A futuristic place in Abu Dhabi

The laying of the cornerstone of Masdar City in Abu Dhabi by General Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, carries with it positive implications on the local, regional as well as global levels.

Masdar City will be the world's first zero-carbon, zero-waste, car-free city. The allocated budget for the development of the entire project is set at Dh81 billion.

In addition, building the "clean" city will mean the creation of over 70,000 jobs. Abu Dhabi expects to save more than Dh7 billion over the next 25 years as a result of using state-of-the-art technology in Masdar.

But the magnitude of the project goes beyond mere numerical calculations. It will be an environmentally friendly project that has based its foundation on futuristic thinking - that is thinking how best to maximise the use of energy supplies as much as how to make use of it.

The project is unquestionably ambitious and forward looking not only in scope but also in the goals it is trying to achieve. Surely, Abu Dhabi has set a precedent and the pace on a regional and international level.