Although the emirate’s economic growth can be primarily attributed to its vast hydrocarbons resources, it has also made progress diversifying into new sectors such as manufacturing, tourism, aerospace, defence, finance and logistics. In addition to its economic investments, Abu Dhabi has also made major contributions to social welfare as well as infrastructure, which has been identified as the bedrock for future growth. The government has played a key role in the expansion of the security, aerospace and defence industry over the past decade in an effort to strengthen the UAE’s defence capabilities and as a means of boosting economic diversification. Despite challenges such as a high level of regional competition, most local defence and aviation firms expect to see continued expansion for years to come. The evidence suggests that the emirate has succeeded in nurturing new economic sectors and is on track to meet its goals. The oil and gas sector accounted for 56.5% of Abu Dhabi’s GDP at current prices in 2012, followed by construction (9.6%), manufacturing (5.9%) and real estate (4.4%).

Hydrocarbons revenues still form the bulk of Abu Dhabi’s GDP and while falling prices are a concern, the emirate has been moving steadily towards its economic diversification targets in line with Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030. The past 10 years has seen the non-oil sector expand strongly on the back of business-friendly government policies, as a result of which non-oil sector growth now outpaces that of the oil sector. Outside of hydrocarbons, construction and manufacturing represent the biggest GDP contributors in the emirate, with the construction sector poised to enter a period of renewed expansion and manufacturing identified as a key area for future growth, leveraging the emirate’s natural resources, growing downstream capabilities and strategic location. Elsewhere Abu Dhabi’s financial sector continues to assert itself and the expected 2015 launch of Abu Dhabi Global Market, the UAE’s second financial free zone, is expected to boost activity in the sector. Meanwhile visitor numbers to Abu Dhabi continue to rise, with around 3.5m arrivals in 2014, up 25% on the previous year. This growth is expected to continue as major infrastructure upgrades continue apace. These include the expansion of Abu Dhabi International Airport and the development of the 1200-km wide Etihad rail project.

Subdued oil prices prompted a trimmed federal budget for 2016 as the UAE, like other countries in the region, tightened its belt in response to falling hydrocarbons revenues. However, a sustained focus on economic diversification and targeted investment in Abu Dhabi’s key non-oil sectors in recent years means the emirate is well positioned to weather the storm. Looking forward, plans for future development are mapped out in Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030, a comprehensive economic policy document that aims to reduce dependence on oil and gas, thereby creating a more sustainable knowledge-based economy for the emirate and its inhabitants. Aided by hydrocarbons reserves that are among the world’s largest and substantial financial resources, Abu Dhabi has built up a strong foundation to become a regional leader and an increasingly important global player in a wide variety of sectors, including oil and gas, financial services, health care, aviation and renewable energy.

Hybrid energy systems integrate multiple sources of power generation, storage, and transport mechanisms and can facilitate increased usage of cleaner, renewable, and more efficient energy sources. Hybrid Power: Generation, Storage, and Grids discusses hybrid energy systems from fundamentals through applications and discusses generation, storage, and grids. Highlights fundamentals and applications of hybrid energy storage Discusses use in hybrid and electric vehicles and home energy needs Discusses issues related to hybrid renewable energy systems connected to the utility grid Describes the usefulness of hybrid microgrids and various forms of off-grid energy such as mini-grids, nanogrids, and stand-alone systems Covers the use of hybrid renewable energy systems for rural electrification around the world Discusses various forms and applications of hybrid energy systems, hybrid energy storage, hybrid microgrids, and hybrid off-grid energy systems Details simulation and optimization of hybrid renewable energy systems This book is aimed at advanced students and researchers in academia, government, and industry, seeking a comprehensive overview of the basics, technologies, and applications of hybrid energy systems.

In areas where Muslims constitute much of the population, mosques can account for a significant portion of overall water consumption. Among the various uses of water at mosques, ablution (i.e., ritual cleansing) is generally assumed to be the largest, by far. As part of an initiative to reduce water consumption at mosques in Abu Dhabi, we collected data on ablution and other end uses for water from hundreds of mosques in and around Abu Dhabi City. This paper takes a closer look at how water is used at mosques in Abu Dhabi and presents a set of water use profiles that provide a breakdown of mosque water consumption by end use. The results of this research indicate that cleaning the mosque (primarily the floors) and some of the other non-ablution end uses at mosques can account for a significant portion of the total water consumption and significantly more than was anticipated or has been found in other countries.

The electricity sector in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is in the grip of an apparent paradox. The region holds the world’s largest oil and gas reserves and has been able to universalize access to electricity in most economies, but it may not be able to make the investments required to meet the future power needs of its fast-growing populations. The annual investments to keep pace with the demand for electricity have been estimated at about 3 percent of the region’s projected GDP. In most of the region’s economies, however, financial constraints limit the ability to make those investments. The power sector needs to find its own financing sources—and quickly. Shedding Light on Electricity Utilities in the Middle East and North Africa provides quantitative evidence on how better utility management; sustainable pricing; and selective, context-specific reforms would free enough resources to make the needed investments and lower the operating costs of the sector. The solution involves cutting costs and raising revenues through well-targeted and well-identified improvements. These improvements would generate more financing than the sector’s investment needs. The report provides detailed evidence of the size of the potential gain in each of the 14 MENA economies covered. The analysis is based on the MENA Electricity Database, a new dataset covering 67 electricity utilities, as well as a sample of utilities in comparable economies from other regions. The authors hope that their benchmarking efforts will provide a regional- and utility-level frame of reference for sector performance in the region. The book will be of interest to managers of electricity utilities, regulators, policy makers, and other stakeholders concerned with the performance of utilities in the region.