Dubai, United Arab Emirates - 12 June 2019:   UAE residents are showing increasing interest in methanol and biodiesel as energy resources, with significant online search growth during the past three years, according to a recent report from SEMrush – the award-winning online digital marketing suite.

 

The SEMrush study, which pooled monthly search volumes of 11 types of fuel energy terms during the past three years, revealed electricity-related online searches were the most popular with UAE residents. Diesel and petrol, natural gas and solar completed the top five related searches.

 

The fastest-growing fuel energy terms of methanol and biodiesel align with growing regional investment and demand, with methanol a highly-versatile commodity enjoying growing regional demand due to its compounds having use in both energy and petrochemical applications. In the energy sector, the market for methanol is expanding courtesy of its uses in transportation fuels such as biodiesel and gasoline blending. 

 

In 2017, the UAE launched ‘Energy Strategy 2050’, which is considered the first unified energy strategy in the country that is based on supply and demand. The strategy aims to increase the contribution of clean energy in the total energy mix from 25 per cent to 50 per cent by 2050 and reduce carbon footprint of power generation by 70 percent, thus saving AED 700 billion by 2050. It also seeks to increase consumption efficiency of individuals and corporates by 40 per cent.

 

The strategy targets an energy mix that combines renewable, nuclear and clean energy sources to meet the UAE’s economic requirements and environmental goals as follows:

• 44 per cent clean energy

 

• 38 per cent gas

 

• 12 per cent clean coal

 

• six per cent nuclear

 

The UAE government aims to invest AED 600 billion by 2050 to meet the growing energy demand and ensure a sustainable growth for the country’s economy.

 

“It might be assumed that most online individual searches related to fuel energy terms could be in the context of the household or vehicle power. Electric power is versatile and can be produced using  traditional fossil fuels or other cleaner energy sources. It is encouraging that UAE monthly average searches related to electricity fall into fuel energy terms. Electricity can also be sourced from clean energy sources, which is in line with the official UAE direction to reduce the future carbon footprint of power generation,” commented Adam Zeidan, SEMrush Corporate Communications Manager for MENA region.

 

The picture in other Middle East markets in terms of fuel energy terms in online monthly search show electricity and petrol leading in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, electricity and diesel in Egypt, while diesel and petrol ranked top in Morocco.

 

Looking at other global markets the highest monthly average search for fuel energy terms online for USA: diesel and electricity; UK: diesel and electricity; Germany: diesel and natural gas; Australia: electricity and diesel; India: electricity and natural gas; South Africa: electricity and diesel; while Sweden is solar and diesel.