Carbon Neutrality in the Gulf

Dr Wael A. Samad holds the position of Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering and serves as the Chair of the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering at the Rochester Institute of Technology, Dubai Campus. Throughout his research endeavours, Samad has delved into areas such as experimental solid mechanics, smart cities, and material characterization of 3D printed artefacts. His commitment is demonstrated by the extensive array of over 50 publications he has authored, encompassing peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters, and conference proceedings. Among his contributions is an edited volume on Smart Cities in the Gulf: Current State, Opportunities, and Challenges (2019, Palgrave Macmillan). Since setting foot in the UAE almost ten years ago, Samad has been proactive in forging collaborations with prominent local industries. Notably, his work with Emirates Global Aluminum has played a pivotal role in projects that aim to extend the lifespan of ingot moulds, promoting more sustainable aluminium production in the Emirates. Dr Ahmed Badran is an Associate Professor of Public Policy and Head of the Department of International Affairs, College of Arts and Sciences at Qatar University. Badran has also worked as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Aston Centre for Critical Infrastructure and Services (ACCIS), Aston Business School, Aston University, Birmingham, UK. Badran's research interests extend to cover different areas of regulatory governance and the politics of regulation in liberalised public utilities. That includes telecoms, water, and energy sectors, particularly in transition and developing economies. At present, Badran is leading an international research team working on modelling and assessing the transition towards a low carbon economy in the GCC. This National Priorities Research Program (NPRP) project is funded by the Qatar National Research Fund (QNRF). Dr Elie Azar is an Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada. His main research focus is on sustainable buildings and communities through the modelling and analysis of complex building systems and human behaviour. Azar has authored more than 100 scientific articles in addition to three books on sustainability, smart cities, and artificial intelligence in the Gulf. He is the recipient of various prestigious awards, including the Government of Dubai Emirates Energy Award for his contributions to the field of energy modelling, and was named one of the World's Top 2% Scientists in 2022. Before joining Carleton University, Azar was a faculty member at Masdar Institute and Khalifa University in the UAE.

Part I. Introduction: 1. Carbon neutrality in the GCC: an overview Wael A. Samad, Ahmed Badran and Elie Azar; Part II. Circular Carbon Economy and Pathway Frameworks: 2. Circular cities – one of the pathways to carbon neutrality Okan Geray and Gamze Hakli Geray; 3. The Gulf cooperation council and the circular carbon economy: progress and potential Mari Luomi, Fatih Yilmaz and Thamir Al Shehri; 4. Net zero Saudi Arabia: how green can the oil kingdom get? Jim Krane; Part III. Infrastructure: 5. Energy efficiency and carbon neutrality potentials for the building sector in the GCC region Moncef Krarti; 6. Electrifying public transport networks in Dubai: environmental benefits, urban improvements and social challenges Giovanna Potesta and Mario Tartaglia; 7. Net-zero emissions in the GCC region: challenges and opportunities for green hydrogen applications Ahmed Badran; Part IV. Policy and Data Transparency: 8. GCC carbon neutrality and net zero policy tracker: framing, methodology, and findings Andreas Rechkemmer, Logan Cochrane and Noureddine Radouai; 9. Data policy and governance for greenhouse gases reports and initiatives Hesham Al-Ammal; 10. Key issues for long term climate policy design in gulf countries with focus on Qatar Frederic Babonneau, Ahmed Badran, Maroua Benlahrech, Alain Haurie, Maxime Schenckery and Marc Vielle; Part V. Behavioural Aspect & Human Factors: 11. Energy transition in oil-rich countries: the role of resource nationalism Susan Kurdli and Renato de Oliveira; 12 . Toward smart buildings and communities in the gulf states: analysis of human and social dimensions in the transition to carbon-neutral cities using artificial intelligence Ammar Abulibdeh, Esmat Zaidan and Mohsen Jafari; 13. EU-GCC cooperation opportunities on behavioural energy efficiency Konstantinos Koasidis, Nikolaos Vourgidis, Vangelis Marinakis and Haris Doukas; Part VI. Conclusion: 14. Outlook of NetZero GCC states Wael A. Samad, Ahmed Badran and Elie Azar.