Carbon Neutrality in the Gulf: Between Well-intentioned Pledges and the Harsh Reality

About

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.