UAE Builds First Green Hydrogen Plant

UAE Energy Minister Suhail al-Mazrouei and Israeli Energy Minister Karine el-Harrar signed the MoU (WAM)
UAE Energy Minister Suhail al-Mazrouei and Israeli Energy Minister Karine el-Harrar signed the MoU (WAM)
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UAE Builds First Green Hydrogen Plant

UAE Energy Minister Suhail al-Mazrouei and Israeli Energy Minister Karine el-Harrar signed the MoU (WAM)
UAE Energy Minister Suhail al-Mazrouei and Israeli Energy Minister Karine el-Harrar signed the MoU (WAM)

The United Arab Emirates has started building the "first green hydrogen plant in the Middle East," and testing is underway, announced Energy Minister Suhail al-Mazrouei.

UAE aims to capture 25 percent of the global hydrogen fuel market by 2030. It is implementing more than seven ambitious hydrogen projects, targeting key export markets, including Japan, South Korea, Germany, and India.

Meanwhile, the UAE and Israel signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to deepen relations related to the energy sector and to launch a bilateral partnership that supports their goals regarding the future of clean energy.

"The UAE and Israel have both achieved several ambitious goals in all areas, most notably in energy, since the signing of the Abraham Accords Peace Agreement between the two sides over a year ago," Mazrouei said.

During his meeting with Israeli Energy Minister Karine el-Harrar at the Israeli pavilion at Expo 2020, Mazrouei stressed that the accord has helped create promising opportunities for both countries and the region.

"These partnerships will help achieve the transition to renewable energy, as well as draft projects and initiatives that support the Paris Agreement for climate change, which the UAE was among the first to ratify," he said.

The MoU, signed in the presence of many officials from both sides, stipulates the exchange of knowledge and expertise. It also calls for hosting high-level meetings to discuss issues related to energy storage, most notably clean energy, as well as infrastructure cybersecurity, fossil fuels, electricity grids, smart networks, problems of hydrogen and water, and ways of supporting the UAE and Israel's energy strategies.

It promotes investment and trade in energy, energy-related services and equipment, and highlights the strategic importance of developing common global approaches to promoting market access opportunities and the sustainable development of energy resources.

The MoU also affirms the commitment of both parties to sustainable development in implementing energy, science, and technology policies while considering ever-changing economic, social, and environmental considerations, such as climate change.



French People Need to Work More to Boost Growth, Minister Says

French Minister for the Economy, Finance and Industry Antoine Armand arrives to attend a governmental seminar at the Hotel Matignon in Paris, on November 4, 2024. (AFP)
French Minister for the Economy, Finance and Industry Antoine Armand arrives to attend a governmental seminar at the Hotel Matignon in Paris, on November 4, 2024. (AFP)
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French People Need to Work More to Boost Growth, Minister Says

French Minister for the Economy, Finance and Industry Antoine Armand arrives to attend a governmental seminar at the Hotel Matignon in Paris, on November 4, 2024. (AFP)
French Minister for the Economy, Finance and Industry Antoine Armand arrives to attend a governmental seminar at the Hotel Matignon in Paris, on November 4, 2024. (AFP)

People in France must work more, Finance Minister Antoine Armand said on Monday, adding that the fact that French people worked less than their counterparts in Europe was harming the economy due to lower tax contributions and social security payments.

The government is examining reforms to speed up its sluggish economic growth, although changes to work practices are often opposed by trade unions.

"On average, a French person works clearly less than his neighbors, over the course of a year," Armand told C News TV.

"The consequence of this is fewer social security payments, less money to finance our social models, fewer tax receipts and ultimately fewer jobs and less economic growth."

France, the euro zone's second biggest economy, wants to cut its public deficit to a targeted 5% of GDP by 2025.

The country's 35-hour work week, introduced in 2000, has typically been fiercely defended by trade unions, while reforms to France's pension system have also faced widespread protests.

"Let's all work a bit more, collectively speaking, starting off by making sure that everyone respects the working hours that they have been given, in all sectors," Armand said.