Future Cities ME — Mar 2016 Issue 10

Volume 1 - Number 10

CONTENTS The Sections

smart technologies

GOVERNMENT Towards A Unified and Happy UAE p.8

Autonomous Cars: Boon or Bane? p.54

transport

INTERVIEW

Information and Communications Power Smart Railways into the Future p.62

Dubai: In an Emirates State of Mind p.16

construction

health & communities

Challenges of Being a Construction Lawyer p.34

DEWA and DWE to Establish Smart Sports Park p.66

food & agriculture

sustainability Solar Energy at a Pivotal Stage in the Region p.50

A Modular State-of-the-Art Growing System Delivered to Your Door p.68

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Editor’s note

R

ecent initiatives of the UAE Government have focussed on a simple philosophy: A Happy Nation is a Successful Nation. The newly appointed Minister of State for Happiness has submitted her first programme for creating the happiest government environment globally. Some people may consider this focus naïve but we believe the very simplicity of the idea has a very powerful underlying message that people can immediately identify with. Then there is the Government’s continued focus on technology. This two-pronged approach will pay rich dividends very soon.

Dubai has come a long way and so have its citizens and residents. We sat down with two prominent leaders of industry last month for a leisurely tete-a-tete to get their personal perpectives on their experiences so far and the prospects of the Emirate for the future.

The winning architects for Dubai Expo 2020 Theme Pavilions have been announced. In the Construction Section we give you an overview of their outstanding designs. We also spoke to a prominent construction lawyer in Dubai to give us an idea on the current legal environment in the industry.

In the Sustainability Section this month we have focussed on solar energy and the state of the technology and industry in the Middle East. The recent Solar Middle East Exhibition highlighted the latest innovations in the industry that are making solar energy a viable energy generation alternative to fossil fuels.

Driverless cars have been in the news lately with players like Google and Siemens making a big push with governments to accelerate time to market for them by carrying out an increasing number of road trials. As we find out, the technology has its plus and minus points. In the areas of Health and Agriculture too we have highlighted new technologies in the form of Smart Sports Parks and the latest trends in Container Farming.

We hope reading this month’s Future Cities provides with you with unique insights into how technology can enable a better, “happier” future for us all. Happy reading.

FUTURE CITIES ME . VOLUME 1 NUMBER 10

Publisher & CEO Liam Williams liam@flipflopmedia.ae Managing Director Harry Norman harry@flipflopmedia.ae +971 4 369 9062 Editorial editor sunil Thakur sunil@flipflopmedia.ae +971 4 369 9063 Katy Elliot info@flipflopmedia.ae

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GOVERNMENT

towards a unified and happy uae The UAE Cabinet, chaired over

by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, endorsed the launch of corporate happiness and positivity initiatives in the UAE Federal Government.

H

is Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid said: “Happiness and positivity in the UAE are a lifestyle, a government commitment and a spirit uniting the UAE community. The government system is evolving to realize the goals that every human seeks: happiness for himself and his family.”

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid added: “We are at the beginning of our journey, learning day-by-day to achieve goodness and happiness for the individual. We wish happiness for all the peoples and countries in the world.”

The UAE Cabinet endorsed The National Happiness and Positivity Charter which stipulates the UAE Government’s commitment, through its higher policies, plans, projects and services, to provide a nurturing environment for the happiness of the person, family and community, instill positivity as a core value in them so that they are able to achieve their goals and ambitions.

The Cabinet also endorsed a number of initiatives and projects in line with the National Happiness and Positivity Programme submitted by HE Ohood hint Khalfan Al Roumi, Minister of State for Happiness, to create the happiest government environment globally.

The National Programme includes appointment of CEO for Happiness and Positivity in all entities, setup happiness and positivity councils in all entities as well. It also includes allocating hours for happiness programmes and activities in federal government as well as setup happy and positive offices. The National Happiness and Positivity Programme also includes transforming customer service centres to customer happiness centres

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as well as implementing culture-change programmes for customer service to make customers happy. It will also set indicators, conduct surveys and prepare annual reports to measure happiness levels in all sectors.

Hence, the Cabinet endorsed in its meeting a number of corporate initiatives in conjunction with the World Happiness Day which coincides on 20th March.

These come in line with the National Happiness and Positivity Programme, launched earlier this month

by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, which consists of three pillars: Include happiness and positivity in government policies and services, Instill values of happiness and positivity as a lifestyle in the UAE, and Develop tools to measure happiness in the community.

The recently launched initiatives focus on the first pillar: The National Happiness and Positivity Charter, Happy Work Environment and Services.

The National Happiness and Positivity Charter The National Happiness and Positivity Charter aims to instill concepts of happiness and positivity from the UAE perspective, sets the UAE commitment towards the community to realize these values. It also aims the UAE will be a centre and global destination for that. All government entities will work towards implementing the charter to reach these goals.

Happy Work Environment It includes five initiatives: • Corporate Happiness and Positivity Model in the

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government

•

•

•

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UAE is a unified model for all government entities consisting three pillars: corporate happiness culture, happy and positive staff requirements, and corporate happiness and positivity indicators.

Setting up Happiness and Positivity Councils in Federal Government entities includes representatives from different sectors that cover services provided by the entity. The Councils aim to align policies and services to realize community happiness, launch and follow up relevant initiatives as well as streamline happiness and positivity in internal work environments.

Happiness and Positivity CEO: One of the current Federal Government staff members will be appointed as Happiness and Positivity CEO by the Minister or Chairman to ensure streamlining happiness and positivity culture in the entity as well as coordinate with the Office of the Minister of State for Happiness to implement initiatives by the National Happiness and Positivity Programme and manage relevant initiatives to spread happiness among customers and staff. The CEO will launch work environment classification programmes in public and private sectors according to happiness levels.

Allocate time in federal entities for happiness and positivity activities: They aim at instilling happiness and positivity culture in the Federal Government inside the entity or outside to ensure community happiness.

“Happy and positive offices” in the Government: To create a happy and positive work environment continuously through activities conducted in an innovative and effective manner.

GOVERNMENT SERVICES The Government Services include six corporate initiatives: Renaming customer service centres to customer happiness centres; Renaming job titles of customer service staff to customer happiness staff. It

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also includes endorsing the Customer Happiness Charter.

The initiatives also include introducing Happiness and Positivity Happiness Heroes Medal, which is a periodic special recognition for frontline staff in customer service who enjoy positivity and happiness and recognizing their exceptional work to make customers happy. The initiatives will also include launch Customer Happiness Guideline, and Customer happiness Measurement.

On the other hand, the Cabinet endorsed setting up a world-class, specialized medical training facility in order to train and equip local skills to meet the growing market needs. The medical training facility is in line with the UAE Government’s priorities to improve healthcare sector and continually improve its services.

Meanwhile, it reviewed and endorsed recommendations on a financing mechanism study designed for federal universities and colleges, which focuses on setting performance indicators such as improving graduation rates of students, employment rates, as well as reducing dropouts and increase research. The Study recommendations focused on allocating a percentage of total government support for universities adopted annually to be paid based on performance.

The mechanism will contribute to enhance transparency and improve performance. It will also help setting regulations for admission and registration

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GOVERNMENT

procedures at universities and prioritize the acceptance of different categories of students. The study reflects the priority the UAE Government to develop the educational environment and provide incentives that encourage students to innovate to contribute to the country in various fields.

The Cabinet also approved the 2016 Federal Government Unified Financial System, which aims to enhance the performance of government work and leverage performance and efficiency of employees in the financial field to all sections in the Federal Government. It issued a Cabinet Decree on regulations and percentage related to applying Federal Law No 4/2012 to regulate competition.

Addressing Government affairs, the Cabinet signed the agreement to host the regional office of The Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI). GGGI was founded on the belief that economic growth and environmental sustainability are not merely compatible objectives; their integration is essential for the future of humankind. It seeks to work with partners in the public and private sectors in developing and emerging countries around the world to put green growth at the heart of economic planning. The UAE Government adopts policies to turn its economy into green.

It also approved joining the Advisory Centre on World Trade Organization Law (ACWL), which is an international organization established in 2001 to provide legal advice on WTO law, support in WTO dispute settlement proceedings and training in WTO law.

Meanwhile, the Cabinet approved the proposed 2016 budget of the Emirates Transport. It also endorsed the closing statement of the 2014 Fiscal Year of The General Pension and Social Security Authority.

On the international level, the UAE Cabinet ratified a number of international agreements to boost economic and technical cooperation such as the Protocol amending the Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS). It also endorsed setting up UAE embassies in some countries.

The UAE Cabinet held its meeting at the Presidential Palace and was attended by His Highness Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior and His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs.

Earlier, HE Ms Al Roumi, spoke publically for the first time about her role and what she is trying to achieve during her time in office.

“Happiness is a serious job for governments,” said Ms Al Roumi.

“The main job for the government is to create happiness. In 2011,

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“For us in the UAE, happiness is very important. I am a very happy and positive person and I choose to be happy every day because this is what pushes me, this is what motivates me, this is what gives a sense of purpose to my life, so I always choose to see the glass half full.” the UN encouraged the member countries to look at happiness for a holistic approach for development.”

Ms Al Roumi, who was speaking to news channel CNN, said: “The role of the government is to create an environment where people can flourish – can reach their potential – and choose to be happy.

“For us in the UAE, happiness is very important. I am a very happy and positive person and I choose to be happy every day because this is what pushes me, this is what motivates me, this is what gives a sense of purpose to my life, so I always choose to see the glass half full,” she said.

During the World Government Summit in Dubai last month, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, announced that Minister of State for Happiness will have the responsibility to “align and drive government policy to create social good and satisfaction”. Adding: “We want a government that works on building the skills of its people, aside from providing services ... a government focused on putting the happiness of citizens at the forefront of its priorities.”

The UAE is ranked as the 28th happiest country in the world, according to last year’s UN World Happiness Report. Denmark, Switzerland and Iceland occupied the top three slots. The UAE was the happiest country in the region. l

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GOVERNMENT

UAE GOVERNMENT TO HOST FIRST World Future Sports Games in 2017 Dubai has announced that it will organize World Future Sports Games in December 2017 as the first initiative of its kind in the world featuring innovation and futuristic technology based sports competitions. The World Future Sports Games was unveiled as Dubai announced Future Sports as a new innovation driven economic sector supported by a new global entity, World Federation of Future Sports based in Dubai.

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he first edition of the World Future Sports Games will be hosted in Dubai from December 28 to 30, 2017. The Games will be held over three days once every two years with the participation of teams from around the world in nine futuristic competitions that employ modern technology and artificial intelligence: driverless car racing, robotic soccer, robotic running competitions, manned drones racing, robotics swimming, robotic table tennis, robotic wrestling, drones races and cybathlon competition.

The future sports initiatives have been launched under the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and under the supervision of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Dubai Executive Council, and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Dubai Museum of the Future Foundation.

“Today we start a new phase in our march to the future through the launch of these unique initiatives that are built on the success of our global platforms, the UAE Drones for Good Award and UAE AI & Robotics Award for Good. Over the last two years, these platforms have attracted thousands of entries and hundreds of teams from around the world to strengthen the position of the UAE in the field of innovation at the global level,” His Highness Sheikh Hamdan said.

His Highness Sheikh Hamdan pointed out that Dubai will activate future sports as a catalyst to drive innovation and research and development.

“Innovation in sports is an important part of building the UAE innovation system and achieving our vision to enhance the advanced status of the UAE in this

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government

area at the international level,� His Highness said.

His Highness Sheikh Hamdan added that the World Federation of Future Sports will work with specialized international federations to create an integrated global system to support the new Future Sports Sector by organising scientific and technological competitions in different parts of the world integrating research and technological development with sports. The initiative will contribute to attracting thousands of researchers and professionals from around the world to create economic value worth billions of dollars.

The World Federation of Future Sports will be headed by His Excellency Mohammad Abdullah Al Gergawi, Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees and

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Managing Director of Dubai Museum of the Future Foundation. HE Mattar Al Tayer, in his capacity as Vice Chairman of Dubai Sports Council, will be the Vice Chairman of the World Federation of Future Sports, while Saif Al Aleeli, CEO of Dubai Museum of the Future Foundation, will be the Secretary General of the Federation.

The global initiative has been announced at the conclusion of the World Drone Prix in Dubai. On the occasion, His Highness Sheikh Hamdan called on the youth around the world to explore innovative ideas in all areas, and actively participate in this championship to create innovative applications that can help enhance human life.

Speaking on the occasion, His Excellency Mohammad Abdullah Al Gergawi said traditional sports throughout history have contributed to social and economic development and attracted billions of dollars in investments. He said future sport is capable of achieving the same in the coming period and it will also contribute to promoting R&D in various technology-related sectors.

World Federation of Future Sports aims to stimulate innovation through future sport competitions. It will also help develop international standards and regulatory frameworks for future sports and oversee the establishment of future sports entities.

The Federation will coordinate with existing global federations in organizing global competitions and activities around

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Speaking on the occasion, His Excellency Mohammad Abdullah Al Gergawi said traditional sports throughout history have contributed to social and economic development and attracted billions of dollars in investments. future sports. It will provide advice and propose initiatives aimed at creating economic value for the future sports sector.

Apart from the organizing the World Future Sports Games, the Federation will promote future sports competitions and set the standards for this sector.

World Federation of Future Sports is an initiative of Dubai Museum of the Future Foundation which aims to be an incubator for innovation ideas and a destination for inventors and entrepreneurs from around the world. In addition to becoming a major tourist destination, the Museum of the Future will offer advanced courses and specialized workshops, as well as public talks and events. It will serve as a platform to demonstrate the latest inventions from start-ups to the world’s technology giants.

It will also host innovation facilities and design studios with universities, companies, and research partners. l

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interview

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dubai: in an Emirates state of mind

dubai has come a long way since UAE's independence in 1971. in this interview we speak with a couple of its long time residents to find how far the city has come and how much further it can go.

he setting was perfect. The idyllic, rustic and yet modern environs of the Bab Al Shams Resort and Spa provided the perfect location to have a relaxed tete-a-tete on the changing face of Dubai. We sat down with two stalwarts of the industry Mr Jamil Jadallah, MD/CEO/ Partner of National Engineering Bureau and Mr Amer Bin Ahmed, CEO of Knauf Middle East-Africa-Asia, to have a free-wheeling discussion on Dubai, how it has changed in the last three decades and what the city has come to mean to them today on both, professional and personal levels.

Q1: Since both of you have been in the industry for quite some time, what are the differences today compared to the time you started?

Jamil: There has been a lot of change. Let me take the start of the boom times in Dubai around 2004 and 2005. At the time the most important thing for clients was: “When will the project start? And when will it be finished? I have sales targets to meet and I have to deliver as soon as possible”. Things now are very different.

Clients and developers now are heavily involved in the design of the buildings. They go deeply into the initial drawings because now they are concentrating on the efficiency of the building.

Today, before the start of a project they do a lot of feasibility studies to be sure the project is viable, constructable and profitable. Only if the project is all these things then they will move into the actual design stage. Then the design has to be highly efficient and economical. Earlier, they were not much concerned about the cost but now cost is a big focus area but without any compromise on the quality of a project. How can we achieve the highest quality at the lowest cost? Developers are now aware that we can achieve this through value engineering.

Good engineering is how to make good buildings and at the same time economical buildings. That’s why now developers are actually seeing a competition between architects and consultants on how to achieve the best at the lowest cost. But this competition is healthy and it is taking things in the right direction.

Authorities are also now much stricter than before.

A lot of new regulations with regard to green building and energy efficiency are also now coming in. These may add to the overall cost of construction of the building in the short term but the long-term savings in operational costs are indeed substantial.

These are the changes I have seen in Dubai in my three decades of experience here and these changes are to the advantage of the final property owners and end users.

Amer: These are very valid points for the construction industry. For us in the building materials industry too many things have changed in the past two decades. When we were growing up what we saw was only brick and block in Dubai’s construction. However since 2004, the start of the boom period, the construction methodologies have changed a lot. New light-weight construction methods and sustainable construction techniques have brought a host of new materials into the industry that are eco-friendly, durable, and cost- and energy-efficient. Earlier, building construction codes were not clearly defined. But today, thanks to the path of modernisation and standardisation adopted by the Government and Dubai Municipality, the International Building Code is strictly implemented. Fire safety regulations are also now more stringent. There is a big

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interview

change in people’s thinking; acceptance of modern techniques is much higher than before. Earlier, developers and contractors were not familiar with drywall construction techniques. However, today, if you benchmark against the United States or Europe there is a very high ratio of drywall construction in the UAE. Until now these new techniques have largely been implemented in the commercial sector but now we are also seeing drywall construction in the residential sectors of the market. Finally, the cost of drywall construction has fallen dramatically in recent times making it even more attractive.

Competition in the market has also increased compared to the earlier days.

And competition is good because it makes you stronger!

Jamil: Indeed, Dubai provides a healthy environment for competition and gives you every opportunity to constantly improve.

Q2: The Dubai skyline is getting taller and taller. Building plans are getting more and more ambitious. How much higher and further do you think we can go?

Amer: It is the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Makhtoum that we have to be Number One. And to be Number One we have to do our best – not just better - at all times.

We have to be ready to face the competition. One clear example is the Burj Khalifa. At the time of its conception nobody thought we could actually

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government is very responsive. Rules and regulations always change to keep up with the times. As His Highness Sheikh Mohammed has often said, sky is the limit.

make such a tall building in the middle of the desert. And today, it is a living example of what can be achieved if we put in our best efforts. Then we have Dubai World Central one of the world’s largest airports.

And the Palm Islands, which are dubbed the eighth wonder of the world. So I think I cannot define a limit on how far or how high we can go. Also, we are fully supported by the government like nowhere else in the world.

Not just in construction but in all areas like tourism, hospitality, healthcare, and banking.

That’s why Dubai is considered the gateway to the Middle East. It is the place where you come to learn and then take that learning to be implemented in other parts of the region. We are well on the path to being the best in world.

Jamil: Dubai, if you compare it to other cities in the world it contains a good number of tall buildings. Also, when you look at the recent edition of “The 100 Tallest Buildings in the World” it’s not just Dubai but other cities in the UAE too that also have many entries in the book. For us as National Engineering Bureau we have three buildings in that list. Dubai is an open market.

The Government is always supporting everybody to improve and to do good things. So it provides a fertile ground for any developer to build as high and as big as he finds it feasible to do so. And the

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Amer: Take the example of Burj Khalifa again; for this project we supplied the German D112 ceiling systems for almost the complete tower including the drywall systems for the entire Armani Hotel. Supplying the materials for this project was the most challenging part since all our products came from different Knauf plants around the world.

Harry: To add to what you have just said, Dubai is maturing and it’s not just a question of making buildings very tall to be number one, we are also number one in sustainability in technology and social development.

Q3: What role do you feel Arabic traditions play in the construction of Arab Future Cities?

Jamil: Construction in every period of history has fulfilled the primary requirements of that time to meet the lifestyles of the time. There is an Arab style we see reflected in today’s buildings as well and these are merged with modern architectural techniques reflecting the lifestyle and the requirements of today.

Amer: Today, we are seeing the integration of current socioeconomic standards with building design. We are moving away from traditional brick and block construction to steel and drywall but yet we retain the aesthetics of traditional designs in our modern buildings that provide for better performance standards.

Q4: What do you find unique about Dubai compared to any other city in the world?

Amer: Dubai is one of the greatest cities in the world. We have people with over 160 different nationalities living here. They are living together in peace, in a safe and secure environment for their families. Where else in the word would you find this? With all these advantages Dubai has now become a “second home” for many.

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"Today, before the start of a project they do a lot of feasibility studies to be sure the project is viable, constructable and profitable. Only if the project is all these things then they will move into the actual design stage. Then the design has to be highly efficient and economical."

Already there are many second and third generation immigrants living here who believe in the city and all the facilities it provides.

Take for example education; a decade ago there was a great shortage but today we have a number of different options here for our kids to get world class education. Then there is the level of customer service in hospitality and tourism which is better than anywhere else in the world. The level of service in the UAE is immensely encouraging tourism and business travel. In 2020 the city is planning to host over 20 million tourists and I have no doubt we will do it and do it very successfully.

Jamil: I would second that. Dubai is a modern cosmopolitan city where you will find all the latest facilities and find them conveniently. As Amer said, the City hosts more than 160 nationalities and all them manage to find whatever they may be looking for in terms of food, clothing, living space and culture.

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Another focus of the administration in Dubai is the happiness of the people. The public and the private sectors are always doing things to make the lives of the people here more comfortable and relaxed. The city can provide whatever you are looking for according to your financial capacity. Many buildings are like mini cities thanks to the diversity of the people living there. The real beauty of the city is that all these different people with different cultures and languages are living here in peace and understanding. My own kids, who were all born and raised in Dubai, find that this is their true home. Whenever we travel to other places and even my home country they want to come back here because this is where they are happy and comfortable. That is the difference between Dubai and other cities where people come to work. Thanks to the efforts of the administration and the people living here Dubai is now become a “second home” to many, many people.

Q5: In fact you have partly answered my next question… Is happiness a core component of a Future City? If so, then how?

Jamil: I will answer that with some questions of my own: What is the value of your life if you are not happy? Should we spend our whole lives only worrying, crying and thinking? Life is limited and how do we spend this limited period of time? Should we spend it happy, relaxed and enjoying life or should we spend it having only headaches and fighting with each other? We design our buildings keeping people’s happiness in mind. I really appreciate the Government’s forming of a Ministry of Happiness. As a construction engineering company the core of all our work is to make happy working and living spaces where people can enjoy not just the basic utilities but also all facilities like clubs, safe children’s play areas, medical facilities and other day-to-day amenities. And we must also provide the latest technologies in communications and fire safety to make a well-connected, safe and secure environment for all.

Amer: I think happiness is a journey. It is a work in progress. It’s like providing a customer oriented

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service. How do you satisfy your “customer” whether it’s your family, your friends, your work colleagues or the authorities and meet their different demands from time to time. Yes, the new Ministry of Happiness is a very good starting point in a country with so many people from diverse backgrounds, each with their own concepts about happiness. The ministry will create a common forum that people can go to if their looking for guidance whether in personal or professional matters.

Jamil: Take the example of restaurants. How do they attract customers? They do that by making their customers happy and relaxed by giving them exactly what they want. From small examples and efforts like these we have drawn inspiration to make Happiness part of UAE’s National Vision today. And this way Dubai can attract the best among the best by always offering the best of the best. So Happiness plays a crucial role in the rapid and long-term development of the cities of the region.

Amer: In fact, often when I travel I come across situations where certain services and products that are easily available in Dubai are very hard to come by in other cities because of their closed markets and bureaucracy. So when I come to my home Dubai I often think to myself: “Smile you are in the Land of Opportunity.”

Jamil: Dubai is now setting the global benchmark in the ease of living and accessibility of services to its people. To give you an example of Happiness I experienced recently in Dubai: One day while driving I committed a mistake and broke a traffic rule and was stopped by a policeman. I stopped my car, got out and started to walk towards him. But he promptly greeted me very politely and respectfully requested me to stay back in my car saying that he will come to me. Despite my having been at fault, the respect and courtesy I received from that policeman then brings a smile on my face to this day!

Q6: How do you view today’s generation of Emiratis and Arabs? How can they play a bigger role in building future cities?

Jamil: We have always welcomed Emiratis in our workforce. Not because they are Emiratis. It is because they are highly educated, open-minded,

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"I think happiness is a journey. It is a work in progress. It’s like providing a customer oriented service. How do satisfy your “customer” whether it’s your family, your friends, your work colleagues or the authorities and meet their different demands from time to time.

Yes, the new Ministry of Happiness is a very good starting point in a country with so many people from diverse backgrounds, each with their own concepts about happiness."

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Today, I am heading the largest drywall manufacturing company in the region.

From here we service the entire Gulf region, India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka. In the future, the UAE will be a manufacturing and service hub for a number of industries and most importantly, they are well-travelled and modernthinking. They have seen the world and now they are trying to implement the best of what they have seen and experienced elsewhere, in their own country. It is my privilege and pleasure to work with them and in contrast to many other professionals here, they are sincere and loyal to their company and respectful towards their country. So moving forward I am sure they will have a lot to contribute towards greater development of Arab cities and the MENA region as a whole.

Amer: Human development involves capital investment and we have seen a lot of investment made in this area by the authorities. And this is the future. There is a highly talented pool of Emiratis available in the workforce today and they are very competitive. Which is a good thing as it increases overall efficiency of the economy. Now they are present in every sector of the economy doing outstanding jobs. The education levels today are much higher than in the past. Today Emiratis are planning space missions. Masdar is another example. It is creating one of the most sustainable cities in the world. We need to enthusiastically participate in such initiatives to encourage Emiratis to contribute more toward nation building.

Jamil: The UAE’s nuclear programme is another excellent example of the pioneering spirit of the UAE’s people.

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Q7: Lastly, I would like ask you about building materials. Compared to the early days what percentage of construction materials are manufactured within the country today?

And how much more do you see them being produced locally in the future?

Amer: Today, I am heading the largest drywall manufacturing company in the region. From here we service the entire Gulf region, India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka. In the future, the UAE will be a manufacturing and service hub for a number of industries. We see a huge market potential. For us the next step is setting up of training schools; we need to locally develop people’s technical skills. Awareness of the latest products and manufacturing techniques is also very important. Our model of standardised tailor made solutions, customer training and awareness has been very successful so far and we aim to implement the same in other region of the Middle East.

Jamil: A lot of products are manufactured locally today. For civil works and interiors, all the products like cement, bars, aggregates, pipes and ceramics are all made within the country. And it is very good, highquality material that is among the best in the world.

So in the coming future I see almost all construction products being manufactured locally. And not just for local consumption but for exports as well. In the construction field they say the standards in the UAE are the best in the world. So when they buy the material from here they are assured of its quality. Lot of engineering software companies are also coming here now to test and launch their products because of the size projects and range of products being used in on-going projects here. This way they can get real time feedback (not so readily available elsewhere) from the local engineers to improve upon their software.

Amer: Compared to other countries energy cost and labour is cheaper and you have accessibility of technology, skilled workforces and an efficient supply train. All this is available in close proximity to your business and this is what most companies are looking for. So the future looks very bright for the whole UAE manufacturing industry. l

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Construction, Development & Infrastructure

Leading global architects win Expo 2020 theme pavilion design competition His Highness Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Expo Higher Committee and Chairman of Dubai Airports and Emirates Airline, in partnership with leading property developer Emaar, have revealed the winners of one of the world’s most prestigious architectural competitions, to design the theme pavilions for Expo 2020.

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hirteen of the world’s leading architectural firms took part in a global competition, launched in July 2015 by Emaar Properties on behalf of Expo 2020. The competition sought to identify the designs for the three theme pavilions of: Opportunity, Mobility and Sustainability, under the Expo’s 2020 theme of Connecting Minds, Creating the Future. Pavilions and their iconic architecture are central to World Expos, and the three pavilions will be centrepieces that showcase the latest ideas, innovations and developments whilst providing the visitors with an immersive and memorable experience.

His Highness Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, congratulated the winners. “The competition attracted a truly stellar line up of architectural firms that each put forward designs that impressed all those involved in the selection process.

After careful study and consideration, three designs stood out, amidst tough competition, as great future structures that will mark our Expo as exceptional.”

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A key criterion for the competition was ensuring that the designs not only embodied one of Expo’s core themes, but also had the flexibility and longevity to live on as landmarks and functional structures after the Expo is complete in 2021.

The winning design for the Opportunity Pavilion was submitted by BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group), a group of architects, designers, builders and thinkers based in Copenhagen and New York. Their design philosophy reflects a belief that contemporary urban life is a result of the confluence of cultural exchange, global economic trends and communication technologies. BIG are known for their innovative approach to architecture and are currently working on the design of a new headquarters for Google.

Foster + Partners, the internationally renowned practice, based in London, submitted the winning proposal for the Mobility Pavilion. Their design drew on nearly four decades of pioneering designs including Dubai’s The Index building, and the masterplan for Masdar City.

The winning design for the Sustainability Pavilion, which will become a long term ‘cluster’ centre promoting innovative technologies, was submitted by Grimshaw

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A key criterion for the competition was ensuring that the designs not only embodied one of Expo’s core themes, but also had the flexibility and longevity to live on as landmarks and functional structures after the Expo is complete in 2021.

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The three pavilions will form centre pieces of the two square kilometre Expo site, surrounding the central Al Wasl meeting plaza, the figurative and literal heart of Expo 2020.

Architects. The firm designed the Eden project in Cornwall, UK, and is a leader in the field of sustainable architecture.

The three pavilions will form centrepieces of the two square kilometre Expo site, surrounding the central Al Wasl meeting plaza, the figurative and literal heart of Expo 2020.

His Excellency Mohamed Alabbar, Expo Higher Committee member and Chairman of Emaar Properties, said, “The winning

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theme pavilion designs further build on the UAE and Dubai’s proven record in iconic architectural design, particularly when considering their long-term functionality, sustainability and contribution to Expo 2020’s legacy and Dubai’s long-term development."

“Expo 2020 will be a festival of human ingenuity.

We hope that the nations and organisations that take part in Expo, and the millions who visit, will explore the power of connections across the spheres of Opportunity, Mobility and Sustainability”, said Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum. “Our theme pavilions will play a central role in bringing this to life,” he concluded. l

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The region's Mega projects in the making developers in the region rarely do anything less than mega. here we take a look at the biggest projects currently underway in the GCC region.

KING ABDULLAH ECONOMIC CITY The King Abdullah Economic City ($93bln) is a project that is creating a new city in Saudi Arabia close to Rabigh - around 100km north of Jeddah. The 181-square-kilometre city, which will be bigger than Washington DC, is being developed by Emaar The Economic City, a company listed on the Saudi Arabian stock market and in which the UAE-based Emaar Properties is a 33 per cent stakeholder.

In a most recent development the masterplan has been remodeled to account for new technology such as driverless cars and the Internet of Things. Chief Executive Fahd Al Rasheed said that it was “currently assessing the master plan to assess the economic and physical implications of technologies such as autonomous automobiles and the increasing prevalence of the Internet of Things”.

About 40 projects, including a brand new 14 sqkm port, have been completed at the city to date.

Al Rasheed said that he expects 170 more projects to be delivered over the next decade, with 38 of these to come online this year, including a new golf club, the 55,000 sq metre Juman Park and a karting track.

“The first decade of the city’s development focused very much on infrastructure – constructing roads and water and power grids, building the port, attracting investor companies and constructing the core residential, educational and healthcare facilities required by residents,” he said.

“The next 10 years will focus on expanding the residential and recreational amenities in the city to make it the best environment to live and work in Saudi Arabia,” Al Rasheed concluded.

LUSAIL CITY Lusail is a new $45 bln city being built 15 kilometres north of Doha.

The project, which is due to complete in 2020, is being overseen by Qatari Diar - the real estate investment arm of Qatar's Sovereign Wealth Fund.

Qatar will even complete work on the first ground, the 40,000-seater Khalifa International Stadium – the venue for the 2019 World Athletics Championships – by the end of 2016, six years before the first game will be played, boast World Cup officials.

Elsewhere, work has begun on the Al Rayyan stadium, the Qatar Foundation Stadium and the Al Wakrah stadium – which takes “the

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dhow boats that carried generations of Qatari fishermen and pearl divers” to sea as a design inspiration.

All are 40,000 seat venues, which will host matches up to the quarterfinals. Also underway is work at the Al Bayt Stadium. This 60,000 capacity venue will host one of the World Cup semi-finals.

A final decision will be taken by FIFA at the end of the year about how many stadiums will be used in 2022.

The work can be monitored and overseen on CCTV by some of the more than 400 members of Qatar’s World Cup organising team from an all-white space-age control room in their skyscraper Al Bidda Tower headquarters on the Doha waterfront.

“Great progress has been made so far in preparations,” Nasser Al-Khater, assistant general secretary of Qatar’s organising committee, said last month.

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“Since winning the bid in 2010, incredible amounts of work have gone in.”

In most recent developments, CP7B, one of Lusail’s most iconic smart city projects has begun to take shape.

The agreement, which has already enhanced momentum key to materialising ‘The Heart’ of the Smart City, will contain some of Lusail’s most notable infrastructural works, including the construction of the main A1 artery road, Lusail Plaza ‘Public Realm’ and car park, 2 km of multilane below ground highway, a 3 level combined tunnel, flyovers and bridge crossings, Light Rail transit station, a 4 storey underground car park, local access roads, associated mechanical, electrical and hydraulic installations, and waterfront landscaping works. As such, the completed works will contribute heavily to the transportation, commercial and social hub of the entire Lusail City development.

Thus far, project designs have already been issued for the construction of shoring systems, with the completion of permanent works for the schematic design finalised. However, detailed design plans are still in the early stages with on-going coordination with authorities currently awaiting approval.

Nevertheless, fundamental construction works on CP7B has commenced with the initiation of piling works, sea protection

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diaphragm walls and site specific excavation, which is now approximately 1/3 of the way to completion (totalling 2 million cubic meters). Formation preparation has also been operationalised through the advancement of concrete blinding in selected areas in north and south CP7B locations.

CP7B contractors QD-SBG will continue to draw on their vast experience and resources to ensure a highly successful project outcome, contributing to the high calibre delivery of design and construction in keeping with Lusail’s innovative development and building prowess.

JAZAN ECONOMIC CITY The $30 bln Jazan Economic City will become a key contributor to Saudi Arabia’s economy as current infrastructure and projects development will provide a solid base for further investments in heavy and secondary industries, petrochemicals, mining and conversion industries. The second largest of the new economic cities proposed for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Jazan Economic City is part of the Saudi Government’s vision to create economic bases across

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the Kingdom to achieve a diversified economy and balanced regional development. Saudi Aramco will build Phase I of the project which will include smart infrastructure to meet energy, utilities and transportation requirements of a diverse industrial base.

MAKKAH GRAND MOSQUE This is a project, which is reportedly costing $26.6 bln. It will see considerable expansion of the main pilgrimage site for Muslims worldwide.

The work, which is expected to be completed soon, covers the redevelopment of 400,000 sqmtrs on the north west and north east of the mosque as well as new stations for the arrival of passengers from the Haramain High Speed railway. The main gate will also be expanded, with a view to increasing the mosque's capacity to 2.5 mln worshippers.

MOHAMMED BIN RASHID CITY The Mohammed Bin Rashid City megaproject plans to contain more than 100 new hotels, a Universal Studios complex, and a public park that is bigger than Hyde Park.

With a total land area of 4.1 million sqm, enclosed by green natural surroundings, District One, Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum City, presents one of the lowest density villa developments in the heart of the city. The dream homes come in three architectural styles: Contemporary, Mediterranean or Modern Arabic.

Phase 1 and 2 are in progress while the launch of Phase 3 was announced in February this year. A joint venture project between Meydan Group and Sobha Group, Meydan Sobha has already sold out all villas in Phase 1 and Phase 2. Handover for these two is scheduled starting mid-2016. With more than 9,000 workers currently on site, both the phases are scheduled for completion by 2017.

The other major development in the City is the 1 million square metre Dubai Hills project which is to be handed over to buyers within the next few months. The units due for handover are at the Street of Dreams – some of the biggest villas in the middle of its 18-hole golf course.

Once complete, Dubai Hills will contain more than 26,000 homes, a 143,377 sq metre lifestyle mall at the junction of Al Khail Road and Umm Suqeim Road, a further 210,778 sq metres of community and neighbourhood retail, hotels, 197,000 sq metres of offices, a tennis academy and 45 kilometres of cycling and jogging tracks.

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With the aim to establish Mall of the World as a first year-round pedestrian city in the region, the layout and design of all its developments is especially tailored for Dubai’s climate, unique social fabric, tourism appetite and connectivity demands.This will include shaded parks, sidewalks, temperature controlled arcades, mall and bridges in short distances in order to provide maximum comfort to pedestrians.

Dubai Hills has three zones. To the north, fronting Al Khail Road, there will be two malls and most of the mid-rise buildings containing a total of 22,000 flats. These will be built around a 7km-long boulevard with shops and restaurant units.

A second, low-density housing zone contains the golf course, the 97 villas already released and plots for 300 villas in two communities – the Fairways and Parkways.

Most of these plots have been sold, and Mr Nabil said that infrastructure is nearing completion, with handovers also expected later this year.

The third zone has higher density, single-family town houses and villas in communities such as Maple and Sidra. Already, more than 1,300 town houses at Maple 1 and 2 have been launched, with infrastructure construction under way.

KNOWLEDGE ECONOMIC CITY The Knowledge Economic City Project ($7 bln) describes itself as the "new gateway to Madinah". Knowledge Economic City is a 4.8m sqmtr zone being developed just 5km away from the prophet's mosque in the holy city on the main axis route connecting to the

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Photo Acknowledge By King Eliot - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0

airport and train station for the new Haramain High-Speed rail link. The project is being built over several phases, with a master plan proposing a large, gated residential community, a knowledge cluster with various shoals colleges and academic institutes, a hospitality and commerce tower, souks complex, museums quarter and an area containing residential apartments. The first phase invokes the construction of a large gated community closest to the Mosque.

KING ABDULLAH FINANCIAL DISTRICT King Abdullah Financial District ($7.8 bln): The new commercial heart of Saudi Arabia, which is being overseen by Rayadah Investment Co. The project is an attempt to build a financial centre in the Middle East to match some of the world's major financial hubs and includes the construction of up to 80 new towers, a station for Riyadh's proposed new metro system, hotels, conference facilities, shops and restaurants. The towers will include a new home for Saudi Arabia's stock exchange, Tadawul, and a 76-storey base for the Kingdom's Capital Market Authority.

MALL OF THE WORLD Dubai Holding has announced updates on the development of Mall of the World, a unique concept of an all-season city district offering a wide range of leisure, retail, cultural, residential, wellness, commercial, hospitality and pedestrian options in the heart of Dubai.

The mixed-use development will span a land area of 1.7 million

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square metres in the centre of Dubai and will be built in two phases.

The recently detailed master plan is focused on providing visitors and residents with connectivity to the surrounding city, with seven modes of transportation: a network of 33 roads, 152,500 m. sq. of walkways and plazas, bicycle routes, availability of bus and shuttle services, metro and tramlines as well as gondola rides.

As a mixed-use development, Mall of the World will have five components Retail, Residential, Office, Hospitality, and Entertainment – comprising 278 buildings across 3,525,000 sqmtrs. Mall of the World is set to host the world’s largest retail network.

With the aim to establish Mall of the World as a first year-round pedestrian city in the region, the layout and design of all its developments is especially tailored for Dubai’s climate, unique social fabric, tourism appetite and connectivity demands. This will include shaded parks, sidewalks, temperature controlled arcades, mall and bridges in short distances in order to provide maximum comfort to pedestrians.

Ahmad Bin Byat, Vice Chairman and Managing Director of Dubai Holding, said: “Mall of the World is a complex, long-term and strategic project that is set to play a significant role in positioning Dubai as a global hub for tourism, in line with our leadership’s plans including Dubai Tourism Vision 2020.

Morgan Parker, Chief Operating Officer, Mall of the World, said: “We are making good progress with the planning and thoughtful approach to the development of Mall of the World. It sits at the heart of Dubai and will be critical to the Emirate’s economic growth.

Our approach is to combine a human scale all-seasons lifestyle destination with an urban mixed-use metropolitan community. Key to the project’s success will be accessibility, and we are developing a system that will combine a mix of modern transport modes and networks. The project is currently led by a global team of 100 experienced professionals. And we are working closely with government entities and authorities to ensure seamless execution of the project”. l

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Challenges of being a construction lawyer

Tim Taylor QC of King & Wood Mallesons is a solicitor advocate who acts for major corporates, financial institutions, sovereign states and parastatals, with a focus on a number of sectors, including major construction projects.

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onstruction law is widely considered one of the more complex areas of law to practice – often dealing with disputes relating to contract, commercial planning and employment law and involving large sums of money and several concerned parties. We asked Mr Taylor what it is really like being a leading construction lawyer in the dynamic GCC market: 1. What are some of the unique features about construction disputes and litigation in this part of the world?

The technical expertise needed to resolve construction claims largely sits with professionals operating in the English language.

This makes arbitration generally the preferred choice of dispute resolution mechanism, certainly for contractors, although major developers, particularly government backed ones may insist on local courts.

Typically contracts are subject to local laws applied to standard (usually) FIDIC forms with more or less customisation of those forms depending on whether the parties used specialist legal advice in the procurement and tendering process.

The core skills of interpreting the contracts and assembling the factual and expert evidence needed to resolve construction disputes will be the same whether you are going to be before arbitrators or the local courts, but very different skillsets are required to present a case before arbitrators and to present it in the Arabic courts, and that is why I work with our specialist Arabic courts team in-house, either if the dispute is being resolved in the courts at the outset or if there are enforcement disputes following an arbitral award, which is commonplace in the Middle East and Africa.

National courts in the Gulf lack the specialism of experienced specialist arbitrators or, say, London’s Technology and Construction Court in resolving construction claims, so the technical issues get farmed out to court appointed experts. We work with Emirati advocates who have exclusive rights of audience in the courts, but our own lawyers are able to prepare the written Arabic pleadings and also argue before court appointed experts.

Oral advocacy and cross examining witnesses do not feature strongly in the court process, but are essential skills before arbitrators. Having practised advocacy both before courts and

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On occasion, clients (more developers than contractors) will look to address these ‘front end’ side of things and they instruct lawyers to assist in preparing various template agreements for their use, applying their knowledge acquired unfortunately from various projects that have gone awfully wrong! In some of these cases, the lawyers continue to act for the clients throughout the life cycle of the project in a legal and contractual project counsel role tackling legal, contractual, technical and operational issues as they arise.

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arbitral tribunals all over the world over the last thirty or so years that is the part of the process which gives me the most professional satisfaction, perhaps second only to negotiating a good settlement or securing a win for my clients.

2. How can focusing on the legal framework at the initial design stage avoid disputes later on?

There is a temptation to be pennywise and pound foolish by cutting and pasting contracts together without specialist legal expertise. I am a specialist in the casualty end of the business, but I am fortunate to have colleagues not only here, but in London, Singapore, Hong Kong, China and Australia who will help a client to be sure that their contracts are clear and allocate risk properly

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and sensibly. That is key and so is administering the contract diligently. On occasion, clients (more developers than contractors) will look to address these ‘front end’ side of things and they instruct lawyers to assist in preparing various template agreements for their use, applying their knowledge acquired unfortunately from various projects that have gone awfully wrong! In some of these cases, the lawyers continue to act for the clients throughout the life cycle of the project in a legal and contractual project counsel role tackling legal, contractual, technical and operational issues as they arise. Failing to keep contemporaneous records and serve notices in a timely way can cost a contractor or an employer dearly. Very often these disciplines may be culturally

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uncomfortable, say for a Chinese Contractor working for a major Saudi enterprise. It is vital not to bury your head in the sands and to spot where disputes are brewing and act quickly to avert them. If you don’t, spending time in costly arbitration and litigation is likely where you end up. The prevention is better than the cure.

3. In the past, construction cases in the Middle East have been long drawn out affairs. Have there been any improvements in the speed of the judicial proceeding in the last couple of years? If yes, what are the reasons for this change?

Arbitration is rarely either quick or cheap and may be followed by a year or more of enforcement litigation. Local courts litigation is on a spectrum from glacial, say in Saudi, to quite rapid fire down in Abu Dhabi, where the judiciary are incentivised to process cases swiftly.

Of the Courts modelled on the English law Common system the DIFC has now built up a significant caseload, but I have not seen much evidence of contractors and employers opting in to have construction claims resolved directly before the court, as opposed to seeking enforcement of awards there.

Qatar has its own DIFC style courts but with a way to go to catch up with the DIFC’s caseload. Bahrain has opted for an interesting hybrid between litigation and arbitration and is well served by a local legal community with international firms thinner on the ground. Abu Dhabi will be the next entrant to the synthetic Common Law model, and has saved itself the trouble of codifying common law by just borrowing English Common Law, more on the lines of Singapore and Hong Kong.

4. With the region having the some of the highest value disputes in the world, can you describe some of the pressures and challenges of being a construction lawyer in Dubai?

I came to Dubai in April 2009 and started what was then SJ Berwin’s Dubai office (King & Wood Mallesons since November 2013), working from my kitchen table, with one employee, who was the daughter of the head of MI6. Luckily I never needed his help, but it was exciting from the start. With the importance of the built environment construction has progressively become a bigger part of my workload, but my background has mainly been

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2016 is expected to see more challenging conditions in the UAE real estate market as we begin to feel the impact of the continuing fall in oil prices and ongoing geopolitical tensions leading to reduced liquidity, and pressure on government budgets. Whilst this overall scenario will naturally impact the UAE and wider GCC region, the UAE real estate market is now better equipped to deal with such challenges than it has ever been. international shareholder disputes as well as fraud and asset tracing and corruption cases. In my first two years in Dubai I spent 180 nights, or six months sleeping on airplanes on several occasions going straight from the plane to court or into an arbitration hearing. I was also making several overnight trips to go to court in the Seychelles – not as glamorous as it sounds if you fly overnight and back at the end of the day. The construction disputes make less peripatetic demands on me, but the cocktail of understanding the laws of the Gulf and deploying them before arbitrators the DIFC and the local courts has been professionally challenging and rewarding, and I have come to acquire great respect for the more detailed scientific forensic and practical skills that my more technically specialised colleagues possess.

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often are in other contexts. I come from a rather different background and enjoy being a ‘hired gun’ and problem solver. Litigation strategy is much more an art than a science, but its application to technical construction disputes calls for a particular marriage of art to science, essentially to tell a highly compelling story, usually in order to make cash go from A to B, or to stop it doing so, depending on whose side you are on. That may sound facile, but it is true.

5. The construction market is highly interlinked, have you had instances in the past where you have ended up suing a company that you have also represented?

How often do you come across conflict of interest situations?

I have been acting for clients in the Middle East since the eighties, and one feature of local culture that I have always loved as a litigator is that if you do a really tough job opposing someone, they may very well want you on their side next time. That has happened to me more with Middle East clients and opponents than in any other culture. That is rather more rewarding than death threats which I have experienced a couple of times in other parts of the world.

6. What do you think are the perceptions of construction lawyers in the region's governments and general public?

I think construction lawyers, particularly those who do the noncontentious work, are regarded as trusted professionals who are a lot closer to the coal face of the industry they work with than lawyers

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7. What are the most common causes of complaints and disputes in the industry in the Middle East?

In a word “Delay” – if you are a contractor it’s the money that’s late and if you are the developer it is the building. The culture of blame is more visible in the construction industry than one can imagine. Not invariably, but for the most part often the quality issues are a sideshow and leverage for how much money goes where in the end.

8. How much of a role does technology play in construction contract law and litigation?

Delay and Disruption claims entail an advanced and complex science of contingencies and computer methodology has become essential, with some extraordinary complex (and for now at least expensive) new tools coming on stream. Deployed effectively these are more tools to help me with the craft of convincingly demonstrating why my client is right. That said, when it comes to technology, it has struck me watching the US election cycle that genuine stupidity is still advancing more rapidly than artificial intelligence. l

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Dubai Wholesale City promises to be the Largest Wholesale Hub Worldwide Vice President and Prime Minister of uae and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, has launched Dubai Wholesale City, the largest global wholesale hub, set to span over 550 million sq. feet, with an expected development cost of AED30 billion over ten years.

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he new development aims to increase the UAE’s share of the global wholesale trade sector, which is valued at $4.3 trillion and expected to grow to $4.9 trillion in the next five years.

"The UAE is moving on with its strategic plan to diversify the national economy away from a dependence on oil. It has its unique economic vision that enables the creation of new economic sectors to contribute to the nation’s growth, even while upgrading existing sectors to ensure they are on par with highest global standards," Sheikh Mohammed made the statement during the official launch of Dubai Wholesale City.

The new global hub will comprise of specialised integrated trading parks that meet all the requirements of wholesale traders under one roof, as well as an international trade exhibition facility. Given Dubai Wholesale City’s proximity to Al Maktoum International Airport, and the Jebel Ali Port, the

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development will create a crucial link between four main continents and aims to be home to more than 15000 wholesale traders.

Dubai Wholesale City will also feature ‘Country Pavilions’, that will include commercial centers and malls offering products from various different countries, including India, Malaysia, Thailand, Turkey, Australia, China, South Korea, Germany, Saudi Arabia, the United States and South America.

The new project will revolutionise the global wholesale trade through its utilisation of integrated smart services, an advanced framework, and the world’s best logistics support. The City will launch operations by servicing strategic sectors and will include specialised avenues (boulevards) for food, construction materials, electrical appliances, electronics, furniture and decor, machinery, equipment, wood, vehicles and spare parts, and textiles and clothing.

Dubai Wholesale City will also activate the world’s largest e-commerce platform for wholesale trade in the region. The new service aims to enhance the UAE’s

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"The UAE’s strategic location, world-class infrastructure and strong institutions make it the most qualified place to lead the new wave of growth in wholesale trade, on an international scale."

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capabilities in the global e-commerce space that is set to grow from $1.672 trillion to reach $2.941 trillion in 2018, with a compound annual growth rate of 21%.

It is noteworthy that the UAE’s e-commerce market growth rate is expected to be double of the global growth rate in e-commerce. According to market speculations, it will surge up to four times its current size through the next three years - to rise from a value of US$2.5 billion in 2015 to US$10 billion in 2018, a compound annual growth rate of 59%.

During the launch, Sheikh Mohammed reiterated the role of trade in the nation’s prosperity and said that it was a key contributor to maintaining the UAE’s economic success, as well as a crucial sector in its future development."

He added: "The UAE’s strategic location, world-class infrastructure, and strong institutions make it the most qualified place to lead the new wave of growth in wholesale trade, on an international scale."

Sheikh Mohammed concluded: "Our aim is to build a sustainable national economy. Dependency on oil was never a choice and we will not bind our future to it."

Dubai Wholesale City is a fully-integrated trading hub that aims to meet the needs of the local and international wholesale trading sector. The destination is projected to emerge as the world’s leading wholesale trading hub and strengthen the UAE’s position as a pivotal market in global trade. Wholesale trade is among the most important economic sectors today with huge growth prospects. Global trade is projected to grow by 12% to US$4.9 trillion in 2019.

The hub will serve as an international trade exhibition facility and provide wholesale traders with comprehensive offerings, including state-ofthe-art infrastructure, roads, warehousing, storage facilities and support services, thus guaranteeing high operational efficiency and ease of doing business. For its part, the international businessto-business exhibition facility will convene buyers with suppliers from around the world. The sizeable asset will serve as a mediator in global trade and open up a raft of service options to producers and traders, even while saving them time and effort.

Dubai Holding will be developing the new ‘City’. Mohammed Al-Gergawi, Chairman, Dubai Holding, said, "The new Dubai Wholesale City complements the series of projects in the emirate that articulate the unique vision of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid towards launching integrated destinations (cities) that serve diverse economic sectors. These include, amongst others, the Dubai Internet City and Dubai Media City that collectively host more than 5,200 companies and over 67,000 professionals across multiple industry verticals."

He added, "Dubai Holding is committed to supporting the vision of the UAE’s wise leadership in achieving sustainable development. And, Dubai Wholesale City is among several projects that we have conceptualised as part of our priority to help achieve the UAE’s post-oil vision. The launch of the Dubai Wholesale City comes as a result of

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The project in its first phase will service a number of key sectors in an eco-friendly environment adhering to the highest quality standards of energy conservation, waste management and industrial hygiene. intensive discussions and meticulous studies of the wholesale sector, and the plethora of opportunities it offers. We are confident this project will have immense positive impact on wholesale trade in the UAE, the Gulf region and the rest of the world."

The project in its first phase will service a number of key sectors in an eco-friendly environment adhering to the highest quality standards of energy conservation, waste management and industrial hygiene. Dubai Wholesale City will deploy the latest technology and range of smart city features to make trade operations seamless and efficient.

Dubai Wholesale City’s proximity to major markets connecting three quarters of the world’s population within a seven hour flying time makes it an ideal meeting point between the east and the west and serves as a key factor in distinguishing it from other wholesale hubs worldwide.

The new city will also benefit from Dubai’s advanced logistics

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services and its distinctive location 10 minutes away from Al Makhtoum International Airport and the Jebel Ali Port, two major gateways for global cargo and shipping industries.

While boosting the wholesale trade sector, the new city is projected to translate a positive spillover impact on other sectors linked to trade such as logistics, financial services, aviation, hospitality, and business tourism.

Spanning an area of over 550 million square feet, Dubai Wholesa le City will aim to grow as a global wholesale hub and the region’s primary one-stop-shop for a wide range of integrated wholesale products and solutions. The new destination will utilize its comprehensive offerings, advanced purpose-built infrastructure and support services to attract local, regional and international wholesale traders. l

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T As skylines darken for Earth Hour, millions shine a light on climate action as WWF’s Earth Hour rolled across the world from Samoa to Santiago, millions came together to shine a light on the climate action our planet needs. The tenth edition of the movement’s signature lights-out event saw individuals, communities, organizations and landmarks in an unprecedented 178 countries and territories switch off in solidarity with global efforts to combat climate change.

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aking place months after the historic climate summit in Paris, Earth Hour 2016 was celebrated across seven continents, aboard the International Space Station and served as a strong visual reminder of the world’s determination to tackle our planet’s biggest environmental challenge yet. As more than 400 iconic landmarks dimmed their lights, a collective hope that our actions today can create promise for the planet and future generations shone through.

“The past 24 hours have shown us yet again the impact we can achieve when we unite for a cause,” said Siddarth Das, Executive Director, Earth Hour Global.

“Every light switch turned off represents a call to switch on our collective power and be the first line of defence for our planet as we form the frontlines of climate change.”

While the Earth Hour movement has grown from a one-city event in Sydney in 2007 to the world’s largest grassroots movement for the environment, the need for climate action has also accelerated. This year, WWF and Earth Hour teams used the Earth Hour movement to engage people in critical climate conversations and solutions.

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In the UAE, Earth Hour 2016 activities started at 4pm on Saturday, 19 March 2016 at Bay Avenue Park in Business Bay, Dubai.

All participants switched off their unnecessary lights at 8:30pm and lit environmentally-friendly candles made of honey, wax, and soya. This is a noble gesture by the people of Dubai, reflecting their support for international efforts to protect the Earth.

HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Vice Chairman of the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy, and MD & CEO of DEWA participated in the activities. Government organisations, private companies, universities, schools and individuals also took part.

Earth Hour 2016 included a host of family and entertainment activities to spread environmental awareness. In cooperation with the Dubai Carbon Centre

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of Excellence (DCCE), DEWA launched the Carbon Neutral Initiative, to neutralise all carbon emissions during Earth Hour. This was achieved by adopting the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) across all DEWA’s projects based on the Kyoto Protocol, which is directly linked to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. DEWA also launched its ‘Shine a light on Climate Action’ campaign to raise awareness about the dangers of the increasing effects of climate change, and emphasise the importance of the rational use of electricity and water.

Singapore’s central business district turned off their lights, people at the WWF-Singapore event came forward to “plant a forest” in Sumatra, Indonesia which lost 2 million hectares of forest to burning between September and October 2015.

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While the Earth Hour movement has grown from a one-city event in Sydney in 2007 to the world’s largest grassroots movement for the environment, the need for climate action has also accelerated.

Across the globe, in the World Heritage site of the Galápagos Islands, where Earth Hour has previously helped achieve a ban on disposable plastic bags and expanded polystyrene packaging, the WWF-Ecuador team centred its Earth Hour event on the theme of locally-grown produce.

As an island, access to food is a key issue for the Galápagos Islands and WWF-Ecuador is also partnering with restaurants and the hospitality sector in mainland Ecuador to create awareness on sustainable food.

In Tanzania, as the world switched off, WWF-Tanzania’s Earth Hour campaign brought people together to install a solar-powered water pump to serve a primary school and local dispensary in the Temeke Municipality.

“As new climate records are broken month after month, the record-breaking participation of Earth Hour reminds us that we are also witnessing mounting momentum to change climate change. The grassroots are meeting the governments in their ambition for strong climate action, sparking hope for the future we can shape for generations to come,” added Das. These words were echoed by UN Secretary-General Ban Kimoon in a video statement recorded for the movement in which he states that Earth Hour 2016 comes at a pivotal moment when the road ahead requires commitment and ambition and we all have a role to play.

To date in 2016, WWF’s Earth Hour has been the force behind more than 1.23 million individual actions taken to help change climate change including participating in on-the-ground activities for reforestation and recycling, digital petitions for climate-friendly policy and online campaigns to promote climate awareness and action.

As part of the “Donate Your Social Power” campaign, supporters around the world also donated their social feeds to WWF and Earth Hour to shine a light on climate action. With automated posts and custom Earth Hour profile pictures appearing in personal newsfeeds worldwide, supporters helped spread awareness and action on climate across a potential social reach surpassing 18.7 million people.

“As the world stands at a climate crossroads, Earth Hour has ensured that the demand for climate action echoes across the globe, from glass skylines to digital timelines,” said Das. As the hour rolls to a close in Cook Islands today, WWF and Earth Hour teams around the world will continue to empower individuals,

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communities, businesses and governments to be a part of critical climate action for sustainable food and agriculture, climate education, conservation projects, renewable energy and climate-friendly legislation. Strengthened by the support shown this weekend, teams will renew the charge to tackle issues such as sustainable palm oil practices in Southeast Asia, a transition toward renewables in Sweden, Spain and Scotland, sustainable lifestyles in China and Chile and protecting forests and wildlife habitats in Africa and South and Central America.

Earth Hour 2016 by the numbers (based on initial estimates collected on 20 March 2016): • A record participation by 178 countries and territories • Over 6,600 events registered on digital maps by individuals and organizations • 1.23 million individual actions taken to help change climate change (on-theground activities, digital actions and climate petitions) • Lights out at over 400 iconic landmarks including the Sydney Opera House (Sydney), Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament (London), the Tokyo Tower (Tokyo), the Empire State Building (New York), Marina Bay Sands Hotel (Singapore) and the Eiffel Tower (Paris) • Over 2.5 billion impressions of official campaign hashtags in the week leading up to and on Earth Hour (14-19 March).

Since 2007, WWF’s Earth Hour has mobilized businesses, organizations, governments and hundreds of millions of individuals in over 7,000 cities and more than 170 countries and territories to act for a sustainable future. l

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Middle East Electricity and Solar get bigger this year Solar Middle East saw a 57 per cent YoY increase in exhibitors and plays host to raft of industry advancing products, including a solar powered rickshaw able to travel 150km on a 30 second charge.

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is Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and the Minister of Finance and Industry of the UAE, officially opened the 41st edition of Middle East Electricity (MEE) in the presence of other VIP dignitaries. MEE took place alongside partner event Solar Middle East, at the Dubai World Trade Centre.

Low oil prices have failed to dent the global power industry’s confidence in the region, and the record-breaking 2016 edition of MEE validated the opportunities in the region’s power markets despite the low oil price environment.

Market research specialist Ventures Onsite estimates that the GCC will require about $50 billion of investment in new power generating capacity to meet demand arising from demographic and economic growth. Currently, the total value of power projects in the GCC is $247 billion.

This year the 41st edition of MEE hosted 300 new-to-the-show companies. Anita Mathews, Group Director of Informa Industrial Group, the organiser of Middle East Electricity, said: “Middle East Electricity continues to maintain its growth in spite of the challenging market conditions we are all currently facing. The exhibition has grown by 7 per cent this year compared to 2015, and exhibitor presence from countries such as Germany, Turkey, China and Saudi Arabia is on the rise.”

Co-located with Middle East Electricity is Solar Middle East (SME), the most comprehensive gathering of solar technology suppliers in the region.

Opening its doors for the fourth time this year, the 2016 edition of SME was the most successful yet.

SME 2016 has seen a 57 per cent increase in exhibitor

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numbers, and a 45 per cent increase in exhibition floor space since last year which is indicative of the progress and growth of the regional solar market.

The event was the ideal meeting place for solar industry professionals from across the globe while also providing opportunities for visitors to learn about the latest technologies, developments and trends in the solar energy industry. More than 1,500 exhibitors from 62 countries to showcased their products and services at the event.

Middle East Electricity and Solar Middle East 2016 were both held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai.

This year’s Solar Middle East took place amidst increasingly ambitious solar targets in the region.

According to the Middle East Solar Industry Association (MESIA), the Middle East is set to tender as much as 4 GW of solar energy projects in 2016.

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In its recent Middle East Solar Outlook report, MESIA said this year has been characterized by increasingly lower level costs of solar electricity as the region’s solar energy market is spurred on, rather than slowed down, by low oil and gas prices.

With growth comes international innovation, as well as opportunities for visitors to learn about the latest technologies, developments and trends in the solar energy industry. First time exhibitors KiloWatt Labs, who have offices in both Dubai and New York, showcased the world’s first energy server, the Centauri, which enables 24-hour power from 100% renewable energy sources.

A plug-and-play architecture that accepts multiple energy inputs from both renewable and non-renewable sources, it smartly manages distribution of these energy inputs and delivers stable and reliable electricity, 24 hours a day. The Centauri can be deployed from kilowatts to megawatts and has a designed life of 20 years.

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Chip Seibert, Chairman and President at KiloWatt Labs, believes that their products can provide very high quality power anywhere, including remote locations - an issue prevalent in the Middle East region; “We are so pleased to be a part of Solar Middle East this year. With deep roots in the Emirates, we are proud to offer our latest series of groundbreaking products, including the world’s first non-chemical battery. The Sirius battery charges in less than 30 seconds, lasts for more than 1,000,000 charging cycles and can scale from small consumer applications to large utility storage solutions.

“We also released the Centauri Energy Server, an energy management system that provides very high quality power anywhere, including remote locations, in a scalable, modular system that we are able to offer at a very affordable price.

Coupled with the Sirius battery, we offer a very rugged system that will overcome any challenges this region presents.”

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Another first time exhibitor is Microtron Technologies, an international energy technology development company, who are showcasing their latest range of solar powered quick charging electric vehicles. One of the more unusual vehicles they are showcasing is the ‘Rick-e’, a solar power electric rickshaw. Using a state-of-the-art Ultra-Capacitor hybrid battery, the Rick-e can travel 150km carrying 5 passengers off a charging time of only 16-30 seconds.

SME also held a series of workshops giving visitors the chance to gain a certificate of participation and, post-event, add CPD accreditation points to their engineer licences. Led by Kris Sutton, and instructor at the Solar Energy Institute, the two workshops covered utility-connected Solar Electric System Design, and batterybased Solar Electric System Design. l

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P.O. Box 60990 Al Wasl Road Dubai, UAE Phone: +9714 395 6566 info@dewan-architects.com

SUSTAINABILITY

Solar energy at a pivotal stage in the region This month we spoke to CEO of the Phanes Group, Martin Haupts. Martin founded Phanes Group in 2012, giving the company a distinct renewable energy and solar power focus – particularly, distributed solar power systems. With his unique insights into project management, financing and capital markets relating to renewable power generation systems, we discuss the rapidly changing solar project landscape in the region and its future implications.

Can you briefly describe what you understand by a Distributed Solar Project?

Distributed solar refers specifically to solar that is produced at or close to the place where the energy is used. Traditionally, this is rooftop solar in homes and buildings that are consuming the energy they produce.

Distributed solar carries many advantages including reduced cost because it puts less strain on utility infrastructure and more importantly, it can offer access to power for people in remote parts of the community.

We have a relatively focused approach to solar, in that we believe distributed has the potential to really help bridge the deployment gap in the UAE and wider GCC region. Our full service design, development, deployment and investment model – offered locally as a simple solution to solar by our Green Energy Tomorrow entity – also allows for the independent production of power at little or no up-front cost. Our decentralized solar leasing model has been made possible because of Dubai’s Shams net metering scheme that allows anyone who produces power to benefit from it financially.

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How does Phanes GROUP help customers in installing these distributed systems?

We realized that a gap exists between those who understand and desire the value of renewable solar power, and those with the capabilities to deploy and finance it. Phanes Group is a firm based and strategically located in Dubai, operating across the world to positively scale up solar power by closing that very gap. So what’s unique about how we operate is we offer a truly holistic, full-service solution that de-risks and simplifies solar power for those who seek it. Our integrated model unifies solar technology and engineering to deliver a simple and cost effective service.

What is your outlook for solar energy in the region?

Particularly with reference to UAE, Saudi, Egypt and Morocco?

I believe we are on the verge of a pivotal year in renewable energy deployment in the UAE and across the Middle East. The regional energy landscape is evolving, presenting clear opportunities for developers and investors that can create the right partnerships and offer innovative financing structures that support the rapid scale up of solar in the energy mix. From a policy perspective, processes in the region for implementation of renewables, especially solar are increasingly refined.

The increased transparency is attracting greater participation from more and more smaller businesses, who are now demonstrating that they can compete with the bigger players on price, quality and reliability.

We mustn’t lose sight of the region’s ambitious renewables targets.

In Morocco, for instance, 42% of its energy is expected to be derived from renewables by 2020, with one-third of that total coming from solar, wind and hydropower apiece. It recently switched on what is expected to be the largest concentrated solar plant and as many as

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“What makes solar so promising here is its consistency of fuel source. This region has some of the highest irradiation rates in the world with more than 300 days a year of strong sunshine. Even in Europe and the UK, where sunny days are fewer and more inconsistent even in the summer months, solar energy is financially and environmentally viable.”

39 solar power projects with a total cost of $3 billion are planned in Egypt.

These all demonstrate momentum in solar and offer proof of a promising near-term outlook for the technology in this region.

Do you have any upcoming projects in the region?

We are bullish on the regional solar market and expect to announce new partnerships and projects in the region in the coming weeks and months. But while we are a locally based firm, our outlook is very much global – which is why Dubai makes such great sense for us from geostrategic perspective.

We expect by 2018 to have a global installed solar capacity of 500 MW. In addition to current projects in the United Kingdom and the Dominican Republic, our two-year pipeline includes groundbreaking utility-scale distributed and ground mounted solar PV projects in the United Arab Emirates, Chile, and South Africa. In the Dominican Republic, Phase Two of the 34 MW Monte Plata solar array will start in the next few weeks. Once complete it will increase the plant’s capacity to 67 megawatts.

How important is the role of getting the right financing - for individuals and for companies?

Closing the project finance gap is the most critical barrier to even greater levels of activity in the solar industry today. I do not believe we are seeing enough activity and support from global markets, but with time that will change. Solar energy is a strong, stable

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long-term investment opportunity that will have none of the volatility traditional energy investments have offered, and that is a message that is gaining momentum and consensus.

Our diverse mix of capabilities at Phanes Group, including deep engineering expertise, broad investment knowledge and a strategic central base in Dubai allows us to connect the communities that have for a long time not understood each other well – i.e. the technical and investment communities, and we are creating a leasing model that means owners and landlords take on none of the upfront cost of installing solar panels. We have a unique value proposition, and in just four years, we’ve gone from being an advisory-focused consultancy to becoming an integrated solar developer, asset and investment manager with particular expertise in distributed solar energy.

‘With state of the technology today we believe for the first time, solar energy generation in terms of cost per watt has come down to become commercially feasible and does not require government subsidies’. Could you care to elaborate on this?

What makes solar so promising here is its consistency of fuel source. This region has some of the highest irradiation rates in the world with more than 300 days a year of strong sunshine. Even in Europe and the UK, where sunny days are fewer and more inconsistent even in the summer months, solar energy is financially and environmentally viable. We’ve done work with three registered social landlords to deploy rooftop installations on individual rooftops across North East England and South West Wales. The clean energy produced will ease fuel poverty and save tenants an average of GBP 200 on electricity bills annually.

The GCC’s solar potentially is huge and with increasingly competitive technology costs solar has become a viable commercial opportunity in its own right, as long as there are government commitments to the price it will pay for

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that power. And there is huge progress on that front.

Recent policy modifications have opened up what was traditionally an industry controlled by the state, to more and more private players and independent power producers so there is a greater appreciation for the importance of public-private collaboration and that approach is being supported by attractive policies.

What about other forms of renewable like Wind and Tidal generation?

Do you have interests in those as well?

The UAE and GCC – like the rest of the world – require a balanced energy mix, which sees a combination of technologies deployed to support power generation and ensure grid continuity and consistent power supply at accessible prices.

That said, our focus is on solar because we believe its potential to scale up faster is greater than other forms – particularly in countries with access to uninterrupted sunlight. And what’s really exciting about solar is that we are seeing incredible breakthroughs in thin film solar technology that may one day mean our buildings, cars and transportation systems built with material able to harness the sun’s light to power themselves. We’re a long way from that yet, but that outlines the direction solar can take us. l

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Martin Haupts has orchestrated his company’s transition from an advisoryfocused boutique to an integrated solar developer and investment manager.

He has led a volume of more than $250m with Phanes’ involvement on the Capital Markets and advisory side and is responsible for the majority of Phanes’ transactions on the project side. Before setting up Phanes, Martin acted as Head of Asset Management for the Dubai International Financial Centre-based Gulf Merchant Bank.

He also established Dubai-based firm Themar Partners, a structuring boutique for the Islamic Capital Markets, that was later merged into Phanes Group.

Prior to this he worked for Credit Suisse Asset Management in London and Zurich where he was instrumental in setting up the global product business, a $700Bn platform, where he was appointed Global COO Products and Solutions. With 15 years in the asset management industry, Martin has a wealth of experience in structuring and in-depth expertise in the Cleantech Industry and the Islamic Finance space.

Martin holds an MBA from INSEAD, France/Singapore, and a Masters in Corporate Law from the University of Hamburg, Germany.

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AUTONOMOUS CARS: BOON OR BANE? Driverless cars are a disruptive technology that will have huge consequences for society. We need to start thinking of how driverless cars will shape the future of transport.

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s autonomous car technology rapidly progresses, makers of the cars face the difficult question of how safe they must be before they’re ready to move people on highways and city streets.

Right now, companies such as Google, Audi, and Mercedes-Benz are testing the cars in a small number of cities to demonstrate they can be safer than human drivers. They also must figure out what level of risk is acceptable to both government regulators and a potentially skeptical public.

Government statistics show that human mistakes are responsible for 94 per cent of the 33,000 traffic fatalities each year. Autonomous cars won’t get drowsy, distracted or drunk, so in theory they could eliminate those mistakes and save an estimated 31,000 lives a year. However, a February accident

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involving a Google autonomous Lexus and a public bus shows, cars that drive themselves can make mistakes. In the bus crash, Google for the first time admitted its car was at least partly responsible. The computer and human driver assumed the bus would yield as the car moved around sandbags. Instead, the bus kept going and the car hit its side. Google has updated its software since then.

Google is testing a fleet of 56 autonomous cars on the streets of the America at Mountain View, California; Austin, Texas; and Kirkland, Washington. The cars have driven themselves almost 1.5 million miles, with a person as backup in the driver seat. The company also uses a simulator to test the cars in a variety of scenarios. Other companies such as Nissan, software firm Cruise Automation and parts suppliers Bosch and Delphi also are testing on public roads. Test US cities also include San Francisco, Las Vegas and Pittsburgh.

In about a dozen other crashes on city streets, Google blamed the human driver of the other vehicle.

Google wants to make cars available to the public around the end of 2019, assuming its data shows the time is right for deployment.

Baidu Inc. will soon start testing autonomous cars in the U.S., part of the Chinese tech giant’s effort to introduce a commercially viable model by 2018.

The move, disclosed by Baidu’s chief scientist Andrew Ng in an interview, is a significant step for the company, which is trying to get ahead in the race to build autonomous cars and is now calling on the resources of its

If an obstacle appears suddenly in the road, will Google’s vehicle be able to distinguish a plastic bag, a pigeon and a child? In a lethal accident, who will be to blame – the car owner, the manufacturer, or even the robot itself?

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Silicon Valley tech centre to advance the effort. At the same time, Baidu is advocating for better coordination with the US government, which the company says is necessary to get self-driving cars on the road.

Central to the push is Mr. Ng, who is also an artificial-intelligence scientist who conducted groundbreaking research at Stanford University and at Alphabet Inc. ’s Google. He’s also a co-founder of online-learning company Coursera Inc. Late last year, Beijing-based Baidu became the latest technology company to publicize its intention to develop self-driving cars. As cars increasingly come to resemble robots, non-traditional car makers are gaining a wider berth into the automotive industry.

Mr. Ng’s lab at Stanford, where he remains an assistant professor, developed the open-source “robot operating system,” or ROS, which is used world-wide.

Baidu, a 16-year-old search-engine company, is often called the “Google of China.” Hired by Baidu in 2014, Mr. Ng leads a growing office of 160 in Sunnyvale, Calif., where many employees are dedicated to developing a self-driving car.

Meanwhile, British Chancellor, George Osborne is expected to announce that driverless cars will be tested on Britain’s motorways as soon as next year. Yet the laws around liability for autonomous cars remain hazy. If an obstacle appears suddenly in the road, will Google’s vehicle be able to distinguish a plastic bag, a pigeon and a child? In a lethal accident, who will be to blame – the car owner, the manufacturer, or even the robot itself?

‘BUT YOUR HONOR, MY CAR WAS HACKED!’ Self-driving cars could cut road deaths by 80%, but without better security they put us at risk of car hacking and even ransom demands, experts say. But imagine this: You’re about to drive to work. You turn on the ignition – and a message on the dash lights up.

“We’ve hacked your car! Pay 10 bitcoin to get it back.”

Hacking into software and then demanding a ransom to release it – what’s known as ransomware – is not new. Finnish security expert Mikko Hypponen fully expects it to become a reality as self-driving or “autonomous” cars start to become more commonplace.

Already, one hacker claims to have taken control of some systems on board a passenger plane he was on, getting as far as issuing a “climb command” that he accessed through the entertainment system. Another pair of hackers caused a Jeep to crash in July 2015 by accessing some of the car’s software through another poorly protected entertainment system. At the Defcon hacking conference, as far back as 2011, hackers were asking if they could write a virus that would be transmitted car to car.

Yet another future threat to electronically controlled cars that could be harder to detect. “If you wanted to slow US GDP, all you would have to do is increase the commute time in every urban environment by 15 minutes. Just tweak a few cars, or get one to put on the brake … even if these things happen a few times, it will affect the confidence of consumers.”

Human-controlled cars will eventually be forbidden to drive on the road except for on racetracks, according to Hypponen. As history has shown, the same has been certainly true of horses. Even though he sees bad things happen all the time, Hypponen remains positive about self-driving cars, he said. “The internet has brought us more good than bad. Overall, technology improves our lives and business, even with the risks. And I’ll be able to watch cat videos on YouTube while I’m ‘driving’.” l

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Saudi Arabia’s Skyrocketing Online Presence 86% of Kingdom’s Consumers are Online Daily, with the Average Saudi Consumer Owning 2.3 Connected Devices: Google Survey

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urging smartphone penetration in Saudi Arabia is propelling internet use across the Kingdom, presenting infinite possibilities to both businesses and the country’s tech savvy consumers, according to industry experts.

Home to one of the world’s largest online communities, Saudi Arabia’s expanding virtual presence has been bolstered by continuous developments in mobile technology, and the country’s advanced telecommunications network.

“We have a relatively young population of technologically savvy Saudis who have embraced mobile technology as a basic necessity in their daily lives,” said Faisal Al Bannai, Managing Director at axiom.

“They recognize the promise of the digital world -- allowing them to share experiences, acquire information, and communicate in a way they never have before. Mobile technology has been a significant enabler of this online experience, allowing them to stay connected no matter where life takes them.”

The average Saudi consumer now owns 2.3 connected devices, with 86% of the Kingdom’s consumers online daily, according to Google’s

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latest Saudi Arabia Connected Consumer Survey. In addition, about 9 out of 10 Saudis own a smartphone, an impressive 26% increase over the last three years, and 86% of Saudis go online at least as often via smartphone as a computer - a 42% increase since 2012.

“The smartphone has essentially become the must-have tool for remote access to information,” says Al Bannai. “In a single compact device, you can place calls, send emails and texts, take photos, find a location – what other device allows you to do perform all these functions? At axiom we are constantly releasing new technologies with lifeenhancing capabilities, and it has become clear that the possibilities of mobile technology are infinite.”

A whopping 89% of Saudis use their smartphones while watching TV, according to the Google survey.

Meanwhile, 77% watch videos on their smartphone at least weekly, 69% reported making their last purchase on a smartphone, and 71% said they use their smartphones to search for local businesses.

For the Kingdom’s technology mavens, smartphones are just the beginning of an ever-growing universe of mobile connectivity, added Al Bannai.

“International manufacturers have recognized our country’s passion for all things digital, and that

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is why Saudi Arabia will continue to be a priority market for many of the world’s leading mobile brands,” Al Bannai said. “This not only means that our customers will have access to the latest technology, but also that they will be among the first to do so. It is truly an exciting time for the Kingdom’s tech enthusiasts.”

GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES For its part, the Saudi Government is making all efforts to promote the country’s digital transformation with a number of initiatives in finance, labour and banking.

To encourage the use of electronic payments, the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency (SAMA) undertook a number of initiatives, including the establishment of its new electronic payment system ‘mada’, and mandatory wage payment into bank accounts. It launched its modified Saudi Payment Network (SPAN) as ‘mada’ in September 2015. SPAN links all the ATMs and point-of-sale (POS) terminals to a central payment switch across the country. The regulator expects that the new system will increase the use of POS terminals. To encourage the use of the POS terminals, the daily purchase limit was increased from $5,333.3 (SAR20,000) to $16,000 (SAR60,000).

Earlier, SAMA, in collaboration with the Ministry of Labour, launched the Wage Protection System (WPS) over two years ago.

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Under the law, employees’ salaries were paid directly into bank accounts, from which they can withdraw with debit cards. WPS was implemented in phases depending on the number of employees an organization had. Initially, it was mandatory for companies with an employee base of more than 3,000, which was further reduced in phases to companies with 100 or more employees from November 2015.

Technology adoption in the cards and payments industry achieved a new level in Saudi Arabia, when Riyad Bank issued the country’s first contactless debit card – Riyad Bank Debit MasterCard – in May 2015.

The card provides enhanced security and convenience, and is accepted across 35 million merchants globally. The card can be used for small value transactions of less than $20 (SAR75) without the need to enter a PIN. With payment cards gaining in popularity among consumers, the introduction of contactless cards is likely to encourage card-based payments even for low value transactions. l

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Abu dhabi mall launches UAE’s most advanced virtual way-finder Al Wahda, one of the leading malls in Abu Dhabi introduces wayfinding solution to improve the overall shopping experience.

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ayfinding has been around for a long time, but more and more facilities are moving to digital wayfinding instead of printed signs.

Touchscreen wayfinding offers a wide variety of benefits that traditional wayfinding can’t provide, but there are also a lot of factors you need to consider before jumping on the interactive wayfinding bandwagon.

Wayfinding can be defined as spatial problem solving. It is knowing where you are in a building or an environment, knowing where your desired location is, and knowing how to get there from your present location.

A good wayfinding system gives strong indicators of where the user is and how to get to her destination from her present location.

Wayfinding problems occur when decisions cannot be executed.

Nearbuy, the leading provider of digital solutions for large public areas launched UAE’s most advanced digital 3D virtual way-finder for shoppers of Al Wahda mall. Fourteen digital totems are placed in strategic locations to ensure that visitors find their way across 350 plus stores spread over 3.3 million square feet.

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“With more than 350 stores and an area the size of 3.3 million square feet, the mall is just too big to tackle without a navigational aid,” commented Nicolas Standaert, Founder and CEO, Nearbuy Group.

“This in itself can be extremely frustrating for shoppers, as they try and navigate through stores and shop. With Nearbuy’s way-finding solution, shoppers can find their way with just a simple touch and can also take advantage of the interactive maps which display intuitive multi-floor paths and a customizable user interface. We are extremely proud to be Al Wahda’s mall technology partner of choice and for the continuous support provided by Line Investment and the Lulu Group Management. We are certain that our advanced digital technology will set a new benchmark in way finding and delivery of technology-enabled services aimed at maximizing the convenience of shoppers.”

Nearbuy’s digital totems not only offer information through the latest state-of-the-art touch screen, but it is also fully modular which allows the digital totems to be refreshed with the latest content as per the requirements of the venue.

“Our partnership with Nearbuy fits with the malls overall vision to connect and digitize the shopping experience, our average monthly footfall is 3 million, we want to make sure our visitors can find their way while enjoying an immersive digital experience. The demand for such integration is proof of the growing need for powerful way finding solutions, which we are excited to deliver with Nearbuy,” commented Mohammad Nauman Thakur General Manager at Al Wahda Mall For mall-marketing managers and retailers, a digital way-finder provides an incredibly userfriendly way to guide and understand shoppers, and highlight events and available promotions to engage the visitors. The customized solution also put the users in charge of finding their destination with confidence allowing users to explore shops they normally wouldn’t notice. Aside from making it easy to find their locations, retailers can also leverage digital wayfinding solutions to alert customers on favourite discounts and other deals in real-time, with unmatched engagement rates. l

INTERACTIVE WAYFINDING - Interactive wayfinding is “Self-Service” and reduces the requirement for staff to help direct visitors to their location.

- It offers a more positive visitor experience by reducing frustration - With complex path mapping, you can provide the options to print directions or send them to a mobile phone.

- Searching and interactive directory instead of a static list allows people to filter large lists of names alphabetically, by department, position, etc.

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smart technology

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TRANSPORT

Information and Communications power smart railways into the future The Middle East and Africa smart railways market is expected to grow to at least $5 billion by 2018. The market is primarily driven by rapid urbanization and roadway infrastructure saturation.

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he concept of smart railways provides sets of new generation solutions, services and modern transportation with the help of Information and Communication Technology (ICT). It combines software products to make more intelligent use of all rail assets, from tracks to trains, for the companies to meet the increasing consumer demand for more efficient and safer services.

Trends in smart railways like regulation, sustainability, demographics, economics, mobility and Information Technology (IT) innovations are impacting the rail industry. As a result, every aspect of the value chain, from passenger service to the back-end organization, is changing.

The density of rail network in the MEA region is very low. The majority of the region is heavily dependent upon motorways. The vehicular traffic is growing rapidly. But due to infrastructure saturation, railway services are becoming a favourable mode of transportation. The smart railway infrastructure has become an essential need of the region. The rise in the high-speed rail sector has created a need to upgrade existing infrastructure. The governments are spending billions of dollars to connect its oil and gas and mining industries and ports with modern smart railway networks. The MEA region shows promising growth trends for the smart railways market.

Today, rail projects are big business in the Middle East and North Africa. Key railway developments worth $352 bln, ranging from city-centric metro systems to national rail infrastructures, are currently planned and underway across the region.

The $15.4bln GCC Railway Network, most recently slated for completion in 2018, represents the collective realisation for many of these projects. Spanning 2,117km, this mammoth system has been designed to link the domestic rail infrastructures of all six GCC countries.

But the pan-GCC rail initiative has faced challenges of late. The low oil price, which continues to hamper progress across the majority of the region’s construction segments, has led local governments to reconsider their short-term budgetary priorities.

It was within this context that Etihad Rail, the government-backed firm overseeing the development of the UAE’s national railway infrastructure, suspended Stage 2 tenders in January 2015. The organisation stated that it would use this hiatus to review its investment, and examine the timing and delivery of the development’s second phase.

More recently reports have emerged that Oman was reconsidering its efforts in relation to the GCC Railway Network. The Sultanate said that in light of regional uncertainty, it would concentrate on national rail activities rather than the slated connection to its neighbouring UAE.

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The governments are spending billions of dollars to connect its oil and gas and mining industries and ports with modern smart railway networks.

The exact pace at which the GCC Railway Network will progress remains unclear. What appears altogether more certain is that it will miss its 2018 completion deadline.

However, the railway landscape in the Middle East is likely to change significantly during the coming years, given the vast number of transport projects planned and underway in the region. Members of the GCC are currently witnessing somewhat of a rail boom, albeit it beset by delays.

A multitude of rail projects are being conducted across the GCC, but Saudi Arabia is leading the way with its $23bln Riyadh Metro and $14bln Haramain High-Speed Rail project.

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transport

Meanwhile in the UAE, eight rail projects valued at $20.6bln are underway, including the $11bln Etihad Railway. In Qatar, work has begun on the $25bln Qatar Rail scheme. Bahrain, Kuwait, and Oman also have plans to join the 2,117km GCC Railway Network.

Yet in spite of the launch of these multibillion-dollar rail projects, experts say that the GCC has a long way to go to catch up with markets such as North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific.

Siemens used the recently held Middle East Rail exhibition to showcase its latest concept for a high-speed intercity train tailored for the Gulf region. The Germany-headquartered tech giant is calling this innovation Hesan Alkhaleej, or ‘Horse of the Gulf’.

Hesan Alkhaleej is designed to withstand ambient temperatures in excess of 55°C, and incorporates sand-filtering technologies to ensure reliability within the region’s challenging climate. The concept features various levels of redundancy, especially in relation to air conditioning and power supply, to ensure that

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even in the event of multiple failures, the train will be able to continue on its journey and protect passengers. Siemens’ workhorse would also be equipped to run on tracks suitable for heavy freight rolling stock, enabling mixed-use services to accommodate the changing requirements of the region’s rail customers.

The new train technology offers intelligent connected digitalised mobility and demonstrates how innovation can revolutionise regional transportation by boosting the reliability and efficiency of infrastructure optimising the throughput and enhancing the passenger experience.

The train would also be equipped to run on tracks suitable for heavy freight services enabling mixed-use services to accommodate the varied future requirements of the region’s rail systems.

Siemens showcased its full portfolio for rail and mobility innovation. Siemens and said its electrification automation

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TRANSPORT

and digitalisation technology is equipping mobility to be a driver of truly smart cities in the Middle East.

Autodesk a global leader in 3D design engineering and entertainment software has expressed its intentions of playing a key role in the move to design visualise and create futuristic rail networks across the Mena region. The company is hopeful that its revolutionary Building Information Modelling (BIM) technology would provide the muchneeded push in developing rail networks of the future.

Autodesk argues that one advantage of BIM is the ability to meet project timing and sustainability expectations as it can help rail owners engineering service providers and contractors access integrate and analyse information more holistically to increase productivity and improve the way they plan build and manage projects. Another advantage is the provision of a more comprehensive and accurate view of the project.

“Utilising BIM can result in evaluating alternatives faster and create simulations and visualisations for faster approvals. It can also improve communication by creating a central point to help global field teams manage data keep track of quality check adherence to standards and document projects” Autodesk officials said.

The UAE can learn a lot from Europe, when it comes to building a sustainable and efficient rail network across the GCC, said experts at the Middle East Rail conference.

Speaking at the event, Henrik Hololei, director-general of Mobility and Transport for the European Commission, said that Europe is a world leader in developing solutions for rail networks, and that the UAE and other GCC countries can learn from both its successes and its failures.

“Alone, we can move fast, but together, we can go further; so let us work together on building a safe, secure and sustainable rail network in the region,” he said.

Hololei also spoke about how technology has become a game changer around the world.

“Technology is changing our rail networks. Whether it is real time

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The UAE can learn a lot from Europe, when it comes to building a sustainable and efficient rail network across the GCC, said experts at the Middle East Rail conference. information on traffic, or apps that tell us when the next train is due at the station, change is afoot. I firmly believe that technological companies, which are developing very fast, will continue to come up with solutions. In order to do so, they need access to the vast data that is being generated, and this is where other elements such as cyber security, privacy and data protection, come into play.”

He also added: “In the medium to long-term, technology, smart devices, and a more connected and integrated network will be, and should be, the backbone of transportation in the region. When it comes to using data efficiently, an effective regulatory environment will have to be developed and put into place. As more and more devices become connected into the framework, the threats of new age cyber attacks increases, and we need to focus on addressing these concerns so that our rail networks remain safe.”

Rail technology leader Bombardier Transportation is an exhibitor at the 10th edition of Middle East Rail. This major rail infrastructure event provided an important platform for Bombardier to meet with major rail operators and transport ministries to present its comprehensive portfolio of advanced mobility solutions for cities and airports.

“At Bombardier, we’re redefining the way people move with our innovative mobility solutions for cities and airports, from e-mobility to driverless automated people movers, metros and elevated monorail systems,” said Philippe Casgrain, Vice President, Europe, Middle East and Africa, Systems Division at Bombardier Transportation.

He added, “Bombardier is already a major rail infrastructure provider in the Middle East, delivering turnkey transit systems and rail projects in this dynamic region.”

On February 24, 2016, the new BOMBARDIER INNOVIA APM 300 automated people mover system at the Dubai International Airport opened.

It is providing a dedicated service for airline passengers travelling between the newly renovated Terminal 1 and the new Concourse D. The driverless APM system operates with the service-proven BOMBARDIER CITYFLO 650 communications-based train control (CBTC) technology, known for its high reliability, safety and short headways between trains.

The primary takeaway from the Middle East Rail Conference was that technology will play a major role in any future rail networks in the region.

And in spite of the initial hiccups railway projects in the Middle East are likely to stay on track for many years to come. l

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Health & Community

DEWA and DWE to establish smart sports park Dubai Electricity and Water Authority, DEWA, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, with Dubai Women Establishment, DWE, to build Al Saada (Arabic for ‘happiness’) Park at Dubai Ladies Club.

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l Saada is a scale model of a smart sustainable activity park that uses sports to promote sustainability. Sustainability is one of the key pillars of a smart city and sport is important for people’s happiness as it enhances harmony and human bonding in society. This initiative combines both the sustainability and happiness of society.

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Al Saada promotes sustainability by using innovative sports equipment that transforms kinetic energy into electricity. The generated power is used for different purposes. This contributes to creating a healthy environment for society, making them fitter and happier by introducing sports in their daily agenda. This in turn, promotes a culture of exercise and raises environmental awareness.

The move also underlines the corporate social responsibility (CSR) of both DEWA and DWE, who support the social development of the Emirate and contribute to the Dubai Plan 2021 to create a society in which people share a set of core civic values, and where families live happily. Al Saada is a world-class activity park that demonstrates Dubai as it is becoming a sustainable hub that adopts best international practices in energy usage, efficiency and the sensible management of natural resources. It also supports Dubai’s objectives to fight obesity and provide a healthy environment for all.

The MoU was signed by HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD and CEO of DEWA, and HE Mona Al Marri, Chairperson of the Board at DWE and Managing Director. Shamsa Saleh, CEO of Dubai Women Establishment, Khawla Al Mehairi, Vice President of Marketing and Corporate Communications at DEWA, and Lamia Khan Director of Dubai Ladies Club was also present.

The park is to be fitted out with a bunch of innovative sports equipment, that turns the kinetic energy generated from exercising into electricity. So if you want to make your exercise calories really count for the greater good then get up and work out at Al Saada park.

The electricity generated will be stored in special units that will used to charge cell phones and smart devices, lighting, cooling water machones, or other personal devices. The park will also have children’s games that run on the energy produced by people using the equipment. So you can take your little ones along with you.

The park will include the energy production and storage section, the energy usage section, and an

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health & Community

The park is to be fitted out with a bunch of innovative sports equipment, that turns the kinetic energy generated from exercising into electricity.

awareness section that uses smart educational methods to spread the word of environmental awareness in interactive ways.

“DEWA is committed to establishing the concepts of environmental awareness and sustainability in smart innovative ways. This supports the Dubai Plan 2021 to create a positive and happy environment for all society. We are pleased to work with Dubai Women Establishment in this key project, which is the first of its kind in the region. It is the first of a number of innovative smart platforms that turn people’s kinetic energy into electricity in an innovative way to promote exercise, energy conservation, and sustainability.

This supports Dubai’s objective to be a smart and sustainable city that is home for happy, creative, and empowered people.

As HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, once observed, “Sport should be the everyday culture of every member of society and the lifestyle we live and practise daily, because it refines a person’s soul, body and behaviour,”” said Al Tayer.

“DEWA’s CSR initiatives have always been an integral part of its strategy to serve the public good. DEWA is not only involved in the provision of energy services and water, but also makes every effort, through community initiatives and programmes designed to

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make society happier and promote the growth and prosperity of Dubai and the UAE. DEWA has established a corporate identity that has taken it into a wider space where it touches the lives of every member in society and contributes to improving the quality of life in the Emirate. DEWA has exceeded its sustainability targets through innovative initiatives and leading projects that make citizens and residents happier. The MoU with DWE supports DEWA’s strategy to be part of people’s lives in society,” added Al Tayer.

“The signing of this MoU between Dubai Women Establishment and DEWA is a key outcome of Global Women’s Forum Dubai, which we co-hosted in Dubai last month. It reflects our ongoing efforts to promote collaboration with various parties, government agencies and private institutions in order to support women’s empowerment initiatives and develop an environment that fosters innovation.

The MoU outlines our commitment to supporting the pioneering approach of our wise leadership to strengthen innovation and creativity in the UAE, as a foundation for developing new opportunities in the future,” said Al Marri.

“Al Saada is a first-of-its-kind for the MENA region, unique in its ability to transform kinetic energy - generated by exercise - into electricity, using innovative devices. This is the principal driver behind further innovative initiatives with greater geographic scope and activities,” she added.

The platform of the park aims to promote the concept of renewable energy and its daily uses in simple, smart, and innovative ways. The platform and the specially-designed equipment are suitable for the needs of all society, including children and people with special needs using sustainable material and safe rubber flooring.

DEWA signed an MoU with Gebal Group, the exclusive representative of the UK-based The Great Outdoor Gym Company, in the Middle East. Earlier, the British company won an innovation award for sports equipment that contribute to sustainable energy from ENGIE, at Innovation Week in the UK. l

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Food & Agriculture

A Modular Stateof-the-Art Growing System Delivered to Your Door

with some innovative engineering A regular shipping container can be converted to a hi-tech modular, stackable and mobile vertical production environment. specially designed and constructed 20’ or 40’ containers have been modified to provide the optimum controlled vertical environment for growing a wide range of horticultural and agricultural products in all environments and climates. The results are a significantly higher yield in a shorter time than all conventional production methods. it’s now possible to grow almost anything, almost anywhere.

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ach state of the art Growtainer™ container is a mobile billboard, promoting its supporters with highly visible logos and graphics. It is also a mobile classroom, offering students the opportunity to learn more about controlled environment, technologybased production and sustainability with an added bonus of providing fresh healthy vegetables to those students. It is an educational tool and a mobile research center as well and provides an opportunity for technology-based production under many different circumstances, often difficult, including harsh climates and remote environments.

The 40’ Growtainer™ container prototypes are currently located at The Texas A & M Agrilife Research Center in Dallas.

These units are fully operational and include

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a utility area which contains all pumps, tanks and environmental equipment, including our proprietary ebb and flood “HydroCurve” VPD water and nutrition delivery system. Each chamber is a positive pressure environment, which creates a natural barrier against pests and disease entering the production chambers and the exterior of each unit has been treated with a ceramic paint developed by NASA for enhanced climate control. Each Growtainer™ container conforms to many of the USDA and APHIS standards for “Approved

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Painted by Did you know that the Eiffel Tower is 300 metres high and was built to commemorate the centenary of the French Revolution? The tower was completed for the 1889 World’s Fair and is still one of the world’s best known landmarks.

It is no coincidence that Jotun supplied the paint.

Did you know that Jotun has 9,500 employees in more than 90 countries? We supply paints and coatings that have been specially developed for unique conditions. The world of Jotun is diverse, but we have one common agenda: Jotun Protects Property

metrobranding.no – Photo: © Brian A Jackson, Shutterstock.com

JOTUN DecOrATive PAiNTS

JOTUN PrOTecTive cOATiNgS

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Food & Agriculture

Greenhouses” including a pre-entrance and a disinfectant foot wash.

Each chamber is outfitted with a proprietary, self-contained stainless steel rack system (the Growrack™ rack system) which can contain any number of vertical production and propagation levels. The number of levels is determined by the height requirements of the crop being produced.

Each level of the 6’-8’ tall modular Growrack™ rack system contains an appropriate number of crop-specific LED fixtures. By combining these custom wavelength combinations, the LED lights in the Growtainer™ container can virtually alter the photosynthesis and/or photomorphogenesis response allowing controllable, predictable and more robust growth, resulting in higher yields in a shorter period of time than conventional production methods.

The GreenTech Agro team consists of experienced consultants specializing in all aspects of horticulture and in the design of state of the art control systems.

GreenTech Agro’s management are seasoned business people with many years of experience in horticulture, engineering and new business development.

Finally all of the above components and processes of Growtainer™ container production are controlled and monitored by a specially designed and developed PCbased proprietary sensor and control system, which we call the Growtroller™ control system.

HydroCurve VPD: We have developed a proprietary vapor pressure deficit system for ebb and flood water distribution tentatively called “HydroCurve”. While the NFT system is a constant flow and operates 24/7, the ebb and flood system water and nutrient distribution is controlled by the environment around the plant. Rather than a fixed time and volume, the environment around the plant is monitored by a proprietary sensor and irrigation is based on the plant’s size, growth, metabolism and real time requirements.

Yield Analysis: Each of the five levels in the NFT Growrack™ include one level dedicated to propagation and four levels for production, growing 75 plants each or 300 plants per Growrack™. A total of 8 NFT Growracks™ in each Growtainer™ will produce 2400 plants in each 30 day cycle or 28,800 plants per year. In the ebb and flood system, 8 Growracks™, each with four production levels can produce a total of 5520 plants in each 30 day cycle for a total of 66,240 plants per year and also includes one level for propagation.

GreenTech Agro LLC has positioned itself to be a major player in the world of controlled environment agriculture and technology-based production. Over the past 3+ years we have committed a substantial amount of funding and resources to the development of the Growtainer™ containers, Growrack™ rack

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systems and Growtroller™ control systems. We have already developed a research collaboration with Texas A & M and we are in final negotiations with a major international manufacturer of LED lighting for horticulture.

Food is an important issue that touches the lives of everyone, regardless of where they live. A mobile Growtainer™ container is a product with unlimited applications and a global marketing potential. For profit or non-profit, philanthropy or sustenance, food remains an important global issue (including production, delivery, nutritional value, taste, cost, etc.). And the production opportunities generated by a Growtainer™ container consist of much more than food.

The open source architecture of its patent pending system offers opportunities in the production of botanicals for flavors and fragrances, botanic based pharmaceuticals, clean production vegetables for oncology and pediatric uses, reforestation, seed sprouting, rooting cuttings, and much more. They believe that by introducing this system, they will provide a solution to production requirements that people are not even aware of. l

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