Genetically modified crops are continuing to spread across the world, according to the leading annual survey of GM in agriculture, published yesterday.

Date: 16-Jan-09
Country: UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Author: Stanley Carvalho

ABU DHABI - Abu Dhabi's Masdar said on Thursday it is building the Middle East's largest solar power plant for the carbon-neutral Masdar City.

Environment: Abu Dhabi has embarked upon an ambitious plan to build a zero-emission clean-tech centre in the desert. Will it work?

Gordon Brown, prime minister, yesterday signed a clean energy co--operation agreement with a leading renewable energy company in the United Arab Emirates.

Dubai is backing a Kremlin-linked energy company in an offer to buy the last and biggest of Russia's wholesale power-generating companies in a potential $5bn-plus deal that could mark the first strategic foray into Russia by a Middle Eastern fund. Anatoly Chubais, Russia's former privatisation chief and chief executive of Unified Energy Systems, said on Monday that Roskommunenergo, a Russian energy company, had joined Dubai World the investment arm of the United Arab Emirates to offer to buy OGK-1.

>> The weekly news service on the environment and development, Tierram

Abu Dhabi is preparing to launch a large-scale agricultural project in Sudan to develop more than 70,000 acres of land as part of the oil-rich Gulf emirate's efforts to secure food supplies. The project comes amid growing interest from Middle Eastern states to use land overseas to ensure food security. Saudi Arabia and Egypt have also held talks with Sudan and are considering agricultural projects of their own in Africa's largest nation, officials confirmed yesterday.