Masdar City and Huawei join forces to accelerate net-zero

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Dubai, UAE: Masdar City, a ground-breaking sustainable urban community in Abu Dhabi, and Huawei, a leading global provider of information and communications technology infrastructure, have joined forces through a Memorandum of Understanding that will help power the UAE’s journey to net zero.

The agreement, signed on October 17 at GITEX GLOBAL 2023 by key Masdar City and Huawei leaders, will lead to knowledge-sharing and capacity-building in net-zero development, help reduce the carbon footprint of Masdar City’s information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure, and promote the adoption of carbon-conscious ICT through Huawei’s Net Zero Campus Framework. The framework, released earlier this year, is designed to help organizations reduce the energy demand of ICT systems and operations while switching to clean energy.

Masdar City, already home to one of the largest clusters of LEED Platinum buildings in the world, has three net-zero energy buildings currently under construction, the first of which will be completed in October 2023. Huawei is home to several low-carbon campuses and is creating new technologies to support sustainability as one of their strategic priorities.

“Masdar City already develops the most high-performing, energy-efficient buildings in the region,” said Mohamed Al Breiki, Masdar City’s executive director of sustainable real estate. “Optimizing ICT systems is a vital step in reducing our energy demand even further and cutting tech-related carbon emissions. This is yet another way for us to help lead the way for other cities who want to chart a course to net-zero.”

“We are delighted to announce our partnership with Masdar City to accelerate the UAE's journey to net zero,” said Safder Nazir, Senior Vice president, Public sector, Huawei Middle East and Central Asia. “Through this MOU, we aim to empower knowledge-sharing, promote the drive toward carbon-conscious ICT to reduce tech-related carbon emissions, and promote Huawei's Net Zero Campus Framework. We recognize that technological innovation plays a crucial role in sustainable development, and this collaboration with Masdar City will set a benchmark for the cities and campuses of the future.

In addition to optimizing existing ICT systems at Masdar City, Huawei will advise on Masdar City’s upcoming Command and Control Center, which will feed data related to energy, water, and waste management in all Masdar City-owned buildings to a central location. This will allow facilities managers to monitor and improve building performance in real-time.

Masdar City will look for opportunities to amplify Huawei’s Net Zero Campus Framework, launched earlier this year to support organizations that wish to decarbonize. The Huawei Net Zero Campus Framework recommends a stepwise approach towards a net zero campus. This could begin with addressing campus operations, along with net-zero energy development.

A smart campus solution supports a collaborative work environment, while a net-zero energy campus implements key energy initiatives such as reducing energy consumption, generating energy onsite, and actively managing energy consumption and energy trading. The net-zero-carbon campus strives for a net-zero balance between the carbon emitted into the atmosphere and the carbon removed from it.

Al Breiki signed the MOU on behalf of Masdar City, while Nazir signed the agreement for Huawei.

“We have always known that technological innovation helps drive sustainable development,” said Al Breiki. “This new partnership will be a powerful enabler for decarbonization. We look forward to setting an even higher benchmark for how cities of the future will operate.”

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About Masdar City

Masdar City is a ground-breaking sustainable urban community in Abu Dhabi, a world-class business and technology hub, and a “green-print” for cities that want to be part of the solution to climate change. With one of the largest clusters of LEED Platinum buildings in the world, we are dedicated to creating a new kind of city, a new way of working and living, and a more sustainable future for everyone.

The Masdar City Free Zone is a diverse, innovative, and ambitious group of over 1,000 organizations that benefit from comprehensive business support as well as the city’s rich ecosystem. Tenants include the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the UAE Space Agency, Siemens Energy, G42 Healthcare, the Advanced Technology Research Council, several Fortune 500 companies, and the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence. The Masdar City Free Zone also includes The Catalyst, a clean-tech startup accelerator program powered by both Masdar City and BP.

Masdar City hosts a growing residential community and two generations of autonomous vehicles. It also manages the Masdar Green REIT, a real estate investment trust dedicated to investing in sustainable real estate assets. Currently the Masdar Green REIT is worth nearly AED 2.8 billion.

About Huawei:

Founded in 1987, Huawei is a leading global provider of information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure and smart devices. We have more than 207,000 employees, and we operate in more than 170 countries and regions, serving more than three billion people around the world.

Our Vision and mission is to bring digital to every person, home and organization for a fully connected, intelligent world. To this end, we will drive ubiquitous connectivity and promote equal access to networks; bring cloud and artificial intelligence to all four corners of the earth to provide superior computing power where you need it, when you need it; build digital platforms to help all industries and organizations become more agile, efficient, and dynamic; redefine user experience with AI, making it more personalized for people in all aspects of their life, whether they're at home, in the office, or on the go.

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