In late October and early November I was in Abu Dhabi, giving a training course at the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) for General Electric and IFP. This course was very similar in structure to the one we gave back in 2005 in Italy, although the carbon market certainly looks a bit different than it did then!

Al Raha Beach Hotel

The Financial Times notes that Abu Dhabi is now on its way to replacing Dubai as the “cash-rich heart of the Middle East’s construction industry,” with more than $100 billion of state-funded projects under way or in the planning stage…. a fact readily apparent in the number of cranes and construction sites visible from my hotel window. I stayed at the Al Raha Beach Hotel, a part of a major seaside development complex — and the nearby office tower (if you can call it that?) gives an idea about the visually stunning nature of projects in the country.

Dubai skyline

Dubai certainly isn’t lagging in that department either. I headed over there to check out the new Burj Dubai — now the world’s tallest building, eclipsing Taipei 101 – & shown in silhouette in my sunset photo. It will open early next year. [Note: it was dedicated in Jan. 2010 as the Burj Khalifa.] Other well-known attractions included the Palm Jumeirah, an offshore artificial island complex in the shape of a palm tree; the Burj Al Arab, a luxury hotel that looks like the sail of a dhow (an Arabian sailing vessel); and yes, I even went out of my way to check out the snow & ski slopes of ‘Ski Dubai‘ in the shopping ‘Mall of the Emirates’ – truly a bizarre sight in the 35oC (95oF) November weather. Climate activists know that the UAE is second in the world in per capita greenhouse gas emissions (Qatar is #1)…. so hopefully our course will have some impact.