The Hassyan power station near Dubai. Dubai plans to convert the Hassyan power station, the Arab Gulf’s first and only coal-fired power plant, to use natural gas. The move will help Dubai achieve its carbon-neutral goals, the chairman of Dubai’s Supreme Council of Energy, Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, said in a statement. The United Arab Emirates was the first petrostate to commit to eliminating planet-warming emissions from within its borders. The UAE participated in November’s COP26 talks, at which delegates agreed to phase down the use of coal. The country will host COP28 in 2023. The 2.4-gigawatt Hassyan power plant has been operating using coal supplied by Japan’s Jera Co. since 2020.