Integration of solar energy and optimized economic dispatch using genetic algorithm: A case-study of Abu Dhabi

© 2017 IEEE. The United Arab Emirates is focusing on cultivating Renewable Energy (RE) to meet its growing power demand. This also brings power planning to the forefront in regards to keen interests in renewable constrained economic dispatch. This paper takes note of UAE's vision in incorporating a better energy mix of Renewable Energy (RE), nuclear, hybrid system along with the existing power plants mostly utilizing natural gas; with further attention for a sound economic dispatch scenario. The paper describes economic dispatch and delves into the usage of Genetic Algorithm to optimize the proposed system of thermal plants and solar systems. The paper explains the problem formulation, describes the system used, and illustrates the results achieved. The aim of the research is in line with the objective function to minimize the total costs of production and to serve the purpose of integrating renewable energy into the traditional power production in UAE. The generation mix scenarios are assessed using genetic algorithm using MATLAB simulation for the optimization problem

Vulnerability of the Emirati Energy Sector for Disaster: A Critical Review

Infrastructure in all its forms is a valuable asset and vulnerable to any natural or manmade hazard. The protection of infrastructure is thus one of the most important and difficult tasks for any government. The energy sector dominates in the UAE and consists of various assets - electricity, oil and natural gas that are geographically dispersed and connected by systems and networks. The protection of these systems and assets and within the energy sector especially, the safeguarding of oil and gas infrastructure from any and all internal and external threats should become top priority in the UAE. Threats to geopolitical and economic stability that need to be considered and prepared for include tectonic activity, climate change, nuclear energy, terrorism and war. This paper explores the disaster vulnerability of the Emirati energy sector with specific focus on Abu Dhabi and Dubai cities. It is based on secondary data, taken from various academic and professional sources, and primary data from a questionnaire survey administered on site at two electricity-generating plants in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Forty questionnaires were distributed and 35 were returned back- 20 Abu Dhabi and 15 Dubai. Oil and gas sectors were identified as the most vulnerable energy sources in both Abu-Dhabi and Dubai. Risk from terrorism was thought to be the greatest hazard with every single respondent choosing it. This was despite the fact that respondents believe it to be one of the threats that the energy sector is prepared for

A GHG Metric Methodology to Assess Onsite Buildings Non-Potable Water System for Outdoor Landscape Use

This paper documents a water:energy greenhouse gas (GHG) metric methodology for a decentralized non-potable water system that was developed as part of a Professional Doctorate in Engineering (DEng) research project by the first author. The project identified the need to investigate the challenges in changing the use of potable water to recycled water for landscape irrigation (LI) and for water features (WFs) at a medical facility case study (MFCS) in Abu Dhabi (AD) (the capital city of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The drivers for the research project were based on the need for AD to decrease desalinated potable water as well as reduce the environmental impact and operational costs associated with the processing and use of desalinated water. Thus, the aim of the research discussed and presented in this paper was to measure the impact of using recycled and onsite non-potable water sources at the MFCS to alleviate the use of desalinated potable water and reduce associated energy consumption, operational costs, and GHG emissions (latterly in terms of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e), for LI and WFs. The analysis of three case scenarios at the MFCS compared different approaches to alleviate energy use, costs, and GHG impacts for the use of recycled water in LI and WFs against a baseline. The findings led to a proposed sustainable water conservation and reuse (SWC) strategy, which helped save 50% desalinated potable water for LI use by soil improvement, building water system audits, and alternate non-potable water reuse. The recommendations for this paper are to develop a SWC strategy forming the basis for a water protocol by the competent authority for regional medical facilities including an assessment methodology for building decentralized non-potable water systems to measure their energy, GHG emissions and financial impact

Regional power United Arab Emirates: Abu Dhabi is no longer Saudi Arabia's junior partner

Since the Arab Spring of 2011, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have been pursuing an increasingly active foreign and security policy and have emerged as a leading regional power. The UAE sees the Muslim Brotherhood as a serious threat to regime sta­bility at home, and is fighting the organisation and its affiliated groups throughout the Arab world. The UAE's preferred partners in regional policy are authoritarian rulers who take a critical view of political Islam and combat the Muslim Brother­hood. The new Emirati regional policy is also directed against Iranian expansion in the Middle East. Yet the anti-Iranian dimension of Emirati foreign policy is considerably less pronounced than its anti-Islamist dimension. The UAE wants to gain control of sea routes from the Gulf of Aden to the Red Sea. Since the Yemen conflict began in 2015, it has established a small maritime empire there. The rise of the UAE to a regional power has made the country a more im­portant and simultaneously a more problematic policy partner for Germany and Europe. (author's abstract

Integrating Experiential Learning Into Information Literacy Curriculum

© 2017 All rights reserved. In the information literacy (IL) curriculum, courses can be designed to provide students hands-on experience, based on concepts that relate to Kolb\u27s theory of experiential learning (EL). If accompanied by reflective practice as discussed by Brookfield and Moon, it helps not only IL teaching, but also encourages librarians to enhance their practice. IL teaching is enhanced when it follows a general curriculum that is geared towards service learning. Service learning involves community outreach with IL integrated into the educational processes. This approach increases the chances that IL skills will be retained even after formal classes have ended. At Zayed University (Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates), the provision of field-based EL with reflective practice, where previous work-related knowledge may be scarce, is intended to prepare graduating students to be work-ready

Correlación de la Formación Marsawdad, Omán, Mioceno Superior (Turoliense-Ventiense), basada en las de cáscaras fósiles de huevos avianos

The discovery of fossilised struthious eggshell fragments on outcrops of the Marsawdad Formation, Rub’ Al-Khali, Oman, permits estimation of the age of the deposits, indicating correlation to the Late Miocene (Turolian-Ventian: Tortonian-Messinian) ca 8-7 Ma. The eggshells are described and are located within a revised biostratigraphy of the Cenozoic terrestrial deposits of the Arabian Peninsula.El descubrimiento de fragmentos de cáscaras de huevos de tipo avestruz en los afloramientos de la Formación Marsawdad, Rub’ Al-Khali, Oman, permite la estimación de la edad de los depósitos, correlacionada con el Mioceno Superior (Turoliense-Ventiense: Tortoniense-Messiniense) ca 8-7 Ma. Las cáscaras de huevo se describen y se sitúan en una biostratigrafía revisada de los depósitos terrestres de la Península de Arabia

Remote sensing and interdisciplinary approach for studying Dubai’s urban context and development

Outlining the different phases and features of the urban and socio-economic development of Dubai, this work is aimed at highlighting the potential of remote sensing and the interdisciplinary approach for the study of cities characterised by overwhelming growth processes. In this way Dubai represents an ideal laboratory since the processes that have been triggered in the last decades have radically modified the previous balances and layouts. Thus the image of a mirage city has been gradually diffused, a city where ambitious objectives can be achieved, targets reached that are difficult to pursue elsewhere, frenetic development processes realised, in a nevertheless increasingly delicate territorial-environmental fabric onto which such phenomena are grafted. The analysis of various remote sensed images, gathered over different periods of times, highlights a number of important aspects from the geological point of view, of the physical geography, the urban development and the direct growth in all directions, with a series of artificial islands and much publicised anthropic works

The Emirates at 2050: Balancing Development and Environmental Stewardship

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) faces the challenge of balancing rapid economic development with environmental preservation and conservation in the Anthropocene era. The nation’s unique ecosystems, characterized by arid desert, rugged mountains, and diverse marine habitats, are vulnerable to disturbances such as urbanization, habitat degradation, groundwater extraction and climate change. To chart a more sustainable course for the Emirates by 2050, the paper proposes policy recommendations such as adopting a national strategy for sustainable development, strengthening environmental policies, investing in urban planning and design, promoting sustainable water management, encouraging use of nature-based solutions, addressing climate change, fostering environmental education, supporting research in environmental sciences, encouraging national and regional cooperation, promoting sustainable business practices in the private sector, and monitoring the progress of environmental policies. By embracing a vision of development that respects the natural environment and safeguards its plant and animal life, the UAE can demonstrate its commitment and serve as a model for other nations to follow, becoming a shining example of responsible development by 2050

FORENSIC-CORRECTIONAL PSYCHIATRIC SERVICES IN BU DHABI: LESSONS FROM A DESCRIPTIVE ANALYIS OF THE ATTRIBUTES OF A SAMPLE OF SERVICE USERS

Background: Forensic-correctional psychiatric services are an important component of the public mental health services that provide care to offenders with mental illness in the criminal justice system and conduct psycho-legal assessments. Although forensic-correctional psychiatric services have evolved in Abu Dhabi, more work is needed in providing adequate mental health care for offenders. Methods: This study provides a situational analysis of forensic-correctional psychiatric services in Abu Dhabi. We included a descriptive analysis of the data collected on service users admitted for psycho-legal assessments and treatment in the forensiccorrectional units and those reviewed in the medical board units for issuing court reports. The study spanned the period between January 2019 to October 2020. Results: A total of 398 males were included in the study. The participants’ mean age was 35.3 (SD 9.27) years and were predominantly single, unemployed and high school graduates. The most prevalent diagnosis was schizophrenia spectrum disorder, (n=129, 31.6%). The mean length of stay in the forensic-correctional unit was 11.07 days. As many as 82.4% of the participants were referred for evaluation. The most common type of crime was categorized as “abnormal behaviour” under the code of practice number 511 of the list of crimes as per the general prosecutor of the United Arab Emirates followed by violence. Conclusion: Considering the level of demand for services and the limited number of forensic-correctional health professionals, there is a need for more resources to develop expertise, clinical services and infrastructures to expand the practice of forensiccorrectional psychiatry. The creation of a universal database for all forensic-correctional psychiatric services is needed to better understand the unmet mental health needs. An additional investment of resources for research to inform mental health policy, laws and practice is indicated. Optimally, the lessons highlighted in this study can guide action plans for improving forensic-correctional mental health services in comparable settings

Role and Significance of the United Arab Emirates Foreign Aid for Its Soft Power Strategy and Sustainable Development Goals

The main issue in the presented research is the United Arab Emirates’ foreign aid commitment, the development of its brand, and its position in international relations. The study’s purpose is to find an answer to a research question, specifically, what is the UAE foreign aid role and significance for the Soft Power Strategy implementation and the Sustainable Development Goals? The author adopted appropriate theories and research methods. Role theory has been applied, allowing for the combination of different tools. Moreover, there is a close connection between the state adapting to changes in its political environment and its position and role in international relations. Therefore, the theory of adaptation has also been included. To verify the theoretical assumptions, the author implemented a comparative analysis using empirical research and case studies. In addition, the author’s ten-year participation in many UAE international policy processes was useful. The paper shows United Arab Emirates foreign aid as a fundamental element of supporting branding, filling the Sustainable Development Goals, and influencing international relations. In the twenty-first century, UAE foreign aid became a pillar of state foreign policy, making it possible to shape the international environment