The strange rise of coal in the Middle East: The use of coal has proliferated of late in the Middle East — a strange prospect considering coal’s unpopularity globally, the region’s oil and gas resources and the commitments by some states to curb carbon emissions, writes Robin Mills for the National. The UAE’s energy strategy is to generate 11.2 GW of electricity from coal, having it make up 12% of the total national electricity generation by 2050. Egypt is planning a number of large-scale coal-fired power plants with Chinese and UAE investors, including a 1.32 GW plant in the Gulf of Suez. Similar moves are being done by Jordan, Oman and Iran. The increase can be attributed to volatility in gas and oil prices, leaving coal as a cheap and price-stable commodity. Despite commitments, renewable energy development has not been progressing as well in places such as Egypt. Regulatory hurdles and restrictions on private sector gas development regionally has also stemmed the region’s reliance on it.