Abu Dhabi begins restricting the use of plastic bags

Wednesday, the UAE capital, Abu Dhabi, banned single-use plastic bags in an effort to curb the use of plastic bags entirely. 

"Abu Dhabi begins banning the use of single-use plastic bags, starting today," the emirate's government media office said in a tweet. Excluded from the decision are bags of medicine, waste and food items such as fruits and meat, and shopping bags for clothes and toys.

The Governmental Environment Agency in Abu Dhabi called on retail outlets to "provide alternative environmentally friendly and reusable bags for a nominal fee to encourage consumers to adopt this positive change in environmental behavior."

It said that the aim of the decision is to "support the emirate's efforts towards achieving an environmentally friendly future."

According to local media, the UAE consumes 11 billion plastic bags annually, which is equivalent to 1182 plastic bags annually at the individual level. This is considered a very high rate compared to the global average of about bags per capita annually.

It is noteworthy that the Dubai Municipality intends to impose a financial tariff on single-use plastic bags starting from the first of July, up to a complete ban within two years.

The UAE, which is trying to show more and more its commitment to sustainable development, will host next year the United Nations Climate Summit "COP 28." The Gulf state hopes to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.

Like other Gulf states, the UAE has built its wealth primarily on fossil energies, the construction sector, and consumerism.