabi. IRENA now has 167 countries plus the EU as its members and plays a lead role in guiding and supporting green energy transitions. It also provides member states with updated analyses on areas like innovation, technology, policy, finance and investment. Incidentally, India has assumed the Presidency of the 13th Assembly of IRENA when it met in Abu Dhabi on January 14, 2023.

These facts speak for themselves.

UAE hardly fits the stereotype of an oil-rich nation that is happy to live off the bounty provided by its fossil fuels. Over the last 15 years, it has embarked on a restless drive to become a catalyst in the search for technologies that enable more sustainable development pathways. The Barakah nuclear plant, the pioneering role of Masdar and the support to organisations like IRENA and platforms like ADSW are just a few of the examples.

And Sultan al Jaber isn’t just the CEO of ADNOC. He is also UAE’s Minister for Industry and Advanced Technology and was the country’s Special Envoy for Climate Change from 2010 to 2016 and again from 2020 onwards.

Over eight years in that role and representing UAE at previous CoPs has given him a thorough insight into the complex challenges of sustainable development. I have seen him at close quarters during my term as India’s ambassador to UAE and observed both his can-do, problem solving approach and his incredible stamina for putting in the long hours that his latest role will require. He clearly has the support and confidence of Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed with Sultan al Jaber in 2019. Photo: Twitter/@MasdarInst

I have also seen the access that he enjoys with government and business leaders and others by virtue of the multiples hats that he continues to wear. In his address at the Atlantic Council’s Global Energy Forum in Abu Dhabi on January 14 soon after being designated President of COP28, al Jaber was candid in acknowledging the need to go much further and faster, calling for a trebling of renewable energy output from 8 to 23 terawatt hours and promising to work on the challenges of mitigation, adaptation and loss and damage suffered by the most vulnerable countries. Let us give him the chance to do that.

There is a broad consensus that while the last few COPs have made incremental progress, they have failed to produce the kind of breakthrough needed to address the challenges. The urgency of the climate crisis needs a different approach and UAE just might be the country that helps bridge the gap between the global North and South to produce a breakthrough.

Navdeep Suri is a Distinguished Fellow at ORF and was India’s ambassador to UAE.

Israel to ‘Suspend’ West Bank Annexation After Historic Deal with UAE, Announces Trump

The agreement was sealed in a phone call on Thursday between Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Abu Dhabi’s Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed.

Washington: Israel and the United Arab Emirates reached a historic deal on Thursday that will lead to a full normalisation of diplomatic relations between the two Middle Eastern nations in an agreement that US President Donald Trump helped broker.

Under the agreement, Israel has agreed to suspend applying sovereignty to areas of the West Bank that it has been discussing annexing, senior White House officials told Reuters.

The deal was the product of lengthy discussions between Israel, the UAE and the United States that accelerated recently, White House officials said.

The agreement was sealed in a phone call on Thursday between Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Abu Dhabi’s Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed.

“HUGE breakthrough today! Historic Peace Agreement between our two GREAT friends, Israel and the United Arab Emirates,” Trump wrote on Twitter.

Joint Statement of the United States, the State of Israel, and the United Arab Emirates pic.twitter.com/oVyjLxf0jd

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 13, 2020

In the White House Oval Office, Trump said discussions between the two leaders had sometimes been tense. He said similar deals are being discussed with other countries in the region. A signing ceremony including delegations from Israel and the United Arab Emirates will be held at the White House in the coming weeks, Trump added.

“Everybody said this would be impossible,” Trump said. “After 49 years, Israel and the United Arab Emirates will fully normalize their diplomatic relations. They exchange embassies and ambassadors and begin cooperation across the border.”

The U.S. officials described the agreement, to be known as the Abraham Accords, as the first of its kind since Israel and Jordan signed a peace treaty in 1994. It also gives Trump a foreign policy success as he seeks re-election on Nov. 3.

Netanyahu, in his first comment on the deal, said on Twitter it is “a historic day for the state of Israel.”

Abu Dhabi’s crown prince said on Twitter that an agreement had been reached and that it would halt further Israeli annexation of Palestinian territories.

“During a call with President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu, an agreement was reached to stop further Israeli annexation of Palestinian territories. The UAE and Israel also agreed to cooperation and setting a roadmap towards establishing a bilateral relationship,” he said.

White House officials said Trump senior adviser Jared Kushner, U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman and Middle East envoy Avi Berkowitz were deeply involved in negotiating the deal, as well as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and White House national security adviser Robert O’Brien.

A joint statement issued by the three nations said the three leaders had “agreed to the full normalization of relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates.”

“This historic diplomatic breakthrough will advance peace in the Middle East region and is a testament to the bold diplomacy and vision of the three leaders and the courage of the United Arab Emirates and Israel to chart a new path that will unlock the great potential in the region,” the statement said.

Brian Hook, the U.S. State Department’s lead official on Iran, said the agreement amounted to a “nightmare” for Iran in its efforts against Israel in the region.

Trump said, “This deal is a significant step towards building a more peaceful, secure and prosperous Middle East. Now that the ice has been broken, I expect more Arab and Muslim countries will follow the United Arab Emirates’ lead …. and normalize relations with Israel.”

“We are already discussing this with other nations, very powerful, very good nations that want to see peace in the Middle East so you will probably see others of these,” Trump added. “Things are happening that I can’t talk about, but they’re extremely positive.”

Delegations from Israel and the United Arab Emirates will meet in the coming weeks to sign bilateral agreements regarding investment, tourism, direct flights, security, telecommunications and other issues, the statement said.

The two countries are expected soon to exchange ambassadors and embassies.

The statement said that as “a result of this diplomatic breakthrough and at the request of President Trump with the support of the United Arab Emirates, Israel will suspend declaring sovereignty” over areas of the West Bank that were envisioned in the U.S. peace plan unveiled by Trump in January.

The agreement envisions giving Muslims greater access to the Al-Aqsa Mosque in the Old City of Jerusalem by allowing them to fly from Abu Dhabi to Tel Aviv, White House officials said.

The joint statement said the United Arab Emirates and Israel will immediately expand and accelerate cooperation regarding the treatment of and the development of a vaccine for the novel coronavirus amid the pandemic.

(Reuters)

India, UAE Expand Ties, But $75 Billion Investment Still in Limbo

The countries signed 14 pacts in key areas like defence and security, however, an agreement to facilitate investments in infrastructure projects in India could not be finalised in time.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and UAE’s deputy commander-in-chief of the armed forces shakes hands with India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Credit: Reuters/Adnan Abidi

New Delhi: Even as India and UAE formally advanced their relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership, they failed to sign an agreement to facilitate investments in infrastructure projects in India from the $75 billion UAE-India infrastructure investment fund.

During Abu Dhabi crown prince’s second state visit within one year, 14 pacts were signed, including the comprehensive strategic partnership, which would act as the general framework agreement to corral the goals set by the two leaders.

After his last trip in February, the crown prince has returned for an early visit as the chief guest at this year’s Republic Day parade.

He arrived in the country on Tuesday afternoon with a large high-powered delegation of ministers, military officers and government officials and was greeted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the airport. On Tuesday morning, he was given a reception at the forecourt of the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

In a shift from protocol, Modi first hosted the royal visitor at his residence before going for the formal delegation-level discussions at Hyderabad House. The agreements were then signed as the two leaders waited at their podium to make their statements.

The agreements range from ones on defence, prevention of human trafficking, maritime transport, implementation of strategic petroleum reserve and cyberspace. Several of them take forward decisions that were taken in the last two summits.

However, an anticipated Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that would have operationalised the investment could not be finalised in time for the agreement.

In August 2015, during Prime Minister Modi’s visit, the two sides had agreed to establish a UAE-India infrastructure investment fund “with the aim of reaching a target of $75 billion to support investment in India’s plans for rapid expansion of next generation infrastructure, especially in railways, ports, roads, airports and industrial corridors and parks”.

The National Infrastructure Investment Fund, established for this purpose last year, attained a CEO only a few months ago. So far only a single meeting has been held.

On Monday, the UAE ambassador Ahmed Al-Banna had said that the “ball was in India’s court” to get the governance structure for the fund in place. Even on Tuesday, a senior Indian diplomat expressed hope that a MoU would be signed – but it is obvious that it was not ready in time.

“We are working to connect the institutional investors in UAE with our National Investment and Infrastructure Fund,” Modi said in his press statement.

He reiterated India’s interest in becoming a partner in infrastructure projects for the World Expo 2020 in Dubai.

“UAE can benefit by linking with our growth in manufacturing and services. We can jointly tap abundant opportunities in our initiatives aimed at building digital economy, human capital and smart urbanisation in India,” Modi said.

In order to increase the bilateral trade, which is currently at $50 billion, an agreement on trade remedial measures was inked, which aims to provide a predictable legal framework and a consultative process before any anti-subsidy or anti-dumping investigation begin.

Describing the energy partnership as an “important bridge”, Modi noted that, “long-term supply contracts and the establishment of joint ventures in the energy sector can be beneficial avenues.”

One of the agreements signed today was framework pact for the storage of crude oil by Abu Dhabi National Oil Company in India’s strategic oil reserves.

Speaking about the importance of India-UAE ties, Modi said that the “economic partnership could be a source of regional and global prosperity”.

He stressed that there was a wider significance in closer ties between India and UAE. “We exchanged views on developments in West Asia and the Gulf, where both countries have a shared interest in peace and stability. We also discussed developments in our region, including Afghanistan,” said the Indian PM.

The Crown Prince asserted that “UAE with its unique development experience and Islamic and Arab background and India with its inimitable and successful development experience and its unique model of coexistence, can work together to push for peace and stability in Asia and the Middle East.”

There has been a rising convergence between India and UAE on the terror issue, with both talking of the need to combat terror groups, without any discrimination. Recently, five UAE diplomats were killed and the UAE ambassador was injured in an attack in Kandahar in Afghanistan, which traced to the Haqqani network.

“Our shared concern on growing threat from radicalism and terrorism to the safety and security of our people is shaping our cooperation in this space,” he added.

A separate roundtable was held on Wednesday between a ‘tolerance’ delegation from UAE, comprising of experts in the field of countering violent extremism, with their Indian counterparts.

On the defence front, a MoU on defence corporation was signed to allow for studies, research and collaboration between public and private sectors institutions in areas of armaments, defence industries and transfer of technology.

Two agreements on maritime transport were also exchanged which was an expansion of the defence and security cooperation.

UAE Crown Prince Brings ‘Tolerance’ Delegation Along With Strategic Partnership

The crown prince will be second Arab leader to witness the Republic Day parade, bringing with him 13 agreements to forge a strategic partnership.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Credit: Reuters/Files

New Delhi: Even as the UAE crown prince comes bearing gifts of a strategic partnership and 13 agreements for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the royal visitor will also be accompanied by a ‘tolerance’ delegation to showcase the Gulf nation’s ‘modern’ and ‘peaceful’ face.

“We are expecting to sign around 13 agreements, which will be crowned by the main agreement – the strategic dialogue,” UAE’s ambassador to India Ahmed Al Banna told reporters on January 23.

The pacts will be inked on January 25 day, following which on January 26, the crown prince will become the second Arab leader to witness the Republic Day parade as chief guest. The Saudi King Abdullah had been the chief guest in 2006.

“The UAE leadership, government is honoured and glad for the invitation that was extended to the highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, crown prince of Abu Dhabi, deputy chief commander of UAE armed forces. We know the meaning and how important the choice of the Republic Day chief guest is in India. We appreciate the honour,” he said. A contingent of the UAE’s armed forces are taking part in the parade – the second time that foreign troops will be marching down Rajpath.

While 17 agreements had been signed in the past, the new strategic partnership will be take the relationship “to another level”, providing a umbrella framework to work on all aspects of cooperation, the ambassador said. “It puts us on a different path…more of a closer relationship, more coordination, more understanding, more work in terms of getting the government and leadership of two countries closer,” he added.

The decision to ‘elevate’ the relationship was taken when Modi visited the UAE in August 2015. A reciprocal trip was made by the crown prince in February 2016. “Since the visit of PM Modi and the visit of his highness in 2016, the whole relationship went to a new track where other sectors are being looked at – renewable energy, nuclear energy for peaceful uses, IT, R&D centres, manufacturing, aerospace and defence cooperation, security cooperation,” he stated.

The strategic partnership will have a biannual mechanism at the level of minister of states. The first meeting will be held on September 2017. Just like most visiting leaders, the Abu Dhabi crown prince would be accompanied by a large business delegation. But, unusually, he will be also bringing with him two separate ‘cultural’ and ‘tolerance’ delegations.

The ‘tolerance’ delegation will comprise of members from two UAE groups set up to devise messages to counter the extremist narratives from terror groups like Daesh and Al-Qaeda. The two chosen organisations are the Hedayah International Centre of Excellence for Countering Violent Extremism and Sawab Centre, a collaboration between the UAE and the US’s state department to respond to online extremist propaganda.

“The tolerance delegation will meet some of its Indian counterparts at a round-table on January 25. This will touch on some of the softer aspect of diplomacy and clarify that UAE is a modern, peaceful, country of tolerance, a country which has created a special ministry for tolerance and future,” he said.

When asked if UAE could use its influence over Pakistan to get it to end its alleged patronage of terror groups, Al Banna refused to enter into a diplomatic minefield.

“I am not going to talk about specific countries. But we work very closely and coordinate our efforts in counter attacking terrorism all over the world,” he said.

India and UAE’s initial outreach in 2015 had occurred a few months after Pakistan had refused to take part in the Saudi-led military coalition in Yemen.

The UAE ambassador refused to answer a question about a report in a TV channel, which was touted by the ruling party’s social media handles, about the ‘confiscation’ of properties of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim – asserting that there was no basis to them. “I don’t actually like to talk about reports that have any firm source or foundation,” he asserted.

On the economic side, the UAE is hoping that India is quick to put in place the governance structure of the National Investment and Infrastructure Fund, which will funnel the $75 billion long-term investment by the Gulf country’s sovereign wealth fund.

“$75 billion was dedicated for infrastructure projects in India. Actually, one or two months ago, the NIIF in India has appointed their CEO and there has been one meeting… The whole ball is in the court of India to finalise the governance for the $75 billion and we are ready for it,” he said.

The bilateral trade stands at $50 billion, with UAE investment in India totalling $10 billion.

“In the last eleven months alone, $1 billion worth of investment has come in,” said the ambassador.

A new bilateral investment agreement is under negotiation, along with an air services pact that UAE hopes to develop into an open-sky policy.

Currently, 1070 flights operate every week between Indian and UAE airports, out of which 580 are by Indian carriers.

With 2.8 million Indians in the UAE, the gulf nation is also a major source of remittances for India. Al-Banna noted that there was negotiation going on with the Indian ministry of external affairs over the terms of the e-migrate system, which he indicated “trespassed” into UAE’s sovereignty. “Now there is a team which is handling and looking into it,” he said.

Diplomacy Decoded: Terrorism in the India-UAE Joint Statement

Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan at a meeting in Abu Dhabi, UAE on Monday. Credit: PTI Photo

Summits usually produce joint statements full of diplomatese and the problem with the argot of diplomacy is that it converts even new and interesting developments into something that sounds routine and dull.

The joint statement released on August 17 at the end of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s two day visit to the United Arab Emirates is a good example of this. Hidden within its ponderous formulations is evidence of important shifts in the way the two countries, and especially the UAE, intend to approach major regional and international issues, especially terrorism.

Here is The Wire‘s guide to decoding the text.

First, the lede:

The visit of an Indian Prime Minister to UAE after 34 years marks the beginning of a new and comprehensive strategic partnership between India and UAE in a world of multiple transitions and changing opportunities and challenges.

So we are being told there is something new here. The two countries are re-evaluating relations three and a half decades after their last serious interaction at the highest political level (Pratibha Patil’s 2010 visit to the UAE as President doesn’t really count) and have decided to take a strategic, long-term view of their partnership.

Then the ambitious economic agenda, including the pitch to generate $75 billion in FDI from the UAE for India. The UAE is India’s third largest trading partner while India is the Emirates’ second largest trading partner:

Encourage the investment institutions of UAE to raise their investments in India … with the aim of reaching a target of USD 75 billion to support investment in India’s plans for rapid expansion of next generation infrastructure, especially in railways, ports, roads, airports and industrial corridors and parks.
Promote strategic partnership in the energy sector, including through UAE’s participation in India in the development of strategic petroleum reserves, upstream and downstream petroleum sectors, and collaboration in third countries.
Further promote trade between the two countries, and use their respective locations and infrastructure for expanding trade in the region and beyond; and, with the target of increasing trade by 60% in the next five years.

When it comes to terrorism—described as a ‘shared threat to peace, stability and security in the region’—the joint statement gets pretty interesting, with no less than four implicit references to Pakistan:

The two nations … condemn efforts, including by states, to use religion to justify, support and sponsor terrorism against other countries. They also deplore efforts by countries to give religious and sectarian colour to political issues and disputes, including in West and South Asia, and use terrorism to pursue their aims.
Denounce and oppose terrorism in all forms and manifestations, wherever committed and by whomever, calling on all states to reject and abandon the use of terrorism against other countries, dismantle terrorism infrastructures where they exist, and bring perpetrators of terrorism to justice.
Call on all nations to fully respect and sincerely implement their commitments to resolve disputes bilaterally and peacefully, without resorting to violence and terrorism.

These sentences are remarkable because they go beyond the stock formulation of decrying terror and indicate the UAE now shares India’s concerns about the export of terror from Pakistani territory, the fact that this export has the tacit backing of Islamabad, and is aimed at allowing Pakistan to resile from its commitment to resolve “disputes [read: the Kashmir issue] bilaterally and peacefully”.

Going beyond the specific threats posed by states which use terror, the India-UAE joint statement also commits the two sides to work against radicalisation:

Coordinate efforts to counter radicalisation and misuse of religion by groups and countries for inciting hatred, perpetrating and justifying terrorism or pursuing political aims. The two sides will facilitate regular exchanges of religious scholars and intellectuals and organise conferences and seminars to promote the values of peace, tolerance, inclusiveness and welfare that is inherent in all religions.

Hard security cooperation against terrorism also figures prominently in the statement, although there is no reference to the threat posed by an specific organisation like Daesh (Islamic State) :

Enhance cooperation in counter-terrorism operations, intelligence sharing and capacity building.
Work together to control, regulate and share information on
flow of funds that could have a bearing on radicalisation activities and cooperate in interdicting illegal flows and take action against concerned individuals and organisations.
Strengthen cooperation in law enforcement, anti-money laundering, drug trafficking, other trans-national crimes, extradition arrangements, as well as police training.
Promote cooperation in cyber security, including prevention on use of cyber for terrorism, radicalisation and disturbing social harmony.

At the broader level, the UAE and India have committed themselves to

Work together for the adoption of India’s proposed Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism in the United Nations.
Establish a dialogue between their National Security Advisors and National Security Councils. The National Security Advisors, together with other high level representatives for security from both nations, will meet every six months. The two sides will also establish points of contact between their security agencies to further improve operational cooperation.

The CCIT has been hanging fire in part because of Arab opposition to language that might be seen as labelling the Palestinian struggle against Israeli occupation as ‘terrorism’. What the UAE’s backing means and what wider effect this might have in the region remains to be seen.

Finally, there is also a nod in the direction of the massive Indian diaspora in the UAE and the wider Gulf region:

UAE is at the heart of the Gulf and West Asia region and its major economic hub. India, with seven million citizens in the Gulf, also has major energy, trade and investment interests in the region.
Today, the Indian community of over 2.5 million is a major part of UAE’s vibrant society and its economic success. It also makes a significant economic contribution to India and constitutes an indelible human bond of friendship between the two nations.
Prime Minister thanked His Highness the Crown Prince for his decision to allot land for construction of a temple in Abu Dhabi.