
Empower Promotes Energy-Saving Practices to Lower District Cooling Bills this Summer - Middle East Business News and Information
Dubai, United Arab Emirates: As part of its ongoing efforts to promote optimised energy consumption, Emirates Central Cooling Systems Corporation PJSC (Empower), the world's largest district cooling services provider, has called on its residential and commercial customers to adopt sustainable practices to reduce district cooling consumption and lower monthly bills during the summer. Launched in June under the slogan 'Set and Save at 24°C', the Summer Campaign aims to increase awareness and promote energy efficiency in line with the Sustainable Development Goals.
Empower emphasised that setting the air conditioner thermostat to auto mode at 24°C during the summer has a significant impact on environmental and economic efficiency. The company also highlighted practical steps to reduce indoor heat sources, such as closing curtains, sealing gaps around windows and doors, and shading glass surfaces to minimise external heat infiltration. In addition, Empower underscored the importance of routine home maintenance, including checking the air conditioner's thermostat and regularly cleaning its filters to ensure high performance.
H.E. Ahmad bin Shafar, CEO of Empower, stated, 'Empower is committed to supporting the vision of the UAE's leadership in building a sustainable future where the next generations can enjoy a high quality of life. This commitment is reflected in our focus on promoting environmentally responsible practices and preserving natural resources.'
'We recognise the vital role of awareness in encouraging responsible energy consumption. By leveraging innovation, we aim to deliver the highest levels of efficiency and quality in district cooling. Our summer campaign, now in its twelfth consecutive year, encourages customers to adopt simple yet impactful practices that contribute to conserving resources. These efforts not only support national sustainability goals but also help individuals optimise their district cooling consumption and reduce their monthly bills,' he added.
Through its summer campaign, Empower encourages its residential and commercial customers to follow tips and guidelines, adopt awareness, and use energy responsibly in their cooling systems. This will help them reduce their energy bills and contribute effectively to the country's sustainability efforts.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Mid East Info
06-08-2025
- Mid East Info
7.5% increase in revenue and 3.4% increase in net profit during the first half of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024
EBITDA reached AED 719 million Pre-tax net profit amounted to AED 442 million, and net profit after tax reached AED 403 million Consolidated revenues of AED 3.36 billion for the twelve-month period until 30, June 2025 'Our sustained success is driven by the forward-looking strategy, operational excellence and the continued momentum in Dubai's real estate sector' – Bin Shafar Dubai, UAE,August 2025: Emirates Central Cooling Systems Corporation PJSC, the world's largest district cooling services provider (DFM: EMPOWER), (ISIN: AEE01134E227), announced its financial results for the first half of 2025. The company reported a total revenue of AED 1,453 million, marking a 7.5% increase compared to the same period in 2024. EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization) reached AED 719 million, with a growth of 3.6% and the pre-tax net profit amounted to AED 442 million marking 3.3% growth compared to the first half of last year. The net profit after tax reached AED 403 million marking a 3.4% increase compared to the same period in 2024. 'Empower's exceptional performance in the first half of 2025 reflects the strength of our integrated business model and the ability to efficiently adapt to changing market dynamics and customer needs. Our sustained success is driven by the forward-looking strategy, operational excellence, and the ability to extract long-term value from the continued momentum in the real estate sector. Through our ongoing efforts and commitment to innovation and latest technologies, Empower continues to support the sustainable development of Dubai, contribute to achieving global climate goals and the UAE's Net Zero 2050 targets, while reinforcing the nation's global leadership in climate action and green infrastructure,' said HE Ahmad Bin Shafar, CEO of Empower. Bin Shafar noted Empower's continued growth and development on all fronts, including the expansion of its infrastructure and project portfolio, and its consistent integration of innovation and digital transformation across operations. He reaffirmed the company's prominent presence in global district cooling forums, reflecting Empower's international leadership and commitment to sharing expertise in sustainable cooling. He further emphasised Empower's long-term commitment to creating added and sustainable value for all stakeholders, and to strengthening its position as a global benchmark in environmentally friendly district cooling. Sustained Financial Performance Empower reported consolidated revenues of AED 3.36 billion for the twelve-month period from July 2024 to June 2025, compared to AED 3.16 billion in the period from July 2023 to June 2024; an increase of 6.3%. EBITDA for the same period reached AED 1.58 billion, compared to AED 1.50 billion previously, reflecting a growth of 5.1%. Empower Dividend Distributions Empower's Annual General Meeting, which was held in March with a quorum of 89.9%, approved the Board of Directors' recommendation to distribute cash dividends for the second half of 2024, amounting to AED 437.5 million in total, equivalent to 4.375 fils per share or 43.75% of the company's paid-up capital, which was paid in April, 2025 Business Growth in H1 2025 The first half of 2025 witnessed a significant growth in Empower's business. The company signed 86 new contracts to supply over 99,000 refrigeration tons (RT) to various projects across Dubai. This boosted Empower's total contracted capacity to 1.86 million RT, reflecting growing demand among developers and building owners for the environmentally friendly district cooling solutions. Empower signed two major agreements during the first half of 2025. The first one is with DMCC (Dubai Multi Commodities Centre), the leading international business district that drives the flow of global trade through Dubai, to supply district cooling services to the next phase of Uptown Dubai, for a capacity of 24,675 RT. The second one is for the Island project, by Wasl to supply environmentally friendly district cooling services for a total cooling capacity of 23,853 RT. Moreover, the company's total connected capacity exceeded 1.6 million RT following the addition of approximately 38,000 RT during the reporting period. Empower also reported a notable increase in its service footprint, with the total number of buildings it serves reaching 1,684 in the first half of 2025. Added value for customers and stakeholders: As part of its commitment to enhancing customer experience and addressing their service needs, Empower launched its Mobile Application in April 2025. The feature-packed mobile app, which is available to download on the Apple Store and Google Play Store, is a hassle-free solution for managing its customers' District Cooling Services accounts right at their fingertips. Empower's annual summer campaign, which was launched in June for the twelfth consecutive year under the slogan, 'Set and Save at 24°C', aiming to reduce electricity consumption for cooling, saw a significant acceptance among the company's nearly 148,000 customers. The campaign is being conducted as part of Empower's sustainability strategies and will run until the end of summer. Expansion: Aligning with Empower's strategy to strengthen the district cooling infrastructure and expand its services in strategically important areas of Dubai, the company announced a new district cooling plant in Al Sufouh 2 area during the reporting period. The foundation work has already started for the new plant, while construction is scheduled to begin in the fourth quarter of 2025. This plant will be the first in a series of three future plant rooms that Empower plans to build in the area. The new plant will have a cooling capacity of 23,400 RT (RT) to serve several buildings, including the 'Innovation Hub,' one of the prominent landmarks in Al Sufouh. Strong Presence in International Forums: As a strong advocate of efficient cooling solutions globally, Empower continued strengthening its global presence during the reporting period. The company participated as a diamond sponsor in the International District Energy Association (IDEA) Campus Energy Conference 2025 in Boston, USA, in February, and the IDEA 2025 Annual Conference and Trade Show, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, in June. IDEA is the world's leading organization in the field of district energy. During the IDEA 2025 Annual Conference, IDEA announced the reappointment of Bin Shafar as Member Emeritus on the Board of Directors of the Association for the seventh consecutive term. Accolades: Empower won three global awards at the IDEA 2025 Annual Conference and Trade Show. The company won two gold awards in the categories 'Total Number of Buildings Committed' & 'Total Building Area Committed' for district cooling services outside North America. Additionally, Empower received the prestigious 'Innovation Award Honorable Mention for District Cooling Plant Optimisation Using Machine Learning'. Moreover, the U.S. Green Building Council has awarded the Gold LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Certification to Empower's DLRC District Cooling Plant. The plant, with a production capacity of 47,000 RT, serves the Dubai Land Residence Complex. Empower received this certification after the DLRC district plant successfully met the Council's rigorous sustainability standards. This achievement further reinforces Empower's leadership in environmental protection and carbon footprint reduction, adding yet another prestigious recognition to its growing list of accomplishments. During the period, His Excellency Ahmad Bin Shafar was named among the 'Dubai 100,' Arabian Business's prestigious list of the most influential individuals shaping Dubai's future across sectors, including business, government, technology, and culture. This recognition highlights bin Shafar's remarkable contributions to advancing the district cooling sector and reinforcing Dubai's status as a global hub for green economy.


See - Sada Elbalad
05-08-2025
- See - Sada Elbalad
Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev Delivers Speech at Third UN Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries
Yara Sameh Distinguished Heads of Delegations! First of all, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to His Excellency Serdar Berdimuhamedov, the President of Turkmenistan, and to Honourable Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, the National Leader of Turkmen people, Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty, for their warm welcome and splendid organization of today's conference. It is indeed symbolic that this forum is taking place in beautiful Avaza, a pearl of the Caspian Sea, in the International Year of Peace and Trust, as proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly at the initiative of Turkmenistan. Uzbekistan highly values and strongly supports Turkmenistan's efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and ensure global and regional stability and prosperity. I would also like to express my deepest gratitude to the UN Secretary-General, Mr. António Guterres, for his personal engagement in promoting the issues of landlocked countries as a priority international issue. We fully support the Avaza Political Declaration and are committed to engage actively in the implementation of the ten-year Program of Action. Distinguished participants! The issues discussed at this conference are of vital importance to all of us. I should mention that our country has access to maritime communications only by crossing the territories of several other countries. In our case, a number of challenges are created due to the fact that the nearest seaports are located almost three thousand kilometers away. They are high tariffs, limited capacity of transport corridors and infrastructure, and dependence on the customs and transit policies of other states. According to the World Bank, the Central Asian region loses up to 2% of its GDP annually due to high transport costs and transit instability. Logistics costs account for up to 60% of the total cost of goods, which is several times higher than the global average. In this regard, developing new reliable transit corridors and logistics infrastructure is essential for sustainable progress in Central Asia. The agenda that brings us together today touches upon a fundamental issue – the issue of justice. It is about having the opportunity for landlocked countries to participate in the global economy on an equal footing. Solving this problem requires three fundamental conditions. They are modernizing infrastructure as the basis for sustainable growth; strengthening interconnectivity to prevent transit problems; and recognizing the right to development as a key element of global equality. I would like to emphasize that in recent years for this end Uzbekistan has undertaken systematic efforts to develop a modern transport and logistics network with active private-sector involvement. Uzbekistan is demonstrating strong momentum towards greater openness and transparency in logistics. Complex measures are being implemented to facilitate the digitalization of trade and transport processes. Structural economic reforms, trade liberalization and a radical improvement in the investment climate have already yielded tangible results. The competitiveness has increased and innovative development has accelerated. The achievement of a qualitatively new level of trust and partnership in Central Asia has provided a powerful impetus for dynamic transformations. Today, a single transport and logistics space is being established in the region. Comprehensive programs and projects are being implemented to transform Central Asia into a fully-fledged transit hub between East and West, North and South. In recent years, mutual trade volumes have grown 4.5-fold. Investments have doubled and the number of joint ventures has increased fivefold. This year jointly with our partners we have started construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway. Freight traffic on the Uzbekistan-Turkmenistan-Iran-Turkiye transport corridor has increased significantly. Esteemed conference participants! In today's world, it is crucial to have concrete, feasible and institutionally supported solutions to overcome common threats and challenges. In this regard, Uzbekistan proposes the following: First. Coordinated action is needed to expedite the development of international transport corridors and infrastructure. We advocate accelerating the preparation and implementation of the Uzbekistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan railway construction project. Converging this promising corridor with the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway line, which is now under construction, will open up opportunities to form a new trade and economic space, as well as sustainable transport infrastructure, in our vast region. We also prioritize the development of the Middle Corridor. Its full utilization requires, in the first place, a coordinated transit policy, common rules and reasonable tariffs for container transportation. Second. We propose developing a Global Agreement on Transit Guarantees for Landlocked Countries under the auspices of the United Nations. Such mechanism will ensure conditions for fair access to seaports and communications, reduce the risks of cargo transportation and inequality in global logistics. Third. There is a growing demand for flexible investment instruments to finance major infrastructure projects. The Central Asian countries' need for investment in transport infrastructure is estimated at nearly $40 billion per year. To this end, we propose establishing a United Nations-backed Fund for Promotion of Logistical Integration of the landlocked countries. It would be reasonable attracting resources from donor countries, international development institutions and global programs to this Fund. Fourth. We propose developing a Global Vulnerability Index for landlocked countries. The Index would become an effective tool for objective evaluation of the limited transit capabilities of our countries, expansion of international financial and technical programs and effective resource allocation based on the actual situation. Most importantly, this Index must be taken into account in fairly assessing the competitiveness and business environment of our countries. Fifth. We believe it is extremely important to implement the proposal to create in Uzbekistan an Innovation Hub for Agricultural Sector Development. This hub will promote adaptive agricultural technologies, innovative water conservation and food security projects, and the sharing knowledge and best practices. Sixth. In order to develop tangible proposals for jointly addressing common threats, it is important to actively involve leading experts and think tanks from our countries. To this end, we propose holding a series of international forums and roundtable discussions. The agenda for such events could include deep integration of our countries into global production chains; artificial intelligence and digital technologies' rapid development; expanding cross-border investment and supporting start-ups. Uzbekistan is also committed to joining the International Analytical Centre for Landlocked Countries. Distinguished Heads of Delegation! Access to global markets should be equal for all. This is not just an economic necessity. Above all, it is an important factor for sustainable development, trust and cooperation in international relations. I would like to reiterate that Uzbekistan is always open for constructive and long-term partnerships in forming a fair global development architecture. read more Gold prices rise, 21 Karat at EGP 3685 NATO's Role in Israeli-Palestinian Conflict US Expresses 'Strong Opposition' to New Turkish Military Operation in Syria Shoukry Meets Director-General of FAO Lavrov: confrontation bet. nuclear powers must be avoided News Iran Summons French Ambassador over Foreign Minister Remarks News Aboul Gheit Condemns Israeli Escalation in West Bank News Greek PM: Athens Plays Key Role in Improving Energy Security in Region News One Person Injured in Explosion at Ukrainian Embassy in Madrid News Israeli-Linked Hadassah Clinic in Moscow Treats Wounded Iranian IRGC Fighters Arts & Culture "Jurassic World Rebirth" Gets Streaming Date News China Launches Largest Ever Aircraft Carrier News Ayat Khaddoura's Final Video Captures Bombardment of Beit Lahia Business Egyptian Pound Undervalued by 30%, Says Goldman Sachs Videos & Features Tragedy Overshadows MC Alger Championship Celebration: One Fan Dead, 11 Injured After Stadium Fall Lifestyle Get to Know 2025 Eid Al Adha Prayer Times in Egypt Arts & Culture South Korean Actress Kang Seo-ha Dies at 31 after Cancer Battle Arts & Culture Lebanese Media: Fayrouz Collapses after Death of Ziad Rahbani Sports Get to Know 2025 WWE Evolution Results


Al-Ahram Weekly
30-07-2025
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Egypt launches platform to map its progress toward 2030 SDGs - Economy
The Ministry of Planning, Economic Development, and International Cooperation has launched a new digital platform to track progress toward the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) across the country's 27 governorates. Announced on Wednesday, the Sustainable Development Goals Data Platform for Governorates offers an interactive, regularly updated dashboard that allows policymakers, researchers, and the public to monitor regional performance on all 17 SDGs. It aims to support data-driven decision-making and help align national and local efforts with Egypt's Vision 2030 development strategy. 'Governorates are at the heart of Egypt's sustainable development strategy,' said Planning Minister Rania Al-Mashat. 'This platform allows us to better allocate resources, respond to local needs, and ensure balanced development nationwide.' Built on official data from national agencies, including the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS), the platform features an interactive map ranking governorates by performance on key development indicators. It draws on internationally recognized methodologies, including those from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Each governorate is evaluated based on three main metrics: the gap between its current standing and its 2030 targets, the annual rate of improvement needed to reach those targets, and how it compares to other governorates on specific indicators. The platform builds on earlier SDG localization reports issued by the ministry in cooperation with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in 2021 and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in early 2025. According to the ministry, the tool is intended to guide more efficient public investment, enhance oversight of development financing, and empower local governments to accelerate progress through targeted action. The platform is publicly accessible through here. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link: