Ajman’s socio-economic development agenda has sustainability principles at its core. The government is investing significant human and financial resources into developing the hard and soft infrastructure required to facilitate progress towards the UAE’s goal of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
Collaboration & Education
With the UAE facing challenges such as water scarcity and rising average temperatures due to climate change, government departments are working to equip the future workforce with the knowledge and skills required to combat those issues. The inaugural programme of the Ajman Municipality and Planning Department (MPDA), the Our Summer of Happiness initiative, focused on educating the emirate’s youth as to the important role renewable energies and advanced technologies play in national and global socio-economic development. The programme was part of a multi-pronged drive to encourage young people to apply their creativity and talents to benefit national sustainable development.
Major stakeholders are working to foster knowledge sharing and education through public-private collaboration. For example, in May 2023 the Ajman Chamber and Dubai’s Etihad Energy Services Company ran sustainability workshops for companies geared towards highlighting the positive impact that energy-efficient practices can have on operational costs and output.
The UAE plans to invest DH600bn ($163.3bn) in sustainable building materials by 2050, in light of the potential of green buildings to reduce energy consumption and costs by up to 50%. Around 8335 buildings were constructed or retrofitted in Ajman in adherence with green building standards between 2018 and 2023. In addition, the MPDA began implementing its Carbon-Neutral Path initiative in early 2024. The programme outlines a detailed and phased approach to reducing the emirate’s carbon footprint, with the aim of supporting businesses and governmental institutions in the emirate to reach carbon neutrality by 2050.
Technology & Circular Production
To aid such initiatives, Ajman is targeting the expansion of in-emirate production and trade of renewable energyand sustainability-related technologies. In September 2024 the emirate launched the NuVentures Centre Free Zone to host businesses working with advanced technologies. Some 450 companies established a presence in the zone in its first two months of operation.
Broadening the scope for private finance in its sustainability drive, Ajman’s government is inviting PPPs to secure large-scale foreign and private investment into its infrastructure development agenda and released updated PPP regulations in 2022. One such example of a prominent PPP is Ajman Sewerage, which was established in 2002 via a partnership between Ajman’s government, Belgian contractor BESIX, and French water, waste and energy management firm Veolia. In 2022 Ajman Sewerage Company again teamed up with BESIX to develop the UAE’s first sludge-to-energy plant in Ajman’s Al Jurf Industrial Area. The plant transforms sewage waste into fuel to supply up to 50% of the electricity required for the nearby Ajman Sewerage wastewater treatment plant. The new facility converts organic by-products of biological wastewater treatment – which would otherwise end up in landfills and release large quantities of greenhouse gases – into energy. Planned upgrades to the plant include solar sludge drying capabilities and the conversion of restaurant waste into electricity.
In November 2024 the MPDA announced the launch of a new waste plant in Al Jurf, developed under a PPP with Dubai-based Alserkal Group and designed to collect up to 10,000 gallons of oil, fat and grease from food outlets per day. While it was not clear upon announcement whether the waste products will be harnessed for sustainable energy production, the deal demonstrates Ajman’s commitment to its green economy drive and the increasing willingness of key private sector players to engage with sustainable development initiatives.
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