“Apart from debate on the role of fossil fuels, at COP28 all eyes will be on how the UAE and its neighboring hydrocarbon-rich states will tackle the implementation of climate mitigation policies. Because of economic and population growth, industrial expansion, rising living standards, and a sixfold increase in energy consumption since the 1980s (faster than in any other part of the world) driven in part by higher demand for cooling, the Gulf states recognize the importance of developing alternative energy sources, such as renewable energy.”

Aisha Al-Sarihi, From Sharm el Sheikh to Dubai: What to Expect From the UAE as Host of COP28 [Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington]