Zero Carbon, Zero Waste City

Masdar City in the Abu Dhabi Emirate of the UAE is slated to be the first zero carbon zero waste city. Why in Abu Dhabi, the largest and "most equal" of all the "equals" in the UAE? I have a thought... perhaps this is Abu Dhabi's claim to fame for after the oil boom. Perhaps the oil boom is coming to an end sooner than we thought.

I've been to Dubai a couple times, but never Abu Dhabi - though I hear it's pretty livable. Dubai is cool, modern, fun - for a couple days, anyhow. Dubai, of course, has one of the most forward-thinking Emirs of the region, and his determination to make Dubai the Hong Kong of the Middle East is paying off. The place is slowly becoming a financial centre, especially with the rise of Islamic Finance. Even HSBC is getting into the act (with, I might add, some amazing commercials for Islamic Banking that would make even the hardest of hearts consider conversion). Abu Dhabi, the bigger, governmental, and less cool neighbour always seems to lag behind. After Dubai built Emirates Airlines, Abu Dhabi made Etihad. With Dubai's post-oil future seemingly built out of being a banking, transport, and convention hub, Abu Dhabi was clearly looking for a different angle.

This is promising. Not only promising that the progressivism of Dubai is contagious, but promising that the future Abu Dhabi is mapping is actually sustainable. I guess once the oil runs out for us, it runs out for them, too...